Holiday eating, mild weather and a few summer steelhead still hanging around, that’s been the laid back early January scene on the upper Rogue. Which brings me to the weather. I had no idea that January would be as rain free as it has. Pacific Northwest storms usually swell the Rogue River during late December and January. Generally I do not even consider going out on the river at this time. So far the PNW storm door has not opened and the upper Rogue River is flowing at what would be considered normal October levels. And just as in December, we are catching a few late Rogue River summer steelhead. The bucks and hens are either red or rosy color. Pretty fish, I guess the call to spawn will really hit once the water levels of river and tributaries swell with some winter rain? The good news is that a little snow fell on the Rogue Valley floor this morning. Possibly the high pressure weather system that has been dominating will be breaking down soon and we will begin to get our normal rain and snow. And not to long after that the arrival of fresh Rogue River winter steelhead for March and April fishing.

Rain and snow were the conditions called for today. As you can see from the sunny sky in the first photo the weather was anything but what the weatherman had predicted. My first effort was to catch the steelhead. I cast a duo fly setup. The dropper fly was a small, nondescript, bead head nymph. The top fly was a Midnight Rainbow Carpetbagger Nymph. As I searched the water for steelhead, I could observe numbers of green-winged teal dropping and gliding down to the slough upstream. I was tempted to leave the Rogue River steelhead run and head over to the slough. Eventually I was rewarded with a strike and hookup from the sunlit run. A nice hatchery Rogue River steelhead had bit on the Carpetbagger Nymph. Another buck steelhead. Why does it seem that the male fish always arrive a little later behind the hen steelhead run? Just seems that way to me.

Gathered up all the gear and walked over to the slow and muddy slough. I skirting it wide so as to not spook the ducks. A white egret took off. A white egret or heron will always see you. I always try to spook them away early so as to get it over and done with. Walking slowly up to the slough I could see four teal on the water. Green-wing teal. I moved forward slowly and they took off. I missed, but another bunch erupted from the water to my right. I picked out a drake, swung the CZ Mallard and this time I didn’t miss. Great thing about an over and under is that you get that second shot.

I next set out a couple mallard decoys and sat to enjoy lunch and the rest of the afternoon. I really enjoy watching the pond with its shorebirds, pipers, snipes and every other critter that walks or flies on the wetland. I thought about the decoy I found the other day. It is a pintail drake decoy. Slight crack on the back, but I can fix that with a bead of Lexel® sealer. Little bit of an antique as the company no longer exist. Trademark on the bottom reads Victor D-10 Majestic Decoys. Made in the USA by the Animal Trap Company of America. It is plastic so it is not really worth much. As far as I can tell it dates back to 1960′s. I’ll give it a new lease on life.

The Midnight Rainbow Carpetbagger came through the other day attracting and hooking this nice Rogue River hatchery steelhead. Late Sunday afternoon Teri and I drove over to the Rogue River for a little steelhead and waterfowl searching. With just a little time for both activities, I hurriedly hiked a distance to fly fish a favorite run. The cold of the day kept Teri in the car with her knitting kit. Arriving at the river I began casting a two fly rig. The top fly was a Midnight Rainbow Carpetbagger, while the bottom fly was a small bead head caddis nymph. After just a few cast, I hung the small fly on a rock. I walked upstream, pulled straight and the 10# PLine Floroclear line broke off at the hook eye. Not bothering to tie on another fly, I continued casting the Carpetbagger with a trailing length of Floroclear line. Two or three cast and I felt weight again, but this time it was a broad-tailed steelhead. Showing spawning red color, the buck steelhead fought well and I was happy with the catch.

I hurried back to the car to switch to duck hunting gear. With little time left before the end of shooting hours, I walked the high bank to a spot where I’d seen numerous ducks land a week ago. Due to a very dry first half of December there was just a little pooled water. Due to the cold of the day all the water was frozen. Patiently I waited. No doubt the ducks would still come in late. Looking closely at the pond I noted a duck sitting amongst the ice and weeds. A decoy duck! I waded out, breaking ice all the way, and gather up a slightly damaged pintail drake decoy. He’s got a crack across the back, but I think I can fix it with a little Lexel®. Won’t even need to touch up the paint. Oh, the real ducks did eventually show, but they remained high and out of effective range of the CZ Mallard and the Kent Fasteel.

The promise of freezing fog had me thinking waterfowl this morning. It is generally agreed that the best duck hunting occurs during the worst weather conditions. So I woke up well before dawn, managed to make coffee, fixed a high carb breakfast, loaded up all the gear, and got myself to a popular spot well before first light.

Signing in at the check station, I smiled with some smugness as a couple of headlights started down the access road only to stop and turn around when they noted my parked rig. No ice on the pond or edges, so setting out a small decoy spread was no effort. Finding and accessing last year’s stand on the berm proved more difficult. The thistle and reeds have overgrown the levy. That question was easily solved when I noticed someone new arrive and check in at the wood kiosk. Best to just place my stool along the flat shoreline and bunch grass where I can be seen by the other hunter. Any arriving ducks in the thick fog are going to be committed and in range before they see me.

