Adrian Dufflocq, Steelhead PhD School, Sage 5120-4

Adrian Dufflocq has often been referred to as the "Lee Wulff of South America".   He will come to Oregon, in October.  October 12, he will be at The Fly Fishing Shop for a presentation of fly fishing in Chile.  October 14th he will make a presentation to the Fly Fishers of Oregon Club's annual Ladies Night (members only). 

Adrian Dufflocq is the grandson of a Frenchman who brought Cabernet grape vines to Chile in the late 1800's.   In the early 1960's, while fishing and exploring Chile and Argentina´s trout rivers, coincidentally so well described by Roderick Haig-Brown in his famous book

"Fisherman's Winter", the search for a good life brought Adrian Dufflocq and his young wife Patricia, to a superb place on the Cumilahue river. Subsequently, in 1963, they built and started the first fly fishing lodge in Chile. For decades, stories of the Cumilahue Lodge, describing the pleasant, traditional ambience of a world class fly fishing lodge, have been written by famous anglers in many books and magazines. It is located in a remote valley of the Andes, where time stopped, and is described in National Geographic's book "Excursion to Enchantment.…. A Journey to the World's Most Beautiful Places' (1988).

The lodge is located in one of the most spectacular rivers and lakes system in the country: the Lake Ranco drainage which has unique conditions for outdoor recreation, without parallel in the country. A variety of outstanding natural resources: lakes, islands, rivers, streams and springs, some of them with hot water, two volcanoes, and pastoral valleys crossed by pristine rivers which provide excellent trout fishing, are all surrounded by snow caped mountains and virgin woods.  The lake Ranco drainage, is a complex water system with more than two hundred

important streams, 16 rivers, 23 lagoons and four large lakes. The snow of the Andes mountains melt through creeks, to feed a chain of lakes that empty into each other through several rivers. The Lake Ranco, the second largest lake in Chile, gathers all of these waters; it's outlet, the "Río Bueno" flows free for over 120 miles to finally reach the Pacific Ocean.
Mark October 12 on your calendar an feel welcome to attend a captivating presentation on fly fishing in Chile, by Adrian Dufflocq.

Steelhead PhD School Report
This year's class brought out these facts.  A PhD in steelhead fly fishing can't be earned in four days fishing, yet an angler who has practiced his art diligently can land 10 steelhead in four days, even when the steelhead are very uncooperative.  The road to success is as it should be, superior skills will normally carry the day.  There are no secrets.  Being able to cover the water and paying attention to detail are essentials. The presentation said, "fly speed...in front of the end of the fish that eats".  The demand is covering a lot of water right...the first time...every time....  If you ain't got wading and casting skills you ain't got much of a chance.  Steelhead fly fishing definitely favors the person who is very physically fit and clear minded.  
The 2003 Steelhead PhD School was about learning learning how to cover a lot of water right, in rhythm.
Congratulations Mike Senatra, who earned his PhD by being top rod by a wide margin.   Just before we broke camp we watched Mike who is naturally right handed, throw a number of 120' single spey casts with his left hand.  Mike set the PhD bar very high.  After all isn't that what PhD means....keep raising the bar? 
Thanks very much to Simon Gawsworth.  Your casting tips and demonstrations stole the show.  "It is rumored that Simon's visa is up for renewal in December of this year.  He has a very nice offer from a well known tackle company in UK.  He also has some lucrative offers from a couple of big name US fly tackle companies.  Please tell Simon that we think he should stay here on this side of the Atlantic where he is more accessible to us steelhead fishers.  From my perspective, I hope he stays at Rio.  Him and Jim Vincent make a great team.
Incidentally the combo that Mike was using to make the 120' casts was a Sage 7141-4 rod, Tibor Gulfstream reel and Rio 7/8 GrandSpey line.  Do you want to be like Mike?