Tag Archives: bamboo rods

Salmon Flies and Browns on the Middle Deschutes River.

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I’ve been hearing a lot of reports for the past two weeks of salmon flies on the Middle Deschutes River here in Central Oregon so I was finally able to get out today for a few hours.  I took my 7′  6″  5 wt Freestone Series bamboo fly rod.  Fish were quite hungry for both nymphs and dry flies, and I picked up several…the rainbows were between 10″ and 15″ and the browns were between 12″ and 18″.  The river is relatively small where I fished so the 7′  6″ medium fast action rod was perfect.  Here are a few photos of my afternoon.

Middle Deschutes River Salmon Fly.

Middle Deschutes River Salmon Fly.

#8 Orange Bodied Stimulator.

#8 Orange Bodied Stimulator.

 

Nice Middle Deschutes River Brown that took a #8 Black Girdlebug.

Nice Middle Deschutes River Brown that took a #8 Black Girdlebug.

A beautiful Middle Deschutes River Brown that took a #8 Gold Bodied Stimulator.

A beautiful Middle Deschutes River Brown that took a #8 Orange Bodied Stimulator.

 

Fly Fishing the Yakima River in Central Washington

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After attending the 2016 Washington Fly Fishing Fair in Ellensburg, Washington this past Friday and Saturday, I had Sunday off to play around on the water.  I hit the Troutwater Fly Shop in Cle Elum to get info about access and water conditions on the Yakima River.  Kudos to the shop staff…they were very friendly and knowledgeable, and were extremely helpful in pointing me towards access points on the river.  After that, it was all up to my skills and abilities to find cooperative fish.  The water is still running high and a little ‘coldish’ but the color was good.  Since I knew I would be throwing some large stonefly nymphs, I chose my 8′  3″  5 wt Signature Series bamboo fly rod for my day.  I managed to tempt several smaller smolts to the net, who were happy to take a #8 black girdle bug, and while I didn’t get anything larger, a day on the water is always a great time.  Here are a couple of photos of my day.

The Yakima River near Cle Elum.

The Yakima River near Cle Elum.

A pretty Yakima River fish.

A pretty Yakima River fish.

Crooked River Fishing with Bamboo Rods

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Mary Ann and I got the chance to get out on the Crooked River yesterday for a few hours.  The water level has finally dropped down to a fishable level (350 CFS)…high but fishable and off-color.  I was using my 8′  3″  5 wt Signature Series bamboo rod for some EuroNymphing with small nymphs.  A bug sampling we took showed plenty of nymphs in the water…scuds, sowbugs, lots of mayflies, a few caddis, and even one stonefly.  Although we didn’t get a lot of fish, the rainbows we picked up were nice sized fish.  #18 Blue Zebra Midges and #16 Pheasant Tail Nymphs were the best patterns.  Here are a few photos of our day.

The Crooked River at 350 CFS.

The Crooked River at 350 CFS.

Bug Sampling from the Crooked River.

Bug Sampling from the Crooked River.

A good bend in my 5 wt bamboo rod.

A good bend in my 5 wt bamboo rod.

A nice Crooked River Rainbow that took a #18 Blue Zebra Midge.

A nice Crooked River Rainbow that took a #18 Blue Zebra Midge.

Article on Mary Ann in our local paper!

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Our local paper, the Sisters Nugget, just did a fun piece on Mary Ann and her passion for fly fishing.

Mary Ann (580x260)

Check it out at:  http://www.nuggetnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=88&ArticleID=24734 .

Bamboo Rod Fishing with Tony Bellaver

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My friend and rod builder extraordinaire, Tony Bellaver of  Alpenglow Fly Rods in the San Francisco area was visiting central Oregon this week, and we were able to get out on the Metolius River yesterday for some fly fishing.  I took my 8′  0″  5 wt slow action Spring Creek Series rod that is especially good for small dry flies and delicate presentations.  Tony took out a 7′  6″  medium fast action quad…a very nice casting rod for the Metolius River.  The weather was gorgeous and there were plenty of caddis and mayflies out, but the trout weren’t very cooperative.  In fact, I only saw one fish rise all day.  But, it was great to see Tony and get the chance to hit the river with him.  Here are a couple of photos of our day.

Tony and I on the Metolius River.

Tony and I on the Metolius River.

Tony working a dry fly with his quad fly rod.

Tony working a dry fly with his quad fly rod.