Dang Kings!

One of the best places to catch Steelhead on the Upper Rogue River is behind the Salmon Redds, but this can be tricky at times because the salmon that haven't spawned yet will hold in the same water, and after being in the river for a few months they get persnickety. This, bright for this time of year, salmon went 20 feet to slam this fly before Bob could get it out of his way a second time. Normally we strait line em ' but this salmon was bright enough I thought, I might be able to get our flies back...I was wrong!

The Rogue--Spey is still in the Game!

With the low, cold, water the Rogue has become more technical. There are a ton of Fish in the upper section, and we are still picking up fish Swinging with tips. Once the rain hits you had better be there!
Bring your tips, large, and dark flies. Normal years we would have turn to nymphs to keep things rolling, but with the advent of intermediate Skagits, and some good ole greased line steelheading, we are still in the game with our Spey Rods as the weather cools the water below 45 f.

Enjoy some pictures of  last weeks action.

Rogue Color and Spey Rods! What more could you want?

Those men from Iceland can cast!

A good smoke.

Enjoying the day.

Showing the boys what a D-loop looks like.

Nice Setup

Fish On!

That Wild Steelhead Is Camera shy!

The Rogue River is rolling.

I was allowed to be a part of a family fishing trip yesterday--being a part of these memories is what makes guiding so much fun.

One of the things Nathan and Don will talk about for ever is Nathan's First steelhead. We were drifting flies through the run when Nathan's line paused and looked as if it was hung on the bottom. He started to take up slack and I said " looks like you got the bottom." As Nathan pulled the slack in, it looked like he had snagged the bottom up river, I started to say, "yep, its the bottom," but before I could get "Bottom," out of my mouth a nice male steelhead makes a rocket jump, pulling Nathan's line out of the water with it. I could see a mix of joy, and controlled panic on Nathan's face as he followed my instructions as to how to fight the fish on the switch rod. 6 crazy jumps, a couple good runs, and about 10 minutes later Nathan was able to put his hands on the Rogue River Brute--His First Steelhead Ever!

The day ended well. There were six clients spread over 3 boats, drifting different sections of river that were over 30 miles apart, and all 6 scored a steelhead--some multiple fish--two of which caught their first steelhead. This is almost unheard of in the steelhead world, but not on the Rogue River! Have I mentioned lately how much of a blessing it is for me to be able to guide such a river system?!? What a Great Day, with Great People, On a Great River!!

The Rogue River has runs that go for ever!

Classic Rogue River Steelhead Water!

Don's Nice  Rogue River Hen Steelhead

Nathan's First Steelhead--He will never forget the Rogue River after this one!

Its the most wonderful time of the year!

No, not Santa! Fall! It means Summer Steelhead on the Rogue River, and October Caddis! A combonation that can be some of the most fun you'll have. Orange seems to be the theme of fall, and the fish often agree, as they find swung pumpkin flies hard to resist. Here are some top producers for the Upper Rogue River.

Gotta Love October! Match the October Caddis Hatch on the Rogue River!

Halloween Fly-- A top Rogue River Producer for rainy days.

Why they eat them!!! October Caddis bring Rogue Steel to the bank!

A Great Day for Spey--Rogue River Style

I started the day off at the annual Two hands at Touvelle event. What a great time, I got to cast the newest and the greatest. I also got to try out a Airflo Rage for the first time...Wow, What a great dry line. There is something cool about being able to just grab a rod and go cast it, it close to being in steelhead heaven. While there, I met a cool young man named Kellen who was testing rods 3 at a time--my kind of guy.  As the gathering wore down I knew that I had to get on the water so I drove to the river, knowing that I was in for a good day. Within three cast I got a tug, and a few later I was hooked up. I was all alone until I noticed a young man make his way to the beach. A few minutes later I noticed he was hooked up and having a hard time beaching the fish by himself so I made my way up river to help him out. Once I got there, I realized it was non-other than Kellen! I tailed the nice hen for him and we both admired the nice fish.

With Smile on his face Kellen Said "Everyone says you have to have a bobber and a Nymph to catch steelhead on the Rogue, Why is that?"

I laughed, and answered, "I don't know, we didn't even know what a indicator was when I swung flies here as a kid." We both went back to swinging the run--Kellen ended the evening 2 for 2 and I followed 1 for 3,  missing grabs in between fish--not bad for a couple of hours. 

We were the only two people within sight on a Saturday night- just us, the ducks, and steelhead -Have I ever mentioned I love the Upper Rogue in fall.

Going Back

Nice Little Male

Kellen with his nice Rogue River Steelhead

Summer Steelhead On the Rogue River-- How to Catch Fish in the Heat.

