Steelhead Eye

photo by Marty Sheppard

I just came across this photo on our desktop, in a folder named Pete and it took my breath away. What a gorgeous photo! I believe it was taken by our friend Pete Spooner. I will need to confirm that tomorrow. (ok, Marty was out of town when I posted this. Turns out it was a fish he caught and he took some close up shots.)

Sandy River Spey Clave

photo by Ken Anderson

The Sandy River Spey Clave and The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches, Oregon is hosting the 2nd annual ladies day at the Sandy River Spey Clave May 14th. This will be the tenth year of the clave. Ladies Day is a unique opportunity to see a group of accomplished woman anglers talk about fishing and casting. Stick around for Saturday and Sundays and see some of the "hottest" guys in the industry share their secrets to landing Steelhead. All presenters will be available to help you out with your casting and answer any questions about fishing throughout the day.

Hardy Virgin

I’m a virgin, not literally but a Hardy virgin. I’ve held a Hardy once or twice but never had my own, until three weeks ago, a new Bougle MKVI . My heart flutters when I pull line off to cast it and hear the beautiful sound click, click, and click. My palms get clammy when I think about the first steelhead I will land. How will I play the fish, there’s no drag? I’m so use to having the drag set to help me control the fish. Maybe this explains why lately, I’ve missed three fish. Maybe subconsciously I’m thinking, “How will I land this fish?” I’ll fumble; I don’t know how to carious her aluminum spindle.
Stay tune, for my first Steelhead on a Hardy.

Tell us your story about your first Steelhead landed on a Hardy Reel. Email it to littlecreekjd@earthlink.net. We will pick one of the great stories, that person that wrote the story will receive a dozen flies tyed by Marty and Mia and be submitted on the blog. Thanks!

Out the door right now...

to do some of this....

and a bit of that....

looking for a few of these!

photos by marty

Report or Not to Report

The Sandy River is a pretty and intimate river. All the fly fishing guides like a certain section of water to get away from the "crowds." It must make everyone think this is where the best water must be. In truth, we just are looking for peace and quiet, in a beautiful place, on the river. I do not mind the company we get out there and truly enjoy seeing others appreciate such a fine place. What I am saying, if I tell everyone who is willing to look at our reports, that we landed a huge chromer today and here is the photo to prove it, then I might be facing some extra "company" on tomorrows trip.

So with that said, maybe we have been getting skunked for weeks and the fishing has been terrible. It could also be water temps are warming and small rain showers have produced some outstanding fishing. But more than likely, we have been having really nice fishing with an occasional grab, hook up, or landed steelhead, with the normal hard work it takes to get into one.

On another note I hear the coast is on fire! Just check out this photo my buddy Jad sent me:

Native Fish Society Banquet

If you haven't registered for the NFS banquet it's time! Show your support for wild fish and the hard work the boys at the office do. Give them a call now at 503-829-6202 or

register on line!

NFS Mission

To advocate scientifically sound conservation, protection and recovery actions for native fish and their habitats in the Pacific Northwest
To monitor and influence public agency management decisions in favor of native fish
To produce educational materials on native fish conservation through scientific reports, newsletters, action alerts, and the media
To inventory and monitor the status and health of native fish populations and improve our understanding of native fish ecosystem function

Scott MacKenzie Video

This video has been some of my inspiration lately as I practise for Spey-O-Rama. The video "Spey Casting Masterclass" covers everything for long line applications, fly presentation, history of spey casting, and distance casting, just to name a few topics covered. Its been difficult over the last few months to go from casting Skagit compact lines and sink tips for fishing, to long belly lines for distance. It usually takes me a few minute to readjust from one to the other. Needless to say, I feel a bit discombobulated at times. Check out "Spey Casting Masterclass" next time you sit down with your cigar and scotch, it's well worth the time. The video can be purchased from "The Red Shed Fly Shop."

Writers block, Sunny Days, and Chocolate

Lately finding word to put on paper has been a challenge. Writers block, I guess, is what it’s called. Today I was inspired by being on the river in great company, warm sunny ray’s, and not your typical steelhead weather. Some might say, why bother, it’s sunny, steelhead don’t take fly’s in the bright sun. Maybe this is so, in some cases, this also being Marty’s superstition.
But, do you really need to catch a Steelhead to have fun? I don’t think so. To just be on the water and feel the movement of the current underneath the boat, the wind in my face and water seeping through my leaky waders gives me a sigh of release. Thank god for the sun! My legs would have frozen.
A smile that says it all.

