Reflections On A Perplexing 2024 Dry Fly Steelhead Season

October on the Clearwater River, Idaho

 Each year brings hopes and dreams as to the propects for dry fly steelhead success.  2024 turned out to be a year of decent winter steelhead returns on the Willamette system with the best numbers since 2004.  The surprising numbers of winter steelhead ascending Willamette falls prompted me to put some time into chasing them on the Willamette system.  I was able to hook into several wild winter steelhead on Winter's Hopes and General Practitioners on heavy irons while fishing a dry line on my long rods in March and April.

Dry Line Steelhead taken on 5/0 General Practitioner variant.  3/15/24 (17'7" 9/10wt Godshall Custom)

On a mild spring day in early April, I decided to fish a skunk-themed  Bivisibomber and while talking to my wife Wendi on the phone, a steelhead attacked the fly near the dangle.  After a spirited fight, I was surprised to find the steelhead to be a winter kelt and smaller than I thought, but the thrills she provided on a day of low expectations was a great surprise.

Dry Fly winter kelt 4/5/24 (17'11" 8/9wt Godshall Custon)

On a late April day, I came across a couple early summer runs that approved of my simple, McMillan style muddler and I was able to land one of them after a hot battle.  Surprisingly, this was the first steelhead I had ever landed on a muddler.  I know muddlers are a staple fly for many folks, but I don't fish them as much as I should, for some reason.

Early Summer Run that ate a McMillan style Muddler.  17'7' 9/10wt Godshall custom

As spring progressed, I noted that the summer steelhead numbers over Willamette falls were shaping up well also.  Viable numbers were showing by April so I began fishing my homewaters in earnest by then.  Gear fisherman were getting into a few early summer runs in April and May but things seemed to be getting off to a slow start,even for the deeper running crowd.

I finally raised a local summer run to the surface in late May to my latest version of the "Freebird".  This steelhead was of the one and done variety and would not come back.  Water levels remained at high summer levels for most of the season which called for adjustments in areas I was fishing and my game plan changed accordingly.

My first solid hookup for the summer came in mid June as an average sized summer run gulped a night dancer themed Freebird fished on a broad smooth flat.  I got this spunky hatchery hen within twenty feet of me when the hook pulled out.  I was hoping that this steelhead would have signaled things to come, but surface fishing remained slow.  Steelhead rises were infrequent and mostly non-committal which seemed inconsistent with the good numbers of summer steelhead that continued to come over Willamette falls.  Catch reports by gear fisherman became more regular as more and more local anglers started fishing their local waters again, realizing there were actually steelhead to be caught.  After so many lean years with small returns, the excitement of a good summer steelhead run quickly caught on.

Freebird

I finally landed my first local summer steelhead for the season in late July when a robust hatchery hen attacked a Freebird with a big explosion and was instantly off to the races.  I was able to pull the spunky fighter into some quiet water along a gravel bar and after getting some photos, released the hard won prize as I have grown lazy with retaining steelhead in recent years.  This steelhead served to break in my 18'5" 8/9wt  Night Dancer themed custom Steve Godshall built rod.

First local dry fly steelhead landed for 2024.  Taken on #4 Freebrid.  7/21/24

August continued to be a month of sporadic surface responses from the local summer steelhead.  Rises were inconsistent with just a couple surface steelhead hooked and lost.  Surprisingly, water levels continued to be on the high side of normal for summer, so many of my typical haunts could not be fished except for short windows when the Army Corps decided to lower river levels.

In early September, I decided to take a trip to the lower Deschutes and invited my 17 year old grandson KJ to come along.  KJ has developed a passion for fly fishing over the past few years and he quickly became proficient with casting and catching trout on the Willamette and McKenzie.  I had given KJ my Cabela's TLR 11' 7wt and JW Young 3 3/4" Pridex so he could try his hand at steelheading.  

The Deschutes was also experiencing a good return of steelhead and salmon with strong numbers coming over Bonneville dam.  As we made our way up river, we periodically came across gear fisherman heading home after "catching their limit".  Steelhead and salmon could be seen rolling and splashing with regularity through the day.  Fishing success was so regular that you wouldn't hear the typical whooping and hollering when folks had a fish on.  The catching became so ordinary that folks were just hauling fish in with minimal fanfare. The crowds were in evidence, but to be expected with the first banner return of steelhead and salmon in a few years.

