I started carrying a small camcorder with me on our fishing trips this Fall, and was able to build a "highlights" video for our 2010 season, which I will post here.   I had enough fun with this project, that I think I will make it an annual project.  I hope you enjoy it.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA8BzS-sRWo

OK, as past president of the Somes Bar Department of Redundancy Located In Somes Bar, I take pride in the accusation (or accolade) from Brad Holst yesterday.  As a professional communicator, Brad's descriptor of my guiding style as "loquatious" should in theory carry some weight.   However, this is the epitome of the "kettle calling the pot black".   Brad....is even more loquatious...and professionally trained to demonstrate said lucid oral deliveries.   What are we talking about?  My 20 minute answer to Brad's question:  "Why did the mountain slip to the river over there?"   The Klamath weather may be hot or cold, the fish may be bighting or not, the river may be flowing high or low, but the guarantee for  mid Klamath fishing trips is always serene fishing, exquisite scenery, and even wit, flamboyant guide yarns, and abundant good conversation.  Oh, and did I forget to shamelessly promote my wife's cooking at our guest ranch ?   Here is my new friend Brad, brother to my fishing compadres and fellow "soul soldiers" Dave and  Monty Holst:


But how was the fishing you ask?   This week has seen a dropping river, clear water, moderate temperatures, and lots of fresh, hot fish.   We did not net any adults on our most recent outing, but the quantity of half pounders and their chrome bright ocean fresh complexions bode well for a push of new fish of all sizes.  If you choose a week to come up and fish the Klamath this November, this next week may be the "prime lie" for the fish calendar.  So, put down the remote control, and tell Mama that it's time to steelhead. 

As usual, the Holst clan demonstrates quality in delivery of fly lines.   Here is a cool shot of David:


Thanks for sharing the good times Dave, Brad and Monty, and we will see you next year.
Doug

This past November 2 was  Election Day. During the course of our steelhead fishing trips, the topic of discussion has often turned  politics.   Now I generally try to avoid the topics of politics, religion, and other personal topics during the fish day.   It too often detracts from the up-beat gratifying topics of new fishing gear, and lifted trucks.

In a recent riverside discussion on the topic of politics, my guests and I reviewed the life history of steelhead to try and determine a probable political alignment for the species.  

Recall, that steelhead are abandoned at birth and left to fend for themselves.  Lacking parental nurturing and care, the few that survive early childhood begin a nomadic life style that takes them to unknown global climes.   They just don’t stay connected to a home fish community, or contribute in any way to local fish culture.   Instead, they travel the world in roving pods of aggressive gangs, often returning as juvenile delinquents to terrorize the homes of otherwise sincere mature spawning adult fish.  These half-pounder pre-adults have a propensity for body piercings and eagerly move to sharpened steel if it has just the slightest bit of flashy dubbing or exotic feather wrapped on a cold steel shank. 

The sad truth to this scenario is that these renegade fish learn to live on the programmed dole offerings of big-nature.   Now we all know how big-nature moves without any concern to the greater development of individualist fish character.  It’s all about just passing along the best genes without any regard to the individual in the interest of the “greater fish good”.  The net result of this is the most common steelhead character flaw of hedonistic feeding, voraciously consuming any and all prey animals that they can fit their mouths around. They seldom give up the barcolounger sweet lie or remote control up-stream view.  They may spend hours or days at a time to slurp passing detritus while refusing to move too far out of their fish lies to earn their meals.  If this were not appalling enough, these homeless often nose pierced carnivorous anadramoids cannot keep a home even if they manage to locate their natal waters!  As soon as they build a nest and create a family, they immediately abandon their offspring and return to the sea with the surviving bros- from – the – hood to perpetuate the cycle indefinitely.  Its heart breaking to me.  

Have we mentioned substance abuse?  These poor saps are on the whole, addicted to power baits hawked by those low-life power bait pushers that skulk around dark river corners in untoward riparian neighborhoods.  I feel like crying.

Well, I don’t know for sure if these steelhead even vote, but some may conclude from the above life history, that steelhead may be of a liberal politic.   However, others have argued that based on their frequent attempts to jump to the moon, to conquer distant global fish niches, and to encourage big-nature to move unfettered by fish legislations, that they are conservative.  I, However, feel that based on their propensity toward anger after a lip piercing of their own choice and volition, tend to view them as tea-partiers.  They just seem to get too pissed off when they are called on to accept the consequences of their choices.  After all, peer pressure from the steelhead pod is no excuse for their willful choice to pierce their noses with Japanese steel.  And what’s with those rosy cheeks?   Are they embarrassed by the whole “spawning” scene?  I mean, we all know what they are really up to.  Perhaps we need to secure our boarders and patrol for non-native steelhead to preserve our national steelhead stock & culture.

So, I hope this discussion of fish politics hasn’t offended too many of my readers, but I didn’t write this sad story, I’m just passing it along for your own evaluation and consideration.

Till next time, your fish politic analyst, Doug     

The mid Klamath River is fishing nicely and we are enjoying a healthy run of steelhead this year.   Current water temps are at about 60 degrees, the flow at Orleans is at 1800 cfs  see the   Klamath River Report

The amazing thing about the Klamath is that is gets so little fishing pressure.   The scenery is world class, we are netting an average of 15 steelhead on a guide day, and we have a world class fishing lodge to support the fishing.  I suppose the Mid Klamath is just too remote for some people.  

We guided our new friends from the American Fly Fishing Shop and had a wonderful two days.   Here are some of the highlight fish and images.  Note that Al Bunch forgot his American Fly Shop hat, and the Earl his guest got the bigger fish.   Earl also has a personal promise to never smile for a fish picture until he gets his first 20 pound steelhead.  Yea, I know, and yes, I told him he may be frowning a while...we shall see:


See you on the river, Doug

This is a two pound steelhead typical of some that we are catching lately.  As pretty as this fish is, it lacks in size compared to the adult fish that we expect to see in October and November.  I have a concern over the seeming reduction in numbers of 7 - 10+ pound steelhead that the Klamath should be producing.  Are they just late this year?   Are they waiting for higher flows?  Is the slow start to Winter precipitation a factor?  Are they being taken prior to arrival in the mid Klamath?   I just don't know.  We have recently seen a nice push of half pounders come through, and I had been hoping to see more of the 4 - 6 pound steelies and some of the bigger fish as well, but I don't see them in good  numbers yet.

On a positive note, the river is in amazingly good shape for fishing.  We are now seeing the cycle of storms followed by dry weeks.  Here is the effect of some recent storms as it shows in Klamath River flows at Orleans:

I fished yesterday with Bruce and Bryan Krogstad.  Bruce is a past Marble Mountain Ranch client and his son Bryan is an Alaska fly fishing guide now doing graduate studies in social work at Portland.   The weather was timed at the tail end of the recent storm.   We had great water clarity, water temps at 48 degrees, there was snow on the higher peaks, and the fishing was average as fas as numbers.   We took 4 half pounders, one small adult shown above, and we broke off one un-seen larger fish.  Yea, Bruce...lets talk again about "horsing" a steelie even with a 2-X tippet!...It was a great day, and frankly, I quite enjoyed hearing about Bryan's adventures fishing with the Alaska cruise ship guests and guiding with a shotgun slung over the shoulder to drive off the bear.   I guess that's the ultimate of "un-concealed carry".  Here is another shot of a fish from yesterday:


The current weather forecast shows the next 10 days with clear skies or partly cloudy, but with no anticipated precipitation.  If you can make the drive up during the Thanksgiving week, this might be a good guess at lining up the weather, river flows, and possible fresh fish arrivals.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!...My Hoopa Indian neighbor invited us over to be his "Token Pilgrim" at the Thanksgiving table, but we have guests here this week...Sorry Joseph!  

Doug

The classic fishing yarn almost always starts with a line like this:  "Me and Bubba was a fishing up yonder on swillup crick....."  

This tale, however, is deserving of a little more,   hmmmm,   editorial class:  "It was a mystical morning, that first clearing day after the storms, as this Father/Son fishing duo strung their rods in anticipation of their continued search for the legendary Klamath River Steelhead."


The previous day had been stacked full of the powerful silver demon bullets, but the steady rain had pushed the intrepid duo to the limits of their physical prowess.  (How's it sounding so far?)


