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Fly Fishing, Deschutes Steelhead, Mountain Streams |
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Fly Fishing, Deschutes Steelhead, Mountain Streams, Bulkley Mouse, Abel Versi-Pak, Spey Championship |
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Women's
Fly Casting Clinic. |
| Deschutes Steelhead | |
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It was a three day float, with two nights camping out on the river. The group was Mike, Trina, Jeff, Patty and I in two ClackaCraft drift boats. The Deschutes experience can be about adjusting to its ever changing moods. We had about every kind of weather except for snow. Calm, cool idyllic shade, perspiration dripping heat, gale force winds, and we endured one of the strongest rain storms I have ever seen and |
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a lightening storm that continued all night. We were perfectly prepared and comfortable through the whole experience. Brief encounters with other human bands proved to be |
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amicable most of the time. Illusions of wilderness serenity were only briefly interrupted. We then found ourselves re-immersed in the aloneness of the huge ancient canyon. Some hours of fishless waters were pulled back into perspective by passing schools of voracious steelhead. Most of our fish were small, typical "A Run" silver bullets. There was the usual mixture of hatchery "keepers" and wild fish. One night |
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tough presentations in howling winds were rewarded by repeated hard grabs, repeated jumps and occasional fill flashes from a buddy photographer... if victory was complete. Two fish landed in quick succession and I was back in camp with Patty and Trina. I think that Mike hooked 4 fish that evening, including one that was about 15 pounds. Three were hooked after I left. One was hooked in water that I had fished. No matter. It was the laughs around camp that were the most |
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fun. We ran into Marty Sheppard and Steve Kruse. Steve had had exceptionally good luck the first day. I hadn't been doing so well. He had been using 8-pound tippet and I always use 10-pound. He said the finer tippet was the key. I said it shouldn't matter. Mike had been out fishing everyone. He was also using 8-pound test. When I switched I caught two steelhead immediately. "Looks like you were right Steve". And it goes to show that you never stop learning....if you're lucky. |
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Patty Barnes "broke-in" the new Winston IBIS7126 Spey Rod with a five pound Deschutes steelhead that ate a #4 Fly du Jour. She caught this fish after Mark Bachmann had fished the same water with the same outfit. Both Patty and Mark agreed that Winston IBIS7126 spey rod is a very nice rod for this time of year on the Deschutes River. The rod was rigged with a 6/7/8 WindCutter and Waterworks 3.4 ULA Force reel. This makes for an incredibly lightweight, well balanced outfit. The action is very easy to time and stores tremendous energy in the lower two sections. Shooting thirty feet of running line was no problem. But, what impressed us most was the light weight and nice balance of the outfit. Love ya' PB. MB |
| Small Streams | |
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Small streams are just exactly that, tiny rivulettes. Our local small streams are fairly steep and are also subject to vast fluctuations in water flows and fish populations. They are also considered to be front yard decoration for some opulent houses. All of these forces combine to make difficult survival conditions for species as fragile as trout, steelhead and salmon. By and large our community-streams are over utilized. Yet a beautiful unique wild fishery does survive here |
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within the constraints that we have placed upon it. The only open season is for trout and that is strictly catch and release. There is little doubt that these rules are being abused and that poachers are taking many of our larger fish. There is also little doubt that the larger fish that do survive are very wary. Some times |
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catching our trout is similar to stalking bonefish on the flats. Sometimes 60' casts with pin-point accuracy are required. Other pools are only 5' long. A diverse set of angling skills is recommended. In summer the water is thin. The air is warm. So is the water. Oxygen is paramount to survival. Our streams have plenty of spill and in most places, plenty of shade. Our wild trout are like jewelry. There appears to be two, possibly three different kinds. Some are obviously cutthroats, some look like Red Bands |
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or possibly Rainbow/cutthroat hybids, some look like rainbows. I hope some reader at ODFW will shed some light on this subject. Many of our streams are very difficult hiking with big boulders and log jams. There are also lots of leafy things to ensnarl your back cast. They just makes the game better. There is satisfaction in perfuming a 50' reach-cast through a tunnel in |
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the vegetation and dropping your dry fly lightly on a clear pool and watching a fish come instantly to the fly, even if the target is a 10" cutthroat. If you are an angler who desires to hike and fish mountain streams, you should pay special attention to your hiking attire and tackle carrying unit. I emptied the bonefish flies from my Abel Versi-Pak; then filled one of the flasks with water and then added 2 small boxes of assorted flies, 2 spools of tippet, 2 extra tapered leaders, Bug Float, Combo Tool, Diamond Sharpener, a head band light, lip balm, and Ultrathon. The pack was slung from the from the right shoulder to below the left elbow, like an old fashion creel. I should have filled both flasks. The Versi-Pak is very comfortable and practical. |
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Wear as a chest pack, shoulder pack or fanny pack.
