Fly Fishing Rod Selection

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We have 24-years of continuous experience in selling & servicing fly rods.
Fly rods and fly rod companies are continually evolving.
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With that thought in mind, it is our job to stay ahead of the curve
with an ever changing selection...to have what you want, when you want it.
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Sage

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C.F. Burkheimer

Spey Rod Finder

C.F. Burkheimer Fly Rods - Demo Day
	Saturday, August 6, 10-3 C.F. Burkheimer Demo Day w/Kerry Burkheimer Be able to see and cast a wide selection of Burkheimer rods including the latest models.  Get Free Casting instruction.  There will be casting contests & raffles. Win one of the latest Burkheimer rods. A couple will be given away

A back yard barbeque will be served from noon to 2:00. 

Everyone is welcome!

The Evolution Of A Fly
Some guys just buy flies and tie them on when a guide tells them to.  Others like myself tie many of their own flies and are always looking for something that will do a better job.  Some fish are very selective in what they eat.  They have discerning eyes and can detect the difference between the fake and the real thing.  Particular populations of spring creek trout are legendary for their selectivity on certain hatches.  Many species of saltwater fish are at least as capable at detecting phony prey.  In the Sea of Cortez and along the Mexican Pacific Coast their are a host of hard pulling fish that eat sardinas.  Many of these fish are extremely selective as to the size, color and movements of sardinas.  These fish will often charge your fly from many feet away only to reject and turn away from your fly from only inches away. Below is the abbreviated version of how I am attempting to evolve the perfect sardina fly.

What is a sardina?  The following is copied from:

Sardina or Flatiron Herring, Harengula thrissina: The Sardina, or Flatiron Herring, has a moderately deep body, iridescent blue back, silver sides, and a characteristic and identifying black spot just behind the top of the gill cover. The Sardina, or Flatiron Herring also has a faint yellow stripe on the upper side, anal fin with a short base, pelvic fins directly under the dorsal fin, and pectoral fins that reach the dorsal fin origin. The Sardina, or Flatiron Herring, cannot be easily confused with any other sardine or herring due to its wide body and lack of elongated dorsal fin rays. It reaches a length of 7 inches and is virtually weightless. It is normally found in the first 30 feet of the water column in massive schools over sandy bottoms.

The "Sardina" or Flatiron Herring is a member of the Clupeidae or Herring Family of small forage fish. In Mexican waters, it is found along the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula south of Guerrero Negro, throughout the Sea of Cortez, and along the coast of the mainland south to Guatemala; it does not appear to be present around the oceanic islands, however.

Note: Although it is a herring, in Mexico, this species is almost universally called a “sardina,” or “sardine,” by natives and tourists alike.
 

My first close encounter with sardinas was in a bait tank in a panga at East Cape in the Sea of Cortez..  Mexican guides harvest them for live bait and chum.  Sardinas are weak swimmers and are easily caught by hand in the tank.  Thus they are easily examined, both in and out of the water.  You would think that this is the perfect opportunity for a fly tier to copy the exact size and color of the organism.  In fact it proved to be the perfect deception.  Sardinas that are in the wild look quite different from the same fish

that have been netted and especially different from one who have spent several hours in a bait tank.  At left is a sardina that has spent most of the day in a bait tank.  Many of the scales are loosend from the body and many are missing all together.

At left is a Photo Shop rendering where I am attempting to turn the fish into a fly on paper.  In the beginning many of my flies contained a lot of silver flash in the sides.  This mimicked the loosened scales of the bait tank fish.  I tied many variations along the same theme.  the more silver

that was tied into the fly, the less strikes I got.  This is because the sides of fresh fish reflect as white instead of silver.  Sardinas have have a prominent false eye spot on the each side that is nearly identical in size as their pupils.  What the exact purpose for this is not known, but tests using

flies with or without the spot weight heavily in favor of the spot.  This kind of research in fly tying ultimately gives the angler a few insights as to how well predator fish see their prey. Indications are that they see what they eat in great detail.  In Mexico sardinas are used extensively as chum to bring sport fish close to the boat where they can be fished with fly gear.  It appears that bait that is fresh with attract more fish than bait that has been getting beat up in the live well for several hours.  Indications are that Dorado, Rooster Fish and Jack Crevelle like there meat fresh and healthy.

We recently got this picture from Brian O'Keefe along with a note that said he hooked four steelhead and landed two from the Deschutes River.  One of the landed fish was wild, the other hatchery fish (pictured here) is obviously headed to dinner. 
There have been plenty of other Steelhead encounters in the past two weeks.  The difference between The Dalles and John Day Dam counts is about 4,400 steelhead.  Many of these fish are probably in the Deschutes River.
The Fly Fishing Shop has long been headquarters for serious Deschutes River steelhead fly fishers.

Deschutes River Steelhead
Steelhead Flies
Deschutes River Guide

Reel X
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This lube works on all moving parts including cork disc drags.  We even heard of a fly fishing guide who poured it on his pan cakes and became known as a slick operator.

Super Lube
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