But as the sun breached the limits of the ridge tops, burning the chilling cloud banks from the dark abyss of the canyon recess, the mighty Dave and Monty father-son team began their orchestrated and finely honed precision casting barrage that would taunt the helpless steelhead for the balance of the day.  Take this you nasty steelhead!



and take this!



First one came to hand, then another came to net, and another, till double and triple digit numbers were racked up,



until finally the fatal karmic prideful comment was uttered by the younger of the Holst team.  As the previously solitary fishermen drifted into range of the only other boat on the river, young David commented:  "Look there!   Those boys are pulling plugs and tossin spinners!    Lets hook up to a big-un and holler up and down the canyon as we fish a big boy!!!"

Not much can destroy an otherwise perfect fishing day quicker the the soul searing flaws of vain and arrogant prideful fishing....It's that darned Y chromosome rearing it's macho head again and laying the groundwork for fishing wars and generalized,  river dischord.

No sooner had Dave, this otherwise fine and upstanding general practitioner and good father from Mt. Shasta, uttered these fatal words, than the two elderly plug pullers connected with some form of un-godly hybrid between Orca, flipper, and Jaws.  They beat us to the prescribed hoots, hollers, and echoing laughter of fishing Nirvana.  Our spirits were destroyed, and the 30-plus half pounders suddenly meant nothing in comparison to that beast caught in the trebles.

"OK, lets pull up and move on" was my comment, as I continued to role play the spiritual advisor and began my sermon on prideful fishing....but first, if you are humble and repentant, we can quarter cast off of the starboard mid-ship and we will fish this seam as we pass....
FISH ON!! AND FISH ON!!   IT'S A DOUBLE HOOK UP!!!

Farewell - humility,     so long - compassion,    Drop anchor and grab a net!!!

The day ended with over 40 half pounders, three adult fish hook-ups, perfectly clear skys, and only one other boat for competition.   The hot-shotters did have a nice come-back in the end though:   "Hey, we got a double too!   it's a fish and a beer!!!" as the bow man held up his can with a wide grin.

Heck,  I don't drink anyway!   That don't mean nothin....  Here's number 41.



And so ended the day.   Just another excellent adventure, with fish, bubba, beer, religion and testosterone.

Till later, Doug

A fair portion of the client base for our Klamath River fly fishing guide service is a more elderly sportsman who no longer wishes to risk wading in the river.  I enjoy the company of these gentleman sportsmen and I cherish the friendships they often develop into.  The poignant and sometimes emotional point to the relationship is when the long term client/friend realizes that they have now aged beyond the capacity to manage a boat assisted fishing trip.  I have had the pleasure and honor of witnessing these swan-song fish outings for several friends who know that the ends have come for their fishing careers. 

Hugh now lives on the East coast in assisted care, and was able to manage a final  flight out to the Klamath for his swan song trip to the Klamath River this last week.  The days were glorious, filled with good memories, laughter, plenty of  steelhead, and long farewell hugs.  Thank you Dick, from the Oakmont, for helping Hugh to manage the travel and for sharing his last adventure.  We'll see you on the river, Hugh:



Here is a shot of one of the fish from Hugh's trip:



And here is the CRAZY gull that attacked our fish all afternoon....what a wild day that was:



So, how is the fishing now?   Classic.   We have 49 degree water, flows in Orleans of about 2500 cfs.  Sprinkles or showers nearly daily, and fresh fish showing up.   I am seeing more salmon redds in November than I remember from previous years, so we are targeting a lot of the steelhead residing behind the redds.  Oh, and the fishing pressure is typically light.  I have not seen another boat on the river in days, and my son Peter saw just one other guide boat (pulling plugs) on the Ti Bar  run today.    If you want a private fishing day....great conditions...fresh fish.....and aggressive sea-gulls...give us a call!   See you on the Rio, Doug



 

The Klamath River has finally entered it's Winter pattern of repeated rains followed by short periods of clearing.  The flows have been up accordingly, and the river has been at times full of floating debris and suspended sediment.  However, the last week has not given us any blown out days, just more challenging days in wet weather with lunatic fringe fishing compatriots.  Here is the flow graph from USGS as reported at Orleans.
 

If I am fishing in water with large amounts of floating detritus, or in water that is off color, I fish with fly patterns that are easily distinguishable from the suspended trash.   Why should I tie on a brown/green small fly when there are billions of other small brown/green pieces of trash zipping by a steelhead and competing for it's attention?   Why not go with RED as the predominant fly color in this scenario?   Here is my proof:


A babine special, glow bug, polar shrimp or some form of contrasting and attention grabbing fly is my go-to pattern in these conditions.  

Pete and I have fished most of the week with guests from all over the globe.  We have had a couple from Germany, a steelheader from Colorado, an ex-fishing guide from Washington state, a hotelier from Eureka, a west coast beer distributer, and my long term returning father/son friends Bruce Sr. and Bruce Jr. (Bruce to the second power in mathematical terms)  from the Sacramento and San Francisco area.   The daily creel count has been consistent at about 8-9 half pounders and one adult in the mix.    The adults however, are seldom pushing past that 4-5 pound class and it makes me wonder where the big bruisers are this year.   There is a lot of press lately about sand berms at the mouth of the Klamath, Low Klamath River flows, and recently about possible abuses of gill nets by the Hoopa and the Yurok indians.  I don't have any desire to point fingers in this forum, so I am going to contrast this discussion with a cyber HIGH FIVE and thank you to my neighbors the Karuk tribe for limiting their ceremonial and subsistence fishing to the practice of dip netting at Ishi Pishi Falls.  This tactic is selective to the species desired, is more authentic in tradition than monofilament gill nets strung out with jet boats, and is nearly impossible to over-fish with.   You cannot leave a dip net out over night and drown a hundred salmon and steelhead by the time you decide to come back in a day or so.

Here is how the Karuk do it, and in my opinion do it right.  This is Ron Reed, a neighbor of mine, who's son I taught math to at Happy Camp High.



My ancestral stock is viking stock from Denmark.  This was a rather tough, brutal bunch of boaters that most of Europe built hundred foot castle walls to defend against, and frankly I am glad for the loss of this part of my personal cultural tradition.  I carry on my viking fishing and boating tradition by catch and release fishing with a barbless hook fly while carrying a tasty deli sandwich in the cooler!  No need to maraud, pillage, and plunder these days, thank goodness.   As for the Karuk tradition of Dip Netting, my thought is "go get-em" and please try to stay on the top of that slippery rock and out of the falls.

Here is a parting shot from this weeks released harvest of chrome:


Later, Doug

Now that I have your attention, I would like to spill the beans about the last several years I have spent fishing the Klamath River with Paris Hilton (the fly).   Nope, no videos are to follow, but it does smell a lot like fish here....lets start at the beginning:

One of my good friends and clients is Mike McGuire from the Peninsula Fly Fishers.   Each year prior to his arrival, he sends an e-mail and asks if he can tie me some flies, and if so, what would I like.  Being the rather demented and twisted sort that I am, I have a tough time with simple honest and straightforward answers.  Three or four years ago I responded to him with a request that I really didn't expect Mike to follow through with. 

"Mike, I want you to tie me a dozen herniators with an added set of wings from a Silver Hilton, and tie me a dozen in the bead head version.....please.....and can you do them in both green and copper?"

Since Mike is the accommodating type, he gladly tied them and carried them up for that season's steelhead club outing here at the Marble Mountain Ranch.  Of course, I put them to work on the first day I fished with Mike.   Obviously, since I am writing the story, the flies must have had some value.  In fact, they were so effective, that I continued fishing the flies for the next year as my current secret "boat fly."  I then began the search for a name for this new creation.  

The first thing that came to mind was simply "Herniated Hilton."  With each new visiting client, I continued to tie on my new secret boat fly and explain that it is flashy, skinny, sexy, often floats by on it's back, and is lightly dressed.  (please forgive me here)...so, finally one guest responded..."Oh, you mean you fished with Paris Hilton?".....and that was the end of the name search.

Now, all you minions of loyal readers of this blog.   Here is your payback.   Allow me to introduce, Paris Hilton - the fly



and yes, the copper version was named the BFF (best friends forever).   I claim ignorance of what the BFF actually stands for, since I threw out the family TV 15 years ago when we moved to Marble Mountain Ranch....you see, a friend of mine told me what a BFF is and how the Nicole girl was ....never mind.

