Merry Christmas

Come meet the Company Reps:
George Cook, Eric Neufeld: Sage, Simms, Rio, Ross, Tibor
Kerry Burkheimer: C.F. Burheimer
Dick Sagara: TFO, Jim Teeny, Oasis, Giraffe Lighting and Anglers Sport Group
Come meet these Guides & Instructors:
Mark Bachmann, Brian Silvey, Josh Linn, Ron Lauzon, Hawkeye Hawkins,
Marty Sheppard, Carl Moody
Come meet The Fly Fishing Shop Staff:
Mark Bachmann, Patsy Barnes, John Jones, Josh Linn, Jeff Runner, Tilda Runner, Marcy Stone

We got this picture from Ken Anderson who lives along the Sandy River.  Looks like it ate a black & blue Metal Detector fly.  Which specie it is, isn't readily apparent.  This wild fish has spots like a Chinook with the white gum line of a Coho. Both species are fall spawners.  Do they ever cross?  Any of you fish experts out there have any comments? 

Despite the popular opinion that wild winter steelhead in our local rivers are the late run variety, there have been good catches already this winter.  Even with unusually low water a few nice fish are sneaking in.  The water is cold.  Fast sinking tips and very large bright colored flies have produce multiple fish days.  Come to out Winter Steelhead Clinic, December 8, for more info.

Brian Kite guides in Alaska and Northern Washington.  He says, "My steelhead roots have strong ties to the Skagit Style of fishing; short heads and big flies. The Pick-Yer-Pocket was developed and some what plagiarized from the now famous ‘Intruder’ style of flies originated in the region. We have been tying these flies for years, often experimenting with different types of materials in search of the ‘perfect swim’. A major challenge with big flies is the difficult marriage between size versus weight, i.e., the bigger the fly, the heavier it is causing a lot of grief on the river when casting. The great thing about the Pick-Yer-Pocket is that it carries a big

presence in the water, gets down deep but does not carry a lot of weight resistance when casting. The segmentation of the rear and front sections of the fly separated by the body gives the fly a different look through out the swing, and the use of the long saddles and Amherst pheasant tail feather fibers establish that tasty silhouette in the water.
Fishing It:
Fish these flies with classic swing methods.  Flies of this nature cast easier with two-hand rods than single hand rods. As long as you are making nice straight casts and controlling the swing speed, the fly will do all of the work. The machined brass eyes incorporated in these patterns give them the sink rate to be effective in most current speeds and depths. A key to making this fly demand attention in the water is the exact placement of the various layers of life breathing materials.. Over dressing the fly will cause materials to mat together and not swim properly, the key with this style of fly is allowing the sparsely tied materials do the work in the water. These flies have a deffinet squid-like look in the water.  The Pick-Yer-Pocket is a great fly for year round steelhead fishing, and like the name suggests, you can feel confident fishing it behind someone in the river!!
Colors:
You can fish this in any color combination your mind is able to fathom if you choose to tie this fly yourself. However, the basic steelhead colors of Black, Orange, Pink and Purple are available here.

Black is always a good bet when the light levels are low, the water is off-color or it is late in the season (winter or summer).

This thing looks so much like a squid you might be tempted to eat it yourself.

Great early winter pattern on many rivers, especially if you are close to the salt.

Purple is the sleeper color on many rivers.  It is the main color east of the Cascades.