Spey Fishing outside the box....Who made the box anyhow?

From the very beginning of my fly fishing I learned how to get the perfect drift. There are days when the steelhead wont move to a swung fly, or when you have to get the fly down to their level before you induce the swing. I have found this technique to come in handy for such days. Don't let the hardcore swingers out there give you to much heart burn if you decide to try this technique...after all its fishing.... enjoy the River.

How to tie one of my favorite Winter Rogue River fly... "Punch in the Face!"

I have tried a bunch of patterns over the years, some worked some didn't. Those years of experimentation taught me there are several different characteristics that lead to catching fish on the Rogue.

 The most important characteristic is weight. I have found that I can adjust the depth of weighted flies by line tension, but its hard to control a neutral buoyant fly--even on the end of a sink tip. You will never catch a Steelhead if you can't present the fly in a way that will produce a strike regardless of color or movement. This is where the wire came in. In the early days I couldn't match conditions as the only color I had was copper,but nowadays, with all the colors on Uni Wire you can tie a fly to match any condition.

This is the second most important characteristic...Color. The fish has to be able to see your offering. There are times when fish will  key on one color or another, but most of the time I have found that color plays an important role in what the fish can see.   From Silver for bright and sunny days, to black and blue for low light conditions and everything in between Uni has it covered.  

Besides weight and color, movement is an important characteristic. Steelhead can be like your house cat at times...to get your cat to attack you have to add more movement to your taunting. The thin body profile that the wire allows helps the hackles pulsate...they are unrestricted by the thick chenille bodies that traditional patterns boast.   

Now that you have seen some of the thought behind my wired patterns tie some up and give them a try....you'll be surprised how they will become one of your go to patterns. I have included a video showcasing my favorite high off colored water wired fly, Punch In The Face. Its Black and Blue color provides the shadow and low light color that the fish can see. Its one of my alternative flies for people who don't like to cast intruders....Get out there.....

  

Rogue River Steelhead are coming out to play!

The Rogue Is fishing well if your willing to get your flies down. Other than a few shallow runs, I have switched to skagits. The river is in its annual cooling stage and the fish are becoming more and more like winter steelhead. Of course Nymphs are fishing well. Stick to stoneflies up front, and match the hatch behind. Don't be afraid to throw the small stuff. 

Swinging is becoming more technical, you have to hit the slots and keep your fly in the fishes face as long as you can. I like fishing big flies this time of year, mostly blue and black.  I continue to use these techniques until the river starts to rage again in the spring, but don't be afraid to throw the scandi back on when the sun warms a run enough that you to see fish activity. Even with the colder water, I have caught several fish in the top half of the water column when conditions are right. 

If you're close to the Rogue, get out there! There are a ton of fish!   

Steve's first Steelhead ever!

Tammy with a freshy

Tammy is a fish Magnet!

Another nice fish!

Bob getting into the action!

Pile of LTS Rods! what a great time testing some new

Big Stick Casting Clinic Was a Blast!

Their are a few more spey casters in the world now thanks to Big Stick Fly Fishing Forum and all the Great Sponsors of the First Annual Big Stick Casting Clinic. Here are a few pictures of what went down in Southern Oregon this weekend. I'll post more pictures and some videos as we get them processed. Thank you, Fishon! Sports—Us Distributor of LTS Fly Fishing—Donna O’Sullivan, Loop USA--James Park, R.B. Miser Rods—Bob Meiser,Vision Fly Fishing USA—Monte Ward,Anderson Custom Rods—Gary Anderson, Native Fish Society, and Siskiyou Aviary! I would also like to thank the other  the presenters Donna O’Sullivan, Monte Ward, and Charles Gehr. I can't wait to do it agian next year.

Big Stick Making a splash in Southern Oregon

Donna Showing the guys how its done, what a insane caster!

The Better Half of On The Fly Guide Service...Misty Bailey

Representing Fish-on Sports, and LTS...Donna and Nate

Fun Teaching some Winter Presantations with a boat load of LTS rods!

Monte Ward of Vision Flyfishing going over the basics.

Monte and The Native Fish Society!

Donna of Fish-on Sports/ LTS and Derek Bachmann owner of Big Stick Fly Fishing Forum.

The Single Handed Spey!

Stay tuned for more pictures to come!

Another Great Rod From LTS

When a certain rod matches you its pure Magic! That is what I am finding with the LTS rods. I'm not sure what they are made out of, but they are nothing short of amazing in my book. Donna, from www.fishon-sports.com let me play with yet another LTS....The Most striking of all them...the 1309-4 Across! Check out my review below!