So, now the secret is out.   I have been fishing with Paris Hilton for 4 years, and I smell like fish.  Her partner, a BFF has also been fishing with me, and she too smells like fish.  I ask for forgiveness from my supporting wife and family and promise to not let this unfortunate event deter me from my continued service in the public sector.  (excuse me while I wipe a tear from the corner of my right eye with the conveniently placed handkerchief in my breast pocket)

The following image of a bead head Paris Hilton stuck in the teeth of this poor, innocent, and hapless salmon is recommended for viewing by mature audiences only:



Well, I hope this blog entry doesn't get me sued.   Have a good night and get to work tying those new flies, courtesy of Doug and Mike.

When we target steelhead on the fly, we sometimes also get salmon to bite the fly.   The does not often happen, but it does occasionally.   When it does, and when the fish is fresh, you can imagine the river battle that erupts.   Imagine,  a strong 25-30 pound salmon on a 6 wt fly rod.   Mike Pinelli (from the Peninsula Fly Fishers) was fishing with his son Andy in my boat when we targeted steelhead at a tail-out and amazingly connected with this King Salmon.  The fight lasted 27 minutes, the salmon pulled my boat through a downstream rapid, and Mike took the biggest fish of his life.  We had just moments earlier upgraded his leader, and put a fresh knot at his fly to enable getting this fish in the net.  There is seldom a dull day in this business.


Here is another shot:

We have also continued to find steelhead in what is turning out to be a remarkable October.  This Fall has been stellar for weather, good company and shared adventures, and great fishing conditions on the Klamath.  Here  is one of this week's steelhead. 

Peter, my son is also a great addition to our guiding staff this year.   Can it get any better than fishing for steelhead with family and friends?   Sometimes life just seems too good to be true.   OK< wipe that tear from your eyes!   I'll post a picture of Peter for you all to see sometime next week.   Doug

I often have guests that are world traveling fishermen.   While I get a lot of fishing days under my belt, they are all concentrated on the streams that are within reach of our lodge/ranch.   I fish the Klamath, Trinity, Cal Salmon and that is about as far as I get to go due to my life constraints and guiding logistics.   As well traveled fishing guests spend the day with me, the conversation sometimes goes to the topic of that incredibly great guide on the SUCH and SUCH river, or that horrendous guide on the So and So river.   The obvious questions I have are:   "Why was one a great guide and the other a poor guide?" 

It seems that once you get past competence to put a client on to the fish, the most common responses relate to poor public relations and non-professional aspects of the service.  Other issues some mentioned included poor lunches and dodging the game wardens after confessing that the guide was not licensed.  The poor guides often have a sense of arrogance and intolerance of the guest's fishing weaknesses, they may provide only limited service in the day, or cut the day short, and might actually fish in competition to the guests who have paid to be there.   These things are all amazing thoughts to me and somewhat hard to understand.   It seems only fair to assume that if a client has paid to have me guide them, that they demand every conceivable talent and asset I might posess to assist in the success of the day, and that we darn well better have an enjoyable day.....regardless of the weather or if we have fish in the stream. 

I've been in one form of the guiding business or another since I was 14 years old (1968) and it is my career choice as well as my passion.  I love my job and I have a clear vision of what I think my guiding priorities ought to be.   So for the record, here we go:

Prime directive:   SAFETY - I require all of our fishing guests to wear a life vest in the boat, and it is a comfortable fishing vest that is easy to fish while wearing.  All of my guides have CPR, First Aid, and are fully licensed and bonded.

Second directive:  Put the guests on fish without being overbearing, arrogant, or demanding.   In other words - Just relax and have fun.    Have LOTS of fun mixing up the day with varied fishing tactics and good conversation.

Third directive:  Professional courtesy to all neighboring fishermen, local residents, and any people encountered in the trip.   I give a hearty smile and thumbs-up to that wade fisherman who happened to be in my favorite fishing hole with a fish on the line.   No fishing spot or different fishing tactic or divergent politic is worth losing the good karma of a perfect fishing day.   It's fishing and it's supposed to be enjoyed rather than argued about.
OK<   so how has the fishing been?   GREAT!   During the last two days we picked up around half pounders/boat and connected with 1 - 2 adult fish in the 5 pound range.   Wind has been somewhat nasty, but we have managed.

Here are some pictures of the days:





Later, Doug

I have just finished guiding a week with some very proficient fly casters.  The spey rod was their tool of choice, and frankly I was a bit concerned about how the days would go as I choreographed casts to target waters that required being in my drift boat.  It took short minutes to figure out how to efficiently spey cast from the decks of my drift boat.  I don't think I have ever covered so much water in as thorough a fashion as by combining strategic boat placement with precise spey casting.  I thoroughly enjoyed the days being on the water with two steelheaders that are on top of the game.  Did I say that the casting was devine?   Check this out.  I have actual photographic evidence of the source of the cast.


On a side note, the competition for the best fly box collection was ramped up to a new level this week.  We couldn't even fit all of Dwayne's boxes on the log to stage this photo.


The fishing over the last few days has been tough.  Weather conditions were ideal, but the bite was a bit off.  To make it even tougher, our largest fish always seemed to be one shake of the head, one jump to the sky and one charge to the boat ahead of us.  The biggest fish we had on the hook, were never put in the net.   Oh well,  the day's were filled with classic steelhead adrenaline adventure and Fall magic. 

The Klamath is stable at 2100cfs in Orleans, river temps are 56 degrees, skys are filled with partial clouds, and the leaves are brilliant yellow, orange, and reds.   Our typical days over the week have produced 6-15 half pounders and 0 - 3 adults.  Till later, Doug 

The last week has been note worthy on several regards.  The first things coming to mind are the perfect steelheading conditions, the numbers of very hot fish that we could not hang on to, and on the variety of fly rods that my guests have brought to the game.

P.J. is a new client from the Bay Area electronics industry and is passionate about connecting to the traditional roots of steelheading.   His rod of choice was a 7 foot 3 inch bamboo restoration.
 

Joe fished with a 10 wt. graphite cannon, P.J.'s friend brought a 2 Wt. (which I denied!), and Dwayne and Ron brought an armory of spey guns and switch rods in the 5 to 7 weight range.  While the rode divergence is extreme, each fisherman was passionate about his favorite rod and  was successful in taking steelhead!   Here is one of Dwayne's fish from today:

I think the foundation to this successful rod diversity lies in the heterogeneous nature of the middle Klamath.  We are not fishing the same kind of water from dusk till dawn.  That 10 wt. of Joe's did just fine in the deeper pools and runs, the bamboo rod worked best while casting from the boat, the spey rods of course did well on the waded riffles and the switch rod worked well from the boat and the waded runs.  The side-line to this story is that it illustrates the typical fishing day for us.  We do not need to spend 8-9 hours on the fishing dark-side, eyes glued to an indicator, and fending off fishing induced mental decay. Yes, I too use an indicator under dire circumstances of extreme cold winter conditions and tight fishing quarters, but the capacity to cast with impunity, in a constantly changing mix of riffles, plunge pools, tail-outs, boulder gardens, pocket water, and cut-banks makes our day varied, interesting, and simply great fun.

So, how has the fishing been?   In a word: PERFECT.  The fish have been hot, hot, hot.   Check out this half pounder reaching to 5 feet out of the water before re-entering the atmosphere.

The frequent lost adult fish from the last week speak to the high-octane level of the current Klamath fishery.  River temps are consistent at 58 degrees, the flows are stable near 2200 cfs, the clarity is good, the weather is ideal with broken skies and periodic light showers.  And the guide is knowledgeable, sincere, effervescent, remarkable good looking, and quite humb......ble.   That was HUMbbbble.  On this note I'll say good day.  The river is calling and the breakfast bacon must first get fried!~   Doug

Most fishing guides have some sort of web presence and many post a fishing report or blog.  The savvy fishing client has the ability to cruise through these blogs and glean information about fishing conditions on their rivers of choice.   However, a river guide with a need to fill empty guide days, can feel pressure to bias the reports to encourage prospective bookings.  I feel that a good report should be brutally honest and post both quantifiable and objective information as well as subjective and anecdotal observations.

One of my favorite places to start in evaluating the Klamath River is the river flow, measured in cubic feet per second (cfs) at Orleans.  I choose Orleans only because it is the closest guage stations to our home base in Somes Bar.  I prefer to fish in water that is under 5000cfs and ideally between 2000 and 3000 cfs for the swung fly presentation. 

