River Update and Guides Report

The pattern of high pressure and clear, sunny skies continues in the Shadow of Shasta and State of Jefferson. It’s making for beautiful days on the water and pleasant conditions with our area rivers including the Rogue, Klamath and Upper Sacramento offering fine fishing for our guests.

The Klamath’s steelhead return is delighting fly fisherman with multiple hook ups on adults each day and we have begun to see more influx of half pounders from the lower river making for a very fun and scrappy fight! We had several boats on the water over this week swinging flies with two handed spey rods, our guest encountering multiple fish each day, allowing for many good reminders not to set the hook on the swing!

Out on local freestones like the upper Sacramento, the river is low and clear and cold but October Caddis are active during the warmest parts of the day and we have found success with large bushy dries as well as tight line nymphing techniques. Jim and Bernice tried fly fishing together for the first time and were each rewarded with a few hard pulling wild Shasta rainbows while enjoying some of the prettiest river-scapes around.

The Rogue River remains at it’s low seasonal flows with great fall fishing. We are still awaiting some of the larger fish of the season to enter the upper river which often concedes with the first fall rains. Dave and Greg joined us for a day on the Rogue and Klamath to swing flies for steelhead and we’re rewarded with a buzzer beater at the end of the day and a few good grabs that we’re exciting to say the least.

Halleluaja

It’s finally rained, after what has seemed like far to long for such a mundane fact of life like weather.

The clouds reared up against the Klamath mountains and at long last, have quenched for a time the dust and ash, fire and smoke that’s plagued the State of Jefferson for months.

The smell of the coming rain was palpable as I approached the mountains’ southern flanks, driving north and home from the Shadow of Shasta after a fun day introducing fly fisherman to the Upper Sacramento’s Wild Trout.

It’s a good sign for Fall fishing in Southern Oregon and Northern California and after such a hot and smokey summer. I hope it’s welcome relief for more then just a fly fishing guide.

This first rain for many is the unofficial kickoff of steelhead season; a time of high hopes for fresh chrome and magical days in their pursuit. For all fisherman though, including trout anglers, the changing of seasons is always a great time to be out on the water. Sometimes fish feel the relief too.

As Shasta faded into the rearview mirror, the patter increased with each upward bend of the road, over the Klamath River’s tea colored waters, finally through the fresh scar left by the Hornbrook fire. Kind of like me, it looks better after a shower.

I’m Looking forward to a Fall season of tight lines, leaping fish and many fond memories. Hopefully a few will have a dripping hat brim and rain jacket somewhere along in the story.