Fishing from canoe, pram or other craft, you'll love the fact that the deck is free and you'll appreciate the comfort and convenience of our Versi-Pak. If you have ever been float tubing and soaked a vest, you'll appreciate the comfort and convenience of our Versi-Pak. If you ever sweat bullets wearing a traditional vest while you waded, you'll appreciate the comfort and convenience of our Versi-pak. In other words, however you fish, you'll appreciate the comfort and convenience of our Versi-Pak. because everything needed is right at your fingertips. For steelhead on the Umpqua to salmon on the Miramichi to stripers in Long Island Sound to bonefish in the Yucatan, the Versi-Pak gives you plenty of room for whatever it takes to get the job done! Designed with the features you need: Instant access two two water flasks (included) flies, tippets, tools, floatant, bug spray, tissue and other necessities . . . and your flyline won't get caught around a bulky bag or exposed water bottles. Ample foam padding for protection of camera and binoculars; fold out tray with foam fly holder. Comes with both a waist belt and deep wading shoulder harness. The Versi-Pak™ measures 11 inches long, 3 inches wide & 7 inches deep for a total of 231 cubic inches. |
| Model | Item | Price |
| ABEL-VP-N | Abel Angler's Versi-Pak, Navy | $70 | |
| ABEL-VP-G | Abel Angler's Versi-Pak, Green | $70 | |
| ABEL-VP-Y | Abel Angler's Versi-Pak, Gray | $70 | |
| ABEL-VP-O | Abel Angler's Versi-Pak, Orange | $70 |
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just got this up-date from Dr. Way Yin concerning the Musto International Spey Casting Championship This year's Musto International Spey Casting Championship was held at Harewood House near Leeds, England. The finalists were Scott McKenzie, from Inverness, Scotland, Ian Gordon from Speyside, Steve Choate, Matthew Tonkin from Cornwall, England, Brendon Begley, from Ireland, and myself. The general field included two gentlemen from Japan as well. Scott McKenzie took first place with a fantastic cast of 51 yards using my personal XLT 10/11 and an 17' 11" Bruce and Walker. Ian Gordon finished 2nd (49 yards) using a custom 18 foot Carron rod and a prototype 90 foot belly Jetstream line. I was lucky in third place (46 yards again) using a 16 foot Scott A2 prototype and an XLT 9/10. Steve tied for fourth with a disappointing cast of 42 yards (Burkheimer 18 foot custom and 10/11 XLT) with Matthew Tonkin (18 foot Bruce and Walker with 10/11 XLT) and Brendon Begley finished 6th (34 yards) using an 18 foot Clan rod and an Airflo prototype line. The competition was held on stillwater (lake), and the wind made things challenging (side-onshore from the right). During the finals, the wind did die for the last three casters (Brendon, Ian, and Scott) to give the fans lining the grandstand a great demonstration of distance spey casting in difficult conditions. |
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Bulkley Mouse Waking Fly, is very popular in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. best quality available at any price! |
| The Bulkley Mouse is an outstanding searching pattern any tine the water is between 50 and 60 degrees. Originating in British Columbia on the world famous Bulkley River, the "mouse" has migrated south. Several very astute anglers have been using it as their searching fly on such divers waters as the Kalama, Deschutes, John Day and Imnaha. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 99701-06 | Bulkley Mouse Waking Fly | 6 | 3 for $6.75 | |
fishpond Swift Current Thermometer |
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| A cool idea. Climatic changes and fluctuations in water flows and resulting changes in water temperature have a dramatic effect on insect hatches and fish feeding patterns. As a result, a thermometer can mean the difference between catching fish or catching nothing at all. This laboratory-grade thermometer provides accurate water temperature readings under a variety of salt and freshwater fishing conditions. Measures water temperatures from 20 to 120 degrees F. Functional & cute. |
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| Item | Description | Price | To Top |
| SCT-AC | Fishpond Thermometer, assorted colors | $18.00 |
| If you would like to read past "Insiders", click Archives |
| Your commentary is always welcome. Drop us a line: flyfish@flyfishusa.com |
The Fly Fishing Shop, Welches, OR
1(800) 266-3971
www.flyfishUSA.com
Fish
long & prosper,
Mark & Patty