We have recently had our first significant storm come through the North State and it  has pushed much of the Summer algae and early Fall leaf litter downstream.  The water temperatures are perfect for steelheading (mid 50s), and the river is in a clearing, dropping flow, and generally improving condition.  Here is how the graph looks as taken from USGS:

In an ideal world, I would have a graph that had a blue line for cfs, a red line for river temperature, a green line for clarity, and a black line for steelhead density.  Yeah right!   The reality is that I get a USGS map showing stream flow rate, I take my thermometer down to the river and get a reading, I take a step into the river and check if I can see my feet, and then count fish taken during a guide day.   Oh yea, I also get a pretty good idea of the river clarity by watching our canal diversion from Stanshaw creek.   This diversion brings us water for our hydroelectric plant, and it gives me a good idea of main stream Klamath river quality.  If my penstock diversion line is muddy, and full of leaves, I can count on the river being off color and full of debris.

Well, the bottom line to all of this is that for the next 10 days we appear to have an improving river, that is cleaner and cooler than the previous weeks.  My anecdotal fishing creel count indicates more bright, aggressive steelhead are waiting to wrestle with my fishing guests.  So,  lets go get em!

Doug

The last few days have been remarkably consistent.  The main stem Klamath has been flowing around 1900 cfs at Orleans with 300 additional cfs released at Iron Gate Dam.  The temperature of the main Klamath has lowered to around 57 degrees, but has some additional moss in the system.  And, the number of our caught fish have daily been around 6 half pounders and two adults.   Here is a sample of a typical adult from the last few days.  This mis Michael Caranci, from the Redding Fly Shop.  That rod on his arm is a "switch" rod.  It's the hybrid of a spey and a single handed rod.  It was interesting in one particular regard, in that he was easily able to spey cast while working from a boat deck.  But,  I suspect Michael could spey cast while standing one legged on a slippery boulder, mid stream, with wind in his face, a gnat in the eye, and with bear fishing alongside.



During the last two weeks there has been a sand bar develop at the mouth of the Klamath that has stopped up-stream migration.  I suspect that it is the reason for the slower fishing we are seeing on the lower Klamath, since there would be no fresh fish moving upstream through the riffles, while already arrived fish have spread out over the reaches of the mid and upper Klamath.   The sand bar has moved, fish are now entering at the mouth, and we have a large rain pattern predicted for next week.  This should make fishing difficult during the rising river, but ultimately produce some quality fishing for the balance of October.

Here is another picture from the earlier part of the week:

See you on the rio.   Doug

Ken Fortson has been a guest at Marble Mountain Ranch for the last three steelhead seasons.   This however, was the first year he hired me as his fishing guide.   Ken is remarkable in the preparation that he brings for his Klamath River steelhead hunt.  Most people I know tie a few flies, or stop in at the local fly shop on the way in.  Ken is different.  He  starts planning next years return visit during his current fish trip.   Take a look at his "fly box" for this trip.  It looks like a tray from the shelves of the local fly shop!  All his flies are traditional classic patterns that look great in the box, or the jaws of a steelhead.

Today we fished the Lower Klamath from Coon creek to near Blue Creek, and I have to say that I think the better fishing right now is upstream on the mid Klamath.  The fish seem to be on a fast passage through when they are in the lower stretches.  This makes sense to me as I imagine them in their migration upstream to their natal waters.  So, I think that the best success in the Lower Klamath is going to be when your presence as a fisherman, coincides with the migration schedule of a group of fish as they pass through your chosen riffle.   By contrast, if you fish the mid - upper Klamath or the Trinity, you might be fishing to more fish that have slowed the ascent upstream as they stall nearer their spawning sites.  These upstream stretches also have more in-river structure that might tend to provide longer term cover, but simultaneously make wadding more challenging.  Tomorrow I am taking the drift boat upstream to the Coon Creek - Persido Bar run, and we shall see how we do!   Here is a photo of one of our steelhead making a short detour to the bank prior to the return to spawn:
 

This past Summer my first son Peter left San Leandro, left a career path in law, and returned home with his wife and two children to partner in Marble Mountain Ranch with Heidi and Me.  Pete comes with a deep love of the river, but a less than favorable opinion about horses.   However, the willing heart and desire to see a family business succeed has led him to new appreciations of our business and services.   Pete is now also fly fish guiding with me.  I don't often get into the pictures on this blog, since I am usually behind the camera.  But on today's Father/Son fish outing I was able to be led to the fish, have my picture taken, and do the  classic "grip and grin".  Hey check this out!  That's me holding the fish this time!  This nice fish came to a #6 herniator on a slow swing.


I don't know if I was more proud of Pete taking me to the fish, or just happy to see a good looking steelhead.   So, we have some cooler weather, mildly cooler water, and increasingly short days.  Obviously, we also have some bigger fish starting to show up too.  Well, tomorrow I am going to fish below Weitchepec and heat up the jet boat engine.  Maybe we will heat up our fly reels as well.   As they say: tip up and a tight line to land the fish.   Doug

The recent cooler weather and today's rain are welcomed changes to the steelhead fishing conditions here on the Klamath.  This week's typical fishing day produced 1-2 small adults, 4-6 half pounders and a dozen or so trout and smelt.  River temperatures were still 67-68 degrees in the main stem Klamath and in the 65-66 degree range near the creek mouths.   Guess where we focused our fishing attention!

I got to fish this week with a long term Marble Mountain Ranch guest, Carl L. and his daughter Heidi.   Carl is pushing 80 years old and is still wade fishing.  However, his knees and ankles are not quite what they have been in years past, and so now I am honored to have him and his daughter as fishing guests on my boat.   I thoroughly enjoyed trading stories about favorite fishing holes, flies, and how he has always fished with a rod no bigger than a 4 wt.  He actually did quite well landing a nice adult with the noodle of a 4 wt, but his daughter Heidi caught her largest ever adult steelhead on my Sage Z axis 7 wt.    So, Carl did finally admit that there might be an argument for a rod larger than a 4 wt for Klamath steelheading.   It was also good fun, having Carl catch his adult on one of my secret "boat flies" I call the "Paris Hilton"....more on this fly in some other entry!

I do not think that today's rain will be sufficient to flush out the summer moss, but we are getting some cooler and shorter days, and a bit of rain.   I look forward to increasingly productive days here on the Mid Klamath and Lower Klamath Rivers.   Doug

I just finished a three day fishing hire with a great couple out from Philadelphia.   The weather was in the low 90s, the Klamath river temperatures were in the high 60s, (67 by my thermometer) and the fishing was average to poor.  All of my usual "secret spots" we non-productive, but the classic choppy water steelhead riffles produced the most consistent fish.  In the three days we caught 2 adults, about 12 half pounders, and 30+ trout and smelt.  The trend was for each day to be a bit slower than the previous day, as we stacked up yet another consecutive hot weather day.  

The extreme heat motivated me to move to shallow shady stretches along the banks and fish with dry waking flies and terrestrial patterns rather than some of the classic swung wet flies.  We were wet wading, since a set of waders might have been lethal to the fishermen in the heat!  I think we actually enjoyed the switch to dry patterns and the take of smaller fish more than the hunt for the intended steelhead.   We did actually get one of the half pounders on a small "bomber" that we were skating across a shaded riffle.  FUN!!!

