David Roberts

But its cold outside, its snowing, got flys to tye, etc. I guess if you are going to have a web site and blog I should try and post more often.  I hope to get the custom fly tying section going for those that don’t tye there own, and I want to start posting flys for those that do tye, and some tips that help me make flys that last longer, and make them easyer to tie.

 As for today I may have to head up to the HW if it stays cloudy and snowy, it should be a good BWO/Midge day, and (here is where I gloat), I just recieved a mint condition Hardy Perfect 3 1/8″ reel from a good friend/client, that has to be let loose to scream on the water.

Up coming events I will be tying at will be at the Rogue Fly Fishers Advanced Tying Class, on the 4th of Feb., then on the 14 of Feb. Will be guest tyer at the SOFT (Southern Oregon Fly Tyers) meeting. On the 23rd. of Feb. the Lower Umpqua Fly Fishers have there yearly FlyFishing show at the High School that I will be at, this is a great show that is free and a great day trip to go see. Its one of those show’s, that if the better half isn’t into fly fishing there are a lot of shops down town (2 min. away) to go browsing in. Also there are a couple of wineries on the way, and don’t forget the Elk viewing just outside of Reesport. Hope I have a fish report for tomarrow.

David

When your best fishing buddy call’s, ( and best friend ) and has this urgency in his voice, and want’s to know if we can get out on the water Monday. You don’t look at water flows, weather or any thing. You say sure what time. Tom got here about 10:00 am we stopped for quick bite and thanks to JimU, and his son got to boat in and truck shuttled right off.  We floated up on down to some dry fly water catching up on family, talking plans for some blue line trips this summer, and hopping for a hatch, and both starting to bitch about cold feet.  Something about getting you wading boots wet fisrst shot out of the barrel launching the boat in 25 deg. weather then let your boots start to freeze. ( I think I bring our combined IQ down to about 7 when we are together ) you don’t have to get your feet wet to launch a boat, or get in. We got down to one of my favorite dry fly waters and saw a few bugs (damn few) and I did manage to bring up one scrappy 13″er to a BWO catskill pattern.  There was not much else going on there so we headed down to another spot we have both had fun at.  We picked up a few on Olives (that in that light are a guess where the fly is ), then started noticing March Brown’s. Now I have been following this hatch on this river for 25+ years and have never seen them this time of year. When my good friend JimU & fellow guide, reposted on his blog, that he had seen one, I figured it was a loner and two months early. Then he called a week or so later and got a nice cutt on a dry March Brown a little down river. I had to tye up a few and had to go see for myself. Well after we moved down some we started seeing a few splashy rise forms and we swithed. Its not the blanked hatches, and I don’t have a clue if it is going to get into full swing, but fish are starting to key in on them when a thousand BWO’s float over and just a few MB’s are out there they where damn sure taking the big bugs. We didn’t kill the fish, we got enough (if that is possible) to make a good day, even got a nice cutt in a spot that hasn’t been real productive for me except when rod maker Robert Kope and I found it by accident on a salmon fly hatch. Now just for my friends here and for purely research, I will brave the cold again this afternoon and see if it is still happening.

David

Lets start with the lunch stop, I got the shack nastys in the morning and headed up to the Holy Water to see if I could shake them. I stopped at the Trail Market (that by the way has the cheapest gas on the upper river) to get a corn dog or something to hold me over. Wow found they have a new deli in the corner with the owner making Fresh Homemade tortilla’s and taco’s, also enchaladas that are to die for. She makes all her own sauce’s fresh every morning and every thing was great and cheap. No hamburger here fresh stripped steak, or chicken. This will be a regular stop for me now.

About the hatches. When I got to the Holy Water it was the only place in the world the sun was shinning, and although it felt good my heart sank because I know there would be no BWO’s or Midges or fish working. I went down to the park below to check out the shady spots. and found the trails blocked by blown down trees and one was 30′ out in the water at one of my favorite wade in spots for trout. I did see a few Squalla (sp) stoneflys, flying around and had one land on me. (make note put a couple of olive stimmys in box after I write this), also like Jimu, I saw a couple of March Browns floating down. That was all just two but they must be on the move somewhat, next time out try a March Brown wet fly for an emerger. Never saw any BWO’s on the main river, but the clouds came back and I headed back to the HW and there was a fair hatch coming off, but not a lot of fish coming up, to little to late I think. It was still a good day on the water.

David

There are some great show’s coming up that for our fly fishing group sould be of imprtance. The first show is a little one in Reedsport Or. on the 23 of Feb. it is free and a one day show but it is a lot of fun. The next one is the Granddaddy of West Coast show’s Northwest Fly Tyers Expo in Albany Or. on the 7th and 8th of March. This show has expanded to two days last year and opened to vendors, and manifactures with indoor casting ponds, and this year they are planing and outdoor spey casting pond. Lots of clinic. Go to there web site and see what all they are planning, and for the tying bunch of you, check out the list of tyers so you can make sure you see the one’s you want to see. The web site is   nwflytyerexpo.com

Twice a month Will the owner of the Ashland Fly Shop will have evening fly tying get to gethers that will be a lot of fun and a great way to sharpen up your tying skills. There is no one way to tye, I love to go to these gatherings and learn new and old ways of doing things fresh ideas. I know for myself I get stuck in doing things one way.  If you go to any of these shows make sure you stop by and say hi and remember I am getting old (alright you smart ass’s I know I am old) I forget name’s and where I know people from.

 See you at the vice or on the river,

David

I really wish I had better news for the upper river, but the flows out of the dam in 2000+cfs, and the river at Shady Cove is a rich red/brown I didn’t drive up to far but with all the snow that was still up there and all the rain we got I will bet it is that way all the way to Casey. That meens we still have that little upper streach. (of course everybody will have it). I would guess and may go up and try a little on the Holy Water, but don’t be surprised to see it off color some also because of snow melt on the side, but still there is a chance.

As normal at 7:00am this morning as every Sat. & Sun. I will head up to the Fishen’ Hole in Shady Cove and drink coffee and talk fishing, (any of you are invited). Then I will come home and work on a new stonefly pattern, also its time to start working on March Browns.  For the local fly tyers. Sothern Oregon Fly Tyers (SOFT) will be having there meating on this coming Tue. and Bob Quigly will be demoing some of his patterns. He will also have his new DVD on sale, I have seen it and it is outstanding.

On the 15th of Jan. (I think that is the right date) I will make sure. I will be tying in the evening at the Ashland Fly Shop. Most likely doing March Browns, but this is not a closed class if I might me able to help or show anything just please ask.

See you on the water or at the vice,

David

Wensday I went up to one of the local spots on the river that the sun never gets to this time of year and a light hatch came off and got quite a few Cutt’s on dry fly Olives. Had gone up to the Holy Water but the sun was out and never saw a fish one. Thursday morning showed the front coming in, and clouds, so had to put the boat in and head down river to a couple of my favorite spots you can only get to by boat. Perfect water conditions, light drizzle, not a bug not a fish NOTHING! I guess I will just have to try again huh? I don’t think today though the wind is blowing gail force outside right now and the weather man says its going to be a duzzy of a storm. Sounds like I will stay in and get some flys done. Got a stone dry I have been working on in my head that just may need to get in the vice.

David