Articles

Restoring a Wild McKenzie River: Spring Chinook Salmon

by Chris Daughters - Wednesday, Jan 8th, 2014

A spawning McKenzie River spring chinook salmon (photo: Matt Stansbury).

Like most Oregonians, I cherish the McKenzie River. The McKenzie has a special place in my heart. For the past 30 years it’s where I’ve spent the most time. As a father of two young children, as owner of The Caddis Fly angling shop and as a licensed river guide, I’m lucky to spend around 125 days a year on the McKenzie in some capacity.

Many Oregonians and tourists from near and far flock to the one-of-a-kind McKenzie River to enjoy its beauty. The crystal clear water, the beautiful forests along its banks, and its varied flows make the river an ideal place to fish, raft, hike along, and just plain enjoy life.

As the owner of a fishing business, I depend on the McKenzie and its tributaries — and the current state of the fishery and fish management on the McKenzie troubles me. In particular, I’m concerned about our most-prized and sought after fish: wild spring chinook salmon. The chinook is the king of the McKenzie. It is the anchor to this fantastic west Cascades stream — the ecosystem’s most critical native.

Umpqua's Deadline Wet/Dry Bag Chosen as "Best of 2014"

by Marshall Walker - Tuesday, Jan 7th, 2014

Every new year the editors from Gray's Sporting Journal select a handful of products that stood out from the thousands they tested over the previous year. This year, Miles Nolte, fly fishing editor, has chosen Umpqua Feather Merchants' Deadline 3500 Wet/Dry to be included on Grey's "Best of 2014" list. Nolte praised Umpqua for making the Deadline 3500 "truly innovative and functional" instead of just "changing colors or adding frivolous compartments".

"Every element about this pack is well thought out," said Notle. "I have used this bag for serious day trips and as a carry-on for travel. It performed equally well in both roles."

The Deadline 3500 Wet/Dry Duffel is designed to be a versatile multi-purpose bag to get anglers anywhere with all of their gear. It features a hide-away dual rod-sling, customizable wet and dry storage, secure back-panel access plus many other useful features. The 3500 is also weather- and dirt-proof and ships with a detachable water-proof, fold-out muck mat. The Deadline 3500 is available for $179.99.

RIO Adds New Fly Line to its OutBound Short Series

by Marshall Walker - Friday, Jan 3rd, 2014

The RIO Outbound Short Type 3.

RIO has added a type 3 line to its OutBound family of fly fishing lines which includes a full range of densities from floating to type 6, fast sinking. The newest addition is a slower sinking fly line which sinks at a rate of three inches per second. It includes the same short front taper and front-loaded weight distribution as RIO's other OutBound Short lines.

RIO has designed its OutBound Short line series to give anglers plenty of options and allow them to cast large, heavy flies "with ease." RIO also promises that its OutBound Short lines deliver the utmost in depth control and make it easier to cast long distances. The OutBound Short type 3 also features RIO’s XS technology, a tangle-free coldwater coating and welded loops for fast, more convenient rigging.

Book Review: Dead Man's Fancy

by Mike Sepelak - Thursday, Jan 2nd, 2014

Dead Man's Fancy

“A man would have to be a goddamned fool to leave Montana …”

You can’t read Nietzsche every day.

Some days you need to give the deep dark recesses of your brain a break from the prodding and probing and, instead, have some fun tickling the surface with a flight of fancy. Maybe a mystery. And how about having that mystery fold in enough familiar places, interesting characters, controversial wildlife issues, and, most importantly, liberal dollops of fly fishing references, to keep you engaged and interested?

Yes, Sean Stranahan’s back, in Dead Man’s Fancy.

“Sam said you were a man who stepped in shit even if there was only one cow in the pasture.”

Attractor Flies: Tying the Rainbow Nymph

by Aileen Lane - Tuesday, Dec 31st, 2013

Some time ago, when I shared posted a photo of the Rainbow Nymph on my Facebook page somebody asked, “What bug does that match?” The answer, of course, was none.

While it's true that matching the hatch or matching underwater insects is an important factor when we fly fish, there may be days when there may not be any apparent hatches or days when, no matter what imitation you toss, the trout just seem uninterested. Those are the days when you may need to dig into your fly box and tie on an attractor pattern.

Attractor patterns do not represent any particular insect. When Lee Wulff was asked what his fly, the famous Royal Wulff, represented he stated that it did not look like anything in particular but that nonetheless the fish ate it. Such is the case of many other well known attractor patterns, such as the copper john, hare's ear nymph, and humpies.