Recent Fishing Pics - PDX Fly Fishing and Surrounding Area

Lots of action on Clouser Minnows and large white rabbit leeches.....

Stripping baskets prevent the line from getting sucked and wedged into the rocks....

Rockfish are the "Darth Vader" fish of the "Bass" world.....

Carp in battle mode....

Carp admiration......

Two handed casting stroke.....

The ammunition and fire power for fly fishing with two handed rods....

Bombs away! Letting a two handed cast rip!

Prime winter steelhead water.....

A little coastal chromer.....

Covering the water on a coastal river.....

Read This Link - Write Up On PDX Carp Expert

Here is a totally awesome blog write up on PDX local carp expert John Bartlett who runs his own blog called Carp on the Fly. For those of you interested in carp fly fishing you should bookmark his blog. Make sure you click the link below the read this great write up.

 Click Here To View Blog Entry  

A Little Hot Weather Fun - With Some Success & Some Frustration

This carp was taken in a shallow mudflat on a 65' cast on a "Headstand" fly

Yesterday I wanted to go hit the Columbia after hearing how it has been fairing well for large sized carp from John of Carp on the Fly and Adam, fishing manager at Portland's Orvis Store, when they fished recently with Beattie Outdoor Productions. I did not land any fish bigger than I normally have gotten in the past; so it was not the day of the "trophy carp". I did see lots of fish cruising around and pulling up into shallows while making their rounds though. It was cool to watch them a lot, and obviously fish for them. I have been trying to fish different water than I have in previous years, and my success rate has gone down so far, but that comes with learning new water at times. I have see the fish holding sometimes in the hundreds and other times holding in the twos and threes. Interestingly, it seems like the smaller packs are much easier to fish to when they are in the flats than the large numbered groups, but that would not make sense ever. They seem to be wayyyyyyyy tooooooo spooky, and their apparent hormone chemical messing system can make them unapproachable. Literally!!! Seems like they chemically message each other because they can start a chain reaction like a heard of wildebeest escaping a bunch of lions secretly on the prowl. I tried to crawl to them without making such as a vibration through the ground. Some were spooking just because of some variable I was not even aware of. On the other hand when I am fishing to the ones, twos, and three, I can fish to them, and they can turn to my fly, and blatantly show interest. Weird stuff; since I have fish to carp bumping into my legs at Sauvie Island and I have hooked so many I have not been able to count. The Sauvie Island fish were ranging from spawning to feeding, and variables of the two intertwined. On the other hand I am seeing 100's of fish in some flats that are in really clear water, and they just seem like you cannot even get to them without a fish sounding the "predator" alarm. These fish are not really doing much, barely feeding at all, and definitely not spawning at all. The water is still and nothing much is happening where I am seeing the massive schools of them. The ones, two, and threes seem to be cruising around, tailing, moving about with more of a purpose.

Click on Video to Watch:

Short Carp Video - Sight Fishing Cast & Delivery

Went out carp fishing yesterday with a couple of friends. The fishing was okay; to the point where we all caught fish, but it could have been better. I managed to get into enough fish to make my day, and one of the highlights was seeing this fish holding off the bank. I got a cast to land my fly 6" from the fish's nose, and it turned down to inhale my fly instantly. It was really fun to watch that fish climb onto my offering. Short video, and a small fish for carp standards with not much of a fight, but a killer take from the fish.

Fly Fishing (Fun Style) Tournament This Weekend 8-11 & 8-12

Carp-pocalypse Reminder 

                                                                                    

This weekend will be the first annual Carp-pocalypse Tournament at Banks Lake in Washington. Clear water, shallow flats, lots of fish, and plenty of sun make this a perfect place for everyone to get together and have some fun while helping our native fish. The tourney is designed to raised proceeds for native fish restoration. All while having fun fishing for powerful elusive carp. Click the links for more details. You can sign up at the NW area Orvis stores.

Carp-pocalypse

Carp Time Now That We Have Some Nice Weather

Carp time is here now that the weather is predicted to heat up over the next few days. Overhead sunshine is the best; so you can see the fish cruising around seeking out food. Be quiet, and walk super slowly and carefully; for these fish let you realize how important it is to not make a peep out there. Be slow and stealthy....

Nice Portland Area Carp Caught on a Fly

When you think you are fishing and walking slow enough, then slow down even more......

Smaller flies resembling crustaceans and bugs work well....

Pick out individual fish, and don't get caught up with the sheer numbers around you. When that fish refuses you, then pick another fish, but fish to one fish at a time.....

Smaller carp like this are really fun on a 4-6wt fly rod....

Cast as close to the fish as you can, and let the fly drop through the water column. You man see a reaction right then, and if you do then wait for the fish to eat your fly. Otherwise, when the fly lands below the fish, give it a few short strips. If nothing happens, then re-cast to the fish and repeat the presentation a few more times. Change the retrieval rate a bit, and maybe change your fly. 

Flooded fields like this often hold numbers of carp....

When they take your fly, hold on!!!

Friday Carp Fishing Report

This past Friday, I drove up the Columbia River Gorge in search of the big ones. I popped by one of the spots I can usually get into some larger carp at, and they were there. I fished to them, and at first it was tough to get them interested, but after a while I figured out the presentation they were looking for. Then after that I started to fish into the weeds, and the fish were grabbing the flies, and fighting them was quite the challenge. You would have to put steady pressure on them, and had to essentially have your tippet cut through the weeds in order to land the beasts.

Check out the video clip; so you can see some of the action that I encountered out there. I spent a lot of the day exploring new spots; so my fishing was semi brief, but filled with action.

