Steelhead all around

Published on April 29, 2012 by david in fly fishing. 0 Comments

I took  my pontoon out for it’s once a year trip up to lost lake (near nehalem). I was amazed to find that the pontoon broken down fit easily into the back of my new-minivan which I think I will just call van from now on as there is nothing mini about it. I did not manage to get into any of the large steelhead that ODFW released into the lake, but it was fun (and strange) to watch them swim around under you. Many, many little trout were caught and every time I felt the take I hoped that it was a bruiser but alas, my steelhead will be from rivers, just the way it should be.

Oops

Published on April 25, 2012 by david in fly fishing. 0 Comments

Alright, so lets see. A few weeks back my wife and kids were away at the grandparents. Alex and I hit up the coastal rivers in search up some wild steelhead before closing day on the rivers. We hit up that o-so-secret of coastal rivers that have the large wild fish. As always going up along the now out of service railroad tracks is always a trip. Nature reclaiming all of mans hard work. Ripping slowly at the concrete, timbers, and rails. No steelhead were caught, but a few were spotted.

The following day I headed off to the Nestucca to do a little late afternoon fishing and didn’t quiet make it. I came around a corner, caught some gravel on my rear tire and the car skidded into a tree. Luckily I had one bar of service and six calls to 911 later I was able to get them my location. The nicest cop showed up and called for someone to come tow my car away. He even gave me a ride 30 minuets away back to McMinville with my dog.

The following weekend my family was still gone, but I borrowed Alex’s car and decided I was going to go back up to the Nestucca for the last open day of coastal fishing. It had been raining for days and I knew the river was going to be blown, but I just had to go back. I found some nice deep edges and managed to get one grab from a fish and with that I decided to head back home. I passed the spot where I had hit the tree the previous week and got out to take a look. Going back there was therapeutic for me. Thanks for letting me borrow your car buddy!

Hopefully next year I will have more time to get out to the coastal rivers more. This year the winter fishing was very sporadic for me. On to a little trout fishing than off to find some of those summer steelhead that are already showing up in some rivers.

Winter Wild

Published on February 22, 2012 by david in fly fishing. 4 Comments

I got my switch rod back from its time in repair and coaxed my buddy Alex to head out with me for a nice, grey, rainy, cold NW coastal winter steelhead trip. After we took the route to the river that involved people looking at us from there property with looks on there faces of “what are you doing on this road” we found our little section of river that was in perfect shape. Dropping and green (with a light tint of off color, mmmmm). I hadn’t slept much the night before (kids, geez) so I would work each hole or seam hard so I didn’t have to hike much. Alex on the other hand would fish through the hole and bust to the next. As I came up to one hole I looked down and saw Alex with what seemed like a boulder on his line that was determined to sit at the bottom of the river. When the boulder shook its head and I saw the line shake I bolted own the hill to try and help spot some slow water to get the fish out.

The fish fought a good fight and did lots of really fun runs. Alex managed to get the fish down the river into the slow water and I went in for the tale grab. I didn’t get the fish first time as I wasn’t really prepared for the size of the fish. We got it back into the slow water and the look on Alex’s face just says it all:

We stopped and got beers and tater tots on the way home just to celebrate. What a damn sexy fish and from one of those little NW coastal gems!

It’s Back

Published on February 18, 2012 by david in fly fishing. 1 Comment

A few times ago I went out fishing on the Necanicum and was having a great day with barely anyone around. I fished one nice outside slot for awhile and had a fun grab. The hole I was fishing had a lot of low hanging branches above me and my Beulah switch rod was making easy work of getting casts to the other side. I headed back out near the end of the day to see if any other fish were in the holes a little farther up the river.  I found one of the nicest outside deep elbows on the river empty of people and got a little giddy. I crept up nice and low and let out a few casts. As my fly was drifting under the log jam I got what I think was a take and went to set the hook. I heard the sound every fisherman dreads of my rod snapping in half. What the fuck!!! I jumped into the edge of the deep hole to grab the tip of my ride that was sliding down my line and than stood in disbelief that my favorite rod had just snapped on me.

While after I stopped being pissed that my fishing day came to such a sad end I headed home. I shipped the rod off on Monday and now two weeks later I have my favorite rod back and I think I am going to head out tomorrow and see how she works. Hope that new rod section has the same sweet mojo as my old rod pieces.

Holiday 2011

Published on January 16, 2012 by david in fly fishing. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

Over the holidays my family and I got away to Colorado to spend some time with the extended family. My dad and I drove up into 11 mile which is a beutiful tailwater flowing through some of the most gorgeous fishing water you could ask for. No fish were hooked that day, but a bald eagle flying directly overhead 20 feet up and some great beers and conversation rounded it out perfectly.

The ice along the bank was six feet into the river making the river much more personal than the other times I had been there. So many of the holes I fished in the summer along the banks were sorely missed. A few days later I went back up to 11 mile with my two brothers and much of the ice had started to melt. A few hours in my younger brother found a fish in some slow water and I about fell flat on my face as I rushed down the icy banks to help him net it. The fish threw the hook, but we worked that slot for the next  hour just to make sure he didn’t have some hungry friends in there. A little later we all moved to another spot and low and behold the same eagle flew overhead in the same spot as my previous day. My younger brother and I found a large group of fish in a deep hole and casted to them with every nymph and weight combination I could think  of. My older brother hooked I nice fish up higher (see it here). We all went back to the truck and downed jerky, chili-cheese fritos, beers, and port and got back home to the most amazing ossobuco that my mom made. The meat just fell right off the bone (MMMMMMmmmmm).

