A post for utahfish84108

First off, thanks for reading, second, isn't that Naha something! So you asked me if I had any suggestions for fall steelhead fishing, its occured to me what a great post Idea, the Riverkeepers fishing forcast-

The summer steel run is just heating up again in Oregon, in the next 4 weeks I would bank on fishing the Deschutes above sherars Falls, these fish are not the biggest fish by size but the run numbers make up for the smaller fish, but not to say their won't be some slabs in the mix.. just the average fish is smaller.. the go to river in Oregon in the next 30 days will be the North Fork of the Umqua.. the natives are returning to the fly only water and the fishing is gonna be off the hook for steel in the teens and possibly even heavier. With the rain comes the opportunity to fish big intrueders, the Deschutes is a spey and intrueder river but nymphing and skating produces also. the Umpqua is a nymphing river for the most part but swinging chicken size flies will always produce something. In low clear water you can use any size and color you like as long as its black...and small, green water opens up the spectrum and one can risk getting creative with brite and bigger presentations.

The Alaska outlook is pretty much the same as always, last week of October untill snow prohibits access is where its at. The Situk river is one of my favorites, boasts a solid run of big fish and virtually no one goes to fish the fall run. The Naha once the silvers die off will fish both trout and steel untill weather prohibits access.. I love the Naha and may return in November. There is also the Thorne and Karta, both amazing rivers. On a side note; The Kenai river and Russian rivers are starting to fish very well for trophy rainbows up to 20lbs, this will continue into december with its peak being before halloween. If anyone needs contact or travel, or guide information feel free to ask- Brad

The Sky Is Falling!

Its happening, There is a crack in the sky and rain is falling. In the coast mountains just to the west of me the rocks crusted with dry mud and alge are slowly dissapearing beneath falls first real rain. In the salt the Kings are stirring, in the Columbia the hold-off summer steelhead can finally smell the redds of their birth... follow the scent, get in the river, Im coming for you. The Riverkeeper is going fishing, saturday Kings on the coast, monday, The most celabrated 22 miles of steelhead water in Oregon, if not the world, and im coming. And a bonus river in between with a very special guest. I can't barely stand the wait..............

Nomad Fly Fishing Net Contest Entry

Cameron over at the TheFiberGlassManifesto.com is sponsoring a writing contest for a stunning guide net from Nomad Fly Fishing. These nets are works of art so I decided to submit this story as my entry.

My son and I have shared a love for flyfishing now for about 9 years, he caught his first brook trout at the age of 8, but since he was 14 I had been trying to hook him on "the Steel" but to no avail, he was growing tired of watching everyone else catch fish exept him. 3 years ago when he was 14 we headed out to the Kilchis river on the Oregon coast to try for some early steelhead action, the whole way that morning he talked about dry flies and light rods and how he really felt that was his zone, and that big rods and flashy flies really didn't "speak" to him. We pulled into the parking spot at first light and rigged up, the whole time he kept telling me about the new flies he was building and how we should head east for some trout next trip. We walked down to the river, a perfect cresent shaped run about 300 ft long starting with a fast water shute, settling into slow long green water and then a super bank tailout into another shute, holding water. As we stood on the bank I asked Mat what he thought.. copper john and an indictor, I said sounds good as I tied on an articulating bunny leech. We worked apart him moving to the tailout an myself taking the weaker water towards the head, I felt a solid bump and pulled up a little hard rocketing my line over my shoulder and around my neck, a touch emabaraced I looked down to see if Mat saw ( yeah us dads actually care if our sons see us screw up ) An I was shocked by what I saw.. Mat, both hands holding my sage 8wt clear up by the stripping guide, engaged in battle with a steelhead of undetermined caliber, now I know what your thinking.. did you yell "get those hands back on some cork" and the answer is no. I let it ride.. sliding my rod down through my hand and feeling the fighting but strike the rock I just stood and watched. Sometimes dad has to just shut up. The fish was peeling line and running hard for the tailing shute, Mat was in trouble and frankly I wasn't sure if he even knew it.. yeah I fought the urge to scream chase it... no, I did'nt start barking fishing brilliance and instuctions, I just watched. Mat finally palmed the reel and lifted and the fish responded with an explosive jump.. a teener, probably about 13 or 14#... nice fish I thought..and then instinct and that that cannot be taught kicked in, the fish got in the fast water and the backing cleared the first eye... and Mat started running.. but too fast, he slacked the line, and then and there he learned that as fast as they come.. they go. Defeat.. or victory? label it how you wish... but I saw it, as all guides, dads, uncles or whoever..see it, the tug.. the run.. the failure, that which will haunt us our whole lives... later, as we pulled onto the asphalt and headed our way home Mat started dialing, dialing anyone who would listen.. he did it, he had it down... he hooked the beast, but I just smiled, becouse I knew.. no matter how much victory he felt, it was not him who hooked the beast, it was the beast who hooked him... and he will never recover from it-

