Friday's Feature Fly - Carp Cupcake

There are many species of fish one can chase on the fly. So why chase carp, said no one who has ever coaxed a yellow submarine to hand. Those who pursues carp know they usually don't come easy and most require every trick you have while remaining calm and patient in the process. 

While I highlight a new carp fly from RIO called Carp Cupcake let it be known this is not the only fly I'd have in my carp box. Below is a link to our entire selection of carp flies. 

Carp Cupcake - Tan

Maybe it's not your thing, I get it! But, maybe you are due for a new challenge? A challenge that might exist in your local backyard. They might be worth a little time spent doing some scouting.

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - 8.21.2021

Trout - Deschutes River:

The Deschutes is a good place to be right now, and with this nice cooler front, should help the fishing conditions. Portland General Electric has lowered where the water spills from the dam which has cooled the rest of the river. As I write this report, the Deschutes is coming out of Pelton dam at 54 degrees which is great for the steelhead and trout alike. Both of these fish require cold clean water in order to survive and thrive and we have experienced some less than ideal conditions in the river over the last month. The temps at Moody are around 61 in the mornings and rise to around 64-65 in the afternoons which is a big improvement from the 71 degree water down by the mouth early in the month.

ODFW has uplifted the hoot owl regulation on the Deschutes below Sherars Falls however, making the river open to fish all day long. Why they did this is beyond me. At least now we are getting colder water from PGE which should help the fish and their survival rates but uplifting the Hoot Owl made zero sense to me especially when we are in the hottest month of the year. The few steelhead that are making their way back to the D this year need all the help and protection they can get.

The trout fishing has been really good though on a better note! The higher up in the river you fish, the colder the water, and the happier the trout. Caddis is the name of the game this time of year as well as some potential pale morning and pale evening dun hatches mixed in too. Concentrate your dry fly efforts in back eddies right along the shorelines in shallow water. Fish will stack up facing downstream of the main current and eat emerging, adult and dead caddis throughout the day. Nymph fishing is always productive and my go to nymph this summer has been a #16 jig style frenchie. Sinks fast and works great as a dropper under a dry or on an indicator rig. Rubber leg stones are always a good bet and pretty soon, October caddis pupae will start to be important as September nears.

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Mount Hood Lakes:

The lakes are a great place to beat the heat and cool off and catch a mess of fish. Stripping nymphs and small leeches/buggers on an intermediate line is a great method up there. You can use a floating line as well, but I would make a really long leader and some weighted flies to get down in the column. Nymphing with chironomids and balanced leeches under an indicator is another productive lake technique. Have fun up there!

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Steelhead - 

Steelhead fishing has been fair. The numbers this year compared to the 10 year average and even just last year are quite depressing. The fish that are entering the river are swimming upstream fast in search of cooler water. Dry lines and small flies will get it done now through much of September before it turns to skagit and sink tip season. Middle of the day with high sun, sink tips and larger presentations generally work better but you can occasionally coax a curious steelhead towards the surface in the middle of the day.

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Oregon Coast Rockfish

Oregon Coast Rockfishing bite has been stellar and is loads of fun. Folks who are lucky enough to be in a dory style boat hovering over shallow reefs with heavy sinking lines are having no problem getting limits of black rockfish and the occasional keeper lingcod. I’ve also seen some people getting coho trolling pink flies which looks like a riot! Something I need to try. If you don’t have a boat, no problem. The jetties fish well year around when the conditions allow. Go on a calm day when the swell is reported below 5 feet and no rain. Stay safe out there and avoid going alone.

Smallmouth Bass / Carp:

Warm water species is where it’s at this time of year. The carp fishing on the Columbia has been fantastic recently! Patterns that work well are John Montana’s carp hybrid (my go to), bead head san juan worms, and Mr P’s Black Betty. The most important factor for carp fishing is the ability to see them. Good polarized sunglasses and a clear sunny day are integral for your success. There are tons of flats all up and down the gorge where carp cruise and feed, you just have to be willing to pull up google earth and do a little exploring! Smallmouth fishing remains fair to good. Full sinking lines are important if you’re fishing streamers/baitfish patterns. The indicator method is highly productive and requires just a normal floating line.

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-Zach Parker

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Columbia Gorge Fishing reports 10-2-2021

Trout

Deschutes River:

Happy Fall everyone! 

