Of Fish and Fly
Editor’s Note: Several members have been out on western rivers and have pictures to show for it! A couple of weeks ago I made the leap and purchased my first Euro nymphing rod. Amy Hazel set me up with a 10′ 3 weight Echo Shadow II. She suggested the Echo because it is easy to get replacement tips should you break one. Good thing she drew a diagram of the leader set up. It will take a while for me to get all 26 feet committed to memory. I plan to practice the technique on some Washington streams mid-September. LKH
Rick Pay Deschutes Chrome
Our President’s Message gives a brief report of Jim Hillis’ trip on the Deschutes with Rick Pay. Well, Rick didn’t leave all the steelhead action to Jim! He brought in this beauty!
Alexis with Colorado Tiger Trout
Christian Werner sends this report from Colorado:
We went to Southern Utah for a family wedding in the small town of Boulder. The groom, my nephew’s son is a keen and experienced young fly fisherman and he invited guests to fish Boulder Creek where there are Tiger Trout. I was not familiar with this intergeneric sterile subspecies of the female brown and male brook trout so was ready to join the others to fish and then search the net for more information. One reference has them first noted in Massachusetts in 1944. The fish appears naturally, but rarely and is most often bred in hatchery programs as the population is easy to manage and this trout is a voracious predator of invasives.
They were abundant and the attached photo of a family friend is indicative of their coloration and size in these small streams and ponds. Boulder Creek flows to a small reservoir for town power with fish there and in the creek upstream and down. They are found in most water in Southern Utah, but my suggestion is to head to Boulder and then out. There are very friendly people at the 2 restaurants and motels and guides are also available. Very rural and mountainous with world class scenery and winding 2 lane roads up to 10,000 foot elevation.
Driving from there we went to Hells Canyon on the Snake and checked out many Eastern Oregon rivers….all very low with lack of rain. 2400 miles round trip and worth it!
Janet Arenz on the John Day
Janet Arenz sends this report on John Day bassin’:
What a beautiful September Sunday fishing on the John Day River! Curt Marr and I brought friends to try out the bass fishing for their first JD experience, and everyone did well (when do you not do well on the JD?). I bought some flies more often on the sidelines – an all-white clouser; a tiny all-yellow, all light-foam hopper; and a gaudy gold/olive woolly bugger. Each one did a great job.
A Report From a Long Time Member Down Under
Editor’s Note: After receiving Barry Mayer’s piece on bamboo rods, I reached out to Phil Trautmann, FCO President in 1978-79 . I was delighted to receive his response below. LKH
Starting in July, my answer to the question, “Been out?” has been a truthful “Nope, I quit.”
The next question has usually been “What? Why?”—to which I have answered—“I’m gonna die”—pause a few seconds—“And so are you, ha ha.”
The next comment has usually been “Don’t scare us like that!”—“What’s the real story?”
Answer: The real story is, I have accumulated mountains of STUFF these 22 years in New Zealand, and whenever I DO die—not soon, it seems, as I am feeling fine for an 84 year old, swimming 3-a-week and so forth, but when I do, I want my son to say, when he comes over from L.A. to clear out the house, “Thanks Dad, for leaving such a tidy house.” In short, I am downsizing.
Starting with selling off 4 of my 13 rods, all Loomis (and giving 1 bamboo for the recent Westmoreland auction)—leaving me with only a #5, a #6, two #7s, three #8s and two Spey rods. And and and—looking pretty good by now, so I will allow myself to “emerge” in one more month, the middle of spring down in the southern hemisphere, at the start of the fishing season.
Mayflies can do it, why can’t I?? “EPHEMERA GUTTULATA!!”
Phil Trautmann
Welcome to The FCO Russ!
Russ Stauff is our most recent new associate member. Russ hails from Medford and is a retired ODFW fisheries biologist and manager. He has a 25 year history working on the Rogue River. No surprise that he is interested in half-pounders and summer steelhead. He also enjoys fly tying, history, and bamboo rods. He has joined the right Club and this issue of The Flyline should be right up his alley!
