So every year I have places I want to explore on the North Umpqua. Places that I have fished before but have not fished in many years....some are harder to get to places, some are so obvious and people stumble right over them without knowing it. Places rarely fished. You may say to me, "Hey man,everything on the NU in the fly water gets fished and fished a lot" and you would be wrong. Amazingly, there are many runs and holding lies in some of the most crowded and popular sections of the river that rarely see a fly. It's true.


 People are creatures of habit and fishermen often even more so. You fish a run a certain way because that is the way it was shown to you or that is how you have seen others fish it. You fish runs the same way after that method is proven to work and fish are found. We rarely break out of a routine or pattern that has been shown to be effective. Despite thoughts to the contrary we should vary from our routine or pattern and seek out other holding lies in that run by changing our approach.  Start higher in the run than you normally do, fish lower into and through the tail into the next run. Cast farther, wade deeper, wade shallower, fish close fish far,change cast angles, mend, don't mend. All of these actions may find a fish that was not in the primary holding water. The more fish there are in a given run in the primary spots,the chance of fish holding in these secondary areas will increase dramatically. People will hammer the primary spots and the grabby fish will be plucked out if they are there fairly easily. Meanwhile, there are grabby, willing fish in secondary spots that do not see a fly due to the average fisherman's adherence to routine.

 Ever wonder why someone can come in behind you and pick up a fish? There are obviously many reasons for this including but not limited to, a new fish just pulling in, fly pattern,color and size, technique,tactics,line  used,skill, and knowledge etc. Sometimes it is sheer luck. But more often than not I believe the reason that the person who picks up a fish behind someone is that the person following watched how and where the first person fished. The person following was aware of how far the person before him was casting where he was standing. He was acutely aware of  the cast angle and other factors learned from the preceding fisherman. It is my belief that many times the following fisherman has targeted a fish holding in a secondary lie that the first fisherman did not cover. I think this happens a lot. I know it happens a lot. It has happened to me and I have caught fish behind others by observing and doing something different.

 I need to continually re-adjust and rethink the places I fish. Every year,I incorporate long lost runs of yesteryear back into my routine. There is no way I can fish all the runs I know on a regular basis so I rotate runs in and out of my routine based on water levels,crowds,fish counts,weather,and structure changes.This is a key to success and keeping the river fresh and new for me. On a river as popular as the North Umpqua, you will find that exploring new water and targeting secondary holding lies is always a good thing, it will reward the person who persists.

There is more water that holds fish than one could possibly master in a short lifetime. Go out and seek some new areas. Don't follow the sheep around fishing the same runs the same way. You will be pleasantly surprised at what you find, and what you find will include more than just new places to fish.  It will include the rich diversity of God's creation, the river, trees,creatures and wilds of a place that many dream about fishing and few get to experience. The exploration and willingness to search to find your own places to fish will make the old river become new again.

That goes for life as well.The willingness to search for the truth in a world full of untruth may also lead you to some amazing discoveries...........

^{2 Corinthians 5:17} Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.


See ya out there!

When searching for early season steelhead, it's all about covering water, a LOT of water. These fish are few and far between but will move aggressively to a fly if you can cross paths with one. Precise and careful presentation, while always something to be mindful of, is not at the forefront when searching for these early fish.  It is not the low clear of late summer so don't treat it that way.  Fish are moving hard and the water is up a bit. The job of the angler in these early times is to target specific moving lanes and tail outs. On the North Umpqua there are many of these areas that will produce fish and these places are learned only after many years of observing these early movements. In other words......go figure it out yourself!  Recently, my buddy spotted a fish in one of these known early season tail outs. The fish was only in the holding spot for maybe 10 minutes and then gone, spurred forward by the scent of the gravel and waters where he was born.

 I like to fish big profile wet flies on a floating line in the early season. When I say big I mean up to 1/0. Don't be afraid to tie them a fluffy. A bigger profile will be seen better by these fish in the slightly higher water. Remember that even though flows may be up a bit, water temps will be too. There is no need to fish a sink tip when waters warm into the high 40's and 50's. Trust me, these early fish will rip your arm off and have no trouble moving to maul subsurface presentations at these temps.


