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!