We chose spots to fish not so much based on what we preferred, but more on where space was available.  As evening approached, we found ourselves in a stretch of water that fished a swung fly well and was devoid of fisherman.  KJ got in below me and I started up a hunderd yards above.  Steelhead and salmon continued to roll and splash all around.  By the time I worked out about 3/4's of my 68' Boss long head, and steelhead charged at my #6 Bivisbomber.  A few more rises followed and I was unable to hook into the player.  I couple more steelhead came up with repeated rises as I continued down, and again, I was unble to hook into to these playful steelhead.  As I got closer to KJ's position, a fourth steelhead came to the surface and I was finally able to feel the pull of a steelhead against my 16'6" BW Walker.  After a brief tug of war, the average sized steelhead was able to escape the hook.

KJ was able to witness my hookup with a dry fly steelhead and I decided to cut off the #6 grinch themed Bivisibomber and handed it to him to try his luck.  We resumed our positions and went back to vying for any other willing steelhead that might entertain us.   A few minutes went by and then I noticed KJ's rod bent under the weight of a steelhead fighting.  I reeled up and waded down to join KJ in enjoying his first experience in hooking into a dry fly steelhead.  As the steelhead got closer, I began coaching KJ in trying to lead the steelhead towards shore so I could help tail it for him.  Just as I was visioning getting a photo of KJ with his first dry fly steelhead, the line went limp.  Sadly the leader broke off in the tippet section.  We still celebrated the blessing of KJ's first dry fly steelhead hookup as that steelhead provided all the thrills one hopes for with getting a steelhead to rise.

KJ and I headed back to the same run the following morning.  I experienced multiple steelhead coming to the surface with repeated rises, but could not get them on the hook. 

We then moved to a run further downstream and I started in above KJ.  We were tighter to the bank so I was making compact casts as I was working out the 73' head of the Vector xl line on my Meiser 17' 10/11 CX.  I had about 2/3s of the long head out when a gulp came to the #4 Grinch and a Steelhead was instantly tight to the reel.   After a short run, the steelhead readily came towards me when it decided to take off on a blistering run, producing a beautiful scream from my 1920s vintage 4 1/2" Perfect.  After a few more back and forth maneuvers, I was able to the steelhead towards the bank as I grabbed the leader.  KJ was able to witness the flight then got a few pics of gramps with the hatchery steelhead of 8-9lbs

In late September, I took a trip to the Bulkley River, BC with friend Mike Bell.  Mike was gracious enough to do all the driving on our long trek to northern BC while I had a the luxury of relaxing and tying flies during the drive.  I cautiously watched the weather reports as we approached our destination with forecasts for rain in the coming days.

We finally arrived in the Smithers area and got settled into a cozy Air B and B that Mike's wife Janice found for us.  I reached out to some local contacts and folks were indicating that the river was running low and the rain would be welcomed to bump river levels and freshen the mood of the steelhead.

Mike and I were bank bound so I had gotten some intel on access points to some water I had accessed by boat on prior trips.  Day one found us on a familiar run not far below a popular boat launch.  With 2024 being a banner return year, we were fortunate to find this prime water open.  Water levels were on the low end of perfect and Mike and I anxiously got to work with our custom built 18' rods built by Steve Godshall.

We covered a good amount of water as this area lends to fishing one long run that transitions right into another long run.  I confidently fished a dry fly all day and Mike fished his beautiful wet flies in the surface film with a dry line.  We ended the day after fishing another beautiful run at the another access point a few miles downstream.

On Day 2, we set out to repeat the same routine as the day before.  We found the river fishable, but definitely on the rise with the rain overnight.  We found small bits of moss getting caught on our flies at an annoying rate due to the rising water washing debris downstream.  We intended closing out the day on some water below Telkwa but found the river totally blown from the Telkwa river downstream.

The weather forecast was calling for increased rain with predictions of an atmospheric river coming down.  That evening, Mike and I came to the sad conclusion that our trip timing to BC was less than perfect and we would be heading back to the US the following day.  We made quick plans to finish off our week on the lower Deschutes river since fishing seemed to be good when I was there earlier in the month.

We spent 3 days on the lower Deschutes and it seemed fishing had gone dead.  Neither of us had any hookups after our sessions of hard fishing with our long rod setups.  I did bring one steelhead to the surface but I could not get it to commit to actually eating my fly.