We have had a unseasonably hot weather on the Rogue the last couple of weeks. If you watch the river temp it hovers around 60 deg F, in such weather. I have found that water temp is one of the biggest factors that affects the bite. Until I got the USGS River Flow app for my Android smart phone I didn't realize how much the river temp changed during the day--Now I can Almost time the bite with the info my phone provides, but I have also found some tricks to catch fish in the middle of the day, when water is at its warmest.

1. Fish Deep. You all have been swimming in a lake where the top layer of water is warm, then you dive to find that it cools drastically about 10 foot down. The Rogue Steelhead are masters at finding the, comfort  of the right temperature of water. People look at me funny when I pull out the heaver tips and fish the deep stuff in summer, but if your having a hard time in the heat try it .

2. Fish the Shade. This goes without saying, but I see people standing in the mid day sun and fish the same run they fish for winters. The classic steelhead run is 4 to 6 feet of water and is moving at the same speed  as you can walk--not in summer if the sun is high and the water is warming, the fish are cold blooded animals, they cant sweat they need to find the cooler areas of the river.

3. Fish Structure, this is much like fishing shade, but what I'm referring to are the ledges and boulders that are under water. I found this theory one day when I was snorkeling the deep holes on the Chetco. If you have ever swam in the Chetco during the summer you know how warm it could get. I snorkeled the river to clean it up after fishing season. One day I saw a lure that was tucked under a basalt ledge. it wasn't Particularly deep so I took a gulp of air and dove to it, once I got to the edge of the ledge I could feel the water cool. Under the ledge it mus have dropped more than 5 degrees. Trout were stacked in that cooler water--steelhead are no different.

4. Use Big Dark Flies. Dark because you don't have to worry about off colored water as you would during high spring and winter flows, and big because, much like winter, you have to move their lazy butts. the fish slow down in warm water as much as they do in cold water, you have to play on their predatory instincts. Just look at what your plug pulling friends are using, I guarantee their plugs are bigger, and move more, than most of the flies we fish, yet they catch a ton of fish. Why is that? They have tapped into the predatory instinct that all steelhead have to act on, our flies should do the same. 

These are just sole of the tricks I have came up with over they years. Give them a shot on your water. I have included a couple videos to illustrate the above points. Don't let the heat get you down.

 Fishing Summer Holds

You Need Movement

 

A Good Description of the Rogue River

for all of those who are coming to Two Hands @ Tou Velle event.

Its True!

I was just wondering around our local Costco and found out all the rumors are true. They ares selling Sage, that's right, Sage Ones for a huge markdown. If I were a small fly shop I would be outraged, as Sage sets the price for these rods and you have to sell them at that price. The local Shops have to sell these same rods for $750. Just like everything else, I guess Fly Shops are destined to follow--no more ma and pa stores, just the big discounters.

You Know I love to Swing but.......

There are times when the fish just wont move, so you have to take your offering to them. There is no easier way to do this then with a nymph and bobber (oops I meant "indicator") set up. You have to start with a line that has enough forward mass to turn the whole mess over and with enough body that you can mend it for long drifts. On most nymph rigs for the Rogue River you will find a good ole double taper, but I have found that Airflo's Speydicator works better for my switch rods and the Clients find it less fatiguing at the end of the day. Know, I know  what your hard core swingers are thinking, Spedicator blasphemous!  I felt the same way to , but it didn't take long for me to see the benefits in deploying such tactics. First it has opened up the sport to potential future swingers. Once you catch your first steelhead you'll be hooked, and like all of us the natural progression through methods finally ends in the purity of winter fish on the swing, but everyone has to start somewhere, and the more people that love these fish the better they will be taken care of. I no longer look at nymph fishing as the dark side, but rather an introduction to a sport that I love--and after all we aren't throwing worms.
It kinda seems weird feeling like I have to defend nymph steelhead fishing but i think its one of those things in the double handed world that people haven't really sat and thought about it. The advent of the switch rod has brought this form of fishing to a whole different level. with the added length and casting styles we can achieve drifts on seams that seemed impossible years ago. The ease, and lack of false casting' is what led me to outfitting my boat with these miniature spey rods. Even the greenest of clients can become proficient enough to fish well with about 5 minutes of instruction--not to mention water born cast save me ear piercings.
 The way I set up the rig isn't that much different then your average trout rig--just longer and heaver. Speydecatiors come prelooped so all I do is add a but section of 25 lb HARD mono, like Maxim Chameleon due to its abrasion resistance, then add a mid section of 0x fluorocarbon, finishing it off with 2x fluorocarbon for tippet. All sections are cut 40" in order to get 36" sections after knots are ties. I loop both ends of the rear section, one loop for the line to butt connection and another loop that to the forward two sections. This allows me to change the front section out without having to change my indicator position. I can control depth with the pre-tied front section and flies. You have to run heavy line in the rear and check it constantly as casting indicators are hard on it. the forward two sections are linked by a surgeons knot. This setup gives you 9' to your first fly under the indicator--a set up that will fish 90% of the Upper Rogue. If you are in a shallower run just loop on a shorter forward section. I ALWAYS run two flies. the first fly is tied through the eye to the tippet with a improved clinch, and the dropper is tied to the shank with the same knot. Dropper length is something you'll have to play with for your conditions, but 24" is a good place to start. Remember use the lightest line you can get away with so that dropper fly will swim right. One note to point out here, the more slkack you have in your leader system, the longer it takes to indicate a strike, so make your leader match your run. I have picked up fish behind people who probably had strikes in the hole but didnt know it because their leaders were way to long and the fish probably spit the fly way before the indicator took up the slack of the leader to tell the fisherman their fly had stopped. If your having a hard time hooking fish, shorten your leader.

