Redsides, Kick Screen, Czech Nymph Rod, Finn Raccoon

Late Winter Redsides Pictures by: Eric Gunter and Jeff Runner

	There is virtually no one fishing the lower fifty miles of the Deschutes River. Instead everyone is concentrated on the choice salmon holes in the Willamette, or racing each other for the prime steelhead spots on the Sandy & Clackamas. Meanwhile, the weather on east side of the Cascades is often warm and sunny and hatches have been pretty reliable. Redside trout are on the prowl for nymphs, emergers and dry flies. During this time of year the biomass of rivers such as the Deschutes is at its highest as every

Because of the prolific availability of food, trout can afford to be very picky in what they eat. Redsides are known to be very selective and in late winter and early spring, they are often pickier than usual. Fish the right fly in the right way and you will have lots of action. Be less observant or less skillful and have a nice, but fishless day on the river. Forget to control your fly and let it drag a little and catch whitefish all day, but catch very few trout. Fish water that is a little on the slow side and catch more whitefish,

This trout a a Bead Head Caddis Larva...

but again fewer trout. When you hook a good trout pay special attention to the water speed where you hooked it. Chances are you will find more trout in other places that have that same speed. Be sure to to fish your flies as if they had no leader or line attached to them. The slightest drag on your flies will often turn trout off. A long rod is a real asset when fishing sub-surface flies drag-free. Being able to figure out what fly to use during a hatch takes careful observation of what the fish are actually eating, whether emergers or dries. Figuring out what

fly to use when there is no hatch can be even more difficult, but not impossible. When nymph fishing, often your best weapon is kick-screen.

Insect Collecting - Kick Screening

Sometimes fish feed very selectively. Certain popular species of trout are known to be very specific about what they eat. During certain hatches trout will often "key" in on a brief sequence of the emergence of a specific insect. Successful anglers are very observant and can determine whether a trout might be taking a floating nymph, an emerger, a dun or a crippled dun. Then a fly is chosen to match that part of the hatch. The more

you know about what fish feed on, the better you can match the hatch. The better you can match the hatch, the more fish you will catch in many circumstances. Most biologists agree that trout consume approximately 80% of their diet below the surface of the water. In Pacific Northwest rivers the major food source for trout are aquatic invertebrates. Most are nymphs and larva of insects that will eventually hatch into winged adults. These juvenile aquatic insects come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Each is designed to fit a specific niche within the watershed so the distribution of species does not occur evenly. Trout in one area of a river may be living with and feeding on a different mix of

insects than trout living in a different location. It pays to know what kind of insects are available in each of your fishing spots. One of the most popular tools for collecting insect samples from the bottom of fast flowing rivers is the kick screen. A kick screen is a square of window screen with a stick attached to the edges of each side. The bottom end of the sticks are jammed into the river bed with the screen strung between them perpendicular to the current of the river. The person stands upstream from the screen and shuffles his feet. Anything that is dislodged from the bottom is washed into the screen and held there by the water current. The

screen is then raised to the surface in such a manner that the trapped insects stay on the screen. If possible, place the screen on a light colored surface so that what ever is trapped on the screen will be more visible. (The front hatch cover on my Clackacraft drift boat is the perfect background.) Insects will not be alone on the net. There will be plenty of stream bed algae and bottom debris to confuse your view. Finding the insects will be easier if you flush and clean some of the refuse from your screen. A pair of tweezers will be very handy for picking specimens from the screen. A white pan for examining specimens is a handy addition to your kit. Fill this pan with water. Shallow, clean water gives the best

view. A piece of light colored screen in the bottom of the pan will allow invertebrates to move more naturally than the slick surface of the pan. The screen also describes a grid for judging proportions of the invertebrates resting on it. The cleaner the water the more unobstructed view you will have of your specimens. Recording information at the scene is always a way of assuring accuracy of memory. Exact colors are often hard to discern and harder to remember. Taking macro pictures with a compact digital camera can help your memory. Collecting and preserving samples is also a very

handy way of collecting information. Regular old rubbing alcohol will preserve invertebrate samples. The better samples you have on your tying bench, the better flies you will tie and ther more fish you will fool. If you want to learn more, enroll in Trout Phd!

Brian O'Keefe and Todd Moen of Catch Magazine will be your evening entertainment during Potluck & PowerPoint, Friday, May 14, during the Sandy River Spey Clave. Brian & Todd will wow you with a video & slide presentation portraying some of the world's greatest fisheries.
If you haven't seen Catch Magazine, you haven't seen the best fly fishing entertainment the internet has to offer. If you have seen Catch Magazine, wait until you see their images on the really Biiiiiiggggg screen at the Sandy River Spey Clave!!!

FREE! Beginning Spey Class
At the 10th Annual Sandy River Spey Clave
9:00am until Noon

This year for the first time we at the Fly Fishing Shop and Simms Fishing Products are offering a morning class for the novice spey caster. We understand that not everyone knows what a D Loop, Anchor Point, White Rabbit, Key Position, Bottom hand pull, etc might be? So join us and learn!

This introductory class on Friday is a fantastic jump start to your spey clave experience. Hosting this class is Eric Neufeld from Simms Fishing Products, Josh Linn from the Fly Fishing Shop and local spey gurus and guides Brian Styskal & Hawkeye Hawkins. This class will cover the basic fundamental river right and river left casts such as the Double Spey and Snap Tee.

We will have lots of rods, lines and reels to use if you haven’t already purchased 2 handed tackle. Feel free to bring your own rod, line and reel and we can help you become a more proficient caster. Also, Simms Fishing products will have available wading boots featuring their new StreamTread sole to try while casting. Some sizes of waders will also be available for loan during the class.

This is a great opportunity to get your feet in the river and learn the basic fundamental casts. All attendees will receive a free Simms Fishing Products Hat too!

Finn Raccoon Fly Tying Fur
Temple Dog Substitute maybe better than Temple Dog
These patches average about two square inches of hide. Guard Furs average 2.5 to 3.5 inches long, which is perfect for tying average size temple dog style tube flies for salmon & steelhead. The bleaching and dying of this Fur is exceptional. The fur is very clean and straight. This product offers very high value at a moderate price. May tiers believe this is a better fur for tying temple dog flies than temple dog fur. Raccoons are native to North America, and Finn Raccoon is farm raised.

Item	Description	Color	Price	To Top
FIN001	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR White		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED
FIN006	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR Yellow		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED
FIN012	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR Orange		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED
FIN056	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR Red		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED
FIN086	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR Kingfisher Blue		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED
FIN092	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR Purple		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED
FIN100	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR Black		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED
FIN509	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR Fluorescent Chartreuse		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED
FIN510	Finn Raccoon Fur, COLOR Fluorescent Pink		$3.95	-->SALE ENDED

	*	Search	Catalog	Trips & Schools	Bargains	SALE ENDED
	Our Waters		Order Info	Steelheadquarters	Events	SALE ENDED

FR1203-4MAXGLX CZECHNYMPH			Length: 10' Line Weight: #3 Pieces: 4


Item	Series	Line Wt.	Action	Handle	Price	To Top
11783-01	CZECH	#3	Fast	143	$650	-->SALE ENDED

FR1204-4MAXGLX CZECHNYMPH			Length: 10' Line Weight: #4 Pieces: 4


Item	Series	Line Wt.	Action	Handle	Price	To Top
11784-01	CZECH	#4	Fast	143	$660	-->SALE ENDED

NEW G. Loomis Max Czech Nymph GLX Rods
10" - #3	10' - #4