The Lower Deschutes River has been productive for trout fisherman the last few weeks. I was out fishing in Mack’s canyon last weekend and trout fished in the middle of the day. 

Lots of fish taken nymphing under an indicator. Trout were eating both big stonefly nymphs as well as small caddis pupa droppers and soft hackle pheasant tail nymphs trailed behind the stone. 

Water clarity was good when I was there but recently the white river has blown out again making the river below the white all the way to the Columbia, unfishable. The White can be very unpredictable this time of year with random hot weather which can melt the glaciers on Mt. Hood causing it to blow, or just getting big rainstorms that blow it out. Hard to say when it will clear but fishing below the confluence of the White will be challenging with heavily off colored water. This will congregate more anglers above the White River up all the way to Mecca Flats so be prepared to be fishing around more folks than normal if you get out there this weekend. 

There is some dry fly opportunity still around with small caddis fishing in the back eddies. More and more October caddis are around too so using an October caddis pupa on a nymphing rig can be a good bet. 

European style nymphing is also highly productive with jig style euro nymphs. As we move further into the fall and the weather gets cooler and cooler, the trout will begin to move to their winter holding water. Slower and deeper pools.
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Lake Fishing:

Lakes are good and will continue to be good for another month or two. Fish will be feeding pretty heavily trying to fatten up before winter. Fishing a full sink line with brown, black, olive or purple wooly buggers or crystal buggers are great options. 

Fishing indicators with balanced leeches, chironomids, scuds or pheasant tail nymphs is another productive method to try if stripping flies isn’t producing. Giving your indicator some twitches and movements every now and then will help trigger bites if it’s super calm out. 

Crowds from the summer have thinned out some and will continue to going forward into fall. The lakes can be a great option to escape for a few hours and have some productive fishing opportunities.
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Summer Steelhead

Deschutes River:

Steelhead are spread throughout the entire Lower Deschutes now. From the first hundred yards of river, all the way up to Mecca Flats. 

With the White River being completely blown at the moment, focusing your efforts above that confluence will be your best shot at getting into one this weekend. 

Mix bag of hatchery fish and wild fish out there right now, but both are taking swung flies if the conditions allow. Still an opportunity to be using scandi’s and small flies, but as we move further into October and it gets significantly cooler out, fishing sink tips and big flies will be the norm. 

Nymphing in the afternoons for steelhead is another method to try this time of year. I like using a big egg sucking stonefly nymph and some sort of egg pattern as a dropper. This method will also hook trout too to make things interesting. When doing this I’d run either a 7-8 weight single hand fly rod with a basic weight forward floating line like a rio grand to help with mending and roll casting. Use a big indicator and some split shot to get your rig down off the bottom. 

There are also quite a few Chinook being caught down in the lower 10 miles of the river which are hooked quite regularly when swinging for steelhead. 

Hood River: 

There are probably quite a few old springers in the lower few miles but not super high on people’s list to be targeting at this time as they have been in the river for quite some time now. 

There are definitely summer steelhead spread throughout much of the Hood which can still be caught on the swing and nymphing. Recent rains can get the fish freshened up and more willing to bite. 

If you’re swinging, using an egg sucking black leech is a tough fly to beat. Other good patterns are dark colored intruders or hobo spey type flies. 

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Smallmouth Bass/Carp 

Carp fishing is pretty much over for the year. Until next year! We want to thank the brave firefighters and first responders again for all their valiant efforts during these crazy wildfires. Thankful for the rains that have helped suppress these fires and hopefully we won’t have anymore this year. 
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Smallmouth fishing remains good if you know where to fish. Having a boat helps tremendously to move around and find fish. They sit in different water depths usually in 10-25 feet of water around steep drop offs, and places with submerged rocks and other types of structure. 

We like fishing full sinking lines and big streamers or crayfish patterns. Balanced leeches and wooly buggers work well too fished on the strip. Any place where there is a steep rocky bank that goes into the water, is a good place to start. Once you find them, you generally will find a bunch and can be a ton of fun. 

Some of the biggest smallies around are found on the main Columbia. Fishing the countless side sloughs along I-84 are all good bets for smallmouth and other warm water species as well. Fishing under an indicator with leeches can be super productive for smallies too.  

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Stay safe out there everyone and be sure to get in touch with us at the shop if you have any questions on anything fishing! 

