Fly Fishing Insider Newsletter featuring Lake Billy Chinook, Abel Vise, Bead Head Flash-A-Buggers

Exploring Lake Billy Chinook This is not a tale of giant fish conquered or about the deeds of fly fishing athletes. This is more an episode about "Ma & Pa Kettle" buying their first jet boat and then spending a short vacation on a giant reservoir learning how to operate it. "That's right, Patty and
	I finally bought one; used, but in pretty nice condition. We have owned many drift boats and pontoon boats, but never a power boat. It's a 19' Duckworth with an inboard motor. It is powerful and purrs like a kitten. That is why we wanted lots of room around us as we got used to this new fly fishing tool. Will it become part of our commercial guide business fleet?
Not for a while. The captain intends to go through an extensive learning process for at least 6-months. Then we will see. In the mean time, me and my best fishing buddies will be exploring some new frontiers that are not normally considered destinations for fly anglers; big reservoirs and the lower Columbia River. Patty and I started by exploring Lake Billy Chinook. There is no one there in the fall season. I won't bore you with all of the details, but we did catch some nice rainbows and we had a refreshing new experience. Chironomids and Flash-A-Buggers were the top flies as could be expected. The following is some very good information about Lake Billy Chinook that I copied from the U.S. Forest Service Web Site. Additional information is provided by the Oregon State Parks Department. Pictures by Mark & Patty added.

The lake's name honors Billy Chinook a Wasco Indian who joined the John C. Fremont expedition in 1843. Lake Billy Chinook, created by Round Butte Dam fills the canyons of the Crooked, Metolius and Deschutes Rivers. Within these three large arms is 72 miles of shoreline surrounding 3916 acres, average depth of 102 ft., with a maximum depth of 415 ft. Swimming around in all that water are plenty of fish! Lake Billy Chinook holds largemouth, and smallmouth bass, rainbow, brown and bull trout, kokanee salmon, whitefish, and a handful of suckers, minnows and dace.

Patty with a lake Billy Chinook Rainbow.

Mark with a Lake Billy Chinook Rainbow.

Lake Billy Chinook is perhaps best known for its bull trout fishery. The top three state records have all come from this lake, the largest being 23 lb 2 oz. An angler will typically catch bull trout ranging from 14 to 20 inches in length. Although the bull trout is listed as a threatened species with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, current state angling regulations allow for one bull trout to be kept over 24 inches. To ensure a healthy population of these large trout continues for future anglers, Catch and Release is encouraged for all size classes. Kokanee is also a very popular fishery on this lake. These naturally reproducing salmon can range from 12 to 16 inches and be as big as 1 lb. Brown and rainbow trout are also fished for in this reservoir. Although they typically average 12-14 inches some browns have been caught near 10 lbs.

Lake Billy Chinook is open year round to angling except the Metolius arm, which is open from March first to October 31. A tribal angling permit is also required to fish the Metolius arm as well. Be sure to check the Oregon State Fishing Regulations for the most current seasons and restrictions. Remember there is a 10 mph speed limit in each of the arms above the bridges.

A wild otter catches fish too.

This vise is meticulously machined from 6061 aircraft aluminum. The shaft is stainless steel. The jaws are polished, heat-treated stainless steel. All aluminum parts are high-gloss anodized in the Abel Reel tradition. It comes standard in Black Coral, Platinum or Gold finish. Your new Abel Vise can also be ordered with Abel Artistic Anodizing in an amazing array of color/patterns.
The Abel vise is true rotary, enabling the tier to instantly dress the fly from every possible angle. It has a built-in Center-Line Gauge that lets you instantly align and put your hook dead center in the vise's jaws. Use any straight edge (small ruler or business card) to set the hook accurately. Utilizes stainless steel jaws that hold hooks sizes #28 to 12/0. Abel jaws can hold a 3/0 saltwater hook so tightly it can be bent into a circle without the hook dislodging. It has no groove in the jaws to hold a hook.

In Abel's opinion, a groove can damage both the plating and the integrity of the hook which can lead to structural failure.
Each Abel Vise has functional machined-in holes for drying stages. Move a toothpick from hole-to-hole as the fly dries. It features an aluminum base milled with shallow pockets to hold hooks, eyes, materials and small tools. It comes with an easy-to-use bobbin holder. There are four ½-inch rubber feet for stability. You can take your Abel Supreme Vise with you. It comes in a compact, fully padded Cordura Nylon case for storage or carrying.
"Artistic Anodized" are all custom made. Allow 3-weeks for delivery.