My thoughts on the past three days are that I wouldn't expect to see dramatically improved fishing until we get some cooler weather, and that some of the smaller resident trout can be great fun with light gear and various dry fly patterns.   I usually don't talk too much about mid-klamath dry fly fishing, since my usual game here is to target steelhead in cooler weather conditions with a swung wet fly.   Well, live and learn!   Here are some pictures from the past days, I hope you enjoy them.    Doug

We are finally seeing steelhead in the Somes Bar area.  I did a short float from Stewarts Bar to Green Riffle and put two adult steelhead into the net, and had three others on line for a while with out getting to see them.   The water is stell quite low (1600cfs in Orleans) and warm (66-68 degrees).  So, lets hope for some rain, and what looks like a great season shaping up.  Doug

The steelhead have started to show up on the mid klamath and the lower klamath is producing good salmon and steelhead action.   Here is a copy of the report from our friends at the e-ne nuck campground:  Hi Friends of E Ne Nuck:
 
 Fishing is about as good as it gets for Salmon and steelhead. This is shaping up to be a very good year. The Campground has been filling up by Friday afternoon, and I suspect we will have great fishing through mid October. It's Monday afternoon and all the weekenders have cleared out and I have 3 vacant sites. Good times to arrive are Sunday through Thursday.
   The hardware fishermen are taking adult steelhead and the fly fishermen are getting half pounders. The lead mine is producing the best looking, hardest fighting salmon we have seen. They still have a purple shine to them just like an ocean fish. I caught a 13 pounder late Sunday afternoon and cooked it last evening foiled with onions, fresh garlic, and butter, and it was absolutely prime. We had been getting kings from about 10 to 18 pounds, but we started noticing some huge fish Sunday, and yesterday evening I caught an ocean bright 34 pounder. The fishing has been getting better by the day, and the quality of the fish is the best we have seen. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We have been out fishing in our new jet boat on the lower Klamath, and have had some great success also.   Here is a shot of the boat:
The lower Klamath is a hoot to fish with jet boat access to all the bars.   We can scoot quickly from bar - to - bar and probe quickly while locating the fish.  Our new 22 foot Rogue jet can carry up to 6 guests plus staff, and has plenty of room for gear.  Another great feature of the Lower Klamath is that we are fishing for both Klamath fish and Trinity fish, since we are below the Trinity confluence.   More fish is a good thing!  

Give us a call, and let's get out on the river while the fishing is good and the weather is comfortable!   Doug

The Spring run of Klamath River Steelhead is still going strong.   We are seeing adult Steelhead mostly in the 2-4 pound range but the surprise 10 pounder still seems to show on occasion.  I wish we could count on a Spring Klamath River Steelhead run that would stay strong into the Summer.  I routinely get guest inquiries about fishing the Klamath in July, and the only game in town seems to be the Lower Klamath in that time frame.   So...here we go:  we are bringing into play a Jet boat based Lower Klamath program this year.   Hope all of you can join us as we target steelhead with the spey rods, and starting a lot earlier in the year.

See you on the river.
Doug

The reports are starting to come in with predictions for our 2009 salmon fishing.   Here is one exerpt:  "However, about 81,000 fall chinook are bound for the Klamath River, almost twice that of last year and well above the so-called "escapement" floor level of 35,000 adult chinook, the report states."   This is taken from the following link:  www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090228/NEWS02/902260342/-1/rss01

While we mainly target steelhead in our guiding, it is noteworthy that the Salmon seem to be better on the Klamath than on streams such as the Sacramento.   I find it somewhat ironic that this is the situation while dam removal proponents and Klamath River advocates have little good to say about the status of the Klamath.

My anecdotal observation from my position as a steelhead guide on the Mid-Klamath is that my clients almost never have a skunk day, I see large numbers of Salmon on their reds in the main stem of the Klamath, and we routinely take (and release) adult fish on a daily basis.  This observation is of no value in the on -going arguements about conservancy, but it is valid as far as encouraging a low impact sport fishing business and as far as getting excited about an upcoming steelhead season.

My first years guiding were in the 80's drought years.   That was an awful time to keep guests happy with fish on the line, and over the last decade I have felt increasingly good about the steelhead guiding on the middle Klamath.  In my dream vision of fishing on the Klamath, I too dream of cooler Summer flows, and of a healthy year round fishery.   My most immediate goal is to advocate minimalist impact styles of sport fishing, since that is the industry I am immdeiately tied to.  For me, that means, barbless hooks, releasing ALL fish (I don't believe the hatchery fish are seperate from the wild fish anymore), fish friendly nets, and basic river conservancy in my own area of stewardship.

In any case, I look forward to a great 2009 steelhead year, and hope you can join me in the search for "steelhead on the fly"  Here is a shot of some spawning salmon from my brother Greg.
Doug

Sorry for the slow blog entries, and with no further delay, here is a quick update:

Dry winter conditions are giving us an on-going good winter fishery here.  The Klamath remains clear, and fishable from boat or bank access.  I took my dear friend Hal and his pastor out last week and we brought in 4 steelies, the largest of which was in the 5-6 pound class.  We have had days with as many as 30 half pounders and 6 adults, in January of all months!   The Winter fish are always on the move, so a hot-spot is never the same on consecutive days.   If anyone wants a shot at some great Winter steelheading, this might be a good year for you.   Here is an earlier Fall shot to get you excited:


Keep Fishin, Doug

Well, the Winter and Spring storms seem to have brought us a "NORMAL" amount of rain-faill.  The Klamath River is consistently high now.   I spent several days fishing over the last few weeks, and found conditions to be extremely difficult for taking steelhead on the fly.  The river was flowing arount 10,000 cfs in Orleans but the weather was enjoyably warm.  My first two days were a complete "skunk" fishing in the Somes Bar area.   I tried dead-drifting dropper rigs under indicators along the slower margins near the bank, and at any place that looked like the current would be slow enough to allow a good presentation.

The problem with the day though, was that the spots that were slow enough to fish were small and isolated.  I could not effectively access them from the bank, or from the boat.   While in the boat, the currents just pulled me down stream relentlessly, towing my indicator under water and out into the main current with my speedy boat.

On my last attempt, I moved up above Happy Camp, and was able to locate some fishable water early in the day.   The results were:  Two half pounders.

Summary,  At this point, it seems that the smaller fish populations of the "Spring" run diluted into the enourmous flows of the Klamath at this time of the year are going to make fishing the mid-klamath a tough game.   My suggestion is to fish as far up-stream as you can and get into smaller volumes of water.

I am going to close this entry with a picture of a pair of spawning salmon.  We did'nt see enough of this this Fall, and I hope the players in the water quality issue can get things figured out to preserve our fragile fishery.  See you on the river, Doug

Higher flows on the mid-Klamath and a fishing report hinting of adult steelhead up on the Salmon River was the impetus to do a check of fishing conditions on the Salmon River this week.  I called in two of my  fishing compadres from Arcata and we floated the lower stretch of the Salmon from Brannon bar to the confluence of the Salmon and the Klamath.   If you have never done this stretch, it is a pristine, seldom fished area and is NOT suitable for drift boat access except at higher flows.   If you decide to  do this run on your own, you will need inflatable craft rather than rigid boats.

The Salmon River was crystal clear, and was flowing at about 800 cfs at the measuring guage.   I keep thinking this might be a great alternative location to take Winter Steelhead, but it seems like the fish tend to move through this area quickly and stage up-stream.  Our float produced a single half pounder for the day, and we did not see any fish moving past us as we moved our raft down-stream.   The only adult fish we saw was a spent salmon lying on it's back in an eddy. 

The geology of this stretch is actually quite varied, and offers options for nymphing as well as swung fly presentations.   The only missing component was the fish!   Anyway, Winter Steelheading is an adventure that you have to be willing to accept as rewarding in ways that sometimes do not include the fish.   So, I'll try to get out again next week if the coming storms don't raise the flows too high.   Here is a closing shot from the day.  This is one of Arcata's finest attorneys stringing up his rod, rather than a courtroom adversary.  Good Fishing!   Doug

The last storm did a nice job of blowing-out the Mid-Klamath.   (Currently the Klamath is flowing about 6000cfs in Orleans)  From here on through the Winter we will need to keep an eye on the storm patterns to catch fishing options as the river returns to reasonable flows between storm pulses.   Right now is the time to start looking in earnest to the Salmon River as a venue to Winter Steelhead.   There are fewer fish in the Salmon than you might find in the Klamath, but it will be fish-able during high water periods of Klamath inaccessibility.   With that  said, I am gathering some  friends to mount a Salmon River fishing adventure this week and  will give you ALL the details you might want in a few days.   Till then, fish somewhere else other than the Mid Klamath!!

After I lost the second day fishing last week with Chris and Sean due to rising water, it brought my thoughts back to a recurring desire for smaller drainages that are fish-able and within reach of our lodge.   The Salmon river is one option, but I have also been thinking a lot about the Klamath River upstream of Dillon, Coon Creek, Ukanom, and Clear Creek.  So, I don't know who the last person was that took a drift-boat downstream from Wingate, but I decided to give it a look.

