Oregon fishing and BS

Blue fox or what?

 

I've only fished the Clackamas once, up Eagle Creek. Not my cup of tea.

Blue fox is what I use. Not that other brands don't work, just what is easy for me to grab. Matter of fact, couple local spinner guys in the Portland/Vancouver area make up some really nice spinners.
But back to blue fox, I like size #3. I have a bunch of #4s, I just don't do as good with the 4s as I do the 3s. Spinner color depends on a lot of different things, more than what I'm willing to type out. Green, pink, purple, black, blue, and silver. Try and keep it simple.
And I forgot, ditch the treble hook for the single.

 

Yep! Size 3's or 4's is what I guide with. Cut the treble off and put on a nice Siwash on and you'll decrease the number of hangups and increase the number of hooks in the corner of the mouth. You'll get the occasional Coho or Chinook plucking at it depending on the river.



My main technique these days is bobber dogging soft or hard beads. There's a few tricks to pegging hard beads whereas the soft beads are really straightforward. If I'm fishing with very unskilled people I'll just pull plugs all day. If we're going fly-only I'm typically fishing an unweighted intruder-style fly and just swapping sinking tips the whole day to get the fly down to different depths vs. changing fly weights.

 

Thanks guys. I have some blue fox spinners I’m gonna give a try

 

Don't get to frustrated. To be 100%, last couple years fishing has really sucked. I got into salmon and steelhead in the late 90s early 2000s when every river system was loaded with fish.
Now I dream of those years, big fish and a smaller gut.

 

Great thread OP, Love hearing about any fishing stories all the time. I grew up in PDX, but got into Fly Fishing while at school at Western Washington U up in Bellingham. Now I live on the corner of the OlyPen and my goal for the year is Cutthroat Cutthroat Cutthroat. God these fish are fun. Open all year round in the saltwater, all you gotta do is make a janky stripping basket and wade off a beach. Keeping a rinsing jug in the back of your truck is also a good idea...

I work for a Regional Fishery Enhancment group though and am helping run a project studying Coastal Cutthroat in Hood canal. A lot of old/original data on Searun Cutthroats comes out of the Trask, pretty interesting stuff!

 

I'll 2nd this - I caught my first steelie on the Sandy just chucking spinners for trout when I was a kid. Actually scared the crap out of 10yo me since the fish hit the lure so hard I thought I hooked into an animal.

It really depends on the water and river. Some rivers fish better w/ bobber & jig, some are drifting rivers only. I think the depth of the run probably decides for me and how snaggy the bottom looks. Water color & temp help me pick the business end of the setup.

For drift fishing, I don't think you can go wrong with a corky, slinky & yarn. Or a soft bead, slinky & yarn. I've great luck w/ handmade yarnies and scent, too. Haha yarnies are the OG beads.

Always add yarn since it sticks in their teeth and gives you a few seconds of extra hook-set time. Even if it's just a little bit tied onto the shank of the hook.

 

Dude this 100%. Fish numbers have been absolutely terrible for the last 3-4 years and seriously short for years before that. Hookups, hits, fish landed - it's all been severely impacted. Here's to hoping for better days and less people on the river lol

 

Nothing after work today

 

I’m trying to start fly fishing the deschutes when I can, I’m in canby so lots of smallmouth bass fishing

 

You need to take me bass fishing LOL

 

This ones for my Oregon bass junkies

 

I just started fishing bass more last year and I told myself this year that I’m gonna hit bass hard. Nothing yet this year though of any fish species.

this bass right here is what got me hooked... only my second one ever caught last April. It’s also the reason I carry a scale now....

 

THATS A CHUNKKKKKK

 

yes sir. Another pic of the same fish

 

Willamette? And what lures do you like?

 

this was one the Columbia and I caught it on a blue fox spinner.

 

Trout bum checking in! Love this thread already.

 

you’re welcome hehe

 

Some recent fish this winter - any other fly guys out in central Oregon? I think @brkncly is out this way