As the fall season rolled on, dry fly fishing on my homewater remained slow, with only the occasional steelhead raised to the surface.  I finally hooked into a dry fly steelhead on October 11, 2024 while fishing a run close to home.  The steelhead took a #6 night dancer themed Bivisibomber and just as I was strategizing drawing the steelhead close enough to grab hold of my leader, the steelhead made a run and got tangled in some submerged branches below me.  I waded down in hopes of being able to get the steelhead untangled, just as I caught sight of it writhing under the branches, it took off, breaking my tippet.

I was able to take a quick trip to the Clearwater in mid October and hit the river for a couple days with my father in law Jim Jones.  Local gear anglers reported that the fishing was good up to the time I arrived to fish, just my luck.  I had one rise near Lenore, but I was not certain if it was a steelhead or one of the tired chinook rolling in the same area.

In late October, I had a brief hookup at dusk, towards the bottom of the Burnt Creek run on the North Umpqua.  I was again fishing a Night Dancer themed Bivisbomber.  I was making steeply angled casts with my 17'7" Godshall built rod and I was not able to see the rise in the near darkness, but just felt my line come tight at the dangle.  I lifted the rod and felt some heavy headshakes before the hook pulled out.

I spent a few days on a couple high desert rives in early November and briefly hooked one steelhead of modest size in the very top/head of a riffle coming into a long, slow pool.  The steelhed took a #6 Night Dancer themed Bivisbomber in the shallow water, took off on a couple short runs, then spit the hook.

The remainder of November and December yielded no other dry fly steelhead encounters.  With the largest summer steelhead returns on my homewater and many other summer steelhead rivers in 2024, I was puzzled and disappointed with the less than consistent dry fly satisfaction I had gotten over the course of the season.  I have experienced many years with much smaller returns and had much better dry fly steelheading than what I had in 2024.

I have wondered if there being less fishing pressure on small return years had something to do with the more consistent dry fly success I have had during those leaner times.  However, I have to admit, the fishing pressure on the Willamette was really not bad at all in 2024.  Due to so many years of paltry returns, it took awhile for many local anglers to get the memo that there were actually fish to be caught!  Viable numbers of summer steelhead came over Willamette falls by April 2024, not to mention a good number of wild winter steelhead that tend to run late and overlap with the early summer runs.

Boat traffic on the Willamette wasn't bad at all as a couple popluar boat ramps were out of commission and outfitters were still not running very many regular trips through the usual stretches.  The Willamette was running at higher than typical levels for most of the season, but conditions remained pretty consistent and I was able to settle into routines with my fishing.

Due to the closure of the Leaburg hatchery, the upper McKenzie saw an unprecedented number of summer steelhead being caught above the dam, up to Blue River and beyond. I only made one trip to McKenzie for steelhead in spite of all the reports mainly because there are fewer runs that fish well with a long line and Willamette is just too convenient to access.

All in all, 2024 proved to be one of my least productive dry fly steelhead years even in spite of decent steelhead returns.   Steelhead are a mystery that keeps me coming back through thick and thin. 

 

Dry Line Steelhead - Ghetto Style

 

Winter is the time of year when I actually fish subsurface a fair amount.  Cold, colored, and relatively higher water levels put me in a state of mind to embrace the unseen but tactile vibes of fishing wet flies on a dry line.  The winter season is typically very lean for me as to actual steelhead encounters.  When fishing wet flies on a dry line, I have recently gravitated to General Practitioners tied on either a Partridge Code M up to 5/0 or vintage Mustad 7970s, in size 1.  These heavy hooks do their job in getting the fly down, but they could never match the efficiency and effectiveness of sink tip systems.  My favor for GPs has to do with aesthetics, but also due to the fact that the long tails on these flies help to buoy up the heavier rear end of the big hooks that include the weight of the bend and point.

On a recent day on the water, I found conditions to be favorable, with a good level as the river has been on a slow drop with the dry weather.  The water I like to fish is a big, broad run with largely indistinct features.  It starts with a minor riffle than continues to broaden and slow with the main current on the far side.  This is perfect water for the longer rods that l have been favoring for the past several years.

On this day, my strategy was to start off with a shorter 15'2" 9/10wt rod built by Steve Godshall.  This rod is part of a conversion set up that can also be fished as a 17'7" 9/10wt by switching sections around.  I was just in the mood to fish the brisk, "short" rod for my first pass through the run.  This rod is perfectly matched with a Beulah Aerohead 9/10 line (56' @ 640gr) and the taper design on the Aerohead allows for great line speed to help cut the cross winds that occur in this spot.

