Fly Fishing Shirts

The modern technical fly fishing shirt has evolved a long way from the plaid cotton flannel I wore as a kid growing up on the farm in Northern Idaho. The best warm weather fly fishing shirts are constructed from synthetic materials that dry very quickly.  These materials block the sun and wind so that you are protected.  Mesh venting areas are placed strategically for cooling when the air temperatures rise.  Pocket and vent placement naturally enhances the male form, giving it a broader shoulder and fuller chest look.  This attracts human eyes.  But, many of the fabrics used are non-reflective and are colored to hide us from fish eyes, a real asset when hunting fish.  The shirts featured below are in stock in our store and are available online.

In nature, any time there is prey and predator, camouflage is typically involved.
Consider men and steelhead.
Predator:
Man - typically stands upright and dresses to be seen by other humans; to stand out from the crowd.  This is one of reasons why high profilers often have poor luck with steelhead.  The most successful steelheaders work hard at not being seen
by steelhead or other steelhead anglers. 
Prey:
Steelhead - take a close look at the steelhead in the photo. Notice how disguised the fish looks with its surroundings? The dark back, lighter sides,  spots and stripes blend with the water.

Even the shape has few distinguishing features. Steelhead are very hard to be see.
Concealment:
That's the story of camouflage. If you have fished for steelhead, salmon, trout, bass, or bonefish, you know how spooky they can be. After all, with birds of prey, fish of prey, and anglers praying for fish, it can be a war zone in the water. And that's why Aqua Design technical apparel can improve your odds. Developed from underwater photography - from the fish's perspective - Aqua Design will minimize detection by blending with the immediate environment for concealment.
We have field tested these shirts for three full seasons.  They are incredibly durable and easy to maintain.
Price: $59.00
Click here for more information and to purchase.

Sage Pro Shirts
Ultraviolet Protection Factor: 30+
Sage Pro Shirts are soft and comfortable without being clingy.  The fabric is slightly heavier than other technical shirts and feels much richer.  The blended material holds up well during repeated washings and is nearly iron free if hung immediately after it comes out of the dryer.  The big double compartment pockets look good and are handy for storing gear.  Ventilation in the back panel is great for summer and tropical comfort. 

Click here for more information and to purchase.

A highly functional fishing shirt made with a 60/40 cotton/poly blend that's lightweight and easy to care for.

Todd Alsbury, our district fishery biologist and I came drifting around the corner on my pontoon boat. There was Bill Bakke  standing knee deep with a bent rod and lots of tight  line out across the river.  I had hiked Bill down to this spot and then went back upstream and got Todd and the boat.  We pulled in behind Bill while offering encouragement.  I got out of the boat and passed Bill to get even with the fish, hoping to get a good look at it.  "Is it a good one", I asked?  Bill replies, "Ya, it's heavy. It's a Chinook", he replies.  "Neat", I say, "What pound test tippet you got on"?  "Six pound", he replies.  "What the hell are doing with six-pound test in this river", I ask with disbelief? The fish roles to the surface in the middle of the river the dark gum lines, black tail and pearlescent purplish green of the back all spell Spring Chinook.  It looks 18 to 22 pounds.  The water is swift.  The pool is positioned so that the angler can't get below or even across from the fish so

that the fight is with the fish down stream.  The fish has all the advantage.  I keep quiet, but figure there is little chance that the fish will be landed on such light leader.  The fight lasts for a hour, with Bill maintaining steady pressure with his old Sage 9140-4 spey rod.  Finally the bright hatchery produced Springer is brought to the beach.  Bill's small fly is buried in the gum near the corner of the mouth. It is Bill's own pattern.  He calls it the "Irregular".  He tied this one on a size-5 nickel plated Alec Jackson hook.  It is Bill's first Spring Chinook on a fly.  Catching Chinooks with fly tackle is a sport that is ever growing in popularity within our region.  Enough are caught locally to make it interesting.  Hot pink, chartreuse and blue are proven colors.  But, dull trouty colored flies such as Teeny Nymphs are also proven.  Bill said his fly wasn't very deep when this fish took it.

Several thousand Spring Chinook Salmon return to the Sandy, Clackamas, Hood and Klickitat Rivers each season.  The run starts in early March, peaks in May, but prime fish are still available through July.  Many of these fine eating fish are of hatchery origin.  These have had their adipose fins removed and may be

kept for the table. There are also a substantial runs of wild Spring Chinook Salmon in our local rivers.  These fish will have their adipose fins intact and must be released unharmed.  Please to not beach these fish.  Treat them gently.  The picture above was sent to us by Andy Karamanos who emails us photos of local caught steelhead and salmon on a regular basis.  This service provides us with a lot of data on what goes on in our community.  While many anglers search our rivers using two-hand rods, many others, such as Andy prefer more traditional fly gear.

We will camp on prime water and we will have walking and boat access to miles 
of steelhead runs that will present a divers array of angling problems to be solved.
Classes will be held mid-day.  You will fish with a guide each morning and evening.
Brunch and dinner will be served at times to give you the best fishing periods.
This will give you the best advantage for hooking as many steelhead 
as possible during your stay with us.
Nothing teaches you more about fishing than being where 
fish are being hooked and landed.

You will learn all aspects of spey rod fishing with both floating and sinking-tip lines. 
Learn how to locate steelhead water and how to approach it. 
Watch an expert guide as he fishes and discloses the secrets
 and proven methods that put fish on the beach.  
Get a lot of hands on help so that you too can be productive.
Save yourself years of experimenting on your own.
 
You will be pampered!
You will stay in a very comfortable tent camp on the water.
A Camp Person will be available at all times to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
All cooking and eating will be done in a spacious screen-house.
Comfortable sleeping cots and pads are supplied in double occupancy tents. 
All food & non-alcoholic beverages are included.

Bring your own sleeping bag, clothing, toiletries,
waders, rain gear, rods, reels, flies & tackle.

Price does not include Oregon Fishing License.
Meet at The Fly Fishing Shop at 7:30am arrive back at 6:30pm.

Fishing Report: EASTERN OREGON
Commentary and photos by: Brian O'Keefe

Hey, the black drakes are coming off in Eastern Oregon. Before hatching, this bug is a swimming nymph, so fish a soft hackle on the swing. The nymph can swim like crazy so a fast, erratic strip is good. They do not emerge to the surface and hatch out as a drifting winged adults. Instead, they swim to shore and crawl out like stoneflies. This makes the spinner fall the best dry fly time and that is usually in the late afternoon-evening. Lots of fish will

remember the fly so morning and mid-day fishing is good with a dry dun pattern. If you do not have a specific black drake pattern, a size 8 green drake is OK. Lots of rivers are still high, like the Williamson, Blitzen, etc but the hatch comes off anyway. The upper Williamson will have drakes into the second week of July. Check out these shots from a couple days ago.

Casting in the rain...just casting in the rain...
They say Oregonians don't tan, they rust.  Where we live & work, it rains 100 inches a year.

Only the Fly Fishing Shop has an indoor/outdoor casting area. You can stand under a roof at our place and cast more than 60'.  You will have an equal amount of back-cast room. 
It can be a real frog-strangler storm and you won't get one rain drop on you. 
You can always try out a rod or work on your skills and stay dry at our place.