Tuesday, October 20, 2009

BUSY SEASON!






I am sorry it has been such a long time since I have posted a new report on my web site. I have been very busy guiding everyday this summer and spend nearly all of my "off-water" time with my family. I have also taken a different approach to my reports. When I first started posting a daily report on my web site, it was a tool for me to keep my clients attached to my business by getting them to visit my web site each day to check out the new pics. Many of my regulars would go into the office each morning and pull up my report to see what I had done the day before. They could sit, have a cup of coffee and get their daily dose of fish porn before they started their days work. It was great - I was able to share my success and keep my clients wanting more. Well, it turned out before long, I had a couple hundred people a day checking out my daily report (many of which had no interest in ever booking a guide trip). I was finding that my reports began hurting me more than helping me. It was amazing how a string of good reports on the North Umpqua would really bring the crowds. So, given the date of my last post, it is more than obvious I have given up on posting a true "daily" report. Just know that if it takes me another couple months to post my next report, we are out on the water catching fish. Start getting worried if I have the time to post my daily reports again. That means fishing and business is poor and I am home on the couch.

Anyway, here is an update on what has transpired over the first half of our summer fall season. Our dam counts on the North Umpqua are very low and will prove to be about half of the ten year average when things are all added up at the end of the season. I would say for the most part, our fishing suffered because of these low counts. Most days we still had enough success to keep smiles on people's faces but we had to work harder to do it. We did have a few periods where the fishing was excellent. At times, the angling pressure would fall off and we would have the river to ourselves. Our fishing would then get good and we enjoyed better than average success. I had several days with Robert Wissmar (Wiz) over the span of his week where he brought 6 or more fish to the dry. I also had a memorable day with "Super Dave" Laurance where we brought 10 fish to the dry - Dave landed a couple of real beauties that day!

As of last week, I finished up my summer/fall season on the North Umpqua. We have closed up the NU house and moved back down to Medford. I will spend the remainder of my fall on the Rogue where I will fish through Thanksgiving. The dam counts on the Rogue have been more encouraging and have already provided us with better fishing than last year. I have not only seen some excellent daily tallies but we've also had some good success with the dry. This last week we saw some rain which dealt us an unsettled river and tougher fishing. This will prove to be a good thing. As our river falls back into shape, we will have some new fish up the crick and the old ones will be shuffled and grabby again. This week should be very good!!!

For those of you interested, I still have a few Nov dates open. I also still have a guide working for me up on the North Umpqua if any of you are interested in a late season NU trip. The "Secret Season" on the North can be an enjoyable experience. To experience the river without the "hustle and bustle" of prime time can be something special. The fall colors are in full swing and some of the late season fall fish can prove to be the biggest of the season. There were some awfully big fish in the fish ladder at the dam the other day when I stopped by on my way South.

I have posted a few pics to give you just a small taste of what we enjoyed this summer on both the North Umpqua and Rogue. Enjoy!

Good fishing, Scott

Saturday, May 2, 2009

It's That Time Of Year Again!


I can't believe we are already talking about summer steelhead again. I actually started tying dries at my bench last night to get ahead of the game for the coming months. Generally, we will see our first fishable numbers of summer steelhead on the Willamette System. I have already heard of good reports from the Clackamas. We are still a couple weeks away from having enough fish over Willamette Falls to see consistent fishing up above Eugene where I concentrate my guiding efforts. I would definitely expect the water between Dexter and town to be fishing well by the first of June. I am keeping a close eye on the counts. When I feel things look promising, I have a list of people waiting for the call. If you would like to get in on some of this early season action, get a hold of me to get on the list.

As far as our North Umpqua summer fishing, depending on our water conditions, we usually don't get too excited until the end of June. Most years we are in full swing by the 4th of July. If you have not experienced this fabled fishery, put it on your "bucket list." Not only is the scenery unmatched, it is one of the best places in the world to consistently bring wild steelhead to the dry. In all my travels, our fish on the North are probably the most surface orientated steelhead I have swung a fly for. Experiencing the savage take of a steelhead in one of the North's classic tail-outs is truly the pinnacle of the sport.