I started off with a orange GP tied on a sz 1 Mustad 7970 as the river was running fairly clear, with sun on the water.  I worked through the riffly section at the top and felt anticipation as I came into the heart of the run where the water slows and the inside is just the perfect speed.  I was remembering this area where hookups were experienced in the past.  I fished each cast, thinking a pull was sure to come at any moment.  I actually got into a winter steelhead on a dry fly through here in a prior season:

As I passed through the sweet section, the currents on the inside broadened and slowed to a snail's pace.  I decided to continue working down in case a lethargic steelhead may be resting in the soft water.  In areas where I feel my odds of a steelhead encounter is marginal, I tend to move through relatively quickly, taking more steps between each swing.   

With the nearly static flows in this broad, featureless section, I decided to switch flies on a strange impulse. I thought using a fly with more intrinsic movement might have some appeal in the slow water. I remembered that I had a single pink MOAL (rabbit leech) in my Altoids tin, along with my assortment of GPs and Winter's Hopes.  This particular fly had a rather circuitous journey:  I went through a phase of tying and fishing MOALs from 2010 to 2013.  I had dry line steelhead success with those obnoxious flies on coastal rivers I often fished.  I even sent some MOALs to Bill McMillan and he had good success with them on the Skagit. Black/Chanteuse MOALs were among the most successful colors for Bill and I, but I never found success with pink versions, even though gear fisherman do very well with their pink worms.  From 2014 onward I gravitated back to flies tied on standard hooks especially Winter's Hopes and my stockpile of MOALs have sat in my closet largely unused since then. 

I may have developed a complex about fishing MOALs since they are not a traditional pattern and all the talented tyers on Speypages tie dry line flies in a much more gentlemanly manner.  Anyways, back to that lonely pink MOAL:  I had been fishing a favorite area on the Willamette last summer and as I got out of my Geo Tracker to begin an evening dry fly session, I noticed a patch of pink on the ground.   I figured to pick up some litter and assumed I would find a discarded corkie and yarn with some leader material.   I found the "trash" to actually be a pink bead headed MOAL.  As I took a closer look at the fly, I realized it was a fly I had tied years ago.   I recognized the way the fly was tied and that confirmed it had come off my vise at some point in my dark past.

I pondered over how the pink blast from my past would have ended up on the ground along a favorite local steelhead run and I surmised that I may have gifted some flies to someone, or it may have come from someone who purchased my flies from a couple fundraisers that I donated to some years ago.  The pink MOAL was slightly faded from being out in the elements for who knows how long, and the rabbit fur was matted from either being run over by vehicles or being stepped on.  I threw the bedraggled fly into the center console of my Geo and later sharpened the Gamakatsu trailer hook before throwing it in my Altoids tin with my other winter flies.

Ok, back to the slow section on the winter steelhead run:  I have developed a new, weird habit of tying a Lefty Kreh non-slip loop knot on the end of my 12# Berkley Big game tippet that is large enough to loop flies on and off, eliminating the need to retie every time I change flies.  This process allows my flies to be oriented in a pleasant manner, without causing wear to fly heads and continually shortening my tippet over the course of a day.

I looped the pink MOAL onto my tippet and went to work. I made several casts and swings from the same position as it takes some time for rabbit to soak up water and sink.  When I felt that the pink worm on a fly rod was adequately soaked, I made steps down to cover water.   The flows were slow enough that each swing progressed at a very leisurely pace. With the bulkiness of rabbit fur, MOALs tend to sink slowly, so my fly choice was nicely compatible to the water I was fishing. 

There are often annoying cross winds through here, so some casts just don't always fully turn over and land on target.   I simply let those sloppy casts go, where the unintended slack allowed the gaudy fly more time to sink before coming tight on the swing.   

I was about 25 yards below what I felt was the prime bucket of the run when towards the end of a swing moving at a barely discernable pace, my line stopped and I felt a subtle pull.   I slowly swept the rod towards the bank and came against solid resistance.  I soon felt some movement and head throbs, then the unseen creature seemed to give in and allowed me to reel it right to me until the butt of the leader came through the tip top of the rod.  I began to question if I hooked into a jumbo squawfish or trout rather than the chrome prize I was seeking.  I was strategizing leading my opponent towards the bank then it decided to identify itself with a quick burst and a jump, showing positive ID as a steelhead of 10/11lbs.