Speydicator works wonders!

What you Need

Keeping it local

Loop to Loop

The Whole Shebang!

Total Blasphemy, well not really. 

This is a highly effective way to catch Steelhead and has introduced many to the sport we love, so the next time your on the river give it a try--if you have some one you want to introduce to fly fishing for Steelhead, give it a shot, and don't worry they will look forward to the day of of that tug only the swing can produce. Nate

 
     

Its On!!!!

The river was beautiful tonight, Gage my Son,  and I swung for summer steel. He managed to conjure up a nice little Cutt on a Kerry Special. we admired it for a moment and got back at it. I finally tied on my steelhead prince and swung it as deep as I could. I couldn't move down from where I had to fish from,  so I worked in a foot of line about every three cast so I could cover the whole pool. About 20 cast in, it happened...the Tug we are all after. I was taken completely buy surprise, so much so I didn't even set the hook well. My line shot out of the water fallowed by a beautiful chrome summer steelhead. Oh how I've missed this Ran through my mind, then sure panic, fight him you twit!!! I jerked the rod, but all I could see was my fly dislodge itself out of the corner of the chrome rocket's mouth. My line went limp, I realized that I had a permagrin that I knew wouldn't go away for a while. They Are Here! Its On! oh how I love the Rogue's Summer Steelhead.

I got back to the house and found out from a friend of mine,  that works at the hatchery, that there are over 500 fish up there already...Its On Indeed!!!


The Permagrin

Nate's Steelhead Prince





What is this thing we call Skagit?

As Steelhead season is just around the corner here on the Rogue River, and with the Williamson and Wood fishing well , I thought it might be fitting to introduce you to the swing. Those of you who know me, know that I love to fish the swing with the fly rod. For large rivers there is no better rod than the doublehander for this purpose. If your new to this form of flyfishing I have found a video that will help you understand the systems used, Enjoy...Nate

Waiting for steel! Swinging for Cutts! Rogue River Style!

If you know me you know how much I love to swing flies, but there is one thing I like better, watching my wife swing flies, then hammering a huge Rogue River Cutthroat. Outside of the Holy Waters the Rogue isn't known as being a blue ribbon trout stream, but if you know where to go, what to use, and how to use it, you will be rewarded. We missed several more and broke one real monster off-- might have even been a early Steelhead--it was enough to get my blood pumping for sure.

Misty's nice Rogue River Cutt!

Got to love the Rogue!

New Website!

I'm proud to introduce my new Website http://www.southernoregonflyfishing.com/ It's a work in progress so please check back often.

Two Hands @ Tou Velle, Rogue River and Spey Rods

This Will Be Good

My Favorite Piece "Four Hour" Water!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LllLjiQkJ8A&feature=player_detailpage#t=0s

When the October Caddis come out on the Upper Rogue River this is where you will find me fly fishing. This is a great piece of skating, steelhead water that comes alive in August!