Abel Supreme Aluminum Fly Tying Vise Options
Item	Description	Price	To Top
ABEL-V-B	Abel Supreme Fly Tying Vise Anodized Black Coral Finish	$450	Discontinued
ABEL-V-P	Abel Supreme Fly Tying Vise Anodized Platinum Finish	$450	Discontinued
ABEL-V-G	Abel Supreme Fly Tying Vise Anodized Gold Finish	$450	Discontinued
ABEL-V-AB	Artistic Anodized Color On Vise Base Only - cost in addition to price of vise	$100	Discontinued
ABEL-V-ABA	Artistic Anodized Color On All Aluminum Vise Parts - cost in addition to price of vise	$300	Discontinued

Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger

These Bead Head Wooly Buggers have Flashabou Mylar in the marabou tail and some patterns also have it own the sides of the body to give the flies a flashy lateral line. A Bead-Head concentrates weight at the very head of the fly. This makes these flies duck and dive as they are retrieved through both moving and still water. This same action is easily achieve when a Flash-A-Bugger is nymph fished, dead drift in a river, it looks like some kind of a yummy little critter that is trying to find shelter by diving for the cover of the bottom. Many strikes occur as the fly is falling on a slack line. Bead-Head Flash-A-Buggers can be plucked or fluffed to many shapes and actions. Colors/Sizes are available to appeal to a wide range of freshwater game fish species. These include but are not limited to: trout, char, salmon, steelhead, bass and panfish.

		Bead Head Damsel Bugger If you had only one wet fly pattern to fish weedy bottom lakes, this could be it. It is the same general color and shape of many aquatic trout foods including damsel fly nymphs, dragon fly nymphs and leeches. Very slow retrieves are proven.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
99303-08	Bead Head Damsel Bugger	8	3 for $5.25
99303-12	Bead Head Damsel Bugger	12	3 for $5.25

		Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Black If you had only one fly pattern for all freshwater species in North America it might be this one in the sizes listed here. We know that rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, red band trout, brown trout, brook trout, dolly varden, steelhead, coho, chinooks, large mouth bass, small mouth bass and rocky mountain white fish are included.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9002-04	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Black	4	3 for $5.25
9002-06	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Black	6	3 for $5.25
9002-08	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Black	8	3 for $5.25
9002-10	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Black	10	3 for $5.25

		Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Brown This has been a very successful pattern for mud bottom reservoirs, but also is very productive in weedy rivers and lakes. Brown can be a good color for early spring fishing in lakes before aquatic weeds start to grow.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9003-06	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Brown	6	3 for $5.25
9003-10	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Brown	10	3 for $5.25

		Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Olive A universal fly that has caught a wide variety of fresh water game fish (Worldwide?). This is a favorite starting fly for many lake fishermen and also works well in rivers.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9005-04	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Olive	4	3 for $5.25
9005-08	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Olive	8	3 for $5.25
9005-10	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Olive	10	3 for $5.25

		Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Chartreuse & Fushia Bright colors are often the ticket for row eating and anadromous fish. Pacific salmon, steelhead and char will often attack brightly colored flies. Bright colors can be most productive way to go during cold water periods.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9004-04	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Chartreuse & Fushia	4	3 for $5.25

	*	New!	Catalog	Trips & Schools	Bargains
	Our Waters		Order Info		Events

Bead Head Damsel Bugger	Flash-A-Bugger, Chartreuse & Fushia
Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Black	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Orange
Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Brown	Flash-A-Bugger, Red & Hot Pink
Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Olive	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Purple

		Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Orange Orange flies are very effective for steelhead throughout their range. This color seems most successful during winter months.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9006-04	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Orange	4	3 for $5.25

		Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Red & Hot Pink Red is often the most reliable color for steelhead in bright sun and clear water conditions.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9010-04	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Red & Hot Pink	4	3 for $5.25

Picture coming Soon.		Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Purple Universal steelhead fly. Most proven during summer months east of the Cascade Mountains.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
9012-04	Bead Head Flash-A-Bugger, Purple	4	3 for $5.25