Ms. steelhead decided on stubborn tactics, so she maintained a strong battle in close with a series of short runs, twists and turns.   These dirty tricks made me thankful for the trailer design of MOALs which give steelhead less leverage to get dislodged from the hook.  I was eventually able to get a hold of my leader to lead the steelhead to the shoreside photo studio. After a series of mug shots, I made sure to fully revive the valiant fighter and sent her on her way to produce more progeny of a similar nature. I showed the photos of this steelhead to Bill McMillan and he confirmed that it was a female that had spawned earlier in winter and had spent some time cleaning up before heading back to sea.

Dry fly steelhead are my favorite, but I have no complaints about getting winter steelhead on a dry line,  even with ghetto styled flies!

Dry Fly Winter Steelhead On The Comeback- AGAIN

I have had the good fortune to become acquainted with Master rod builder Steve Godshall over the past year when I became the unexpected happy owner of the 16' 7" 7wt Quantum. I have since made periodic trips to his shop in Central Point OR where we have become friends as I just can't get enough of his exquisite work and great company.

Knowing of my love of longer rods after my acquisition of the above mentioned Quantum, Steve recently contacted me to field test a prototype of a unique long rod that he had cooked up from a special blend of components he had on hand. Of course, I can't resist offers like this, so a trip to Central Point was made in short order to get my hands on this special rod. Steve suggested that I cast and fish the rod for a bit and then bring the rod back for finishing when I decided on the final details for the rod.

I have been field testing the rod and absolutely love it. I took it out this evening for further testing and to determine things like what I want the final length of the handle to be.

The river I was on has a very small winter steelhead run so I wasn't expecting any other distractions than pesky trout that kept nipping at my #8 Green Butt Skunk bomber.

As I got to the bottom of the run I was fishing, I was getting into a good rhythm with casting the long rod and an old Delta Long that I cut into a head. As my little bivisi-bomber came through a swing, it wasn't visible in the low light of the evening conditions. I was watching for the nipping splashes of trout when there suddenly came a huge explosion followed by a quick pull of line from my new Dingley Perfect. I gazed in amazed disbelief as I allowed the tiny bomber to swing to the dangle.

I made a couple more follow up casts with the tiny bomber to no avail. I then tied on the #4 Grinch that raised a winter steelhead a couple weeks ago. The larger bug was put in the zone, again with no results. I then decided it was time for a comeback attempt with a wet fly. I remembered that I had a single summer wet fly in my box, a #4 "Bennett's Halo" tied by and gifted from my friend Craig Coover.

The summer wetfly went through the lie and was met with a solid yank and a quick strong pull. As I lifted the rod, tension was lost and I feared that my opportunity was toast with the steelhead definitely feeling some unusual resistance coming from small objects. I continued to allow the wetfly to continue it's swing to the dangle when another solid yank came to the fly.

I could hardly believe the aggressiveness of what I assumed had to be a lost and confused steelhead. Of course, another cast with the wetfly was called for so the summer pattern was swung through the hot zone yet again, but no excitement followed. I was struck with a sense of despair and desperation at that point, but I vow to never give up on a player so another cast was made, this time with a slightly broader angle. At the specified location came a solid pull and definitive antics of a hooked steelhead. Some heavy runs followed along with a single leap which allowed me to catch the view of a slightly colored steelhead in the mid teens range.

I was able to get the steelhead close to me and I was walking it towards the bank where I would have more room to tail it. The steelhead then took off on another run and when I was able to draw it back in, the hook pulled out.  I felt a sting of disappointment with the loss of the hefty steelhead,  but it's camera shy release was better.

It would have been nice to get a photo of that beast of a Unicorn, but at least I got Steve Godshall's prototype baptized in a big way. That Dingley Perfect that I got from my friend Jeremiah Bawden was making a sweet sound as it was Christened with Steve's rod as well.

Just can't believe these spring surface steelhead encounters with hookups on the comeback, they are very rare moments  I have been extremely blessed by these encounters with Unicorns.

Dry Fly Winter Steelhead On The Comeback

My winter steelhead season has been rather uneventful aside from getting into a fiery dry line encounter in mid January. I continue pursuing winter steelhead with a cheerful heart despite continued skunkings as the beauty of rivers is always enough to get me off my butt as a regular wellness activity.