-Zach  

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (5/29/2017)

Happy Memorial Day to all of you!  We hope you are enjoying this day in the great outdoors, it is certainly a beautiful one here in the Gorge.

A stunner Deschutes Redband!

To the steelhead angler this can be a difficult time of year in the Gorge.  There are a few early summer fish around, but they are far between.  The Klickitat River does open June 1, so those looking for a fix and can get in some swing time or nymph one up

For those of you not looking to beat yourself up not catching steelhead, there is a lot going on!

My Favorite Aquatic Insect Never Fails to Impress!

Deschutes trout fishing is in full swing.  There are still a lot of big stones on the river, especially up higher and on the right day you can certainly find some fish willing to take a chubby or clark stone.  The trout fishing can be excellent for June as well, and the crowds should be dwindling as the big flies dwindle.  There can be excellent hatches all through June, so make sure you have a good selection of flies to cover the options.  I would be stocked up on PMD and PED, caddis, green drakes and yellow sallies, with the nymphs to match.  If you want to have an awesome float and get to water that is hard to access on foot book a day with Sam at Steelhead Outfitters (541-400-0855)!  He can certainly get you on the fish!

Another stillwater mini steelhead in the net!

Lake fishing for trout is excellent this time of year.  Local lakes like Lost, Laurance and Kingsley are producing good numbers of fish and the occasional monster.  Buggers and leeches are a go-to, but chironomid larvae/pupae fished ultra slow or under a bobber can crush them this time of year.  Damsel and dragonfly patterns will also get hot as the water warms and summer sets in.  Be sure to have a few Callibaetis nymphs and dries too, when this hatch kicks off it can be epic!

I got the Gabe on a nice one, but we worked for it!

Bass fishing has been fair to middling.  I have spent a lot of time on the Columbia this month, and have had decent days, but it hasn't been red hot.  I think that the biggest factor is the lack of consistent water and weather conditions.  The high flows, muddy water, and large water temp gradient certainly haven't helped to dial in a pattern.  The same can be said for the John Day.  You will likely catch some fish, but the high flows have made fishing a bit more difficult and have spread the fish out a bit.  Smolt/shad patterns fish fast and crayfish flies are two hot methods.  Look for the popper action to heat up as the fish move into post spawn later in June.

Gabe and I spent some time sight casting at carp in the backwater ponds on the Columbia.  Most of the fish were cruising, but we saw a few eating.  None were interested in our flies, but hopefully, the Columbia will clear a bit and give us some more shots at ole' rubber lips this summer.

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
USGS
NOAA

Clackamas:

USGS

NOAA

Deschutes near Madras:

USGS

Deschutes at the mouth:

USGS

NOAA

Columbia River

Bonneville Dam Water Temps
Columbia @ Hood River (The mouth of the Hood backs up at 75 feet)

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  541.386.6977

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (5/14/2017)

Spring fishing season is in full swing in the Gorge!

Some springers finally decided to show up, the stoneflies have started hatching, and the smallmouth and carp are getting frisky!

Lake fishing for trout has been stellar as of late.  Expect chironomid action early in the day, with a multi larvae/buzzer rig under an indicator or slow retrieved being a great technique, especially in the mornings.  As the midges emerge, often in the afternoon, having a selection of cripple/emerger midges can produce some crazy fun dry fly action.  Streamer and leech fishing is also excellent this time of year. With relatively low weed growth in the spring, fish are cruising the shallows looking for a meaty meal.  Don't hesitate to try a bigger minnow style streamer fished aggressively on a sinking line!

Winston Air 590 and Lamson Micra doing work with a crippled Chironomid emerger dry

Smallmouth bass fishing on the Columbia has been all over the spectrum, from excellent to very difficult.  The river temps, flows and visibility have varied widely over the past couple weeks.  I have seen water temps vary as much as 8 degrees just moving across the river.  My advice is to find slightly clearer shallow water and fish a crayfish fly or Clouser minnow, this time of year I prefer an intermediate or sinking line. The fish are in a prespawn mode and if the conditions are right, they have been very aggressive.

Carp fishing has been on a similar path as the bass fishing as of late, with fish coming into the shallows and feeding heavily when the sun is out and warming the skinny water.  I have even heard a few reports of carp spawning in the backwaters.  If we get a couple sunny warm days again, expect carp to be cruising the flats.  We have a nice selection of carp flies in the shop to help you get hooked up with ole' rubber lips!

