Lost in an Ancient Place...

Gorgeous scenery.

No other person on the trail.

Feeling immersed in an ancient place.

Oh. And wild trout, eager to hit a Norm Wood's Special.

While I haven't found trophy trout water nearby, I have found some beautiful places to cast a line. If only I had a 2 wt!

Here's to hoping for the rain to come so I can chase some fresh Steel.

Therapy...

I need it. I need to get away from the crowds, the job (which I'm thankful to now have), and from the prison that monotony has become.

Learning to spey cast has been a fun challenge. Calling in snaggers has become repetitive and depressing. It's time to get out and make something happen.

Tomorrow, I'll explore new stretches of water, in search of whatever is daring enough to strike my fly.

Report to come.

Snag Fest 2K12 Has Begun...

The title says it all.

Fall Chinook are arriving in area rivers and the snaggers are out in force.

These folks put lead, a corkie, and a treble hook on their rods and toss them out into pools where Chinook gather up. The lowlifes that fish this way "rip" their "bait" back hoping to "floss" a fish in the mouth. Well, at least they say that they are trying to get the fish in the mouth. Or that they didn't know the rules? Or perhaps they've never fished here before? Regardless of their piss-poor excuses, fishing in this manner is not only illegal in 99% of cases, but it's also unethical.

It was a sad reminder of what I was missing while fishing for trout in Eastern Washington and Montana. While driving along the Kalama River today, trying to scope out some future Steelheading water I ran into a sad, familiar sight. A snag fest at the Modrow bridge hole. I know it happens on all the local waterways (Washougal, Lewis, etc) but it is still a depressing sight in the least.

I watched with my young cousin today as several Chinook were ripped from the pool that they held in by an army of snaggers and were unceremoniously bonked and harvested. The scene was a lawbreaking "shit show" of sorts. Anti-snagging restrictions on the Kalama make harvests like these illegal, and the hatchery technicians who were also observing the behavior called in WDFW enforcement to help take care of the matter.

Snaggers at work. These low life characters can be found on a myriad of local waters. 

I know that some would argue that the fish aren't worth much (Tule Chinook are not exactly quality table fare...) but fishing like a bonehead doesn't make harvesting them okay. Where is the fun in trying to snag a fish? I'm sorry, I just don't get it. Then again, I also don't use meth...

The simple truth is this. When you see activity like this, whether fishing, driving over a bridge on a local river, or whatever, REPORT IT. The only way that this activity slows down is if more citizens report the poachers/snaggers and do something about it.

The easiest, most anonymous way to report poachers. License plate numbers also help!

My experience today reminds me why I fly fish. I don't enjoy combat fishing, nor do I care to catch fish for the sole purpose of killing them for eggs (very common among the snaggers). Simply put, I try to respect every fish I catch. That doesn't mean that I wont bonk a hatchery brat when I can, but it does mean that I'll catch my fish in a legal manner. People that rip and snag aren't fisherman, they're poachers.

Report poachers. Be friendly and remind them of rules if you want to, but don't try to stop them personally. WDFW Enforcement, however understaffed they may be, are much more effective in stopping criminal acts. 

The best part of our trip to the Kalama today occurred on the drive back downriver from visiting the Kalama's fly fishing only "Holy Waters." We saw a WDFW Enforcement truck headed up to the hole where poaching had been occurring the hour before. 

My cousin asked me, "What's the police man going to do?"

I replied, "He's going to stop those snaggers and write some tickets."

But regrettably, those people will be back at the same hole again tomorrow, doing the same thing. 

Make a difference and keep the heat on poachers. Continued harassment of them means less harassment of the fish.

Dial 911 to report poaching in progress. Call 1-877-933-9847 for other poaching violations. Simply report what you see, where the violation is occurring, the time of the offense, and any other pertinent information (suspect vehicle info, etc). 

First Steel... Uh Oh!

I've long joked that should I get into the Steelhead fishing game, my life would be effectively over. My wife would probably leave me, my dog would disown me, I'd be unemployed, etc.

