Here Comes TW

Teenwolf will be visiting the Great Northwest for a few days over the weekend for "Valentines Day". Anyone who really knows the dude knows he's jonesing tough right now, the 97 emails I've gotten in the last two days "re:steelhead" speak loudly to that point. I understand though, living in NY is not clutch for the steelhead thing and while a couple days back home wont scratch the surface at least its a temporary fix. I just feel bad for his lady. I expect he'll at least spend Sunday around the roost but then again, you never know how negligent a man is capable of being until the Big Trib is falling in perfectly off some highwater. Stay strong Emily.

It will be good to have the big, hairy one back for a couple days and hopefully we'll hear that new reel sing. With the low water things have been tough, but it looks like he might just bring some weather with him from the east. Looking forward to seeing you buddy.

Crowding, on a Monday?

Morning

Seems like every year about this time there are a few days (usually sunny) when at least half of the steelhead fly anglers in the greater Pugetropolis area decide its a good idea to fish the Big River. Now I'm no lover of crowds but its hard to get irritated when everyone you run into is courteous or already an acquaintance. Thats one thing I really love about a home river is the rotating cast of characters that also call it home. Early things weren't too bad but by afternoon the river was fairly crowded meaning I had to get a little strategic about my fishing water. After a 15 minute walk into some choice h20 I found three dudes in the run. Would've been a little choked if one of them wasn't a friend from Oregon. Hell of a nice dude and a great caster/fisherman, so I was more than content to shoot the shit for a few minutes.

Weather was gorgeous and the river was up a little with a nice color. Looks like we might even get some rain this week...better not jinx it. Its one more week on the gradschool grind until a two week break for the Olympics. Should be two weeks of neck bearded, wet sleeping, spam grubbing steelhead revelry.

Beavers know geometry?

Just Say no to Commercialization

Jeff Bright Photo

Just got a catalog from The Fly Shop in Redding. These knobs are at the forefront of the commercial prostitution of our anadromous fisheries. Page 25,

"New Weapons in the Indicator Revolution"

wow, I knew it was popular but I was unaware of the "Revolution" status. Is this like the teaparty revoltion? Where and how can I join in the radical newness of this technological, lipripping advance?


I'm not even sure why I get their mailings, since I've never spent a dime in their shop. Some NorCal buddies tell me their guides consistently alienate locals on the Trinity and Klamath with bad manners, competitive dick measuring attitude and an air of entitlement that could only come from working for "The Fly Shop". While I'd long turned off by their emphasis on indicator fishing from the boat two things tipped the balance for me.

1. a friend of a friend took a guide trip with this outfit and upon arriving with his two hander and excited to swing flies was told that fish on the Trinity dont take swung flies and they would be nymphing out of the boat all day.

2. A couple of years ago, riding the wave of newbie enthusiasm for Dec Hogans star power the Fly Shop decided they would come out with "Dec Hogan Edition" steelhead flies. These included second rate commercial ties of a Mahoney, and Skagit Mist. Worst of all however was a skating pattern called "Hogans Caddis". An exact copy of a McMillan caddis with no credit given to the originator.

Turns out Klamath and Trinity fish do in fact eat swung flies. Just ask Jason Hartwick, or Jeff Bright (This post does not reflect the opinions of Jason or Jeff).

Jason has a guide service which can be found at http://steelheadonthespey.blogspot.com
and is a fly designer for Idylwilde.

Jeff is a fantastic photographer, fisherman and graphic designer who's website is:
http://www.jeffbright.com/

Do a Raindance

We need Rain. Bad. Some mountain snow would be good too, but right now I'd take anything. Just some water to bring fish up into the rivers. Fishing was pretty good when we had some water. We're going on two weeks now since the river levels bumped up at all and things are looking pretty bony and clear out there. This is looking like a replay of last winter when we had high pressure over the NW for most of February. Made for some pretty tough fishing. If we dont get anymore water before the big river closes down for the year it will be a shame.

Dams I hate Dworshak/The Dalles

I might hate dworshak dam more than anything. I hate dworshak as much as I hate open cage fish farming, and arguably more than sport harvest of wild steelhead. That's saying something. Reading about it today, and it really started sinking in. In 1972, in the supposed age of reason, the industrial revolution, as modern medicine and science were advancing at record speed the Army Corp knowingly chose to extirpate the greatest race of summer steelhead in the continuous USA for fucking pennies on the dollar. Classic example of government subsidizing the senseless destruction of our natural resources. If I could go back in time I'd go George Hayduke on that construction site until they carted me off to prison goddammit.