The reports from the Deschutes trout fishing have been improving over the last week or so.  The stones are hatching and fish are starting to look up!  Clarity has improved, and the fish are happy.  If the dry fly action is slow, don't hesitate to break out nymph rig with a big bug and dropper.  Rainbows can certainly be moody, and sometimes they just want to be force fed.  Come on into the shop and stock up on the local favorites for this killer hatch!

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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Cody's Report:

Steelhead fishing- While winter steel are pretty much done on all our rivers, there is a welcomed shift towards summer steelhead. However, most of these early fish are of hatchery origin and are being caught on the rivers below Bonneville Dam- the Sandy, Clackamas, Kalama, etc. are great options for those looking for hot hatchery fish. Wild summer steelhead seem to still be on their way, nevertheless this Wednesday I got out to the Kalama River in Washington looking to see what we could find. Expectations were low but it was fun to get out the old single hand and swing the smallest flies I’ve tossed all year.

Trout fishing- It’s no secret that people are out looking for hungry trout. Most all of our area lakes are open and fishing has been great, with the exception of a few lakes still closed due to snow access restriction. Lost Lake Resort is operational for the season and their boat rentals make it easy for those looking to find fishy water. We’ve also got a great selection of Outcast boats to fit your water needs. Keep in mind that some watersheds have different regulations and some trout streams still aren’t open until May 22nd.

Golden Stoneflies doing their “thang".

Yesterday (Thursday), I got out to the Deschutes for a few hours with my girlfriend because she’d been jonesing for some trout after a long winter of steelhead casting (rather than catching). It’d been a little while since I’ve been out to the mighty Deschutes and it was cool to see the hillsides covered in a blanket of green, wild flowers, and the smell of desert sage in the air. This was the first Oregon river to steal my heart when I was still a Colorado resident and spent summers guiding the river and coaching snowboard camps up on Mt. Hood. More specifically, it was the legendary salmonfly/stonefly hatch on the Deschutes that really grabbed my attention. I feel I’m probably not the only one who loves rising fish and dry flies either… Indeed, this river is not always forgiving. Upon arrival we noticed that the winds would probably be the victor for the day. However, we were able to punch some flies out and find some trout willing to rise.

Curiosity led us to the White River to see its condition and it turned out to be less of a factor, but I did notice less bugs at the time down lower. We’d found more stoneflies than salmon flies down low, while after up river some nearer to Maupin it seemed about 50/50 among the big bugs in the grass. March Browns are done and the Drakes are still a little ways out. I did see a few Caddisflies and Blue Winged Olives flying around too. This river is quite the trout factory with its prolific hatches and strong shouldered redside trout.  

Giant Salmonflies were digging the Winston Microspey as much as I was. It’s super fun to skate flies and spey cast for trout! These new S/A integrated Skagit and Scandi Lite lines are awesome too!

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
USGS
NOAA

Clackamas:

USGS

NOAA

Deschutes near Madras:

USGS

Deschutes at the mouth:

USGS

NOAA

Columbia River

Bonneville Dam Water Temps
Columbia @ Hood River (The mouth of the Hood backs up at 75 feet)

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  541.386.6977

 

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Columbia River Gorge Fishing Report (2/27/17)

I have been out of town for a while, so of course the steelhead have started showing up and the snow melted...

A winter beauty, brought to hand by our in shop legend Mr. John Garrett

Winter steelhead reports have been good and steady throughout most of the Gorge and beyond.  Good rains, warmer temps, and higher flows have gotten fish moving and biting (well as much as a winter steelhead will bite).  Heavy sink tips are the name of the game, and we have had a lot of people getting bit on our new Aqua Flies steelhead selection.  Shakes those cabin fever blues off and get out there and get fishing!

Carp on fly, in February!

While back in Chicagoland, I did get out fishing a few days in the crazy unseasonable weather they were having.  Zeroed on our musky hunt, but caught some largemouth and carp.  Which reminded me how quickly these warmwater fish can respond to spring temps.  Don't be afraid to get out there bass and carp fishing locally as soon as the weather breaks.  Look for dark colored bottoms in the area you are fishing, those will warm up first.  The carp we found were in as little as 4 inches of water with their backs out, slurping up insects and worms.  If you can find green vegetation you will likely find some bass too, especially in shallow dark colored bottom areas.

A few degrees increase in water temp can get fish feeding, even if the water is barely over 40F.