Put into the mix two different kinds of chocolate, sushi, and sandwiches stacked with turkey, cheddar cheese, red onion, smothered in mayo on Dave’s Killer Bread and you have a lunch made for kings and queens.

And the best part of the day was hearing the laughter of three woman talking about memories of the past, anticipation's of the future, and living in the moment; with the faint sounds of the river in the background.

Beautiful!

Oh, yes, we did fish but better luck next time.

Mia and Tegan

Jeff Hickman

Local party boy fly designer, conservationist, and guide extraodinar keeps it real.

Thought we would throw out some links to one of our favorite people:

http://oregon.sierraclub.org/about/staff.asp

http://oregonflyfishingblog.com/2009/08/18/introducing-lower-deschutes-river-swung-fly-steelhead-maniac-jeff-hickman/

http://www.idylwilde.com/html/signature_tiers.php?tier_id=14

http://theriverwrites.wordpress.com/

Cheers!

Alaska 1997

Marty and I have both spent an extensive amount of time in Alaska, not just fishing on rivers but commercial fishing in the late 1990's. Commercial fishing is just part of our love of fishing. We share alot of great memories of that time. Here are a few photos I came across.

Coho fishing Little John Stone River

Hitching a ride up the Togiak River. (ask Marty about that story someday.)

Working on a seiner out of Valdez.

Support Removal of Gold Ray Dam on the Rogue

Waterwatch of Oregon Action Alert
FREE THE ROGUE: SUPPORT REMOVAL OF GOLD RAY DAM
TAKE ACTION!
Forward to a friend

Help Free the Rogue River. Support Removal of the Gold Ray Dam by:
Attending a March 16th Public Meeting on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA)
Submitting Comments On the Draft EA by Friday, March 26, 2010
March 16th Public Meeting Details
Jackson County is hosting a Public Meeting on the Gold Ray Dam Removal Project EA.
5:30-7:30pm, Tuesday, March 16th atJackson County Roads and Parks Public Works Auditorium
7520 Table Rock RoadWhite City, OR (view map)

How to Comment on the Draft EA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has completed its Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) on the removal of Gold Ray Dam. To get the draft EA (titled Project Environmental Assessment – February 2010 DRAFT) and related documents click here.

Please comment on the draft EA and let NOAA, Jackson County and Rogue Valley Council of Governments know of your support for removing the dam.
Comments are due by Friday, March 26th.

You may submit comments on the draft EA by the following methods:
E-mail: Send comments to pfoley@rvcog.org. Please include “Gold Ray Dam Draft EA” in the subject line of the e-mail.
Mail: Send written comments to Gold Ray Dam Project Comments, RVCOG Attn: Pat Foley, P.O. Box 3275, Central Point, OR 97502.
Fax: 541-664-7927. Please identify the fax as regarding “Gold Ray Dam Draft EA.”
Points to make in your comments:
• You support removal of Gold Ray Dam, alternative 1 of the EA.
• The EA is sufficient and shows no significant adverse environmental impacts from dam removal.
• Dam removal would be a huge step in restoring the Rogue River, and would permanently eliminate the harmful impacts of the dam on Rogue River salmon and steelhead, including ESA listed coho salmon.
• The dam is a non-operating facility that provides no hydropower, no water storage and no flood control purpose, and is a liability and public safety concern for Jackson County.
• Rehabilitating the dam and retrofitting it for power generation is not economically feasible or environmentally sound.
• Gold Ray Dam has been identified by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as fifth in priority for removal and/or fish passage improvement on Oregon's Statewide Fish Passage Priority List.
• Dam removal is an important component for restoring safe passage for significant portions of all five runs of Rogue River salmon and steelhead.
• The ecological benefits of dam removal far outweigh the benefits of maintaining the artificial wetlands behind the dam.
• The dam blocks boat passage and limits public access to 500 acres of public land.
• Jackson County should make sure it doesn’t lose the current stimulus funding, and end up sticking county taxpayers with the costs of removal or the even greater costs of trying to upgrade the dam and ladders.