We do this stretch all summer long with ranch guests in our rafts, but there is real and justifiable concern about doing this water in a drift boat.  Never mind!   My brother-in-law Greg Squires will come up for an adventure!  Greg has a guide business called "Access to Angling" and his signature fishing style is in side-drifted bait and other conventional gear tactics.  SHAAAME on you Greg!!   Oh Well, he is also a great fly fisherman and he too is a bit of an adrenaline junky.   So, with a mutual need for adrenaline and a passion for steelheading, we formed the "un-holy alliance" between bait and fly guides.  (Did you readers also feel that tremor in the fabric of the fishing universe today?) 

The short end to this story is:
1.  No drift-boats are submerged on the river bottom
2.  Greg never cast anything other than a fly
3.  WE GOT FISH!

I think I might just burn Greg's Pautzke Bait Pills pro jacket and hat and give him my Sage or Orvis hat.  Here is a view of some of the action:



The Klamath continues to produce steelhead, solitude, majestic beauty and even "warm-fuzzies" between fly guides and bait tossers.  Maybe we should TACKLE the middle-east problems next.  Doug

This week there were several groups making their annual return trek to Marble Mountain Ranch in pursuit of Steelhead.  These particular groups tend to be more self sufficient and do their own meals in the cabins and bank fish rather than hiring me or my guide staff to lead them to the fish.  However, the first questions put on the table on their arrival are usually some versions of "Where are the fish?",  "What patterns are hot?", and "Are their any changes in the river?"

The second question "What patterns are hot?" usually follows with an examination of my guests fly boxes to make recommendations on the most likely to succeed fly patterns in their arsenal.  Unfortunately, I tend to subscribe to the idea that the fly pattern is about 5th or 6th on the list of manageable factors that might affect your success in hooking-up with a fish.  But fortunately (for me at least), I am also the self proclaimed president of the "Somes Bar Liars Club." 

As a chief executive officer of the Somes Bar Liars Club, I am permitted to exceed the limiting "3% false-hood maximum ratio" of fabrication/truth.   Accordingly,  my suggestions as to the best fly pattern tend to be more aimed at my personal aesthetic choices and at my bettered chances of turning a profit.

"Have you got one of my daughter's DRAMA QUEEN flies?"   follows with the natural response of "What is a DRAMA QUEEN?"

Ahem, how much money is in your pocket? and if it is under $20 then I will most likely only be able to show you one of her "Bear's Breath" flies.  The BEAR'S BREATH is good on a dark day, but this week you will need the flash in a #6 DRAMA QUEEN if you have any hope of success.  Of course you might also use her weighted fly the "ROMAN" to get that fly down in front of the steelhead's nose.  (The roman is a mass of drab dubbing with copper wire wound at the head to create the "helmet" of the warrior fly)

I love my job here!  I can usually put $20 into my daughter's college fund after their 2nd or third slow day fishing in my suggested hot lie that I have not had any success in this year.   Sometimes, I can also get a paid guide day before they leave, and show them exactly where to cast their new Drama Queen, how much to stack mend while letting it sink, how fast the water should be for a good swinging presentation, and how long to fish the hang-down prior to fishing back on the retrieve.  It's amazing how hot a drama queen can be when it is fished 5th or 6th behind all those other more difficult to manage parameters that are put in their proper position.   It's a steal at only $20!  By the way, annual memberships in the Somes Bar Liars Club are only $75 and I promise I will send you the monthly newsletter.

Here are a picture my son  Adam took today at the creek behind our ranch:
 
We are in that winter pattern of regular rain events.  We are comming out of a rather short but intense rain and heading into a couple of days of "showers".  The river flows are looking good for the moment though, here is a flow chart:


Ideally, I like to fish with flows in Orleans under 3000cfs, but my acceptable range for local fishing (near our ranch/lodge) is with flows under 4000cfs.

Finally, I would like to end with a cool shot of my wife Heidi's boat. 
This is a 25 year old classic Willie boat with retro-fitted level casting decks bow and stern, and with after-market Hyde stern casting braces added.  I am fishing Saturday and Sunday and will follow-up with a sales report on market trends for my daughter's hand tied flies, and with a current fishing report that is truthful (I promise!   Trust me!)   Doug

I keep hearing about the horrific crowding on the Trinity.  When I drive by the access points near Junction city or Douglas City and see trucks and trailers in over-flow parking up on the highway, it gives me that "disconnected-lost-in-the-crowd" feeling like I get in places like L.A. or San Diego.  I can't imagine how hot the fishing would have to be to drive me to put up with those overcrowded fishing conditions.   So, take a look at what the Mid-Klamath looked like this week:


What you see is, one boat on the river.  That is a single boat pressuring the fish on the the entire run!  And in my biased, pointed, and humble opinion, the lack of road hum and highway traffic (Hwy 299) and the grand scale of the klamath canyon are all nice bonuses to a great fishing day.    Did I mention fish?   Here is our new guest Stu.  On his  best day of the last three days, he and his son took 7 adults and about fourteen half pounders. 

I keep feeling like the Klamath is a party with no one attending.  I guess I should feel grateful about the lack of competition on the river, but it bothers me when people criticize the Klamath fishery with vehemence to the point of entirely discounting the validity of the fishery.  Granted, the fishery needs some major attention, but there is still a valid sport fishing experience to be had here.   As an additional point, if you take a look at the top picture again, you can get an idea of the spatial arrangement of the mid Klamath geology.   Notice that there is enough room to  choose the  fly fishing or conventional fishing tactic of  your choice.  Do you want to Spey cast?   OK!   Do you want to indicator fish?   Sure!  If you like the tight-line swung fly, THIS IS THE PLACE! 

So, here is the latest report of fishing conditions.  We have fish scattered through-out the entire Mid-Klamath and those who can cover lots of water will find the fish.  The water temps are at about 53 degree, the clarity remains excellent, and the flows are only up a couple hundred cfs from this last storm (under 3000cfs is perfect).  Check out the DWR flow chart. 
I'll check in next week with a new report, and if you think you want a piece of this Klamath action and a section of the river to yourself, give us a call.   Doug

I would like to share some of my favorite aspects to guiding in the Mid Klamath.  The first is the pristine beauty and solitude that rivals any place on earth.  My guests routinely comment to the effect of "British Columbia has nothing up on the Klamath", or  "Can this be in California?", or "The fishing is secondary to the majesty of the Klamath", and "I have been coming here for over 30 years and will continue as long as I am able".  Here are a couple of shots from the last two weeks:




Another of my most treasured aspects to guiding, is the shared adventure in an intimate setting.  Something always happens during the course of the float down stream that I feel a need to log in my mental journal.  I save these mental journal entries for future recollection while knowing that I am in the moment of one of those "good times."

Another of my treasures, is the release of the fish.  After all is said and done, the flip of the tail and return of the steelhead to an unseen lie somehow strikes a chord in my soul.  The adrenaline rush flooding your senses, a hot fish tethered to a barbless hook, and a nearly invisible micro thread of tippet connecting fish to your heart all are key components.  But the release of the fish is the ritual that puts it into perspective.   Here are some shots:





That's all for tonight, except to report that the river is in prime fishing condition.  Water temps are at 53 degrees and water clarity is excellent.  This week's weather is projected to remain sunny with morning fog, with some showers starting in the coming week.  The last big storm sent a lot of the fishermen home, so you have a good chance of having your choice fishing spot all - to - your - lonesome!

Good Night, Doug  

The problem with a phenomenal day fishing is, from a guides perspective, often manifested in the call to repeat the day on the next year's booking.  Bruce Sr. and Bruce Jr. have been fishing with me for many years, and we keep falling back on the recollection of a previous year with a daily steelhead count of 40 fish.   So, how do you produce 40 steelhead (the "fish of a thousand casts") on call?   You don't.   Period. 

Sometimes an unusually good day can ruin a fisherman.   I recall a husband and wife team, neither of which had steelheaded before.   I launched my boat and found myself in a large pod of steelhead.   We fished for several hours and had over 60 steelhead (in 1/2 pounders and adults) to the boat, when the wife proclaimed she was tired, sore,  and bored and additionally that she wanted to go home.    So, we pulled the boat out and went back home without traveling past the launch point.   This couple was clueless about what had just happened.  They have never been back!

This years first day of a two day booking with Bruce and Bruce produced 18 half pounders and 4 adults by day's end, but it still was not the repeat of our golden 40 fish day.  To my client's credit, they have made a leap of faith to trust in my leading them to fish on a swung fly.   Bruce and Bruce come to me as conventional fishermen and do not yet have a cast.  The day for us involves a lot of stripping line out and placing of the fly over the lie with boat movement.  It worked previously, and worked again this trip. 