Trout fishing has been steady to excellent on the Deschutes, especially after the washout last week.  Skwala nymphs and BWOs have been good, as well as the old standards.  The Skwala hatch could start anytime from now through March.  I like an olive or brown stimulator, but there are a number of great patterns to match this hatch.  I tend to stick to size 10.

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
USGS
NOAA

Clackamas:

USGS

NOAA

Deschutes near Madras:

USGS

Deschutes at the mouth:

USGS

NOAA

Columbia River

Bonneville Dam Water Temps
Columbia @ Hood River (The mouth of the Hood backs up at 75 feet)

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  541.386.6977

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports (07/03/2016)

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at the Gorge Fly Shop.  

In case you have been out of the loop, we are having a huge Sage Sale.

We couldn't ask for better conditions on local lakes and small streams.  The temps are nice and mild, the fish have been cooperative and the water levels are just right.

The bad news comes from the Hood and the Klickitat if chasing summer steelhead is your thing.  The Hood has been coloring up and looks something like wet concrete this morning.  The turbidity in the Klickitat has also been increasing over the past few weeks and is borderline fishable this morning.

The Deschutes is in decent shape, although effort and catch rates have been sparse.  Water temperatures have been high, but not as high as last year.  They popped above 70 for a few days last week, but have stayed under 70 for the most part this week.  We are still a month or more away from decent numbers of fish showing up in the river, but it is a nice place to be, especially when it is not scorching hot outside.

Lake fishing for trout has been excellent across the region.  High lakes like Lost, Timothy, Goose and Laurance have all been fishing extremely well.  There has been good dry fly action early and late in the days with woolly buggers or damsel nymphs on sinking lines being a productive technique in the heat of the day.  The hexagenia mayfly hatch has been happening on many of our local lakes, and a few guys have come in with wide grins as they quietly pick up a handful of hex dry flies without spilling the beans on which lake they have been fishing.

Trout fishing on the Deschutes has been great too.  Caddis hatches have been described to us as "epic" and "overwhelming".  Fish have been eating the dries during the day too, but the best action is as the sun leaves the water in the evening.

Carp fishing has been great.  Old Rubber Lips loves the hex hatch too, and the hatch on the Columbia has been excellent.  Carp will actively chase nymphs like a trout and can even let their normally cautious guard down.  The hexes hatch in the same areas that carp normally hang out too, so get on out there!

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.  You can also check water temps here too...

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
USGS
NOAA

Deschutes near Madras:

USGS

Deschutes at the mouth:

USGS

NOAA

Columbia River

Bonneville Dam Water Temps
Columbia @ Hood River (The mouth of the Hood backs up at 75 feet)

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  541.386.6977

Andrew Perrault
Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

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Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports (06/06/2016)

Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports - (06/05/2016)

We hope that everyone if finding some relief from the heat out there.  Fishing is about as hot as the weather is, so find a piece of cool water and get on it.  

Fish rising on a local lake at sunset.

Trout fishing is going well throughout the area.  Small streams are fishing well, the water levels are in generally good shape and the fish are happy.  Eagle Creek, Trout Creek and the East Fork Hood River are some good small streams with scrappy trout in our area that can keep an angler busy all day.  

Lakes are also fishing well for rainbow trout.  Lost Lake has been great.  Flying ants are keeping fish near the surface early and late in the day, while trolling slow and deep during the heat of the day will produce nice fish with consistency.  Goose Lake, Laurance Lake and Kingsley are the usual haunts for locals here and are all fishing well.  

The Deschutes River is still fishing well for rainbow trout.  PMD patterns in the morning, caddis in the afternoon/evening, and stoneflies opportunistically throughout the day.  Try a spent caddis really early in the morning too.  

Summertime rainbows on dries!

No reports of any summer steelhead in the Deschutes, but the Klickitat opened up last week and there were a fish or two caught from what we heard.  It was fairly busy for early June, but most people just wanted to get out on the river as did Ryan and I.  I did hook one steelhead on the swing, but it popped off after ten seconds of glory.  The river is in decent shape as of Sunday morning, but this warm weather can cause some clarity issues in both the Klickitat and the Hood River as glacial melt can dirty up the river pretty quickly in these hot spells.  

The Washougal opened up on Saturday and it tends to produce some nice summer steelhead in June as well as the Sandy and Clackamas.  