Today was one of my casual, easy going days where my fishing schedule would revolve around my wife's entertainment schedule. We slept in, had breakfast, and I took off for the river after Wendi got settled in for her day's activities. This meant just a few hours of low key steelheading so I drove off to a locale just a few miles away on a river better known for hatchery steelhead, the harvest mentality, and parades of side drifters.

I arrived at the river with tempered expectations considering my slow streak of winter steelhead catching and also in light of the less than optimal swing culture on this river.

Picking out gear is always a dilemma as I tend to have hoarding tendencies, but I settled on a cool setup that I have not used in awhile: Winston 13'3" 7wt Biix, Prewar 3 3/4 Perfect loaded with a Beulah 7/8 510gr Aerohead. I also wanted to further test my modified version of Bruce Kruk's leader system.

As I started at the top of the run , I recalled getting a winter steelhead on a Little Wang in this water in late December a few years ago. Figuring it is late in the winter season and that I had nothing to lose, I tied on a #4 Bivisi-bomber that I call the Grinch with it's bright green theme.

As I got midway down the run, I was fishing over a midstream boulder. As one of my casts reached the soft water on the far side of the boulder, the gaudy bomber swung slowly for a moment before the heavier main currents caught the belly of the line and began accelerating the fly downstream. At that moment, a bulging form appeared with a broadside nudge at the fly in two or three successive rises. It suddenly sunk in, "that was a fish"... The purplish hue of the back and shoulders of the fish suggested that it may be a steelhead that had been in the river for awhile.

I followed with a few more swings with the same fly with no results. I then tried a smaller, blonde bivisi-bomber, still with no results . I decided that my next move would be to try a wet fly. Not having my small summer assortment of comeback wets, I figured to try the smallest Winter's Hope I had which was tied on a 1/0 Tiemco 7999.

The next cast went out with the wet fly, with no setup for depth being made since the steelhead rose to the surface to begin with. The tight line, summer like swing went through the lie with out incident. I contemplated changing back the gaudy bivisi-bomber that raised the steelhead in the first place, but decided to make another cast with the miniature Winter's Hope just in case a slightly different swing might make a difference.

The cast went out with a steeper angle, in hopes of slowing the fly on the swing. I guided and lead the fly through the uneven currents and as the wet fly came into the seam on the far side of the midstream boulder, a solid pull drew things tight with the satisfying sensations of a hooked steelhead.

The modestly sized steelhead gave a spirited tug of war, but admittedly absent the line ripping runs of a steelhead fresh from the ocean. Upon landing the steelhead, it was confirmed that it appeared to be a buck who had gotten around.

So after not catching a steelhead in a while, raising winter steelhead to the surface is still fun, that's all...

The Giver And The Maker

The quest for steelhead on a dry fly has been an inescapable passion that has held me in it's grip for the past three decades. Among the joys of this journey has been becoming friends with like minded souls who share the common obsession with getting steelhead to rise; those that speak the same language where a special bond is made.

I became friends with Rick Fielder in 2016 after he reached out to me through my blog Dry Line Steelhead-Oregon. I realized that Rick was living in Idaho, but was originally from Oregon. I quickly knew that we spoke the same dry fly steelhead language and that Rick had a remarkable history of dry fly steelhead experience.

Rick decided to make a trip to Oregon in May 2016 to meet up in person and to fish my local homewater, the Middle Fork Willamette. We launched in my drift boat and not long into our float, I managed to get hung up in a root wad. The boat went down in seconds and we were fortunately able to climb onto the root wad until help arrived. I guess nearly getting us killed during our first fishing trip sealed our friendship.

Fast forward through subsequent safer fishing trips in the ensuing years and our circle of common fishing friends ever expanding, we are coming through the pandemic and experiencing diminishing steelhead returns. We weather through the ups and downs of fishing and life with the help of an ongoing text thread that includes Rick Fielder, Adrian Cortes, Rick Harrington, Bucky Buchstaber, Mark Stangeland, Lee Lashway, Jeremiah Bawden, Keith Tymchuck, and Tony Torrence. This text thread was initially set up by Adrian for "event planning ", but took a life of it's own and continues to this day. Stories are told and life is shared in this special platform.

So one day, in the text thread, Rick says "hey Todd, what do you think of bamboo?" I'm thinking that Rick was going to suggest a rod that I should start saving for. It was late and I went to bed after reading that message.