I thought I would include a couple more pics I had laying about from a trip I had with Jerry Schaffer and Steve Nichalson this winter. As anxious as I am to get out and throw some dries in a t-shirt, I never get tired of holding the beautiful fish we see each winter. There is just nothing quite like them. Each of these fish were evidence of that!



Saturday, April 4, 2009

STILL CHROME!


Beth with one of her chromers from yesterday!


Today I fished with Beth Brunswick, long time friend and head of the "Fly Girl" group that I have been guiding for 15 years. Despite unsettled water conditions, she ended up 2 for 4 and lost what would have been her nicest fish to date. We got one huge leap out of a 16-18lb chrome hen before she threw the hook. Heart breaker!

Our fishing on the North remains slower than normal but we are still seeing enough new fish to keep it worth while. I have dates booked until the middle of month and expect to see fish like Beth had through then. I stopped at the Winchester Dam fish ladder again last evening on my way home and it still had a half dozen shiny hens passing through it. Our fish counts were only 6400 thru the end of March so, I expect the counts to be down a couple thousand this winter. This is what we all expected after a spotty season of fishing. We did see multiple fish days most of the winter but there were fewer of the double digit type days that many of us have come to expect. Fortunately, the current peak ocean conditions can give us all optimism for the years to come.

Here are a few more pics from this winter.


Chris Kricken with a March hen as shiny as they make 'em!


George Maybee with a wild hen from the North Umpqua

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The Big One!



Our fishing on the North remains spotty but it only takes one when it is a monster like Robert Wissmar "Wiz" caught today. The only grab we had today ended up being a 40.5" X 20" buck that gave Wiz about all he could handle - two huge leaps and 20 minutes of tug of war. Congrats Wiz - well deserved! The fish was big enough, the pic of it lying in the water is about as good as we could get. It was nearly impossible to hold it up for the classic fish and grin shot.

We had a dose of rain last night that put some grit in the water and bumped the river back up to a great height. The temps have dropped but the river should be in good condition for the next few days. I am still getting reports of fresh fish being caught in the lower North and I saw a half dozen fish at the ladder tonight so, there is reason to be optimistic.

Friday, March 27, 2009

MORE PICS!






4 from a great day with Dave Laurence on the North!


I had a minute so I thought I would take the time to post these pics from a day with Super Dave Laurence. The fishing remains spotty on the NU but if you keep castings good things happen. Just ask Dave! Today we only had one and given the pressure on the river, I was happy with that. I am still getting reports of some new fish passing through the lower river so, I would expect our fishing to continue through the middle of next month.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

STILL COMING!

OUR BIG NATIVES ARE HERE!

I stopped by the fish ladder at Winchester on the NU yesterday after fishing and it was full of fish. Not only was it encouraging to see good numbers of chrome fish still making their way upriver, it was great to see a couple exceptional fish. I saw two fish in the 20lb class and at least 6 in the mid to high teens. I am guessing this will be one of those years we see our best fishing up in the fly water the last week of March and first half of April. Despite great water conditions, our fishing up there the last couple days has been slow. I just think we are a week or so away from having our biggest slug of fish reach the fly water.

On other fronts, our fishing on the coast will continue through the end of the month. I have been busy on the NU because that is where my anglers have opted to fish but, I have been getting good reports from some of our rivers on the coast side of the mountains. Two days ago a buddy of mine had a day they hooked 12 and landed 7. I am sure we could have headed west and had good fishing. That is the problem with the North - it is an addictive place that can consume an anglers interest. It is often times hard to get my anglers excited about venturing away no matter how good the prospects are elsewhere.

I am also looking forward to getting back down on the Rogue. I have heard reports that the majority of our fish have been holding up low in the system. We should see the dam counts do nothing but improve over the next couple weeks. My best fishing on the upper Rogue is generally the first two weeks of April.

I will also take this opportunity to post some pics from recent trips.


Steve Rose with a chrome buck still sporting sea lice with tails. The sea lice had not even lost their tails yet - only hours out of the salt!!! It was an amazingly strong fish. It was only one of a number of fish we had that day.


A couple more from John and Steve's trip.

Judy Nakawatase with a 33" chrome hen. The biggest fish we saw on a productive day over on the coast.

Shiz with one of his from a day he went 5 for 5.

Judy with one of the big bucks she had from a 3 day trip where they hooked 17!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Peak Season!