Ryan and I spent the early morning hours on Sunday sturgeon fishing with Josh Frederick of Big Fish Guide Service.  June is the best month to catch a true river monster.  Sturgeon in the Columbia can reach over ten feet in length, and the big ones go crazy for the shad that are running in the river now.  While we didn't hook any huge fish, we did catch plenty of smaller fish.  Fishing with Josh is a lot of fun and a good change in pace from trout and steelhead fishing that tends to rule the area.  He has plenty of openings throughout the summer, so don't hesitate to give him a call.  

June is the best month to hook into a giant sturgeon

Speaking of shad, they are running pretty thick now.  Still not really sure how to get them on the fly with ease around here, but it can be done.  People tend to do well upstream near Rufus and near the John Day Dam, as well as off the mouth of the Washougal, but I don't know of any places right here in the gorge that an angler can get them shallow.  

Carp fishing has been turning on.  They are in the shallows feeding heavily throughout the day.  Many of the little ponds on the side of the Columbia are good spots to find carp as well as the main river.  Really, just about any piece of water with slow or little current around here will hold carp.  We have a nice selection of carp flies here in the shop now.  Stop by and check them out.  

Smallmouth bass are still snappy in the Columbia.  The topwater bite has been great early and late in the day, and fish are happy to chase buggers and baitfish patterns.  The weed growth is starting to be an issue, fishing will get a little more difficult in the Columbia over the next month, but for now it is still in good shape. Aquatic plant life can hamper angling efforts when the weeds get thick.  

Throwing a small popper on the John Day should put you into a few dozen bass and it is a wonderful way to get friends and family into fly fishing. 

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
USGS
NOAA

Clackamas:

USGS

NOAA

Deschutes near Madras:

USGS

Deschutes at the mouth:

USGS

NOAA

Columbia River

Bonneville Dam Water Temps
Columbia @ Hood River (The mouth of the Hood backs up at 75 feet)

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  541.386.6977

Andrew Perrault
Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

I love Ole' Rubber Lips, and I’m not afraid to say it!

Ole' Rubber Lips

I spent much of my childhood in the Midwest, where carp, largemouth and panfish were easily accessible and really the only thing going. After dialing in how to catch bass (there was one identifiably scarred fish I caught 5 times in one summer) I needed a bigger challenge. Ole' Rubber Lips, Cyprinus carpio, the maligned common carp was my new target.  I was drawn to this beast that often crept silently in shallows of the creeks and ponds of my youth, grew to mythical sizes and spooked at the snap of a blade of grass from 40 paces.

There are blogs and articles a-plenty out there on carp, in which they are often referred to as "golden bonefish", a name so overused and misleading I won’t bore you with regurgitation.  They really aren’t like bonefish at all,, they just have similar mouths, and are typically bottom feeders, but I digress… If you are looking for a true challenge on a fly rod and you live near any body of water, you owe it to yourself to give these rubber lipped beasts a go.

A couple things you need to know before you dive into carpin’:

1. They eat the same things trout do, they don’t eat trash or dead things
2. They are not easy to catch 
3. Most importantly, carp are moody as hell

In trying explain what I mean when I say they are moody,  I coined this term; tripolar. Bipolar isn’t adequate to explain carp behavior and as I see it, carp have 3 major states of being and with % of time they seem to spend in each phase as I have witnessed:

     A. Totally uninterested in eating at all/sun bathing- 50%
     B. Eating, but extremely spooky. Like grandma in a haunted house spooky- 40%
     C. Feeding aggressively and relatively less spooky-10%

Ok, now you may start to see why these are tough fish to catch. If you are lucky enough to find some fish that are fired up, good on you. It is a lot like hitting an evening hatch perfectly on your favorite trout stream; rare and special. When carp are aggressive you will know it. The will often be tailing and mudding hard with little regard for anything around them. The will usually not spook with a poorly placed cast, unless you line them (a cast where your line lands over the top of the fish), and they will actively chase a fly.

The B. fish are where the real challenge lies. Can you approach a fish, lead them with a perfect cast and if all of that goes right, know when to set the hook? Trust me when I say none of this is easy, but that’s what makes it fun. A one fish day is a good day. And when it all goes right, you will be rewarding with some freight train runs. The A. fish are usually the easiest to find as they are usually an inch below the surface and perfectly still or lazily swimming. They are not uncatchable, so give them a go, but don’t be bummed when they spook at any sight of you, your line, boat, or that errant whisker on your beard.