The next morning, I saw that our text thread was going again so I opened it up and found that Rick has posted a picture of two identical David Reid cane rods. The text below the picture read, "the rod on the left is yours". I re-read the text a few times and it started to sink in that Rick was gifting me a David Reid 11'6" 5/6 Fall Run cane rod!

Rick mentioned that he was getting himself a retirement gift by ordering a cane rod from David Reid and he decided to order the same rod for me as well. He had David utilize English Oak from Rick's father's farm for the reel seat and handles.

I was also in communication with David Reid directly a few days before he put the rod in the mail to me. We discussed lines for the rod and he talked of how he was blessed with being part of this surprise gift that Rick was presenting to me.

As things turned out, Rick and David planned a trip to come fishing for steelhead in Oregon a couple weeks later and I was able to spend a day with the giver and the maker of this special rod. It was blessed Fall day, with perfect overcast, but no dry fly steelhead showing. The company and fellowship were more than enough as Rick and I celebrated breaking in our twin cane rods.

David shared insights on rod design and he was interested in where I would land as to line matches and casting feel with the 11'6" 5/6 Fall Run. It turns out that I found myself "uplining" to get the load that I liked. An older Rio AFS 460 gr 37' was nice as well as the Beulah Elixer 33' 450gr. My favorite match on this rod has been the Beulah Aerohead 510gr @47'. This could be due to the longer line phase I have been going through.

As I thanked Rick yet again for this generous gift, he mentioned that our friendship had helped to rekindle his passion for dry fly steelhead during a time when life was providing distractions. I am truly blessed when my dedication with dry fly steelhead can provide encouragement and inspiration to others. 

- Duke Ellington

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Inevitability

 

With the poor steelhead returns in recent years, the odds of encountering a surface friendly player can seem like a near impossibility as I ply my favorite steelhead waters time and time again. 2020 was my worst dry fly steelhead year to date, with just a small handful of steelhead risen and hooked, and none landed.  I went the entire 2020/2021 winter season with nary a grab nor a rise.  As I write this,  the 2021 summer returns appear to be a bust as well, at least on my local waters

The current downward trend in steelhead returns appears to have begun in 2015, when the run size was only about 15% of average on my homewater.  With the exception of the 2016 season,  summer steelhead returns have been down significantly. 

So what's a dedicated dry fly steelheader to do in the midst of all the doom and gloom?  As for me, I continue making regular trips to steelhead rivers, regardless of the lack chrome feedback. Casting and swinging through favorite runs is always worth doing for its own sake. Even after prolonged periods of unanswered casts, I still feel that juicy anticipation as my waker swings over familiar holding lies or through areas with features that my instincts have taught me could give up a crushing rise.

I was recently corresponding with Bill McMillan about the low returns we have been having over the past several years. Thankfully,  Bill was encouraging optimism:  he recalled a period of low returns in the early nineties and then came a rebounding trend in the later nineties.  Bill's words reminded me of the resiliency of steelhead and optimism coming from Bill, who has studied steelhead for most of his life, restored hope within me as well.

I know that many folks won't bother fishing for steelhead if the odds of hooking one is poor.  I am actually thankful for those who are mainly concerned with actually catching fish, because low returns gives me much needed peace and quiet on the river.  The solitude renews my soul.

I just recently engaged in a discussion on Speypages regarding the question of why we continue doing what we do, presumably in the context of the new normal of low returns.  That question made be realize how all encompassing dry fly steelheading is in my life.  I have a cycle where I love tying steelhead dry flies and I am abundantly blessed that there are people who value my flies enough to purchase them from me.  This allows me to maintain a stash of mad money, which in turn allows me to purchase some new equipment every year.  New equipment leads to constant tinkering with gear and every new setup I obtain requires tweaks in my casting technique.  Seeking a pleasant rhythm of consistency with my casting is a constant pursuit when I am out on the river.  This ever evolving cycle keeps me totally immersed in dry fly steelheading where I always have something that is keeping me engaged in various aspects of the pursuit.  In the end, the whole process is so enjoyable in and of itself, that the lack of steelhead feedback does not ever prevent me from seeking regular river time.

I suppose as I continually participate in this dim witted endeavor, I have come to mentally count on "Inevitablity".  That is, the warped thought process that says if you continue to fish a dry fly for steelhead you will eventually come across a steelhead that is dumb enough to rise up and crush your fly.  Nevermind that numbers are as low as they have ever been, that even the gear guys haven't been getting them and no one else is mentally unstable enough to bother fishing for them.  Oh, and it's been over nineteen months since I landed one on a dry fly.

