Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 1 11 16

15.08 in 1, 11, 16, 2016, Boat Plans, changes, columbia, event, fishing, fly, for, g, gorge, loomis, nrx, report, rods, sales

Sam Sickles - Clackamas River

Fishing Report

For winter steelhead addicts, local rivers are back to low and clear conditions for the moment.  

Rain is in the forecast, but how much is questionable.  At least it is warmer outside than it has been for most of the past month.  Warming conditions should cause fish to be a little more active than they have been.  My advice is to invest in an intermediate Skagithead as long as the water is low.  Yes, even in low and clear conditions, especially in low and clear conditions, an intermediate head is an advantage.  It moves slower through the water than a floating head, allowing your fly to be presented in front of fish for a longer period of time, as well as assuring that you are probing the depths of the run.  In low, clear and cold water, fish will hug the bottom of runs in the middle of the river, whereas they will hang in softer water closer to the banks in higher water conditions and do not require ultra-deep presentations. 

Choose intermediate heads about 30-60 grains lighter than your floating Skagit head, as they are harder to get moving quickly.  My intermediate Skagit head is the same grain weight as my Scandi head. 

All of the rivers that are accessible within a day of Hood Riverare low and clear, but they all have fish in them, so pick one and hit it while you have the chance.  Ryan, Jon and I floated the Clackamas on Friday and did not touch a fish, and apart from seeing one bait plunker pull one in, we didn’t hear of much action from other anglers.  A beautiful day on the river with good friends and great scenery, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. 

Clackamas River

Rainbow trout fishing on the Deschutesshould be great as the air and water temperatures are increasing.  Increasing air and water temperatures can trigger hatches of midges and Blue Wing Olives.  Barr’s BWO emergers, zebra midges, #18-20 flashback pheasant tails and hare’s ear are all good choices, while doubling up with a bigger nymph like a March Brown Mayfly nymph (Anato May or Posse Bugger) is also not a bad bet.  If you are going to go bigger, I would also look at a Skwala pattern like a #8 peacock rubber leg.  Skwalas should be on the move now.  They hatch in January through February and into March, and the March Browns usually start during warmer days in February and go through early April, but nymphs can start moving as early as late January.  Skwalas hatch at night in fairly low numbers and is not considered a productive hatch for dry fly action, although it is possible to hit it right.  Most anglers and trout focus on the nymphs. 

The Crooked Riveris also a good winter trout fishery when the air temps warm near or above freezing.  It is a tailwater, so water temperatures are fairly constant as long as it is warm enough for fisherman to be comfortable.  For best results, fish small flies under an indicator on the Crooked.  I’d start with a #20 zebra midge and a #20 pheasant tail and change flies often until you find a good combo.

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

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G Loomis NRX Fly Rods Sales Event Changes for 2016

21.33 in 1, 16, 2016, 4, Boat Plans, changes, columbia, event, fishing, fly, for, g, gorge, loomis, nrx, report, rods, sales

Its a good time to be a G.Loomis fan.

Never before has there been a sale on NRX Fly and Spey rods. 

View Sale Items!

Since conception the G. Loomis NRX is one serious rod to contend with! Other manufacturers scrambled to come up with a design to match the performance and durability of the NRX and most contenders have yet to equal the abilities of this Nano Resin creation.

NRX Fly and Spey Rods

The original color Stealth Matte Black with Blue wraps identified with the bold power the NRX is capable of while the next year came the second color of Evergreen with Green wraps which defines the gentle forgiving nature of the Nano Resin Technology.

Both colors deserve the right to adorn the NRX. Countless inquiries about what one color is the proper choice only led all discussion into a stalemate stance.

So what is the right color choice? Sometimes the obvious answer is not in our own opinions but better matched to the environment in which we place the subject in. Since the NRX line of rods spans the anglers needs from lite presentation trout streams to the explosive power of unforgiving saltwater beast such as tarpon and Permit it was concluded that no one color could properly identify across the board spectrum.

For 2016 the choice was made to establish color identification to the NRX family of fly rods. The NRX Trout, Trout LP, Trout Nymph, Salmon/Steelhead and Two Hand Spey will acquire the Evergreen color while the Saltwater and Saltwater Pro-1 NRX fly rods with be identified with Matte Black / Blue Wraps.

We believe a wise choice has come about that in the end helps everyone. The angler will better understand the thought behind each individual rod, the dealer will see improved availability and G.Loomis will see a more streamline manufacturing that will allow time for future innovations.

With this change comes some inventory that needs to be cleared. Here is a list of models and colors that are affected...

• NRX Lite Presentation - All Matte Black w/Blue Wraps
• NRX Trout - All Matte Black w/Blue Wraps
• NRX Nymph - All Matte Black wBlue Wraps
• NRX Salmon / Steelhead - All Matte Black w/Blue Wraps
• NRX Two Hand Spey - All Matte Black w/Blue Wraps
• NRX Salt - All Evergreen w/Green Wraps
• NRX Salt Pro 1 - All Evergreen w/Green Wraps

View our Inventory!

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