LTS 9126-4 X1 Review

The folks at Fish! On let me play with the LTS 9126 Explosive's brother the LTS X1. The LTS team tried to make a high performance rod that would fit anyone's style, and I think they have done quite well. Check out my Video report on this fun Rod!

X1 Black Beauty

As Promised, 8126-4 LTS Explosive Review

Thanks to Donna at Fish On! Sports I got to test out two different LTS rods. The Explosive and the X1. I have completed a video review on the Explosive, which is below, But before you get into the Video I want to comment on the components and finish of both Rods. LTS has Premium Cork, the likes of what you find on custom rods, where the rings are hand picked. The reel-seats are cool, European Styled, and beefy--but light. Both Rods are as Light as a Feather, and precisely wrapped. In short, the appearance of these rods are easy on the eyes, but their performance will capture your attention. 

I hope you enjoy the Review, and stay tuned for the X1, and LTS line reviews.  

LTS Explosive is a real attention getter!

 

AirFlo Rage Give Away!

We are just 250 visits away from Giving away a Airflo Rage (in the weight you request). So if you haven't  done so yet, go to my  website and use the link to my email and send me a message. I will put your message into a raffle. If you visit the site, make sure you get credit for it and send me a email. I will not use the emails for a mass email, or sell them to anyone, and I will delete the folder they are in after the drawing. If you like to keep up with whats going on, on the Rogue, Williamson, and other Southern Oregon waters you can follow  My Blog , just click on the "follow me" button on the top right and you will get a notification when my blog updates. If you want a Rage line, take the few seconds and shoot me a email...you never know you might be the winner.

Go with the Flo

Could Be Yours




 

December is still producing!

The Rogue amazes me! We started catching summer steelhead in July and continue to get them into February. That's 7 Months, ya 7 Months. The end of March brings Winters into the upper system so there are virtually fish in the river most of the year. What other River produces such runs? I didn't get out today but here are a couple Rogue Summer Runs that one of the local fish smacker hit today. Good job Jordan!

Run & Gun!

Wild Hen (Summer Run !?!)

Snow, Christmas Lights, Rogue River Steelhead, and the Jacket that Keeps me in the game.

The Rogue Valley has been covered with the most snow that I have seen in years. It caused a cancellation of a trip on Friday as my clients tried to get back North before the bulk of the weather hit. I can't blame them as the news was calling for 2-5 inches of snow on the valley floor. 6-8 inches was more like it. The day off provided some time for some Christmas shopping (yuk), much needed time with Misty, and a snowball fight with the boys!  But, after the way swinging flies on the Rogue has been, I was itching to get on the River--its not very often you can fish the Rogue with snow on its banks.  First though,  I had honey do's to get done. Ya that's right, even guides have honey do's that need to be done before they can go fishing.

After some online Christmas shopping and getting the Christmas lights hung, the dogs and I were off to the river. We made it through the gate and noticed that there were only one set of tracks to the river bar, and they looked like a some from a kid that was playing around, so I had the river all to myself. I needed all the help I could get, when I got to the river I noticed steam rising from its emerald waters. I started at the top and swung my way through the three buckets the Modoc contains. I spent a good couple hours making my way through the buckets, spending the majority of the time in the second as its the top producer for me. No dice, and it was starting to get dark so I moved down river to the last little bucket. The ice in my guides made it nearly impossible to cast, but I managed to keep my fly in fishy water. I about gave up hope when sudden pause came into my swing then a light tug. I almost wrote it off as bottom, but I knew there was no way it was as I have swung hundreds of flies, at all different river levels, and have never have touched
 the bottom. I stripped in the Skagit Intermediate head and re-casted, making sure to get the exact same drift. The line paused again, but this time I felt the heft of a fish. I dropped my tip, paused a second, then pulled strait back. The rod came to a stop against angry, Rogue Steel! Weight turned to Powerful throbs, then to drag ripping fury! I was taken by surprise as it has been over ten hookups since I connected with a Native Rogue fish. I let the beast run until it hit the tailout leading to ledges below. I knew that if the fish made it over the riffle there was no way I could wade to it from my side of the river so I applied some pressure to the the palming rim, but it was more than the 10 lb fluorocarbon tippet could handle as it parted like a rifle shot. This fish made a couple congratulatory jumps, and returned to the emerald depths.

The sun went to bed, I loaded the dogs and we enjoyed the beauty of the snow as we made our way home. As I unloaded the dogs and the gear my neighbor made a comment to the loss sanity that was involved to wade hip deep in the middle of a river and swing flies on a day such as this. I smiled and put the rod and waders away. I thought to myself, there is no way I could have stayed out that long without my wool base layer and down jacket.