Well, I've jumped into the game and only the last of my concerns is true (though I'm hoping to hear back about that situation in the very near future).

Let's preface this whole experience.

One. I've never caught a Steelhead. The guy who's spent nearly 75+ days on the water fishing for them as a kid (terminal tackle) never friggin' caught Steelhead. A jack salmon... yes. A crazy Steelhead... no.

Two. I've never truly fly fished for Steelhead and I have a 7 WT custom rod built on a Winston BIIX blank that needed to get some work in.

Enter Sean Visintainer of Silver Bow Fly Shop in Spokane. Sean, knowing that I moved back to the Portland area last week, told me that he may be down in the Gorge fishing the Klickitat for the first time. We kept in touch and when he asked if I wanted to fish with him this week, I jumped on the opportunity.

Meeting this Tuesday on the Klickitat, Sean and I had a quick rendezvous with Tom Larimer of Larimer Outfitters (the fishiest Steelhead dude this side of anywhere) who gave us a rundown of where to fish, what to fish, and how to do it.

It was nice having both Sean and Tom by my side as I hooked my first Steelhead from the bank early Tuesday afternoon. The fish put some real work into my Winston flying across the river doing several acrobatics. Tom calmed me down (I've never been more excited...) and helped me tail and land the native Steelhead which was estimated at 8-9 lbs. After thanking the fish, and Tom for his advice and help, Sean and I fished through the evening before setting up camp.

Tom Larimer helping me land my first Steelhead.

The next day, we floated the Canyon stretch of the Klickitat. I got an impromptu Spey lesson from Sean and nymphed from the boat with my Winston and from the shore with an Echo Switch setup. It definitely took some getting used to but I can see myself rocking a two-hander soon. Sean was experimenting with centerpins and swinging some tasty runs in what is one of the more beautiful river canyons that I've ever seen.

Gorgeous scenery. 

Nearing the final third of the float with no solid takes, we worked some very small buckets and pockets out of the boat. Bingo... I hooked up with a very hot hatchery fish that took us downriver, and did some acrobatics before coming to the net. A sweet little buck (7 lbs) was the reward of the day.

First Hatchery Steelhead. 

My final day on the Klick was bittersweet. Potential work opportunities and the need to still get my stuff in order after moving kept me from staying an extra day out on the water.

Sean and I hit the canyon again and it was wonderful. While fishing was slow to start, we saw a Black bear busting it up a hill side, and despite more fishing pressure (3 boats in front of us), we hooked two fish.

The first was a PIG native Steelhead. The fish jumped out of the air higher than I ever thought possible and Sean estimated the fish as 15 lbs. The fight was tense as we beached the boat and worked down the shoreline. I wanted this fish. It didn't want to cooperate... after a good fight, the line went slack and the fish got away. My 7 wt singlehander got worked. It was like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

I was bummed... really bummed. I've never hooked a fish like that, and to lose it after seeing it... well, it sucked. It's part of the game though, and I play it knowing the consequences.

But redemption was a few bends away. Once again, a tiny pocket proved fortuitous for us. I hooked up another hot fish. Unlike the other Steelhead we hooked, this guy ran upstream on us through heavy water. Next thing you know, I'm halfway through my backing thinking "here we go again."

But the fish was turned just in time, Sean expertly guided me through the fight, and we landed a gorgeous, colored up Native buck Steelhead. I've never been more excited about a fish. The first was great, but this fish was something special.

Admiring the catch of the trip. 

After removing our hook (and someone else's that this guy had lodged into his craw) and taking a few respectful photos we released him to swim away and hopefully fulfill his purpose.

Native Summer Steelhead. 

Despite Sean being a rookie on the Klick (though a Steelhead master in his own right!) we got the job done. Larimer's knowledge that he imparted on us certainly helped, and it was a weekend that I'll never forget.

I know that Steelheading is typically about putting in long hours, many casts, and getting a few, very significant rewards. I suppose that in a sense, I've put in my hours (albeit on gear), and this week was meant to happen. And with Steelhead now on my brain, all I can say is watch out. This guy is now officially in the game.

