klamath steelheading

Steelhead Season End at Marble Mountain Ranch

douglas cole — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:24:25 GMT

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

Salmon River Fishing Report

douglas cole — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 18:39:29 GMT

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

Winter Steelhead

douglas cole — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 11:09:19 GMT

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!!

The "un-holy-alliance"

douglas cole — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:10:04 GMT

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

Racing The Storm

douglas cole — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:46:11 GMT

I think I need to back-peddal a bit from my disclosure about the Somes Bar Liars Club as a start to today's entry. No matter how much editorializing, literary aggrandizing, fish talking, tall tale building and opinion sharing I present for consideration, please remember that my fishing reports will always be candid and brutally honest. The Somes Bar Liars Club is limited in it's corporate charter for use in purlely benign ways and is charged with entertainment of the down-trodden fishing masses and nieve Marble Mountain Ranch guests as the lofty goal.

Now, Here is a quick report on the fishing prior to my hasty departure for Thanksgiving celebrations at Gram and Gramps place. We fished Saturday with two new guests (Chris and Sean) as a significant storm moved into the North part of the state. In spite of rising rivers, increasing rain, and logs passing us on the river (floating tree stumps can do a nice job fouling your line!), we got fish!

Here are two pictures:

However, we shut down the game for Sunday, when since the Klamath flows rose to over 6000cfs at Orleans.

The good news is that we have a stable weather pattern predicted over the 10 day forcast. I would expect to see some new fish and great fishing in the Mid-Klamath area as the river drops. The post Thanksgiving week might be one of the golden windows of opportunity. Does anyone have a fly tied with Turkey feather in the recipe? I am considering accepting a booking for the three days after Christmas, but my wife Heidi thinks it should be constrained to theme-centric fishing with green and red fly patterns. Works for me!

See ya after Turkey Day, Doug

The $20 fly and the Somes Bar Liars Club

douglas cole — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:23:01 GMT

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

The fish trip the hordes missed

douglas cole — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:58:42 GMT

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

A few views from the eyes of a guide

douglas cole — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:18:35 GMT

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 path to steelhead ruin, and calling in the wardens.

douglas cole — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:00:39 GMT

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

Wind, the fly fisherman's nemisis

douglas cole — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:56:18 GMT

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!

10 pound steelhead, gas fires, and a clean river

douglas cole — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:13:32 GMT

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

Rain turns off flshing

douglas cole — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 08:54:10 GMT

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

Primal Scream, lamprey eels, Steelhead Slabs

douglas cole — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:53:01 GMT

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

Endurance, and fishing in the land of "AWES"

douglas cole — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:09:00 GMT

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

10/16/07 fish, solitude, grandeur

douglas cole — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:14:54 GMT

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

Fish On!

douglas cole — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:49:10 GMT

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

classic steelhead conditions on mid klamath

douglas cole — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:43:46 GMT

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

Great Steelhead day on the Klamath10/07/07

douglas cole — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:23:32 GMT

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 picture of Scott releasing one of THREE adults he took today.   Scott took about 20 minutes to get the first steelhead into the net, and as soon as we re-grouped, we saw another steelhead jump high enough to entirely clear his body out of the river.   We quickly moved the boat into range and Scott fired off his cast.   BAM!!! and SLAM!!! he had two steelhead in two consecutive casts!   Scott asked me "what is it you say?    Tight Lines and Clean Minds?"     No Scott, it's "The Tug is the Drug"....but I kind of like "Tight Lines and Clean Minds" too.

Our montra for today was "probe as we go",   There were long voids in our trip down the river with no fish, but then we would find them.   Scott was all shakey and jittery after the first adult fish, by the time he got the third one in, his "arms hurt" but he was calm in the battle.

Some further observations:   The river is dramatically changed and the normal holding spots are not as productive.   This makes my day a bit more interesting.    Also, notice that Scott is wearing a life jacket.   I feel strongly about the need for life jackets in drift boats, so each of my guests gets a fashionably cool form flattering fishing life jacket with convenient tackle holding pockets and camo-colors.   Yes, you can accessorize your fall wardrobe with olive PFDs!

That's all for now.   GOOD NIGHT!

steelhead at Somes Bar

douglas cole — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:29:03 GMT

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

Orleans and Somes Bar get some fish!

douglas cole — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:39:38 GMT

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