On July 11, 2021, I hit a local steelhead run as I often do through the course of the summer season.  It was a morning like any other:  I arrived in the early glow of dawn where it takes some time for there to be enough light to see my surface fly with consistency.  It is for this reason that I choose to start my morning's fishing in a run that flows smoother and slower where it is easier to visibly track my fly in low light.  I fished through this greasy run with my typical anticipation especially in the areas where rising steelhead have been encountered in seasons past.  As usual, no risers in this water.

By the time I completed fishing that first run, there was enough light to more easily see my fly in the morning shade so I headed to another run with more chop.  I started higher than I normally do, just out of impulse.  As mentioned about new equipment, I recently acquired a beautiful Flywerks Quantum 16' 7" 7wt made by Steve Godshall and a modern Hardy 4 1/4" LHW Perfect.  Not surprisingly, I want to fish this dreamy combo at every opportunity.  Anyway, I must have figured that with the longer casts that I make with the giant rod and 65' Ballistic Vector XL line, that starting higher in the run would allow me to cover the upper parts of the run with a longer cast.  

I had extended casts until I got the head and 5 strips of running line out as I made the distance I was satisfied with for this water, about 110'.  I then started stepping down the run with each successive swing.  When I was just a few steps down from where I started, I watched my black "bivisi bomber" as it came to the edge of some choppy water closer to shore.  I had been wondering if the high water of recent winters had filled in the areas near shore where steelhead held consistently in the past.   Just as I pondered my uncertainty with the water I was fishing, a sudden explosion came to my fly and my line drew tight instantly.  (Gotta love steelhead surface attacks like this where a guy can do no wrong!)  The steelhead quickly put a satisfying bend in the long rod as it took off on a run and then leaped clear of the water.  I could see the perfect form of a moderately sized steelhead in the arc of it's jump.  A few more runs and jumps ensued until I was able to draw the stubborn steelhead close enough for me to draw the long rod up and over me where I could get a hold of the leader.

I led the spunky hatchery buck into some quiet water near the bank and was able to get some photos before I dispatched it by slicing it's gills to allow it to bleed while I entered my catch on my electronic harvest tag and then went back to fishing for a few more minutes.

Not surprisingly, there was no companion steelhead in the area that would rise to my fly so I had likely found the lone needle in the haystack.  I mused over how the surface attack and fight of  a steelhead just never gets old.  The mechanics of wrestling with a steelhead on a two handed rod came back to me readily, even with my long dry spell.  

Before leaving for home, I grabbed my folding knife out of my wader chest pocket and went to work gutting my steelhead.  Being in sight of passing traffic in the distance,  I made sure to nestle against backside vegetation with my back facing any public eyes to conceal my activity.   I then walked back to my rig, holding the steelhead along my side in hopes obstructing it from view.  No one was at the parking area so I placed the steelhead on the ground at the back my rig while I tore down my rod.  

Just as I was prepared to leave, an older gentle man pulled in. I couldn't tell if he was a fisherman,  but to play it safe,  I kept my back to him as I grabbed the steelhead and threw it in the back of my rig.  Turns out, this guy was a fisherman who lives close by but just realized that this was an area people fished.  He asked if I had done any good and I automatically replied "nope", then immediately felt ashamed of lying to a stranger.   

I just get a crazy sense of cageyness when I have found dry fly steelhead success while having the river all to myself, with no one else fishing due to the dismal returns.  I have even been known to disengage the clicker on my reels to remain incognito when other anglers are around in hopes of quelling the racket of any hooked steelhead I am lucky to encounter.   Engaging in this quirky behavior involves securing the reel handle with a rubber band to the rod.  I have had steelhead break the rubber band on it's initial run as I then fumble with a free spooling reel.

Of course, even with my good fortune of finding this dry fly steelhead, I fully realize that such encounters will be few and far between this season and I'm good with that - I trust in the inevitability that if I just keep trying, I will find another one.......

   

Dry Fly Steelhead On The Wetfly Swing Podcast

I had the wonderful opportunity to talk about my favorite subject on the Wet Fly Swing podcast. Thanks to Dave Stewart for having me on!

https://wetflyswing.com/summer-steelhead-fly-fishing-todd-hirano/