Small endorsement here... fish with Sean Visintainer. Great guy, great shop owner, and a ton of fun to fish with. www.silverbowflyshop.com (Spokane River, Grande Ronde, N. Idaho Cutthroat Rivers, etc)

Also... Tom Larimer of Larimer Outfitters. www.larimeroutfitters.com (Deschutes, Clackamas, and Hood River)

Goodbye Spokane...

Goodbye Spokane.

It's been an weird interesting past year and a half in this town, and I sure as heck won't miss the snow, crappy roads, plethora of tweakers, nor will I miss the under-abundant cultural offerings.

I will, however, miss the good fishing friends, awesome co-workers, the Spokane River, and the fact that I lived in a jumping off point to famous/wonderful fly fishing waters within just a few hours.

Since the next day plus will revolve around finishing packing and loading a moving truck, I decided to get some final urban river time in with good friends and my Dad who is in town.

First up, was a Monday walk and wade on the Spokane with Wayne, the Trout Jedi. I cherish every opportunity that I get to fish with Wayne because I try to observe the way he inspects water, fishes it, and how he truly loves and respects the resource. If I was told to choose one fly fisherman who I look up to the most, I'd answer Wayne without a doubt.

Anyways, Wayne and I did some hiking, missed a few fish, fell in the river minutes apart from each other, and then proceeded to hook into, and land, some sweet Redbands. Urban gold as I like to call 'em.

A Redband in the net with my Prince nymph still attached. 

Wayne with some morning gold on the Spokane River.

After Wayne left for work, I returned home to prep for the move and plan the evening's float with my buddy Blake.

Blake had a raft on loan and we decided to put it to use on the Spokane. We launched mid day, and within 10 minutes on the water I had quickly hooked and lost two fish. The strikes were short and I was far from surprised considering recent reports from this stretch of water. Slow fishing, soft strikes, and warm temps were the reports from friends floating the river...

Sure enough, my luck changed. I hooked into a PIG. It flashed hard and turned right into the current. A good 20 seconds of fight were for naught though as it came loose. I landed a scrappy Whitefish in the same run minutes later but Blake and I talked about the lost fish the rest of the float.

After another nearly fruitless river mile, we beached the boat and began to fish the bank. Bingo. Double. I landed a healthy Redband and Blake netted a fat Whitefish.

Blurry shot, but a nice Spokane River Redband. 

Back to the raft, I switched spots with Blake and took the sticks. Disclaimer, I had only once before rowed a raft and I was TERRIBLE at it. For the first 100 yards or so, I felt that a repeat of my previous rafting experience was occurring, but something miraculous happened. I figured it out. That's right, I took the sticks for most of the rest of the float, skirted by some nasty water, got Blake into fish (I got a few more myself...) and developed some sweet blisters on my palms. The best part of it was the fact that I now feel comfortable running a raft and can be of some use to my float fishing friends besides the obvious gas money contributions.

The evening was a success and I had a great time fishing with a good friend. But onto my last Spokane River experience of the year...

My Dad came into town this morning and I had a few surprises for him. First off was a shiny new fly rod... nothing fancy now, but still a good, fishy piece of graphite. Second off, was that I was going to work with him on his casting and get him on the water.

After a nice lawn cast with the Old Man, I got him out on the Spokane. In the first run, I managed to hook (and land!) a feisty, and very nice Redband. Dad was a bit new to the throwing junk game (double nymph rigs on big water are not the easiest things to manage as a new angler) but he managed to up his game throughout the day.

Showing the Old Man how it's done in Spokane. 

We fished hard in several spots, but being that it was mid-day, I wasn't expecting much. Our last spot of the day yielded another gorgeous Redband to my rod, and another fish that when hooked went aerial and came unhooked.

Sweet fish coming unhooked? On my rod? On the Spokane? No way?!?!? I see a pattern developing...

Needless to say, it was a great experience taking my Dad out to water that has meant so much to me over the past year, and showing him how to fish it, and why the Redbands that I rave about are so special.

