Clackamas Bull Trout

Bull trout are Rad! There is no doubt about it, Salvelinus Confluentus is an amazing species with a multitude of life histories in many different ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest and Western Slope of the Rockies. For years this species of char has been known as an indicator species for water quality and healthy ecosystems due to their need for cold, clean water for spawning and rearing. With the scourge of man and its lust to develop and rape our forests for timber, this species has been hit hard to almost the brink of extinction. Many of the rivers that once contained healthy populations of bull trout are gone and the few that have them are very vulnerable to ecosystem changes. With the listing of bull trout as a threatened species in the coterminous United States there have been many moves to help these dwindling populations.

With one of the last strongholds of bull trout in Oregon being the Metolius River system and having bull trout extinct in it's neighboring Clackamas River system, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is working to reintroduce bull trout from the Metolius System into the Clackamas River in the hopes to reestablish this species in the basin. This complex endevor will not only help to reestablish the species, but also aid in the understanding of this ecosystem that has had vast changes over the decades due to dams, timber harvest and irrigation. With most of the upper watershed being protected by federal agencies and increased laws to protect the ecosystem, there are high hopes that this population will reestablish themselves and fill the niche left from the extinct Clackamas strain of bull trout. The long term goal of an established population will help in our understanding of this fragile ecosystem and its native anadramous and non anadramous fish. Read more courtesy of The Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife News Bulletin and Oregon Live.

A Time to Remember

Toasted a few with the old homies tonight for our old comrade Ben Kapp. We miss you brother and your legacy still effects us four years after you passing. .

News from the Snoopy Rod Challenge

News from the Snoopy Rod Challenge on the Bogachiel River in the Olympic Penninsula last friday was of a great success. Well at a hangover anyway. Check out the words of wisdom from the Graphite Samurai. The boys were a little too under the weather to get after it early in the morning, but got after it none the less. You might want to take a look at the time machine also. I venture to say that this very well might be the answer we are all looking for in regards to better fishing and less crowding. We might also be able to bring back those native returns by using those fish from decades ago. Yes, I think the great scrolls of wisdom have something here. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Summer Steelhead in the Winter

Well there is no doubt that there was a lot of steelhead in the Columbia and Snake River System this year. At over six hundred thousand total steelhead over Bonneville Dam there is no doubt there was a lot of fun had at the expense of this years return. Many anglers out there had a banner season and there is no doubt that a lot of rookie fishermen out there caught their first if not many steelhead. But we have to remember that the vast majority of these fish were not of native origin. Only one hundred and seventy-two thousand of those six hundred thousand fish were of native origin. Many of those hatchery fish are still alive and either swimming up still or holding for warmer flows to move farther up into the upper reaches of there native streams. These hatchery fish in a few months will be competing with our precious natives and thus aiding in the slow process of watering down the gene pool.

Many people stop fishing for these fish because the quality of their meat are no longer the quality of just a few months ago, not to mention the increased difficulty to swing these fish up in the current cold conditions of winter. The ethical issues of catching native fish that are getting ready to spawn, is yet another thing to take into consideration. In only a few months these fish will be on their spawning beds and any harassment of these fish should be prevented. However like mentioned before so will hatchery fish and the only way to prevent these fish from spawning together is to remove them.

Modern scientific studies have showed that the likelihood of offspring from native steelhead that have spawned with hatchery steelhead returning as adults is very low. Hell, the chances of offspring of native fish returning dealing with the harsh environment of their native streams during their adolescent development, competition with other species and hatchery fish, downstream migration through dams, predators in freshwater and salt then ocean conditions is low. This is part of the argument that we face when fighting against hatchery plants. As part of this equation we must aide our native fish by removing these hatchery adults regardless of quality of meat. In rivers such as the Methow in Washington, it is unlawful to release hatchery fish. We must carry this over to all drainages that have hatchery fish and continue to harvest these fish despite the condition of their table fare. Smoke them, freeze then for crab meat, fertilize you garden in the spring or return them to the ecosystem for biomass. By doing so, you will be aiding your ecosystem and help out our native fish. If you end up catching a native fish, please take all the necessary measures to release it without harm.