Here is one of Bruce Jr.'s fish from yesterday:


Another amazing thing about this last two days, has been the clear, perfect fall weather.   Steelheaders are supposed to suffer in the cold by the cliche standard!  It's not happening in this week of Indian Summer weather.

Today, Bruce Jr. picked up the first two adults in the first hour of fishing.   Yes, he gave dad the smack!   I warned him about river Karma, but too late.   Dad later took the record fish of the weekend.   Check this one out:


What you cannot see well from this picture is the girth of the fish.   It took both of them to handle it, extract the fly, and return it safely to the river.

I took it as a good sign that Dad was satisfied today, since at 5:00 he called it a full day.  However, he needed to make a shore stop and empty a full bladder.   So, of course, while Dad was occupied, Bruce Jr. points, identifies, and waves at his dad as a passing truck drove by way up on the road cut.   Yes, the truck turned around and, yes, two uniformed wardens came scampering down the cliff face.  My first emotion when ever I am approached by law enforcement is one of fear over unjustifiable accusation.   I had no idea where this one was going to end up.

Enter stage left, or "river left" wardens McDonald and Burger....Both grinning widely.   After a quick call to come over to their side of the river they began to do their job of probing, inspecting, and looking for perpetrators.   "Do you want to check our flies?  I just caught a Huge fish just back there!" was Bruce senior's injection as I was showing digital images of the earlier catch.    WHAT????  Thank goodness I had been thorough at crushing the barbs on the hooks.   We came out clean and the wardens were gentlemen about a possible citation for public display, or some other contrived fishing related offense.  

Earlier in the day, Bruce Sr. asked if my job had become boring to me.   uh...."Nope"   I still LOVE my job.  I just wonder what I can pull out of the hat for next year, that might match the last two day's action.

Till later, Doug

The last two days brought the Mid Klamath some strong winds that lasted to the last hours of the day.   The winds made it all but impossible to hold any advantageous boat positions or to effectively cast from bank locations.   My guests and I struggled through the storm however, and picked up a half dozen half pounder steelhead each day.  I am thinking that the recent storm motivated the steelhead to move up-river to smaller flow locations.   We simply did not see as many fish as we did at the start of the storm and at the immediate end of the storm.  Our other ranch guests have similar reports of fewer fish sightings and fewer fish caught.

However, we are hearing of large numbers of steelhead just down-stream of us, and the river conditions appear ideal.   Our river temperature was at 53 degrees, the clarity is excellent, there is very little moss or algae remaining after the cleansing storm, and the ambient air temperatures are indian-summer-like. 

I am going to celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday tomorrow and take a day off.  Yes,  she got her driver's permit, and yes, she can drive the family car ....gulp.   The Klamath River highway is a very un-forgiving place to learn to drive.

Here is a picture of a fish from three day's ago....just to keep you excited about Klamath steelheading on the fly!

Tonight's Klamath River flows are at 3400cfs in Orleans and the river is scoured clean from the 30,000cfs (at Orleans)  pulse of water the last storm put through the canyon.  The Algae seems all but gone, the leaf liter is absent, the moss is scrubbed off...and the weather, water temperature, water clarity and the the fly fishing is ideal.   This is exactly the circumstance I was hoping to see after the storm.  Today's trip brought us 4 adult fish to the fly, but we were only able to net this 10 pound buck:

If you look past Steve's fish, and up to his hat you might recognize the remnants of a road kill yellow bellied marmot.  Why is it there?   I have no idea!  The rest of his hat is equally ugly, and contains the tail hanging off of the back.  So!   Steve wanted me to tell the world that he thanks his Mother, Father, his producer, and all the little people that helped him on the way to this great steelhead.   Especially, Daniella, his personal trainer, for the attentive work on his lats and triceps in preparation for the 30 minute fight this fish put up.    Thank you Steve.

Even more bizarre than Steve's hat were the numerous gas cans, life jackets and oil containers that were caught up in the eddies.   I presume this is litter from miner's dredges left too close to the water line and carried down-stream by the storm.   We tried to do some clean-up, but our boat could only carry a small fraction of the debris.  We did, however, build a nice gas fire to incinerate some of the fuel we found in a punctured can.   Check out the smudge fire from our river clean-up.

Yes, there is NEVER a dull moment on the Klamath or at Marble Mountain Ranch.   In summary, these are some of the BEST fly fishing conditions you could expect, right now, right here, on the mid-Klamath...complete with river-side bon-fires and marmot hats....just another normal day. !!

Till later, Doug

I am going to start by posting a graph of Klamath River flows at Orleans:

As you can see, the storm pattern we are exiting pushed the flow at Orleans to 30,000 cubic feet per second.   Last week we were fishing in flows under 3000 cubic feet per second at Orleans.   The river looks like mud.   So, do not plan on fishing the mid-klamath with any success untill we get some lower flows.

We have clear weather predicted from late today through the next 10 days.   My suggestion is to move above Happy Camp or even as far as above the confluence with the Scott river for the early part of next week, and then fish lower as the river continues to drop.  Fly Fishing for steelhead has in my experience often been productive on an improving river.   All indications by my judgement are that this next week could produce the magic combination of a cleaned river, dropping flows, and active fish.  And now, a good by picture of another fish from last week:

later, Doug

Thursday the 17th of October was a day of elemental force.  Gail winds were blowing my boat upstream at times, making down-river travel a difficult venture.  Rain was often driven into our faces rather than falling on our backs.   The primitive survival instincts brought to the surface of our awareness led my guests Mike M. , Rich H.(Peninsula Fly Fishers) and me to belt the primal scream in the face of the elements.   What an "I'm alive" moment!   But, we were dressed for the storm and stayed comfortable. 

The fishing was toughened up by leaf litter in the river, winds making the cast difficult, and rising river volumes.   But, the river temperatures were at a steelhead comfortable 54 degrees.   We saw regular pulses of steelhead rising completely out of the water near the boat and within ranch of our swinging flies.  Quick cast placements and a tight-line swing brought adult fish to both Mike and Rich.   Here are a couple of images from the day:


Some times I feel that the intense search for the steelhead bonds us into a karmic single entity with the fish, as we metamorphose and transform into each other's reality....No, REALLY!!!!    Look how much Mike appears to be grimacing  just like his fish!!!  They have become the same living single unit of fish connected with fisherman!



I don't recall seeing so many air-borne steelhead in years past and it was making wonder why they were so active above water.   Simultaneously I have notice a lot of scarring on the fresh fish from Lamprey eel attachments.  Are they trying to shake loose the parasite?  Mike's adult fish was coincidentally carring an eel attached to it and when we brought it into the net, the eel disengaged and fell into the boat.   Check out the business end of an eel!


We took so much rain last night that the river blew...but we are at the end of this storm..   Our next guests arrive Monday evening and we have 8-10 days of sun predicted.    Since we have some open dates...If any readers want a chance at some of these fish (or eels)   Give us a call!

Till later, Doug

I only have time for a quick thought, since I have a trip to get out.
Some of our guests have left the ranch early in the face of the rain.   The river is now at 2700 cfs in Orleans and we have two days of rain forcast still.

However, here is a picture of Gordon Larson from Spokane Washington who has endured the rain:

Both Gordon and his friend John took several adults this last two days.   In some ways, John's lost fish was more memorable...I can still see it out of the air on a long line with John's reel screaming ...as the fish made a clean get-a-way.  This is good fishing.   In spite of rain.   See ya later, Doug

We have had rain over the last two days, but the river has held constant at 2200 cfs in Orleans and about 58 degrees.   Yes, there are fish.  Yes there are adult fish.  And yes, there are lots of half pounders.   I wont bore you with the statistics tonight except to say we are catching adult steelhead nearly every day.   But, no "grip and grin" photos tonight.  The real significant thing for me over the last two days has been the incomparable beauty of the Mid Klamath.  Here is the first of two shots I will share tonight.   It is one of my favorite spots for knock-dead beauty in a secret little fishing hole.   Maybe some of you will recognize it:
The second photo is a shot of my guest Joe Killian wading up to his chest.   He is an amazingly aggressive wader and an avid fly fisherman.   Unfortunately, Joe was not one of my guests who took an adult steelhead yesterday, in spite of his diligent effort.   For now, the solitude and klamath fall splendor are the rewards...along with a bunch of fiesty half pounders attacking  his traditional patterns swung on a deep running sink tip.


