"You should have been here last week" isn't exactly an original phrase, and in fly fishing circles, it's as much a bad joke as it is a cliché. Last week the Upper Rogue's stoneflies were thick in the bushes, and while the fish were clearly just getting onto them, it was promising.
On Monday (yesterday as I write this), I saw only three stoneflies all day (none in the bushes), but fortunately the fish were still on the dry. Dave Roberts, myself, Chris Raine, Mike Luccia and Dave Edmonson pushed away from the launch ramp in a pair of almost-identical Clacka drifters, eyes all glittery and hopeful like small children on their way to a candy store.
Ah, but innocence never lasts long; kids learn there is no Santa, and a random, unnamed fly fisher might make a beautiful slack line cast (complete with puddled leader and aerial mend), only to break off a big fish due to a moronically Bassmaster-esque hookset .
Chris Raine hooked up only a few minutes later, and because he didn't try to launch his fish into Idaho (like some writer we could name), he landed a gorgeous 21" steelhead, though only after a real fire drill of a fight. At one point, Chris struggled to move the mighty beast upriver against a strong current while Dave Roberts stood by with the net. The fish wasn't all that happy with any of it, and twice tried to wrap himself up in Roberts' legs, leading to some amusing moments (at least from my perspective in the drift boat) while the two danced around.
Chris Raine gets his butt handed to him by a big steelhead.
Tango! Roberts and Raine do the two-step with a steelie. The opposable thumbs eventually won out, but just barely (see next picture).
Once the entertainment ended, the fishing settled down to a steady diet of fish intermittently slashing at the big dries. My biggest was 15"-16" with most in the 10"-12" range. Everyone landed fish, the weather was good, the sandwiches were tasty, and a good time was had by all.
Interestingly, the standby Rogue Foam Stone didn't produce nearly as well as a Shane Stalcup pattern tied by Dave Roberts. Apparently, life moves forward for both fish and fly fishers. I fished a strong Thramer 5wt – discovering that proper leader design really is the key to throwing big, wind-resistant dries on lighter lines. Still, I preferred the comfort of my 6/7 wt Payne Canadian Canoe taper, especially since the next hookset could connect me to a pissed-off steelhead in fast water. Strong is good.
Is the stonefly hatch on the Rogue over? Dave Roberts doesn't think so, but admits the possibility exists. Expect more news on this critical topic soon.
Because of an unhealthy level of deadline pressures today, only a couple links; The Fly Fishing Yellowstone blog is as current as always, and apparently the stoneflies are making an appearance out there too. And lately I've mentioned the rise of rubbery lips in the fly fishing zeitgest; Carp are big, and the Flytimes Blog adds even more informational fuel to the fire.
The Upper Sac is still running over 3,000 cfs, and with deadlines sprouting like weeds, it looks like anything that happens will happen locally (and quickly). See you at the keyboard, Tom Chandler