A trout fishing bycatch on a chironomid larva

Carp can be caught year round, but are most accessible to the fly angler when they come shallow, which is typically spring to fall. Sight fishing is the name of the game, though that does not always mean seeing the fish. Often times, and in particular in turbid water you will only see mud boils, bubbles, or a disturbance in the force. Wading, walking the bank or working a boat through shallow weedy/muddy flats is a great way to find fish and the key is to stay very vigilant of your surroundings. Schooling carp will spook if one fish in the school spooks, so stalk quietly and if you spot fish try to work the angles so they don’t see your fly line shadow or you. Sometimes a belly crawl or fishing from your knees is a great way to lower you profile and avoid the spook.

Carptastic

There are times where you can blind cast for carp, but I will tell you it isn’t a pattern you can depend on. If carp move into rocky banks or riprap they are often feeding aggressively on crayfish, insects and baitfish and working these areas with a bugger, craw pattern or Clouser minnow can be effective, or at least yield some bass. And yes I said carp feed on baitfish, I have witnessed on more than a few occasions, carp actively chasing schools of bait.

A few of Ryan's Carp Nuggets

Speaking more on flies, keep it simple and natural. Simple craw patterns and nymphs are my goto’s . Larger craws in #2 and #4 and nymphs in #4- #8s with good strong sharp hooks are the weapons of choice. Think earth tones, browns, olives, rusty orange etc. If the water is dingy or downright muddy black and chartreuse are excellent. Pretend you are trout fishing and match the hatch and the habitat. Rubber legs are always a good idea too. My favorite carp fly is a short rabbit strip on dumbbell eyes with a dubbing body and some nice rubber or silicone legs. My next favorite is the Clouser swimming nymph, which I was turned on to by the guy that wrote the book on carp fly fishing, Brad Befus. A sparse olive wooly bugger is hard to beat too, and produced my largest carp, a 47# grassy!

The White Amur, AKA Grassy

You can catch carp on dries, and if you spend enough time on the water you will inevitably see carp
feeding in the surface. Keep some midges in your box in all stages: larvae, pupae/emergers, adults. Hoppers fished near the banks in late summer will also work. I have had some killer fun at night catching caddis slurping carp too. If you have a body of water with cottonwood trees or mulberry bushes on the banks you owe it to yourself to have some flies that represent both. A few white CDC feathers on a hook worked for me when they are eating cottonwood seeds and a burgundy/purple spun deer hair bug will represent mulberries effectively. Mulberry flies not goofy enough for you?

Say what?  Bread fly, *patent pending*

Chum up some fish with bread and try to get them to eat an elk hair bread fly, serious fun and a total challenge.

So what about the gear you ask? It really depends on the average fish you are fishing for. If most of the fish in your water are 1-5lbs, your 5wt trout rod like a Winston BIIIx, NRX LP or Sage One will do the job perfectly. If you are stalking bigger fish I recommend at least a 6wt and I prefer a softer 7wt like the Winston BIIIx. You need to have a rod with some delicacy to present a fly to these fish and both the Sage and the Winston fit the bill. Your reel should have a great drag. My favorite is the Tibor BackCountry wide, but a Lamson Litespeed, Galvan Torque, or Ross Evolution in the appropriate size are all great choices.

Limited edition 1 of 2 Carp Engraved Tibors 

Fly line choice is equally as important. You can do most carpin’ with a floating line, but carp addiction will lead you to add an intermediate sink tip (Rio InTouch Streamer Tip) and intermediate full sink (Rio InTouch Camolux) to your arsenal. The floating line should be delicate, but also be able to handle bigger bugs and wind. The InTouch Rio Gold is a great choice, and if you have a softer rod the InTouch Trout LT is even better. These new InTouch lines from Rio will really help you detect subtle takes with their low stretch braided core. Bonefish or heavy trout leaders in 8-12# are ideal and if you are fishing subsurface I highly recommend fluorocarbon especially in clear water.

Inner City Carpin'!

There is no hard and fast method to catch carp on the fly, and that’s half the fun.  The beauty of these fish is that they live almost everywhere in the US and most of the world and rarely have the pressure of more glorified species. Take some of my advice or try your own ideas, but my message to you is by all means go try some carpin’.

The Bearded Pescador

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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