The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere - 07.05.2024

Ramblings & Readings, Creativity & Conservation, Happenings & Hope

My Fishy Friends,

I recently dragged a buddy through blackberries, poison oak, and willows to then have him wet wade over greasy rocks in feet-numbing water. It’s one of my favorite pieces of water - a gorgeous, deep, shaded, riffle-pool-run that I’ve caught large and beautiful rainbows in - but for all our efforts, we caught two whitefish and missed a single take on a dry fly, which happened on the first cast following a rise. I know they’re in there, so where were the fish? We went somewhere else but I wonder, what happened after we did?

Cheers,
Jesse

A Find

Among the many, many great complements to time spent fly fishing - like cooking, eating, drinking, napping, berry picking, reading, talking, thinking - is rockhounding. There are agates and quartzes and skippers and heart-shapes to be found, along with anything else you think is interesting. Just pick a good gravel bar or beach and have at it! But perhaps the most coveted is the Holey Rock which, you guessed it, has a hole all the way through. These are definitely good luck charms. Here’s a fun little story about Holey Rocks from the Deneki crew. Below is my buddy Alex’s great find and photo from the Olympic Peninsula. He confirmed that this Holey Rock is indeed in his living room. And, while I can’t claim to have witnessed it with my own eyes, I have heard rumors of a Holey Agate being possessed by a certain PNW steelhead guide.

A Film

From Edwards on the Kennebec in 1999 to the Elwha in 2011 and now to the Klamath, the dam removal revolution is upon us and it seems that every few years ‘the largest dam removal project in history’ happens again. To be sure, every dam has its own set of costs and benefits but I just hope that we take the time to consider these, as they stand currently, when we discuss potential removals. American Rivers just released a nice, informative video overview of dam removals and how they benefit people and places. For more information, also take a look at their dam removal Fact Sheet. And, for a super-deep dive, Patagonia and Felt Soul Media’s film DamNation, which came out in 2014, is now online in its entirety.

An Artist

Through the vibrant Pacific Northwest fly fishing and art communities I was fortunate to connect with artist, angler, and activist Richard C. Harrington who’s based near Portland, Oregon. Recently, Richard launched his ‘Our Rivers Are Paved’ campaign to raise awareness about dam removals and also the challenges facing native salmon and steelhead. Click here to learn more about Richard, his work, and the current campaign which uses a line of poet Tom Crawford’s. The link also contains an excellent narrated video which showcases the print-making process and details Richard’s motivations.

A Caster

Years ago, I found myself on a float trip down the Grande Ronde River, along with Whitney Gould, longtime fly fishing guide and instructor and world champion Spey caster. I distinctly remember fishing my way through camp water one evening when, in my peripheral vision, I noticed these picture-perfect, symmetrical, tight loops flying all the way across the river. I took a quick glance upstream and saw Whitney casting. I was nearing the bucket of the run so I kept my focus ahead of me, but the perfect loops didn’t stop. Eventually I turned around to watch her and that was when I realized that she was casting left-handed (she’s right-handed). Speaking of, here’s a video of Whitney casting 141 feet with her left hand! Check out Whitney’s website, this interview, and if you’re inclined to help her attend the 2024 Flycasting World Championship in Sweden, here’s a GoFundMe.

A Listen

It’s said that Ashland, Oregon is a vortex and that has proven to be true for me in a variety of ways. How I even ended up there is a story with a mix of coincidences, connections, and backstories. The first person that told me about the Ashland vortex was Jake Crawford, who I met when I moved to town. Jake and I then became friends, eventually coworkers, then great friends, and now have fished together in a number of venues around the continent for different species. He was recently interviewed on the River Rambler podcast and it’s definitely worth a listen. If you see him, ask him about this photo below and how big the steelhead was.

A Thought

Still, fishing and writing had a good deal in common.
You had to wait and be prepared to catch what came your way.
You had to know the difference between a shadow and the real thing.

~ Alice Hoffman, The Invisible Hour

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