Another major highlight of the trip is that I got to go flying with my younger brother who has a pilot license. After a few nausea pills (I learned I get REALLY motion sick now that I am older when I went halibut fishing in Alaska a few years back) we got the all clear from the tower and we were sky bound. It was one of the most amazing things to be in such a small plane just my bro and me. We flew down to my parents house and did a few circles until my dad and daughter saw us from the house. I texted my wife that we were flying near the house and she said her and my mom were a few miles away. My brother headed down the road that leads to there house until he spotted the car and than almost made my breakfast come up as he got excited and banked the plane hard to circle back along the car.

On the flight back up to the airport I got to try my hand at flying and lets just say I managed not to crash the plane.

Practicing my MIG welding

Published on January 5, 2012 by david in fly fishing. 0 Comments

My brother got this pic of me practicing up on my MIG welding over the holidays. Always stuff to do around the parents house.

One More, Take Two

Published on December 25, 2011 by david in fly fishing. 2 Comments Tags: , .

Got this email from Alex who was lucky enough to hit up the Deschutes just a few days after our previous outing:

Same fly, same weather, same spot…
Same fish?

Not sure if it was the same fish, but it sure looks like fun!

 

 

One More

Published on December 17, 2011 by david in fly fishing. 2 Comments Tags: , .

While Friday was my birthday and I was able to wrestle Alex away from his work long enough to get out to the Deschutes. I usually hit up the coast for some winter steelheading for my birthday, but with this crazy dry weather we are having that wasn’t an option. We decided to work up the west side of the river which I haven’t done for along time either. Usually I stick on the east side so I can hike up miles and get past the crowds. While we got down to the river and at the first spot we stopped at I worked the upper slow water while Alex worked just below the riffles. Shortly I had my first nice steelhead of the day on. Happy Birthday to me!! The male put up a fun fight and and just as I got ready to grab him I heard that dreaded snap. Oh well. The fight was great and you don’t really need to see another photo of a steelhead here anyway. I was in high spirits as the morning had just started and Alex and I went back to our respective spots on the river. Not 15 minuets later I got into another fish, but this one was a little different. I know there should not be any B runs in the river right now, but after this steelhead made one epic boil on the surface it turned and bolted for the Columbia. My 7wt switch rod instantly felt underpowered and the line was peeling off. Three quarters of the way through my backing and many a sore arm from fighting later the fish broke off. Damn! It was the hardest fighting steelhead I have ever encountered and that includes those wild brutes I caught up on the Clearwater. Alex took a funny video of me and the whole time I was using rather colorful language to describe how I was feeling. Ha!

While I got two more takes in that area, but no more solid hook ups so Alex and I hiked way up to another good spot. When we finally got up there I headed up a little higher and Alex stayed just above the rapids. Not 5 minuets after I walked up the river I hear the “fish on” whistle and came running back down the river. I netted the really nice wild male for Alex (while the fish was sticking out of wither end of his net) and handed it over to him. He went to pull the fish out of the net and let the net go, but unfortunately it was no longer attached via his bungie cord as I had taken it off to net the fish for him. “Your net” I said and Alex whipped around with the fish dangling in one hand and made a wrong step and went straight down on hi butt. I grabbed the note and glanced over at a really nice steelhead that took that dip to make a run for it.

So no photos of fish, but it was totally one of the most memorable days I have ever had on the river. We were laughing all the way back home. What an awesome birthday.

And a big shout out to my beautiful wife for watching my children who I hear were a handful that day.

First Winter Steelhead of the Season

Published on December 5, 2011 by david in fly fishing. 5 Comments Tags: , , .

Cast, mend, mend, drift. Cast, mend, mend, drift. Fish on! Oh damn. It’s a snag. Pull. Pull! PULL! Than the sound of 12 lb line snapping. Reel in the line and take an assessment of whats left. Not much. Start the rigging process. Nah. Time for some sunflower seeds on the side of the river taking in the beauty of this little coastal gem. I look over my shoulder and spot some bait casters that had been watching me in the run. They walk by “Damn, sucks getting broke off”. “Not if you caught one of these in that run” I reply and lift a 28 inch super chrome steelhead up. “Damn!” was all they could muster.

It was a fun moment on two counts:
1.) Usually the bait guys have the steelhead

2.) It is super early in the winter steelhead season and I already found one.

Alex and I had been out a week before this while the water was dropping from the heavy rains we had, but the river wasn’t in good enough shape yet. I thought there was no chance on this weekend as it has remained totally dry since that heavy rain and the rivers were low and super clear. Ok, fish the deep pools I thought. Nothing. Ok, I’ll try deep run. Nope. While, lets swing some flies through those sexy looking riffles. Score. The fish took the fly with a vengeance and leapt in the air. My scream of excitement rang out down the river as I fought to keep the fish from running down the large rapids just below. The new Beulah Platinum Switch 10’8″ 7 wt was a dream to fight the fish with (and to cast on the smaller river). A little later the two fly fisherman that had been down river from me came by and said “We could hear you all the way down there”. Yeah, sorry guys I was just that excited to land this chrome beauty.

The hatchery fish came home with me and I poached them with a delicious sauce of garlic, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil,  lemon, pepper, and other yummy things that my wife made. She whips up the most delicious sauces!

Late Season Chantrelles

Published on November 9, 2011 by david in Mushrooms. 0 Comments

I got out during my kids naps on Sunday to do one last ditch run for channtrelles. The fog was dense as you hit the coast range and hiking through it with the sun beaming through mesmerized me so often I would end up staring up at the trees –  it’s usually hard to find chantrelles growing up there. I got a nice haul and despite my dog having a bad leg he had a blast running around the woods freaking out all the chipmunks (are those chipmunks in the coast range?).  With that haul my dehydrated chantrelle jar is full and I can get back to fishing on the weekends. I look forward to the many delicious batches of chantelle risotto on cold, rainy NW days.