I spent several months researching the perfect insulating outerwear for fishing and hunting. I wanted the packable lite weight of down, but was afraid of it around the water. Down is only insulating when it is fluffy and dry as that's how it holds air. Once it gets wet it loses it's loft, and all of its insulating qualities--this could spell disaster on the river as I am around rain and water all winter long. Sometimes miles away from the warmth of the pickup. I thought I would have to live with the heft and bulk of pirma-loaf until I ran across a company that specializes in light weight extreme weather clothing Kuiu.  Kuiu ultralight cloathing allows me to stay warm on the river, with peace of mind, through their innovative product: Supper Down.

Kuiu Super Down Jacket

This Jacket is light weight, packable, and safe. It isn't your normal down jacket as its down has been treated with a special loft keeping, molecular waterproofing. This waterproofing has worked great. Although the jacket is considered as a insulating layer and is meant to be worn under a shell in wet weather, I have found its water resistant properties to be a asset when I dunk a arm releasing fish or retrieving the occasional fly. Check out Super Down in the Video below.

I have found this Jacket to do all that's claimed. If your looking for a down jacket that can give you a little peace of mind check out Kuiu. Here are some pictures of me testing mine and the beauty if the Rogue in winter dress.

Down Touvelle Rd.

One track and I!

Getting to the River!

Putting Kuiu through its paces!

Swinging the Second Bucket.

That fly has accounted for the last ten hookups for us.

Steam coming off the River! I guess it does that at 20 degrees.

The Lights are up! Still Have to fix the cross!

Winter Struck

Southern Oregon got covered by a blanket of snow, canceling one day of my clients two day trip as they tried to get back home before the snow hit. We did well the day before the snow.  Hooking three fish and one on the swing, a take that left Dave shaking! Im going to try to sneek down to the river this afternoon and get a picture of  a fish in the snow. Stay warm. 

BRRRRRR!

Proud Papa!

What happens when the lady of the house goes shopping and leaves the boys at home on a day off? We go to the Rogue and swing some flies. We loaded up the rods and headed to the top of the river to try out a couple of new patterns that I wanted to fish. I took Gage to the top of the run, tied on my prototype fly, and pointed out the rocks to pay attention to. Gage, rolled his eyes and told me,"Dad I know, I'm not a little kid anymore." I thought, ya kid, I would listen if I were you. But, I smiled at Gage, and headed to the next run below. I about made it to my run when I heard, "Dad, Fish On!" I looked up river and sure enough Gage had a nice fish making a good run. By the time I got back up the river he had the nice hatchery fish subdued. "Griller Dad, I told  you I know where they are." Gage said when I got there. I took some pictures and congratulated him nonchalantly, but I couldn't be prouder as my son has turned into a steelheader, he is reading his own water and catching fish out of it. He went on to hook and a hog just a bit further down the run. I tied on a "prototype" and hooked a couple of my own but they didn't get me near as excited as Gage's! To say I am a proud papa is a understatement.

Locked and Loaded!

Swinging "his" water

Gage with a well read fish!

Following suit!

A couple for the grill!

 

Time for the big boys on the Rogue River!

When temps drop in the low 20's in the Rogue Valley, and the days shorten, its time to pull out the big flies, and if its on the Rogue River it had better have black, orange, and blue. It should also have a bunch of movement and some flash to move cold water fish. The perfect Rogue Cold Water swinging fly should poses all these things, That's what moved me to design Casey's Intruder. Named after one of my favorite cold water runs on the river, this fly contains everything the Rogue River Steelhead want. The next few photos will show you how to tie it.

Start with a long shank hook.

Get some Heavy Mono, I like colored just to add to the fly.

Start it through the eye of the hook. Make the loop go back to where the Marabou will flow--normally a couple of inches but, If you get a ton short strikes like the Rogue make a larger loop.

Fold the mono through and lash it down! Do a good job here as this is what will hold the fish. I also hit this with super glue.

Install eyes and super glue them.

Use orange chenille and make a ball. this ball will make the marabou loo like it has mass when the fly swim's.  

Tie in a marabou tip like a hackle.

Add a couple of flash strips, I like holographic flash.

Add a tinsel over-body advance you thread, and make another chenille ball.     

Add another marabou tip and wrap it like a hackle. 

Add four white rubber legs that do not go past the marabou in the swimming position.

Add flash, and a blue hen hackle.

Whip finish and clip off the bend of the hook with diagonal cutters--this will keep the fly swimming right.

Add a octopus hook to the mono.

There it is, a fly to move cold water Rogue River Steelhead!