There were not a lot of ducks flying. Mr. Hunter went off in the other direction to access a couple distant ponds. Presently I heard a couple of shots. Must be jump shooting. Then I had a good-sized duck suddenly appear overhead and I dropped it with one shot. I didn’t like the direction it fell, beyond the bern and into some thick, swampy stuff, but I was satisfied with the shot. I’m trying out the Kent Fasteel this year, and the few shots I’ve taken so far have me happy with the load. A few more shotgun reports echoed in the distance. I waited and before long a lone small duck suddenly arrived. Teal are fast, but I shot, he veered, and I finished him with the second shot.

And that was it for the morning. No further action, except a pair of small ducks that came high and fast and I never had a shot. I will say the available water is low, and we can use a little rain to fill the ponds. The cold, foggy weather is perfect, however, and the December chance for good waterfowl hunting remains.

Our last trip had us finding fish, playing them and losing them right at the boat. So the hooking up was going ok, but the landing “moment of truth” was not happening. I blame it all on the bubble. As the river flow is yet high after the rain we received, we choose to utilize the spinning rod, line bubble and fly set up. Teri had a very pretty, large hatchery steelhead on. She just couldn’t get the fish far enough alongside the boat for me to cleanly net it. We should have taken time and action to release that line bubble. All that long leader makes controlling a fish tough. Just a couple of twist, that bubble would slide down, and the steelhead could be drawn in closer! Well sometimes easier said than done. We are going to practice on our tag-team, bubble-release technique.

Have not really flyfished the long, Intruder style of fly much. I’ve tied up a few to give them a try. This one is my latest, and I’m going to give it a chance on my spey rod soon. Probably not before I give the ole Carpetbagger it’s token number of cast!

A little cold today, but the sun was shining and it wasn’t raining. We couldn’t let this November day slip by without getting out on the river and fishing for Rogue River steelhead.  Early on we were happy to spot the egret up in the high trees. Then we spotted several does being herded by a massive four point buck along the same brushy bank. Even though we knew the remaining afternoon drift would be short, we hope for and found plenty more action. Yes the Rogue River steelhead bite turned on for us. The fly they were going for was the Midnight Fire Carpetbagger. As it was earlier in the week, the action got better as the sun set lower. Teri’s cast were true and she indeed caught the big fish for the day.

It’s 4:36 P.M, the end  of legal shooting hours for waterfowl. You put away the shotgun and know that you have a few more minutes left before the sun sets beyond the November western horizon. Lucky for you the Rogue River offers another exciting option. With spey rod in hand you hike back in to a familiar stretch of water. This time you seek not the mud hole, but the low, clear, cold running water of the Rogue River. You throw many a hurried cast before twilight. Then when you are just about to call it a day, a Rogue River summer steelhead snaps up your offering, a shaggy G.R. Hare’s Ear nymph. Looking much like the old Rogue River Big Bird pattern, the Hare’s Ear was fished off a Carpetbagger stonefly nymph. What made the steelhead bite in the cold, waning light of day you can only guess, but you most certainly can appreciate the decision!

All steelhead will go for the Carpetbagger.

Magic Fly Video

As per request a video on the tieing of the Carpetbagger. This is of the Wayne Van Burger “Magic Fly” version. My own favorite flavor is the Midnight Rainbow Carpetbagger. The Brownbagger comes into it’s own during salmon spawning season or during the cold winter months. For those that can tie, have fun. For those that don’t want to tie their own, visit my About Page for viewing of the Carpetbagger patterns available from me.

Late October Summer Steelhead on the upper Rogue River

With frosty mornings, falling leaves, dry grass and perfect mid-day temperatures in the sixties, October comes to an end on the upper Rogue River. The river level has dropped to about its lowest, and the Fall chinook spawn is still going on. The steelhead catching has been spotty. Never the less they make their presence known on occasion. I came across this October steelhead the other day while duck hunting a favorite slough of the Rogue River. Just a little frosting on the cake, the mallard ducks were also cooperating. Local birds and a few migrants I suppose. Other than mallards, teal, wood ducks and Canada geese, I haven’t seen a big waterfowl migration yet. I guess October’s conditions are just too darn nice! The Rogue Valley weather should take a good nosedive sometime in November and with that change look for a fresh influx of new steelhead and waterfowl on the upper Rogue River.

Opening of duck season on the Rogue River.

The CZ Mallard scored it’s first waterfowl of the Fall. Mallards! I passed on the smaller teal. Wasn’t alot of waterfowl movement on the second morning of the season. The Rogue River is very low and some of the best slough areas are just mud holes. The weather continues to be very nice. Indian summer. Today the temperature high’s are up near 80°F. The mallard feathers are welcome as they replenish some fly tying supplies.