Fishing Report 6/21/2011 - Carping and Columbia Warmwater Fly Fishing

On solstice day, I decided to go drive east up the Columbia in search of those elusive and spooky carp. Without planning it, I ended up having a super fun warmwater day of fly fishing. I pulled up to a pond on the side of the river and looked down only to see a lurking largemouth bass in search of food. It turns out that I could not persuade that lunker into biting, but I did notice the sunfish that the bass was cruising by. I tempted the little sunfish with a small panfish popper, and they were all over it. 

Bluegill on mini popper

I ended up catching a couple of different species of sunfish, and the colors were really pretty on a few of them. It would be hard top paint a fish and have it end up looking like this one....

Nice Paint job on this sunfish....

After a bunch of those sunfish satisfied my topwater needs, I decided to move onto larger quarry. I wanted to catch a large Columbia basin carp, and I had to start looking for them. I got high up on the railroad tracks and immediately noticed some huge bombs cruising around. I started to feel my hands shake as I was attempting to tie on my fly. I slid down towards water levels and presented my fly to lots of fish, but they were being tough. I stuck one huge fish, but the hook pulled free on the first run. I was wild though, because you could see the fish gain interest in your fly, and then they would tip down to munch it off of the bottom. The tough part was seeing that part happen since they were a little deeper than I like for tailing fish. I noticed a pack of otters, and the action seized right away. It was time to move on to another spot.....

Carp taken while sight fishing with small wetfly

Luckily, I had a pond in mind that I saw some monster sized carp at on an earlier outing; so I was determined to find them again. It wasn't more than 30 seconds before I could see tons of fish cruising around at the next location, and they were blatantly feeding, and feeding hard too! I was stoked to present my fly to there fish. I walked down to water level and stuck a beast right away literally from dapping my fly in front of the face of a fish huddled in the grass. It torched me, and I did not even stand a chance, but what a thrill it was. I then managed to stick and land two more fish in the grass with the same technique. Fishing was hot!!

I moved down the pond and saw a ton of fish feeding on vegetation on the surface. It was wild to see, and they were gulping away gluttonously, and you could hear going on also. I would sit and watch fish come out of the weeds and I would then throw my fly right at the fish anticipating where it was headed. I would keep the fly in front of the fish for a few feet and then drop it through the water column, and they would plunge down to inhale the offering. It was totally insane fly fishing!!! I was hookup up like I was trout fishing, and they were actually sort of easy to get to take your fly. Fish on constantly and one after another. Like anything though, it had to wind down after a while. I managed to hook up with more fish than I have ever hooked in one outing. I managed to hook several huge fish that whooped me silly, and I lost many flies on many fish. There were many blown shots, and many quick hookups with long distance releases too. It was a day of carp fly fishing I will never forget. Go figure that I was all alone, and got to experience such a day by myself. That is the beauty of Carp Fly Fishing; it is totally untapped more or less. I love the fact that so many people do not even attempt it. After dealing with early wake ups, the intensity of andramous fishing, and crowds; it is nice to have a fishery to go to that has nobody out there......

PDX Carp-a-rama! Fishing Was Happening With the Sunny Bright Weather

Common Carp Near Portland Oregon

The past couple of day I was out with friends/clients, and we had wonderful days in the sunshine stalking common carp in the grassy flats. My friend Bruce, Blaine, and Brian were out there picking up carp with regularity, and it was awesome watching them have a blast out there; while I was stalking away for these challenging fish.

Bruce D. with a nice golden PDX carp

The fish have been very active; patrolling around the flats seeking whatever food may be drowning or vulnerable in the flooded land. They are super opportunistic feeders, as they root around, swim around, and look around seeking nourishment to sustain their powerful rock hard bodies. They are not the lazy logs that most people think they are, and they happen to be a fine gamefish that takes the most talented of anglers to catch them.

A smiling angler with a hard bodied common carp

When you find the carp, you have to crawl like a slug, whisper with no impacting audibility, and you have to observe them before making your cast at them. All while anticipating where they are about to move to. Then you have to hope you do not spook them, and that they will want your offerings. Carp are about the toughest fish to stalk around!

Pretty Scale Patterns on the Common Carp

 Sometimes you can get a carp to bite with your leader and a few feet of fly line; while other times you have to make a 60'+ cast right on their nose. They are constantly moving around too; so you are putting your cast on the dime of a moving target. Pretty good casting practice for the bonefishing trip you have planned next year.

Carp and Human Battle in Progress

 Once they are hooked, they pull line out of the fly reel with serious authority, and you will see fly line backing quite often. Then some of the fish do not give up, and will not yield to your pressure until you fully are worn out on "your" end of the line. Again, these carp are a fine game fish, and not the sluggish logs that people perceive them as.

The Carp are literally on flooded Fields....

 Friday afternoon (5/20), I managed to spot out two large fish cruising the shallows and I got a few good shots at them. Finally after about a 65' cast threaded into a little pocket in the grass, the line was tight on the first little strip. The end of the line erupted and the reel screamed as my line spilled out into the backing and then some. A long battle and two times the fish took me long into the backing before it budged and I was worn out. The largest fish I have taken on a 8'6" four weight with 3X tippet. Yeah!!!

Common Carp Taken on Dumbbell Eyed Softhackle

Carp flats fly fishing is a wonderful way to get out when it is bright sun and crystal clear skies. A lot of fishing slows down when it is bright out with high pressure, but carp fishing seems to shine when the sun is out and bright. Get out there and challenge yourself and feel the big pull.

Gone Carping.......

About to enjoy the high pressure and sunshine with some carp flats fly fishing in the Portland area. I will hopefully have a good report for you all later......

Portland Oregon area Common Carp

When it is bright, warm, and sunny; it is time to go hit the flats for some seriously technical carp fly fishing. See you later......