Granny and I planned to leave for Victor, ID today for a week of seeing friends in our old town along with a few final errands to be done. BUT the weather is horrible once again and many of the mountain passes in eastern OR are snowy messes not worth attempting today in the Ruby … Read more
While this continues to be a bear of a spring, there are a few weather breaks. Today was one of them. Last night we left Portland, OR and returned to White Salmon, WA. We woke up today and it was calm, partly sunny and the temperature was nearly 50°. Off Mike LaSota and I went … Read more
There’s one fish that I don’t think I’ve ever featured on this blog since it started in 2009, that’s the steelhead. Its not that I don’t like steelhead, I simply don’t find myself in steelhead country when its on. Today friend Mike LaSota and I headed for a day of winter steelhead on the lush … Read more
Mike LaSota and I skipped fishing yesterday because of a hard rain and strong wind. But today we had window. We still had some clouds but wind was nearly nonexistent and temperatures topped off at a welcome 53°. Off we went around 9 AM to the Columbia River from Mikes White Salmon, WA house. … Read more
While dredging heavy Clouser’s and jig flies doesn’t appeal to some fly anglers, it does to me. And it gets me particularly excited when the laborious method of fly fishing takes place on the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. Here, on any given cast you could connect with a smallmouth bass, walleye, pikeminnow, carp … Read more
Granny and I haven’t experienced many pleasant driving days since January. Today may have been the first. But it was a gem and the Cascade Mountains rocketed into the jet blue sky. We drove the Ruby Van from Bend, OR to White Salmon, WA where we start a visit with more friends, Mike and Beata … Read more
It has been nice to fish almost every day this week. Its finally hitting me that my winter show tour is in the rearview. Today was my last day fishing here in Central Oregon with my friend Scott Robertson. It’s a bummer, but I suspect it won’t be long before we’re back together. Being it … Read more
Yesterday was an off day from fishing but only because last night I gave a Warmwater Fly Fishing talk to the Central Oregon Fly Fishers. The talk went great and the last of the winter tour. I am pleased to see the big interest in chasing all sorts of species from one side of the … Read more
We were fortunate not to have snow and wind today but man was it a cold one. Scott Robertson, Paul Snowbeck and I headed for Lake Billy Chinook around 8 AM. We took the drive slow because Scott’s truck thermometer wouldn’t budge from the 28° mark. Despite the slow drive, eventually we arrived and launched … Read more
Not many fly shops serve beer. I’m certain there’s a few, but my favorite is the Fin & Fire Fly Shop in Redmond, OR. That’s where I have delivered a full day of presentations twice the last couple years including last Saturday and it’s always a good time. The man who makes this event happen … Read more
While I expected to post a few more fishing days by now, the weather has been no less than horrendous here in Central Oregon. In order to fish Lake Billy Chinook, Scott Robertson and I need his boat. But snowy icy roads prohibited us from taking the 75 mile each way trips. Instead, we lounged … Read more
Bend, Oregon buddy Scott Robertson and I go back a long way. In recent years we’ve fished together for the USA Master Fly Fishing Team. We had the fun of being on winning teams taking home the Bronze Medals in Portugal in 2017 and the Silver Medals in South Africa in 2019. The last few … Read more