Battle Lines Have Been Drawn

The winter steelhead run was less than great this year, but the Springer run looks to be awesome. The problem is, as most of you know, it’s real Hard to get your fly in position, and stay there long enough to aggravate them. I have been busting my butt trying to figure out how to do this. Well I think I have it part of the way figured out. I took my 8wt spey rod, lined it with a skagit and a t12 tip casted the whole glob ,  up stream and mend my way through. This is kinda like hi-stick nymhping only treating your tip as a leader. I made three passes this way then I felt a little strike, I made a half hearted jerk, thinking I might clear the smolt off the fly, only to feel the full weight of a submersed freight train! It has been several years since I have been Chinook fishing, as I usually turn to trout this time of year to avoid the crowds. The fish took to the air dragging the skagit head and heavy tip out of the water like it was dental floss! It made a run towards the frog water up stream of me, giving me the false sense that I might actually land this brute. Then he swapped ends again, took to the Air, gave me the middle fin, and dashed down river combining all of his muscle and the mighty Rogue in its fight against me. The clicks of my reel became screams which drew the attention of the whole river bar, people were pointing, and laughing at the noise, until the mighty brute decided to make himself present in their lives also. Not, 20' off the bar the salmon took to the air only to return to the water with a crash that would put any cannonball to shame. People screamed, mothers gathered their children, and a Pit bull whimpered, stuck its tail between its legs, and ran under the nearest pickup.  People became silent; some even started to pray as they realized that I, standing in the middle of the river, was connected to that Monster. Coil, after coil departed from the reel taking with it any feeling of control that I might have ever had until I started to see the bare arbor and the tiny knot that would have to take the brunt of this frontal attack. I knew there was no way the small dacron knot could hold up, so I bowed the tip of the rod, in surrender, and held fast on the spool. The brute didn't even give me the satisfaction of seeing him when he turned my heavy forged hook into a strait pin. The line when limp, I breathed a sigh of disgust mixed with relief, ok mostly relief as I knew I had no control over this fish. People left the river bank as if they had just watched a movie with a bad ending.  Others, laughed, whispered something among themselves, and pointed in my direction. My dog, ya that’s right my dog, left my side and found a tree to hide under. I had been schooled by the River King—telling me to head to my usual sissy haunts on some small brook trout stream and leave his subjects alone.  Laughing rose from the emerald depths provoking me to shake my fist in a vow to return and declare battle once more. Mighty Rogue King, you may have won this battle but, I WILL WIN THE WAR!

Rogue River Special a part of Rogue River History!

Willie's Boats are Great Boats, but they are trimed wrong inline fishing. When I put someone in the back it would plow and became a whale. I have always been partial to the flatter Rogue River Special, but I lost hope of ever owning one as I had heard Alumaweld quit building them. Then I met Brett, he had Rogue Marine Bulid my new boat to Jerry Briggs classic Rogue River Special standard. This boat was adapted from both Glen Woodridge's, and Bob Pritchet's designs. Unlike most drift boats you see on the river nowadays, mostly McKenzie style, the Rogue has a flatter, wider bottom at the stern, making it a great boat to motor. The greater surface area also provides more lift when held, making it a more stable platform to fly fish out of for the person in the back. This is the main reason for me to change boats. My Willies was cramped and rode bow high with someone in the back.  One of the other advantage of this boat is that it holds its line better, but if your use to pivioting on a dime like a McKenzie, the Rogue will take some getting use to. I am proud to be stepping in the guiding shoes of the greats here on the Rogue, rowing their water with their design. Here's to the good Ole Rogue River Special, may she never die! This is the boat Born out of the river I love, I shouldn't be rowing anything else. 

She Is Special

17' 48" Rogue River, My willies would have been bow high with just Max in the back

  

Kings

Hooked a King today and found out a 8WT was way to light for a bright chromer! I casted upstream and would work my line perpendicular the rod--a kind of slow drift/swing. The Chinook hammered it and made three runs, jumping all the way. He just about spooled me.




Best Hole on the River! you can acess it from the butte creek side of deanmen.

Its Hard to see, but I was keeping my line perpendicular to the rod tip, just enough tension to to feel a hit, but not so much to pull the flies off the bottom.

Add caption

This is what your flies should look like if you get the modified swing right, I only could achieve it about half the time.

Fish On! right after this Picture he dang near spooled me. Last I saw of him, was almost to the rocks at the hole below me, there was nothing I could do!

Nate's Wired Worm

There are flies that just work regardless of rather you think they should or not. The Brassie is one of those flies, but good isn't good enough when you can improve on a design. This flies success is most likely due to its diving ability-the thing sinks better than a rock. It flows through the current like a real bug, but what if it had arms to match the drift, well that's where my wired worm comes in!

I always start with a heavy hook for Steelhead nymphs 

Add a bead (I super glue them on) and add a couple of rubber tails (they suggest several different bugs) 

Tie in the color of UNI Wire you like (I tie this is several colors)

Wrap the wire forward making a abdomen, tie in your favorite chenille give it a couple wraps to make a wing case.   

Add hackle 

Wrap hackle forming the beckoning moving legs that a Upper Rogue Steelhead  cant  resist.

I fish this fly dead drift until it reaches quartering down downstream then I will swing it to dangle. Try it on your rivers!

  

The Holy Waters - Rogue River

Had a great time with the Trail Outdoors Fellowship group. There were a ton of people who learned how to cast, mend, and became fly fishing addicts last night. The fish weren't cooperating, but we did manage one on a swung Muddler Minnow. Trail Outdoor Fellowship is a group that meets at Trail Christian Fellowship, they have been spending the last couple months learning how to fly fish, and I have been honored to be able to be a part of that. It was awesome to see the culmination of all their hard work come into fruition last night.

Nice little trout that came to a swung Muddler Minnow.