Is there a time to stop fishing for summer steelhead? Off course there is, but you must find that within your own realm of ethics and the reality that most of these fish are of hatchery origin and need to be removed. Us guys on the wet side of the state need to remember that those who fish these summer steelhead rivers in the winter are for the most part live in that neck of the woods and are removing hatchery fish from their rivers. Many rivers of which are still seeing fresh pushes of fish from the Columbia and Snake throughout the winter.

















Recently I got news from my homie Mike Gamby that while trout fishing he was not only able to fight the ice and cold, but also several steelhead with his trusty Echo Carbon six weight and Vosseler DC. Apparently his Vosseler didn't freeze up in the cold. I was pleased to see he made sure to bonk his limit and I am sure they will cook up just fine. Props to a great day on the water.

Spey Vato

Spey fishing and casting is addicting and adding steelhead and salmon to that and it’s downright obsessive. There is no doubt that this has taken at least the Northwest by storm over the last decade and has added a new niche in this small world of fly fishing. Some might even say that in this countries economy today, it has helped to keep many of the fly fishing manufacturers and fly shops around.

Now most fly guys who never casted a spey rod find them intriguing even if their ego tells them that they can cast as far with a single hand rod, but gear flingers it’s a different story. Well that was until a buddy ran into this vato from the valley and later introduced me. Now this wasn’t any other gear guy, but a brother who not only never casted a single hand rod and of all things was Mexican. Now I know all that stereotypical bullshit is bullshit, but just like many others that caught plenty of salmon and steelhead with gear he did not go the normal route of the single hander and an indicator, rather went from the jig to the two hander. In fact he has never casted a single hander. And seriously how many Mexicans or even Hispanics do you see spey fishing in this country?

It goes to show you how diverse this style of fishing is. After seeing a few people cast, cover water and even catch a few fish, Jiggin Jim was hooked. And it didn’t surprise me when I got the call last month when he not only swung his first winter of the season but two on an undisclosed river somewhere in the realm of your inner imagination.

This sport, obsession, hobby or whatever you call it never ceases to amaze me and it’s one of the many reason why I enjoy it. So the next time you see a Simms wearing, Nautilus reelin, Echo casting, ugly thug looking sombitch named Jaimie' on the river that doesn’t look like you, remember he didn’t steal his gear and you are no different then him. Well, you could be just as ugly……….

Fly of the Month: The Boss

Boss (Brian Chou 09)
Tail: Black Arctic Fox
Body: Peacock with gold tinsel
Hackle: Red Schlappen
Head: Gold bead chain eyes.
Hook: The secret weapon

Well this Boss looks a little different from the one that was inspired by old Virgil Sullivan back in the hay day on the Russian River in California. However that creativity that inspired Virgil to take it to Grant King for commercial success is no different then the inspiration of this slightly different version. The success of this fly over the decades for steelhead and those annoying salmon that get in the way are proof of it's merit. Check it out, it still works today.

Now find a fish and ................... his brains out!

Hurt

Yeah so there aint no end in sight. Two times to see God, I a mean the surgeon this week with secondary complications due to napalm. Well at least it looks like I was hit by napalm. The good news is I can walk without the crutches and can go back to work in a week. But fishing is out of the equation for quite a while and I am getting sick of tying flies.

Reports from the rivers are descent for late summers with a few winters here and there. Spent last evening sharing tall tales with a couple of bums from around the way. Apparently BC was off the hook this year and stories of Alaskan rainbows the size of steelhead were plentiful this season. The poor economy lead to many guides fishing for themselves this Fall. Poor bastards! With luck they will bring some good reports from the Snoopy Rod Challenge in the OP this friday.

Watch the video