We are heading into the peak of our winter season chasing big natives on the North Umpqua. I have not done the job I was hoping to do updating my daily report this season. I am finding that as a new father, my evening desk time is very limited when I am on the river guiding everyday. I have been rained out today so, I am taking this opportunity to post a report and share some pics from earlier this winter.

Up to this point, our fishing on the Umpqua has been slower than we are accustomed to. I believe our final fish counts will show that our numbers are down this season. We were all aware that our fishing was going to be slow on the South Umpqua because most of the hatchery juveniles that correspond to this years return died prior to their acclimation. As a result, I have spent a lot less time on the South this season. Unfortunately, the wild returns on the Main and North have been down as well. We have had some high points but overall, we have not consistently seen the crazy numbers my clients have come to expect. Don't get me wrong, the fishing has been consistent but, most days we have been working hard for 3 to 6 fish a day. When it comes to numbers this winter season, my best fishing has been on our coastal rivers. Here we have seen some huge number days. What are huge numbers you say? How about days when we went 14 for 18 or 10 for 16 on chrome bright fresh winters!!! I have included some pics below.

I also wanted to take this time to point out an issue we are experiencing on the Umpqua. As many of you are aware, we just won a battle this last year to stop the killing of wild steelhead on the entire Umpqua system. Fortunately, this new law corresponds with year when our fish counts will most likely be down. My question for ODFW who was in support of killing our wild fish is: "Aren't you glad we're not killing them this season?" It is a perfect example why all of us wild fish advocates are in favor of managing our fishery on the side of conservation rather than ODFW's outdated policies of maximum sustainable yield. 1 - this year has shown us that we can't count on hatcheries to provide us with an artificial fishery. The die off of nearly the entire South Umpqua hatchery plant has brought this fishery to its knees. Selfishly, it has directly affected my business. 2 - this year has also reminded us that our wild returns are cyclical and very unpredictable. Years like 2004 when our fish numbers were above the 10 year average, sparked a debate to start killing our wild fish. It was these years of bounty that enabled ODFW to reopen the system to the killing of our wild steelhead to harvest what they calculated to be a "surplus". We are now seeing the return from these years of harvest and it is no mystery to many of us why our numbers are down. Whether you believe our low counts this year are a direct result of killing our wild stocks or just coincidence, we must all agree it is a good thing we are not killing any of them this season. We are going to need every fish returning this to successfully spawn.



A perfect pair from a day with retired pro baseball player Scott Hatteburg and his brother Jeff from the Umpqua. Scott has become a good friend and regular client of mine. He is one of those guys that always seems to bring good luck with him.

Long time friend Mike Davis with a beauty from the North. This buck was one of several fish we had that day and is the biggest Mike has caught with me over the years.

After a great day on the coast a couple years ago where they had 11, Jeanette and Jamie were rained out of their trip last winter. They made up for it this year with fish like this nice buck Jeanette caught.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Our Winter Fish Are Here!



It's that time of year again when we get a shot at that fish of a life time. Over the years I have grown to prefer the cool days, green water and big fish that the winter season presents to us. This year we had the chance to start targeting winters a little early. As November came to a close I had a hard time putting the boat away for a break after the fall season. We had a shot of early fish that coincided with some perfect water conditions. If what I saw before Christmas is any indication of what we have to come this winter, then look out. It's going to be a great winter!

I generally consider the kick-off of my winter season after I have taken my break for the holidays. This year, I started things back up with a bang on the 28th of December. Unfortunately, this success was short lived. After a day on the coast where we went 5 for 5, old man winter hit us with a sucker punch. We had a rare snow fall on the low hills that was then followed by a warm rain. Our rivers just screamed out of shape. I tried fishing again on the the first of the year but ended up giving my guys the morning on me. The river was just barely out of shape.

Anyway, we are back under way and if the forecast holds true, we are going to have good fishing for a while. We have enough options to fish in the region that most days there is a river fishing within shot of home base. However, each winter is different. In 2005 I had to only cancel one day all season because of the rivers being blown, where this year I have already had to cancel 7 days. The low snow killed us the last week. Now that the white stuff is gone we should go back into a normal winter pattern.

Check back in! I hope to do a better job of updating my reports this winter. We'll see about that!