Psalm 1:3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Looking at historical numbers of fish over Winchester lately. I always get excited around now but realize that run timings are fairly consistent. The numbers and dates tell the tale and you can almost set your clock to it. There are always a few early fish out there and catching one is always fun. What I have come to realize is that we haven't had a "normal" year of fishing in a few years. Last year was high water which allowed many fish to blaze through the fly water and up the creek.....a good thing. Sure, there were fish caught last year and I had decent fishing, it just didn't ever get hot for me. I had some good stretches but I actually did much better with my dudes last year than I did on my own...go figure.


I have a good feeling about this year, I can't explain it. My boy is ready to bust some string, I think he may just get a steelhead on a dry this year.  

The fish will come when they come as they always do, and we will be ready.

Friend and fellow guide Zack Williams is starting a new project. Very cool.........Check it out!!!!

http://swingthefly.com/

The marine layer covered the lower river in a dense, impenetrable cloud. The mist shrouded the river transforming and turning a once familiar place into one cloaked in mystery. But slowly,as I wound my way up the river, that cloud dissipated and gave way to a glorious morning.

I arrived at a likely spot and got out of the truck to look around. The view from my high perch revealed the fish. It was a little farther out than normal due to the high water but it was there all the same. This was a fish holding in a spot that few people ever see and even fewer fish to. I watched the fish for several minutes as he surfed an underwater wave of the turbulent flow, resting in a breadbox sized cushion created by a spine of bedrock. He was deep in the tail out. It was heard to imagine that he could hold in this spot in these flows and yet there he was. Despite these conditions, he barely needed to flap a fin to remain in place, his aerodynamic body working with the current rather than against it. Similar to a wing on a plane where air flows along the wings leading edge to create lift, the water flow over the fish actually pushes the fish down and keeps him in the unseen underwater eddy.  This soft spot, this "soap dish" was a place that this fish could hold for hours, days or weeks. It was perfect and that is why he was there.

I watch mesmerized as the fish effortlessly holds, moving only slightly from side to side. He is rather large for a summer fish, as these early fish can be. Bright as a nickle and not a fin out of place. This fish is pristine. I watch his mouth open and close, and his gills pump oxygen to a heart that has brought him this far. This fish has endured much to get to this spot and he has found his home for the summer. The amazing will to further his kind is strong, his internal homing device more precise than any electronic gadget we know. All of the factors that trigger his initial push up the river are mysterious and unknown. I watch for a few more minutes and leave the spot without fishing, just satisfied with this early brief visual encounter.

This is one of God's great creatures. I am awed to be able to see and chase these fish on a river that defies description. I too have found a resting place, it is in the protection of God, the maker of heaven and earth.

Where is your resting place?

 Psalm 18:2-The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

 Very well made video. Class act guy as well. We met briefly last year at the NFS campout. He and I jockeyed for runs every morning. One morning he beat me into a favorite run and it paid off for him. I was stoked for him. The next morning I beat him into the same run and got blanked.........so it goes.Good times!

How are you going to approach steelhead this coming summer? Are you going to do what you always do or break out of your comfort zone and try something you haven't tried? What technique have you been dying to try out for summer fish but just haven't had the skill, confidence,or time to explore? Are your lines and rods getting shorter and shorter? Do you like a single hand rod in summer? Do you find yourself gravitating back to longer rods and lines? Do you wonder if traditional style steelhead flies tied on hooks still work? Do you long to fish a waked or skated fly? Are you always fishing to catch fish or can you be completely satisfied with fishing good water well and moving on? Do you fish for pleasure or are you driven by something far greater that you can't explain? Is fishing for you a team sport that you enjoy doing with others or would you rather be a lone wolf? What makes being on the river special for you? Do you listen to the hype on the latest and greatest thing in fly fishing or do you just shake your head and and resume doing what you know works for you? What is your reason for pursuing steelhead? Can you even explain it? How do you feel at the end of a fish less day? How about after multiple fish less days? How do you feel after a multiple fish day? Is it the same? Can it be the same? How do you measure success? Can you ever really have a bad day on the river? What are you doing to ensure the river you fish remains the place you have always known? Who do you want to fish with this summer? What friends do you find yourself fishing with most? What makes a good fishing partner? Is there anyone out there with the same values you share? Do you leave the river better than when you found it? Are your riverside exchanges with others positive? If not,what can you do to make them more positive?Are you teaching others to love and steward the resource that you currently enjoy. Who is carrying the torch after you are gone? Are you sharing information and ideas freely with those who may need to draw from your experience on the river?

These questions and many more will be answered as you fish, interact and engage with the rivers we love.