The Big Bang

July 24, 2007 about 200 people got to watch Portland General Electric CEO, Peggy Fowler push the plunger on a detonator that set off a reported 4,000-pounds of explosives that sliced & diced Marmot Dam so that it can be completely removed from the Sandy River.  This is the largest dam removal to happen in Oregon's history.  Demolition of the Marmot Dam should take about two months. When removal is complete, wild steelhead, salmon & trout should have easier access to all parts of the river system and natural flows will be restored to 11 1/2 miles of the main stem Sandy.

Picking your favorite fly rod is kind of like picking your favorite car.  The task would be much simpler if price were not a factor.  For many of us the cost of things often determines what we can buy and which tackle we can fish with.  However, for the spey rod comparison in this article, price was not used as a criteria for which rods made the list. The only factor used to compile this list was customer demand, which means how many of each model of a certain rod was sold in the last six months. The rods on this list vary quite a bit regarding length and line weight designation. This is because there is a lot of diversity in the spey casting community and summer steelhead, and the rivers they inhabit come in a wide variety of sizes.

Length: 13' 3"       Line: #7/8     Pieces: 4   

Length: 13' 4"    Line: #8     Pieces: 4

Length: 13' 3"       Line: #8     Pieces: 4   

ECHO2 12’4” #7 was designed to bring the ease of Scandinavian style Spey casting to people fishing in medium to large rivers where extreme distance is not important. It is also a great rod for overhead casting in the surf zones where heavy rods are not necessary. Like most lighter two hand rods the 7124 ECHO2 will allow a person to fish all day without tiring in the least. . It has a fast action when the “A” tip is used and has a medium fast action when the “D” tip is used. The rod is designed to throw all sizes of flies. This rod has been used extensively oh the Deschutes with both floating and intermediate tips and is a very good rod in the wind. It balances we with a Waterworks ULA 3.4 reel which gives the entire outfit a very lightweight feel.  Performance is great with the "A" tip and a Rio Skagit 450, no Cheater and #9-15' floating or sinking tip for a total head weight of 575-grains.

Tail Gunner Steelhead Flies
Black Beauty     Green Butt     Purple Angel
We have proven to ourselves that two flies on a cast will hook more Deschutes steelhead than fishing with only one fly.  The reasons are obvious.  There are twice as many flies to see and twice the chance that one of them will come to the fish in exactly the right place.  If two different patterns or two different sizes are used, there is twice the chance of having the right one.  The two most common ways of attaching the second fly to a leader is with a dropper, or simply tying a leader to the second fly onto the bend of the hook of the first fly. Our favorite dropper is made

from the tag end of #12 Maxima Clear which is the section that is blood-knotted to the #10 Maxima tippet.  We have also used the "in-line" method  where the tippet section is tied to the hook bend of a fly and then a second fly is attached to the other end. Both ways have been proven with steelhead on the beach, but both methods have their flaws.  Droppers tend to tangle on bad casting days.  Certain kinds of casts such as the single spey will tangle the dropper around the leader with regularity.  The in-line method will often make the upper fly roll on its side or make it ride upside down.  This appears to be caused when the knot attached to the bend works its way down low on the hook bend.  The tippet to the point fly provides lift from the currents and flips the fly over. We have gotten more strikes and solid hooks up with the dropper method and we always figured it was because the upper fly on the in-line method wasn't riding right.  However, the flies tangle less when casting while using the "in-line" method. Three years ago I found a solution. A loop of braided monofilament was attached to the hook and a fly was tied over the top of it.  This produced an in-line fly with an attachment that allowed the fly to remain hydrodynamically stable.  Tests and refinements have lead to the three fly series shown here.  The flies won't appear to be very innovative at first glance.  They shouldn't be.  Night Dancers, Green Butt Skunk and Purple Angels have landed hundreds of steelhead. These three new "dropper-fly" patterns are called tail gunners. Each has a loop where the tail should be so you can attach your tippet.  You can attach your skinny, artsy flies to the end of your tippet and rest assured that you already have one proven winner in the water with it.  To our knowledge this is the first series of flies that have been produced specifically to be used as "second" flies.  They will of course fish as well as a "point" fly.  They can also be use as second and "third" flies where three flies are presented with each cast. 
Each extra fly might increase your chances by 30%.

Tail Gunner, Black Beauty
This fly is pattered after the idea of Frank Amato's famous Night Dancer.  It provides a very dark silhouette that shows up against the water surface as the light fades in the evening.  The Black Beauty is dressed with long flowing webby hackle to add movement.  A mixture of silver Flashabou and pearl Krystal Flash provides contrast.

The Old Steelhead Fly Fisher
An 80 year old man went to the doctor for a check-up and the doctor was
amazed at what good shape the guy was in.

The doctor asked, "To what do you attribute your good health?"

The old timer said, "I'm a steelhead fly fisher and that's why I'm in such
good  shape. I'm up well before daylight and out chasing steelhead up and
down the Sandy River."

The doctor said, "Well, I'm sure that helps, but there's got to be more
to it. How old was your dad when he died?" The old timer said, "Who said
my dad's dead?"

The doctor said, "You mean you're 80 years old and your dad's still
alive?  How old is he?"

The old timer said, "He's 100 yrs old and, in fact, he fished steelhead
with me this morning, and that's why he's still alive... he's a steelhead fly fisher."

The doctor said, "Well, that's great, but I'm sure there's more to  it.
How about your dad's dad? How old was he when he died?"

The old timer said, "Who said my grandpa's dead?"

The doctor said, "You mean you're 80 years old and your grandfather's
still living! How old is he?"

The old timer said, "He's 118 yrs old."

The doctor was getting frustrated at this point and said, "I guess he
went steelhead fly fishing with you this morning too?"

The old timer said, "No... Grandpa couldn't go this morning because he
got married."

The Doctor said in amazement, "Got married!! Why would a 118-year-old
guy want to get married?"

The old timer said, "Who said he wanted to?"

IDAHO FALLS, July 2007 – RIO Products is pleased to announce the launch of a new range of fly lines for the spey and switch caster.

In The Cheek
The wind was blowing across the lake hard and the two men were confined in the small space of the small wooden boat. Fishing had been tough. Suddenly a cast went wrong and the #18 fly wandered off course to be buried in the cheek of the other angler.  Yup, it was barbed.  Rather than push it through the skin and break off the point with the barb they elected to cut it off in the bend and let a doctor remove it from the flesh.  The doctor bill: $217.50.