When I landed the first fish and showed it to him, he remarked at how it was such a beautiful trout... yeah Dad, rub it in. Those trout are now going to six hours away from me.

On to new waters, and new adventures.

Thanks Spokane. You've actually been pretty great.

It's Been Awhile...

Life has been crazy around the house lately. Packing to our hearts content for the big move, applying for more jobs everyday, getting an interview (!!!!), and working 40+ hours at the restaurant has kept me off the water to a degree.

I did manage to sneak in a trip to the Thompson River nearly two weeks ago. I can say, with some certainty, that I'm not a fan of high-summer fishing. Water temps get warmer, fish are less active, finding them isn't necessarily hard, but fishing responsibly (read... not when water temps are over 68, fight 'em fast, bring 'em in, release them after plenty of fishy CPR) becomes more paramount. It all has me longing for June and early July. I don't mind a little run-off when fish are accessible and ravenous.

Big Rainbows like this guy will be much easier to fool come Fall.

It's truly become a "dog-days" of summer routine with temperatures in the high 80's-90's in Spokane. The Thompson River has experienced the same type of temperatures that we've gotten here in Spokane with the exception of slightly cooler nights. Needless to say, my trip over there was slow going. I found fish yes, I found some very nice fish (seeking refuge from the Clark Fork and warmer water temps) but there weren't as many players compared to previous trips over the pass. 

Typical Thompson River Rainbow. Feisty and beautiful. This one had someone else's fly embedded in it's jaw. I removed it and let it go... no more extra lip jewelry for you.

Biggest Thompson fish for me yet. Caught 300 yards above the confluence with the Clark Fork... wonder where this Lacustrine looking guy normally lives? 

Gorgeous fish... it really worked the four weight. 

CDC Caddis emerger patterns were the hot ticket for me. Hoppers and Chubby Chernobyl's caught a few fish, but the big boys were working the caddis. Nymphing wasn't the winner that it typically is for me on the Thompson with just a few fish to hand sub-surface. 

I can't complain when I'm in Montana, catching trout, having to work harder at it (and learning new skills the whole time), but hot dang do I miss my trips of early July. It makes me wish that I had taken an extra-day off work to fish more before life got crazy (or to have just avoided the whole bat incident...). 

Speaking of bat bites, rabies, and other stupid fortune, I received my last post-rabies exposure vaccine this week and am done with treatment. We're just waiting for the first bill to arrive at the house, and for reality to sink back in again. Until then, I'm happy to be safe, rabies free, and not extremely poor... yet. 

I sure hope to get out before we leave Spokane at the end of the month, but work will likely dictate otherwise. Aside from a few short jaunts to the Spokane (thanks Upper River for the HUGE hookup and lost fish the other day...) I'm about done over here. It'll be Steelhead and Oregon trout in the near future for this Trout Bum. I'm excited to move back to the area and see what kind of fly fishing opportunities exist over there that I may not know about. 

Keep reading, please follow along regularly, and most importantly, keep on fishing. 

Back in the Game

After a way-too-short trip to the Oregon Coast, I returned to Spokane the other afternoon...

It'd been over a week since I'd landed a fish and I was getting understandably antsy. I needed a fix. Despite the warmer water temps, and the fact that it was 94 degrees when I hit the water that evening, I had a good feeling that I was due for some urban Redband action.

The first few holes I hit (spring fed areas with heavy oxygen) are typically good producers for me... this day, they didn't surrender a single strike.

My disappointment was tempered though as another favorite spot delivered.

Gorgeous Male Urban Redband

A Bastard Prince pattern under a Pat's Rubber Legs was the trick. This fish fought like heck and despite being sub 16" he is probably my favorite fish of the season.

I'm hoping that I can get out for a bit Thursday. I've been packing up, checking on job apps, and working since I've been back in town. Spokane and its' myriad of fishable water is no longer going to be easily accessible to me so I need to get out and fish asap! And so should you! What's your excuse?