More from the Middle Rogue

Showing the Carpetbagger and G.R. Hare's Ear tadem

Sorry for the poor photo quality. The old, faithful Canon A60 took another dunking! Just keeps right on kicking. I am working at really drying her out this time.
This nice, hatchery fish really pounced on the Carpetbagger stonefly nymph and Beadhead G.R. Hare’s Ear combo. The matter of fact is both flies have beadheads. Lately I’ve noticed the smaller fish are taking the Hare’s Ear, while the Carpetbagger has counted for the larger fish.
Yesterday was a good day to be out on the river as mild temperatures and a gathering overcast dominated. The expected weather front has arrived overnight and we are now receiving wind and rain. The rainy weather conditions are forecasted for the remainder of the week. We’ll just have to wait and see. Here’s a few more photos taken yesterday on the middle Rogue River.

A friend picking a way through the skinny water.

Committed and entering the chute

Pair of spawning chinook salmon.

A fly angler working the water below spawning fall chinook

Middle Rogue River Again

Rogue Guiden with middle Rogue River steelhead.

Early this morning I hooked up with this very nice Rogue River steelhead. This connection was particularly satisfying. I long casted the smooth, broad tailout seen in the background with a Gray Heron spey fly. The take was near undetectable…just a small pull at the fly. I tightened to that tension and the fish exploded out of the water in a high leap. A resounding splash broke the quiet of the gliding tailout water. I landed the fish before he went over into a very swift rapid.

No need to fish below spawning salmon with an Eggo and strike indicator when you can find, tempt and catch steel with a pretty fly like this.

The Gray Heron as it comes from the vise before it is fished!

October on the middle Rogue River

Large buck Rogue steelhead plucked from the fast water.

I had to venture a ways out of my confort zone, but the drive was worth it. The middle Rogue offers a lot of new river to learn. This near 30 inch Rogue River steelhead was found in a real soft spot at the side of a big rapid. The reason the photo is dark is because I’m under a bridge. The first fish I hooked out of this spot taught me a few early lessons. I didn’t waste what I had learned when I next hooked this guy. The fly pattern was a Beadhead G.R. Hare’s Ear nymph.