Woody Debris

Winter steelhead are here! No lack of water in our rivers west of the Cascades so far this winter. Quite the opposite has been true. Torrential rains have pounded the Pacific Northwest and most of our rivers have been out of shape much of the time.  However, during the little windows between storms, pretty fair fishing has been available.  Even though all local hatchery stocks are taken from indigenous wild fish, which are supposed to be spring spawners, there have been hatchery fish available early this winter.  These could be

optimistic signs that we might have good runs this winter.  The long term weather forecast is that this winter will be warmer and wetter than usual, which means that our local rivers will be high most of the time.  This can work to your advantage if you are a fly angler.
Just remember, if the river isn't high water now, it soon will be. It's that time of year!

Pick Your Spots:
Forget about the spots you fished when the river was low.  You will now be fishing in places that were much too slow and shallow.  These are normally inside curves near the tail of a run.
Wade Shallow:
In high water steelhead often hug the willows or even travel through them.  Wade with your backside touching the willows. Wade carefully.
Fish Close:
Since most of the fish will follow the edge of the river, there is no need to fish long casts.  Balance your tackle accordingly.  Short heavy heads are often the answer.  Long bullet shaped D-Loops are not an advantage as they can get tangled in the willows.
Fish Slow:
In extreme high water, fishing spots will often be fairly small.  Move slowly and fish carefully.
Fish Big:
When the water is colored with silt because of high water, big flies are easier for fish to see.  The best flies are often 2 1/2" to 4" long and an inch and diameter when wet.  Black & blue, purple and hot pink and orange combinations are proven.  Dress some of your flies with liberal amounts of flash.  There is no need for fine leaders in this game.  Fifteen pound test is average.

Kerry Burkheimer and his crew build very fine graphite fly rods at his plant, located in Washougal, Washington.  Studying under and collaborating with legendary rod designer Russ Peak in the 1980's, Kerry quickly became known as producer of elegantly crafted, high performance fly rods.  Little by little Kerry has increased the production of his small factory.  We can now offer his nine most sought after models.  These rods are built by hand and are in much demand. Production is limited.
Every rod on this page is in stock.
More Information on Burkheimer Production.

Now you can get a matching High-Performance Line of your choice for free,
when purchasing a new C.F. Burkheimer rod. You choose the line type of your choice.  The appropriate size will be chosen by our professional staff.  You must click a button to get the deal.  Call 1-800-266-3971 for advise if you need help selecting a line.

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