They sold it like it was the best thing since sliced bread. We'll make a world class fishery with the hatchery production, yeah right. We'll have this beautiful lake, bogus. Shits probably full of walleye, bass and other trash from the midwest. Meanwhile that sweet little river that was once home to 30 lb summer runs with an appetite for dryflies sits under 200 feet of impounded water.


The Dalles is a whole 'nother box of rocks and is a striking reminder of the long standing policy of cultural genocide directed at Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest. In 1957 water rising behind the dam covered Celilo Falls, a place where Native American tribes from all over the region had been fishing, gathering and trading for thousands of years. The falls were holy grounds, destroryed by our country's insatiable industrial appetite and our unwillingness to consider the spiritual, and natural values that made Celilo special. We should've been celebrating Celilo, the magnificent fish annually passed through its heavy rapids, and the rich cultural traditions they supported. Instead we entombed it behind an monolithic industrial hydrodamn. If there is a real-life death star, its The Dalles, and Richard Nixon is Vader (for alot of reasons).

All that is to say, both are fucking wastes, of some of the most magnificent fish, culture and natural history in our region. I hope we've learned our lessons from that wasteful era when the Bureau of Rec The Nation, and the Army Corpse of Engineers ran amok on every wild river this side of the mississippi. Sometimes I worry though. In all likelihood we'll never see those dams removed but on the off chance we do I plan to make pilgrimage to those hallowed grounds, where I will get down on my hands and knees and beg the river gods to forgive my people for our foolishness. The next century is uncertain for wild salmon and our culture but one thing is certain, there is only one right path for both, and it doesnt involve any more dams nor the mentality that led to their justification.

First and only on the Clearwater

Why Steelhead?

In a post a few months ago I asserted, unequivocally that steelhead were the finest sport fish on the planet. As might be expected, that assertion raised some eyebrows and elicited this response from my buddy Matt Klara,

"I roll my eyes so hard that it gives me a headache. :) Of course you are completely entitled to your opinion. Just my personal opinion, but variety is the spice of the fishing life. Steelhead are great fish, but the approach to catching them, while relaxing and sexy, can get pretty damned boring. I think it all comes from the fact that they aren't actually feeding. The approach to trout and salt is completely different because the fish are feeding. You have to think at a higher level in my opinion. Sure steelhead rivers are beautiful, but so are the Rockies, Patagonia, the Bahamas, the Delta Marsh, Cape Cod, and on and on. The flats (especially pressured flats) are probably the most challenging fishing environment there is when all possible fishign skills are taken into account. Pounding out casts down and across is certainly no comparison to sight casting for fast moving, ultra spooky fish. And, because of my passion for variety, I find myself (stupidly) offended by your bold claim about steelhead. How many species of fish have you actually experienced in order to make said claim? While I admire those anglers who choose to devot their entire angling life to one species, it just isn't for me."

Granted hombre. I respect your passion for variaty (even for Carp fishing I think), and frankly I shouldnt be trying to convince other people how great steelhead are. In fact I should just shut my mouth, stay off the internet and go on fishing like a singleminded lunatic, BUT....

maybe I didnt explain myself entirely. Your criticism in part hinges on the fact that other types of fishing are far more challenging than steelheading, the presentation more exact, the fish spooky and feeding. Of course those situations demand a type of precision, knowledge of foraging habits and the ability to hang on tight when a gigantic tarpon or permit starts screaming at 15 knots. That said, I think steelheading is a lot more difficult than many believe.

Making the fly swing across the surface of the water isn't hard in and of itself. However, a good presentation in moving water, with variable depth, structure, speed, etc can be very difficult. How many dudes fish all day without presenting the fly properly and never even know it? Fishing the flats for bones you can instantly tell when you've made a poor presentation, the fish spook, turn the other way and the game is over, however given the lack of feedback in steelheading alot of it comes from feel. Understanding the depth and speed at which your fly is swinging, and the likelihood that the fly is fishing well comes from a feel for presentation which I believe can only come from countless hours on the water. that and a little bit of black magic, juju and fishwhisperness. I for one don't consider myself an expert, and the more I fish, the more this is apparent.