Up close and personal

So the Outdoorblogger network has a writing prompt this week for photos that are up close and personal, I took a picture of the flower on Hat creek in california near Lassen park, it was so pretty I just had to. The native rainbow was caught this spring on the Naha river in South East Alaska.. two of my favorite tight shots.. enjoy!

A change of direction

Well now that I'm home its time to get down and do some Oregon fishing. I have to admit a more than just exited, I miss my coastal streams. Since the riverkeeper blog started I have often received emails asking why I do not include more info on the how, where and what. My hope when I started blogging was to keep it pure, no hype, politics, peddling or should I say pushing gear. Well, allot of opportunity has come my way in things to review and I don't think im gonna pass on them anymore. I also plan to take a direction as a more informative learning blog, much like southeroregonfishingreports. Theres gonna be some ads of course, gear recommendations and I might even give up a few honey holes.. and of course the mainstay of the blogger.. video and give aways... so stay tuned, cause this winters gonna be a good one- Brad

Heading Home

Well after 35 days in Alaska I wrapped up my last day on the Russian River this morning tossing beads to roe and flesh stuffed Rainbows... the grass is turning yellow, and the fireweed is dead, soon termination dust will powder the high country and winter will come in a day.. so its time to turn the bow towards the barn. Shot some amazing video and visited some stunning locations and I can't wait to write about and produce my first video report.. should make it home in a week, wonder if the John day has any steel in it yet.. maybe the Deschutze...??

Don't call it a comeback!

Well in less than 16 hours I will board a plane returning me to Alaska for 6 more weeks, so home and family has been a priority the last few days.. but when Nate over at "confessions of a ninety percenter" e-mailed that he had a hot Chinook lead it was hard to hide. Caron as always picked up on it and asked what my deal was, I told her and surprisingly she said "you really should go" as nice as that sounds of her I really believe she is just trying to get one step closer to meeting Nates wife in hopes of finding a fishing widow shop-a-holic friend... and I guess I endorse her motives. Anyway 3:45 a.m came extra early and I stumbled into the truck with high hopes and headed for the Sandy river an hour away to meet Nate. The morning started with a slow Oregon drizzle that progressed to a blanket hatch of rain, which Oregon salmon fishermen pray for. The morning started slow with us checking out a few spots but ending up where were started. we split up and I bush whacked upriver for about a mile, gave up and returned to Nate to hear the story of a hook up, a battle, and a spit hook.. OK, theres fish around. I walked upstream a bit of Nate and stood there for a moment and noticed he was re-rigging so I did what all good fishing buddies do, I swung ny vibrex right through the slot in front of him and was greeted by a solid hard pulling thump...Fish on! I sung out with a slight tone of guilt in my voice.. played a chrome brite hen for who knows how long while Nate video taped it ( check out his blog later this week for the premier ) Finally landed her and the day was mine. Nate actually had more action but the fish just wouldn't stick.. some days your the hammer... and some days your the nail I guess. So as the monsoon turned the water to bait only quality I headed home, with a feeling of redemption.. have had some bad luck the last few weeks, hopefully the worm has turned-