Some Winter Steelhead Pics

Approaching landing mode.....

Mr. Steelhead showing us his boy colors.....

This hatchery hen hung out with a sea lion or seal in tidewater.....

This buck gave a really hard battle before yielding for a quick photo.

Another Winter Steelhead Class Date Being Offered By Popular Demand

With two classes filled up, and people emailing me and asking me about spots being open; I am going to offer one more date. This February 3, 2012 there will be another WINTER STEELHEAD FLY FISHING CLASS. The backup date will be one week later on 2/10/12 in case it rains too much, and water levels rise up too high for the class.

Landing a nice chrome bright salty fresh winter steelhead

 The class will be exactly the same format as the two class dates (Jan 5th or Jan 6th) listed previously on the blog. For more detailed information click here to learn more about the WINTER STEELHEAD FLY FISHING CLASS. 

Four people will be allowed in the class, and one person is signed up already; so three spots are left. Sign up now! A wonderful holiday gift idea if you have a fly fisher to shop for!!

While Visiting Oregon: Goal Accomplished of First Steelhead Caught

I had a client John come from Texas, and he was determined to get a steelhead, and I was determined to get him into one. Two days ago conditions were spot on for steelheading on several rivers, and numbers for the 2012 summer run going over Willamette Falls have been good. Today when we got out there it was a downpour, and we were already dealing with changes in the plan with rising water levels causing us to fish a different river from the original plan. It was supposed to possibly shower on this day, and it ended up being a deluge all day long. John had an awesome attitude about the weather, and the day, and I was really hoping that a chromer would decide to drill his offerings. He fished hard, and fished well, but for the first several spots, we did not have a tug or any sign of a steelhead. We had a funny false alarm when he literally landed the probable state record whitefish that was looking like it was 4-5 pounds. After we fished a bunch of spots, we came upon a dark slot in a patch of heavy water, and John felt chrome life on the end of his line when his fly ran through the spot. The fight was long and arduous, but eventually the chrome bright 10 pounder yeilded to the net. John was stoked! I was stoked! His first summer run of his life, and his first steelhead period (on his first time out trying for them). We accomplished his goal!

Springtime Summer Run Steelhead fresh from the salt....

By the time we took out the river was on the rise in a noticeable way. It was still pounding down with heavy soaking rain, but we were fired up from that beautiful fish John caught. Just proves that you have to be out there to catch them, and even when the conditions are totally against you; good things can happen.

Summer Steelheading is Steady

First Steelhead on a fly rod - McKenzie River

On Monday June 27th the steelheading was what I would call steady, but solid. We had several swings with a good tug on the other end, but no fish grabbed and turned on the fly to the point where they stuck. Luckily, we were able to persuade the fish into biting dead drifted offerings under a strike indicator on a floating line. My clients were super troopers fishing hard and persistent and gaining more skills throughout the day. One of the guys (Michael) was experienced with two handed/spey casting; while Nathan was trying two handed fishing for the second time. It is always an awesome feeling to see someone accelerate so much while they are spey casting, and to see them get the "spey bug", where you can tell they are really stoked on it. 

2nd Time Out Spey Casting

We got out at sunrise, and the river was crowded with lots of spring Chinook salmon anglers, and several other boats steelheading. We were one of only a few other that were fly angling, but that is the way that it is in the early summer for anadramous fish in Oregon. Everyone was happy and courteous for the most part, and the day was gorgeous out there. Fish were rolling all over and the water conditions were the best they have been all season long. We fished really hard swinging flies with two handed rods from the bank, single handed rods from the boat, and we also probed flies off of strike indicators in probable slot type water that makes swinging flies feel out of the picture. 

Setting up the Two Handed Cast Anchor Point

  The fish we got were on dead drifted flies, and one was on a clown egg pattern in a size #10; while the other fish was on for the entire battle only to "long distance release" itself right at the approximate landing mode. I was handing the camera over to Nathan to get ready to get into "net landing mode"; when I heard Michael mutter a frustrated groan....Bummer...., but at least we had it on for a good while.

Forward Two Handed Stroke - Notice that Anchor Ripping Out....

We had a wonderful day, and I had an awesome time guiding Michael and Nathan. They were both very enthusiastic, patient, positive, appreciative, and great fisherman. Nathan was stoked on his first fly rod caught steelhead, and Michael was stoked about his first nymph hooked up steelhead. I was frustrated for them that the steelhead gods did not give them a couple of fish hooked up on the swing; especially since Nathan had three swings that came across with solid clothesline tugs, and Michael had one swing come through with the same result. It is funny how if the planets lined up a tinge differently, they could have had a couple to three fish on the swing and two nymphing. Instead we landed one, and had one on for 90% of the battle; with a couple of super close ones almost on the swing. THAT'S STEELHEADING FOR YOU!!!

Nymphing with Switch Rods takes steelhead effectively

If you are interested in booking a guided trip for steelhead, call me at (541)-232-6360 or email me at fish@mckenzieangler.com .

Spot the steelhead....... McKenzie River Summer Steelhead