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 !?!)

I can't contain myself!

Ok, I have been trying to contain this, but I just can't anymore. In less than a week my son, Gage Bailey and I will be on the Dechutes River under the guidance of one its legends Mark Bachmann. Thanks to The Fly Fishing Shop Shop, and Echo Rods im able to fish this legendary river, with my son, in his senior year. The Fly Shop just happens to be based in the town that is named after my family, Welches Oregon, and my son is the last generation in the family bearing the Welch name. Just awesome. I'm sure Mark will never remember this, but when I was a Teen, I saved all year to by a used  Maryat Reel that Mark had on the shelf. I put some money down and he assured me that it would be there when I got the rest. It took me a couple months, but true to his word, it was right where he said it would be when I finally made enough money to pay it off. He was always good to us kids. We would visit the shop every time we visited our grandparents. Unlike other shops, he would encourage us to check out the newest rods on the rack. Its cool to think after all these years Im going to be fishing with him, I can't wait.  

Dechutes Flies...I hope

The Reel I saved For

Vacation...Someday!

I love Southern Oregon, we have one of the most diverse landscapes that provides us with more adventure in one season than most people see in a lifetime, but someday I want to catch Tarpon out of float tubes like they are in this Video! Absolutely Cool!

Nate's Steelhead Prince!

 

If you could create the perfect fly, what would it entail? Well for one it would have to be built off a foundational pattern that has proven itself, on the water you fish, time and again. It would have to hold up to the abuse of the proper presentation, and it would have to be easy and fast to tie. These patterns don't just come togather by themselves, they take time to develop as you design the pattern to work the way you want. That is they way my series of flies have came about. These are designs that have came through combining what works. I hope they help in the progression of your own patterns.



The foundation of every fly is the hook. All of my steelhead nymphs start with a heavy wire sharp hook. I have straitened to many regular nymph hooks to use them anymore. I love the hooks from Trout Beads.
 

I add weight to all of my nymphs as it gets them down fast, and keeps them down if you want to swing them at the end of the drift.

 

 

I have learned to use rubber tails on my nymphs as they last longer than natural fibers and provide more movement. I love the fish-catching abilitie of natural peacock, but it isn't near durable enough-so you notice I use immitation peacock.

Once agian I I replaced the goose quill of the orgional prince pattern with some rubber leggs, and I tie in a oversive webby hackle to add movement when I decide to swing this pattern.

Add caption

And there you have it! Nate's Steelhead Prince. It fishes well dead drifted and swung. Its easy to tie and durable.





The Result!

 

I love that drift boats came from Oregon. As a fifth generation Oregonian I am proud that I have became a white water dory oarsman.

I hope you enjoy this!

When the two words Klamath and Fly Fishing meet you usually think of the Hex hatch on the Williamson, or Dragging leaches on the lake. Maybe you would think of the grasshoppers that fall to gorging trout on the Wood River, or the super spooky trout of Crystal Creek, but you probably would never think of the Sprague River. Why is that? Is it because there aren't any fish? Nope. It's a fine fishery. The reason you don't hear much about it is because it has very few access points and there is a ton of private ground surrounding it, but if you know where your going and what your doing the Sprague will give up its treasure.

Beautiful, Relaxing, River

The Wind made me get out my switch rod.

Love this River

Not bad for a half hour! This little trout thought he was a steelhead making a couple of good runs.  There are much bigger Fish in there!

If your not tumbeling big black rubber legged bugs your not fishing for winter steelhead on the Rogue -- at least that's what they say. As a guide you figure out what works fast, or you wont guide for long. When Fish are concentrating on Big Stonefly Nymphs, I have found that this simple fly works, is durable, and gets the head first sinking action of the natural. I like to add a little flash to all my nymphs-- if you watch a natural under water they all trap little glisening gas bubbles, often gold. So here it is Nate's Southern Stone.




I like to give the fly shape by bending the size 4 hook.
 





 

Add .030 lead and a cone to give it the front end weight



Tie in black rubber tails, then wrap black stone fly dubbing up body, then rib
with black uniwire.


 

 

Tie in peacock sparkle yarn wingcase and the rest of the black rubber legs.







Wrap clear to the head with dubbing.








Fold wingcase over and tie off.







And there you have it--scrumptious