Another factor which your critique missed is the challenge of reading water, knowing which buckets, runs, reaches will hold fish throughout the season. Conditions are highly variable for steelheaders and the most successful angler considers the conditions carefully in their decision of where and how to fish. Again, this comes from hours and hours on the river, and is the type of intimacy that cannot be learned by traveling. Anglers who catch the most fish, have a few home rivers they know well for summer and winter. I cant say I know much about the migratory behavior of bonefish, tarpon, carp, and other species but what I do know about steelhead is that are highly migratory, ghostlike apparitions with a remarkable ability to be here one day, gone the next. As a consequence, understanding the interplay between environmental conditions, migratory behavior and all the angling variables described above is what a successful steelheader must strive for.

Steelheading is a percentage game and with only so many swings in a day, increasing the likelihood that your fly is in front of a fresh, rested fish is the only way to ensure consistent success. So Matt, you make alot of good points, and I understand the reaction to the standard issue steelhead bravado BS but, if steelheading were easy it would be called trout fishing. and that shits boring.

Then again, steelheading is crowded, boring, and there are no fish...anywhere. dont go steelheading, stay off the rivers, and go to rocky ford. Its very challenging and rewarding!

Matt Klara is a water resources engineer and writes for sexy loops. his work can be found here: http://www.sexyloops.com/matts/index.shtml
Matt's Weds Column
http://www.sexyloops.com/indexwed.shtml
Despite his trout and carp fishing tendencies he is an excellent steelheader and caster of one and two handed rods.

Jims, Jimsalad and the Origin thereof

Science

So if you've read the blog more than half of one time you've probably noticed I use the word Jims fairly routinely, typically to describe, backwards, rednecky or otherwise moronic people. I say it so often in day to day talk that friends of mine start saying it without even knowing it. The word comes from a dear friend and honorary Northwest steelhead fisherman Jon JimSalad Goin.

Now anyone who regularly fishes for steelhead on this continent will have come across their fair share of characters on the river. So from time to time we'll be having a special feature called "Best Jim Moments" in which we describe the some of the finest "Jim"like behavior observed during our otherwise serene river visit. This weeks Jim moment is simple on the origin of Jims.

(Based on a True story)
As I said before, the word was invented by our dear, californian friend Jon and his cousin John. The two of them were visiting Yosemite for their first time and decided to take a hike. Being outdoorsy types, ambitious hikers and generally badass dudes they decided to take a steep trail to what the guidebook described as an epic view of halfdome. The hike was roughy 3-7 miles depending on who you ask, but whats certain is the large number of switchbacks and lung burning climbing. Upon arriving at their final destination, tired, and prepared to have their minds blown they discovered that since their guidebook had been published (1972ish) a road had been built to the vista which now allowed to tourbuses, rental cars, concessionaires and huge masses of obese, visor wearing, Americana.

Pissed but resigned to their mistake the John(Jon)s set to trying to enjoy the view anyway. Unfortunately one family provided continual disruption as the mom, overweight in a brightly colored mumu with a shrill new jersey accent nagged her husband, Jim to get their out of control 9 year old Jimmy under control.

"Jim, tell Jimmy not to Run?"
"Jim, look at Jimmy throwing rocks, look how far they're falling!"

"Thats a good boy now Jimmy, throw them farther."

The John(on)s watched in horror as the projectiles disappeared from sight into the village below. Their blood boiling with frustration at the crowds and the obnoxious family, the two reached a tipping point when in the midst of the grandeur of Yosemite's Peaks they heard the mother proclaim,

"Look Jim! There's there's the hotel, you can see the swimming pool!"

The John(on)s looked at eachother and simultaneously prclaimed,

"Fucking JIM".

and marched to the bottom of the mountain without stopping. From that day on, Jim has grown in its uses and popularity. Thanks Jon for your contribution to our group of degenerate river rats.

Enjoying puget sounds "greatest" wild salmon fishery

We call Jon the honorary Pacific Northwesterner because he made an honest to god attempt to move to Seattle. For two years he and his lovely wife (then fiance) Amy lived in a sweet little house in lower Queen Anne. Frustrated by the lack of job prospects in the area, poor weather and worse fishing, they decided to move south for better jobs. Sadly, Jon decided to move to the Seattle area during the worst two year stretch of steelhead fishing in recent memory, and probably ever. After moving from Arcata where winter and summer runs had been excellent, it was a rude shock to find himself in the seemingly fishless Puget Sound area. They now live in the heinously overcrowded, inferno known as Southern California, luckily the mans a surfer as well. I also hear there's a little Jimmy or Jimette on the way, congratulations guys.

what a JIM