We are expecting showers the rest of the week, I do not expect anything other than great steelheading in beautiful remote settings for those that are visiting.   Like my new friend, Justin Miller at the Redding Fly Shop said, the rain, fog, fall weather just makes me get jittery thinking about getting out and fishing.

Good Night!    Doug

The weekend was an adventure on a lot of levels.   Each day brought us perfect steelhead fishing weather, 6-10 half pounders and at least one adult.  Most of our luck was on the swung fly, but my friend and fellow guide did fine taking a nice adult under an indicator.   There is still a lot of color to the mid-klamath with what looks like suspended algae in the water.   However, the clarity is good enought to allow us some great fishing opportunities.  This next week holds a forcast for some rain, but I dont think we are in a position to get so much precipitation as to blow the river out.   Thats all for now...be safe, wear your life jackets if you wade deep, or are in a boat....

Doug

Do you know what the low water and high water limits are for the stream you like to fish?   For me, the upper limit on this mid-klamath stretch that passes in front of our ranch is a limit of about 4000 cubic feet per second (cfs) posted at Orleans.   I have not figured out how to consistently take steelhead on the fly at levels higher than that.   That brings me to the report for today:

We have entered into a weather pattern producing repetative small storms and showers.   If you look at the Dream Flows  page at: www.dreamflows.com/graphs/day.004.html  you will see a small rise from 2100 cfs up to 2400 cfs.   (by the way, this link may not work soon after I post the blog, since they change the graph daily on the dreamflows page)  I find these flows to be great for tight-line swung-fly fishing.   Unfortunately you cannot get a feel for the clarity of the river, and more often than not, you dont get a report on water temperatures.   My experience is that in this kind of weather pattern, you should expect an increase in large debris floating down the river such as fresh fallen deciduous leaves.   Moss and leaves can make the day more challenging, but by no means does it make the day un-fishable.   One of the mitigations I use is to use a Knotted leader rather than knotless leader systems.   The small connecting knots often catch debris...and stop it from sliding down to the fly.   The next point is to make sure my guests are regularly casting and inspecting leader and fly for captured debris.    Obviously we need to keep the fly clean if we hope to entice a strike.

I have not been on the river the last two days, but my immediate bookings are going to allow regular reports on fish taken, so stay tuned!  Here is a picture of a recent fish released near Ti Bar.   Check out the water color and....all my GREY hair!
 

Doug

Well, it's our (Heidi and Doug) 30th wedding anniversary today, and the whole family was working.   Oh well, we have a raincheck day scheduled for later celebrations.    Meanwhile, on the Klamath, the fishing was phenomenal.   Scott and John Pew were my guests today and we started the morning off with a fish taken on a skated muddler...I get REAL excited when we get one to come to the surface.

Here is a quick note and  pic from one of today's released fish:    Steelhead are at Somes Bar sections of the Klamath...FINALLY!   We did a short float from Stewarts to Green Riffle and took 5-6 half pounders and an adult 3-4 pounds on the swung fly.    More reports to come in after tomorrow!    Go Get Em!   Doug

Yes!    We are getting some fish in the Orleans and Somes Bar Area!!!   Carl L. Dwight A. reported a busy stay with steelhead at the Orleans Riffle, and below.   If there are fish, this crew can get-em!.    We also have a guest (Ken Fortson)  from the Modesto area that had some quick action at Green Riffle.   We also saw some steelhead rising and salmon rolling today in a raft float from Persido to Sandy Bar.   So, tomorrow we will be sending out two drift boats and trying in earnest again to introduce some fresh steelhead to tight-line swung flies.
 
The weather today was Beautiful!   Cool fall temps, broken sky, and crisp/clean feeling air.   It just plain feels like steelhead season again....Finally!   The Klamath clarity still has some color, but the temps are dropping.

We will follow up with a fresh report tomorrow.

Doug

If you are traveling from long distances, be sure to check the river flows for your target river!   Here again is a link to "Dream Flows" :  www.dreamflows.com/graphs/mon.004.html

This particular graph shows current Klamath Flows at Orleans of about 2100 cubic feet per second.   We have rain falling now and a prediction of clear weather for Friday thru Monday....then another storm.

So...Lets continue to hope for the flows to move the fish up to us...and to turn on the bite as the river settles down.

Good Fishing, Doug

Here is some feed-back from bank fly fishermen lodging at Marble Mountain Ranch.  "SLOW"   This report is from Tom  Foster and Lamar  and John Lund.   These are some  veteran fly fishermen who  have invested a lot of time in learning to  Fly-Fish the mid -Klamath  with  bank  wading as the  tactic of choice. 

WHY THE  "SLOW" REPORT AFTER MY ENCOURAGING  NEWS?  My thoughts are that the main run of fish in this stretch of the river still are on the way.   I also think the recent dramatic rise in river flow from upstream releases and rain showers may have slowed the bite for fish that are currently here.   Check out this link for a 30-day graph of flows recorded at Orleans:  www.dreamflows.com/graphs/mon.004.html  These men also were limited to covering a couple of riffles in the course of the day while our drift-boat access puts us over 6-8 river miles in a day as we probe for the pockets of fish.   I did'nt fish for the last two days, so I cannot offer a comparison of experiences for bank/boat based fishing.

The montra for steelheading is often to watch for a clearing and droping (improving) river.  Coming from a long period of hot algae filled river conditions, I can't help but hope that this "freshet" of cool fresh water is going to improve fishing in the big picture for this season, even if it has had a role in a temporary "turn-off" of the bite.  

Yesterday the "Allen" party arrived on the ranch to start this year's series of their fly fishing excursions on the Klamath.  These are also some of the most knowledgable steelheading fishermen that we have visit the ranch, so I will forward on to you any good information they glean from today's outing.

So, I will try to always call the shots for my readers exactly as I see it.    I hope that when I shout "fish-on" in this blog, that you will trust that I am not just trying to pump business.   That's all for now...except to thank my wife and Justin Miller at the Fly Shop for teaming up on the surprise Echo 2 spey rod combo that they put together for me! 

Till Later, Doug

 

During the past three days we have been scouting the mid Klamath and taking a few commercial trips between Persido and Green Riffle.   The water clarity is still a bit off but the algae levels seem to be a lot lower.   We have had some cooler weather and a thunder shower yersterday.   More rain is predicted for the Oct 4-7 dates and water conditions should continue to improve.   We had an amazing day on Thursday hooking several half pounders and two adult steelhead in a short three hour run (tight line swung-fly presentations).   The fish put on a great show with aireal acrobatics and strong fights.   Yesterday was a bit slower but we still got a few fish.   I feel good about telling people that the Mid Klamath is fishable now,  but I still dont think we have the large runs quite yet that returning Klamath fishermen are used to.   Till later, Doug

I am not often going to have as much information as I do this week.   We have had three boats out each of the last several days with preliminary scouts all week prior.  In a nutshell, I think the mid Klamath is still NOT the place to be steelheading.   Orleans was slow (one half pounder) and the water quality is very poor.   The Klamath is filled with algea and looks terrible.

This last week we fished a boat three consecutive days on the Hoopa valley run, the Trinity gorge to Weitchepec, and on the Youngs Bar to Johnsons run.   The Hoopa valley run produced 4 adult steelhead for us and about a dozen half pounders in the three days, the Trinity Gorge run to Weitchepec produced 2 adults and 14 half pounders in three days, and the Youngs Bar to Johnson run proudeced two adults and about a dozen half pounders in two days of fishing.   We are seeing lots of smolt and juvenile fish come to the fly, but the half pounders and adults we slow to respond.   The Trinity water temp was 64-65 degrees each day, low  in volume and clear.   If I was going to go out a fish tomorrow between the Hoopa trinity area and the Klamath Happy camp region, I would try the Hoopa valley.  While the fishing was not spectacular in numbers of fish,  it was consistent in producing a few half pounders and an adult hook-up or two each day.  As an added feature, the weather has been quite enjoyable with temps in the 80s in the afternoon and 60s in the morning.  

My suggestion is to fish early in the cooler hours and fish the shade-lines as the sun rises.   Long leaders seemed to help us also.  

So, If you need more info, call us at our 800-KLAMATH  phone number or drop us an e-mail.   We still have some October open dates for fly fishing guide service if you would like to join us on the river.   Till next week, Doug