Odds and Ends

It might be time for another Odds and Ends post. I write these occasionally to highlight a few extra items that don’t make it into their own post.

First, I’d like to thank the McKenzie Flyfishers for inviting me to present my Fly Fishing Road Trips at their monthly meeting last night. I had a great time talking about fishing the Madison, Stillwater, Upper Columbia, St. Joe, and Big Hole rivers. It brought back some good memories as I was preparing my presentation. You may have read about these stops on our trips the last couple of years, but I’ve linked them so you can easily read them again. Perhaps you might want to put these on your list and give them a try yourself!

I arrived a little early and taught my Contemporary Soft Hackle class where I go into more detail about the history of the RiverKeeper Soft Hackle Cripple and the various feathers I’ve used to create them.

In preparing my presentation, I found we had fished in 27 different waters during 7 of those road trips in the last 10 years! I only had time to talk about five of the rivers we fished. And that doesn’t count shorter trips or any of the Oregon waters fished. I have to say I am truly blessed for the opportunity to travel to these beautiful places and fly fish.

And yes, I have been fishing a little. My fishing partner had knee reconstruction surgery and is finally doing a little rehab.

You have to admit, this is a great way to rehab, isn’t it?

I have to remind myself it’s still April and while I think the fish should be rising to bugs floating down the river, they aren’t. Sure, there is an occasional fish, but they really are far and few…and I haven’t resorted back to nymph fishing yet!

Oh, I did swing for Bull Trout last week and was lucky to catch this one on a Dolly Lama streamer.

And Karen landed her first fish of the year…a beautiful fish.

But mostly, it’s been watch and wait with nothing to show for it. That’s why I end up with a few bug pictures.

A Silver Stripe Sedge

Bug eyes

Which was a closeup of this one.

In April, I like to head down to the Middle Deschutes after the water lowers when irrigation ditches are opened.

I had a great day, landing 14 Brown and Rainbow trout swinging a March Brown soft hackle. Here are a couple pics of these beauties.

They weren’t big, but I anticipated that because I took my Winston Tom Morgan Favorite 4 weight rod to fish. I have to say it was a lot of fun.

Lastly, here are a few recent fly patterns I’ve added to the RiverKeeper Flies collection:

Galloup’s Found Link

Stalcup’s CDC Loop Wing Emerger – March Brown

IOBO Humpy

Enjoy…go fish!