The Movement

Ed Ward

Mia and I spent a day on the Skagit with Ed before it closed in early February. This is our second year in a row going up and playing on this awesome river. On our first day out with Ed we hooked three and landed two nice winter steelhead. Not bad for a river that was due to close based on low escapement predictions.

Over the years, Ed has been coming down to fish the Sandy River. On these occasions it is one of the rare moments we can get our buddy Steve Kruse to come out and chase Steelhead with us. Such a treat to have Steve on the river too. Steve has been my biggest influence in fly fishing. Based on the style of Steves spey casting, since the late 80's, its hard not to notice the influence he had on the early Skagit style of casting and Eds form too.

Ed had taken a photo of Mia with her Steelhead so one evening we downloaded it to our computer and accidental we got all Eds photos from his camera. Some of the fish are really sweet and we wanted to share them. Enjoy!

Its hard not too notice, when fishing with Ed, that he has a very effective technique for hooking steelhead. More times than not when we fish together he (and Mia) connects with some chrome!

This is Eds favorite "office".

Eds car.

Alaskan bow!

Ed with a clients big AK king.

My favorite! A huge smallmouth Bass!!

Brilliant colored char!

****************************************************************

Ed has amazing stories, tons of insight, and is a super fun dude to spend a day on the river with. He also has a a video out that if you have not purchased yet...well, your missing out!

http://skagitmaster.com/

***************************************************************

"Actually...
...compared to the average trout fishing scenario, steelheading is a bit on the extreme side. What is one's personal requisite for defining extreme? I've run rapids while floating steelhead streams that have puckered my ass. Ran my sled through wave trains and over basalt ledge work that caused my heart to stop. Gotten myself into wading situations that gave me the sweats. Driven far beyond the point of fatigue to eke out a bit more time on the water. Continued walking up or down the river to check out what's around the next bend, eventually ending up doing an all day foray without food or water. Like a lot of other things in life - it is what you make it! What better place to do a bit of excessive drinking than in steelhead camp? Of course I can't think of any other human activities that produce such cult personalities! By the way, if you can't laugh while your steelheading, then you might want to try the excessive drinking bit!"

-Ed Ward-

Testament of a Fisherman

Photograph by Ken Hammond, USDA

"I fish because I love to; because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly; because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape; because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion; because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience; because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don't want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters; because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness; because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there; because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid; and, finally, not because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant - and not nearly so much fun." - - written by Robert Traver

This......

photo by Mia... San Francisco

Or this....... photo by Mia... John Day River

Spey_O_Rama 2010

Get ready for Spey-O-Rama 2010 April 9,10,11 . Keep updated on the latest, check in on Speypages .
Competitors this year will include:

Gordon Armstrong, James Chalmers, Ruairi Castello, Andrew Toft, Gerard Downey, Simon Gawesworth, Nobuo Nodera, Alexander Rybkin, Hiroshi Yazaki, Steve Rajeff, Brian Styskal, Greg Bencivenga, Shinobu Inoue, Kazu Koshimizu, Tommy Aarkvisla, Knut Ekelund, Geir Hanson, Tyler Kushnir, Bruce Kruk, Gene Oswald, Simon Hsieh, Frank Chen, Doug Duncan, Michael Stanley, Tim Warriner, David Farquier, Bill Rogers, Rob Hesse, Takako Inoue, Donna O'Sullivan, Siv-Anita Eide, Whitney Gould, and Mia Sheppard.

Enjoy a few photos from last year.

Simon celebrating with his son.
photo courtesy of Donna O'Sullivan

Tegan dreaming of casting like Knut one day.

Gordon getting a bit of sun on the feet.

Tim Rajeff relaxing.

photo by James Chalmer

Skeena River Fish and Their Habitat

Here is a book recently published by Ecotrust that looks like a must have for anyone interested in the Skeena watershed and it's Salmon.

This book presents the first thorough review of the salmon stocks and fresh water species of the Skeena River. Initial chapters summarize the river’s environment, fish and fisheries, and following chapters examine the physical geography, development history, indigenous use and major salmon stocks of each of the watershed’s sub-basins. This volume makes available for the first time — to researchers, field biologists, fishermen and natural history enthusiasts — the published, and largely unpublished, literature on this productive salmon ecosystem.

Ours is on order.