Gold Brooch Fly Fish Pins

The Alaska Mary Ann gold fly pin with body complete, awaiting attachment of the wing.

Chief Needahbeh awaiting the completion of a feather wing.

Completed Alaska Mary Ann steelhead fly tied on a 1/0 gold brooch pin.

Classic Chief Needahbeh Streamer tied on a gold brooch fly pin.

Rogue River Flows

How’d the Rogue River flow jump so much over the weekend? I was away from the valley floor and up in the mountains trying to take some possible Christmas Card photos while breaking in a new pair of Rocky Boots. Granted it did sprinkle rain and hail a little at that attitude, but for the most part it was just plain cold with fog. The fog made finding and taking photos difficult, while the new boots proved up to the task of the weather and terrain. What was my surprise Monday when I returned to the river and found the water semi murky and a foot or so higher along the bank. Note to oneself, it is getting to be that time of year when extra attention must be given to the weather in order to monitor good Rogue River fly-fishing condition

A steelhead run along the banks of the Rogue River.

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November Rogue Valley Blacktail Buck

Definitely the best buck of the past season. He showed up on trail cam after the season had close. Most of his appearances during mid-November were late night, but he did make a daylight, dawn appearance during the month. I believe this is the same four point that I saw during the 2013 season. Oh, to see him again in 2015!

Rainy November Rogue River 11-21-14

Clearly November conditions on the Rogue River.

Nature! Why is this stonefly nymph is so large this time of year?

Cold and wet, but not quite winter yet.

Here’s the pattern I need a name for. I’m just going with Large Brown Stonefly Nymph.

November wild fungi on a fallen log. In this case oyster mushrooms!

Oyster and hericium mushrooms from along the Rogue River.

Twilight blacktail buck drawn to a doe.

November twilight sky over the Rogue River.

A good November day searching for steelhead on the Rogue River, Oregon. I spent a lot of time casting the new natural flies with nary a bite. I even tried some of the gaudier Carpetbagger Nymphs in the cold, green water. Nothing was working until late when I began catching trout with the ‘Hare’s Ear look-a-like. And then, wouldn’t you know it, a pulverizing strike on the swing through a shallow tailout section. Zip, zip, break…the 6 pound test parted. The dilemma; fish the 6 pound tippet in lower, cold water in order to get more strikes, or up the pound test of the tippet to #8 in order to land more steelhead? Good question, any suggestions?

Here is the fly that has captured most of the attention. A small fly with a lot of the elements of a G.R. Hare’s Ear Nymph.

Along the Rogue River, Oregon Nov. 18, 2014

 

Two days of sub-freezing night time temperatures and the catching went cold on the Rogue River. Even with a late morning visit just to give the river time to warm up we could not find a bite. We were treated to a nice sight. Where does this blacktail buck hide the rest of the year? I do not know because I never get a sight of him until November. I know he is around because sometimes his track shows in the early fall. I first saw him two years ago. He only becomes this unwary during the month of November.

Natural, Drab Flies Still Working Well – November 18th

Today they were hitting the trailing fly. I thought of it more as a swinging fly, something the steelhead hit as it came to the end of the swing. Today hookups to the little fly came during the dead-drift. I could even feel the Rogue River cutthroat trout’s nibbling bite to it. The steelhead paused the downstream travel of the fly line and leader connection. I took out the slack, and a good fish was on with the fly solid in the corner of the jaw.

Rogue River cutthroat trout.

Here is the fly that has captured most of the attention. A small fly with a lot of the elements of a G.R. Hare’s Ear Nymph.

Rogue River scenery.

On the dead-drift the small trailing fly came to a dead stop fast to the jaw of this steelhead.

A small wisp of deer hair shows from where the hook stuck.

The Hook-Up Set-Up.

Two good fly patterns on the end of your line. A larger fly followed by a smaller one.

A great way to fly fish two flies is with the following rigging. The examples I’m using are the two patterns shown in the photo. Both patterns have caught nice fish lately so I’m showing them again. So, the rigging goes as such. First tie the heavier, larger pattern to the end of your tippet. In the photo that would be the larger, rubber-legs stonefly nymph. I like that tippet section to be 10# test because you never know what size fish you are going to hook up with on the Rogue River. Also stout 10# test, like Maxima brand, allows you to pull out of most snags without losing your flies. The knot I use exclusively throughout this whole set up is the Uni-Knot also known as the Duncan Loop. Fast and easy to tie, the knot is also very strong. The second, smaller fly (I call it following fly) is attached to the first fly with 24 to 26 inches of 8# test tippet. Sometimes I will use 10# test if the water is up, fast and heavy; or if river conditions are much like they are right now which is low and cold, I will drop the tippet size between flies down to 6# test. The tippet between flies is attached to the larger fly either at the bend of its hook or at its eye. I prefer to attach to the bend of the hook, but both attachment points will work. The second fly is simply tied to the end of that “between” leader. Again I like to use the Duncan Loop knot at all knot points. A good reason to have that long leader between flies is too keep from foul hooking while playing the fish with the “following” fly. Of course you always run the risk of that following fly hooking a snag or rock while you are playing the fish…but chalk that up to fishing luck. As is that edge of favorable chance that fishing two flies at the same time can give.

Attach the tippet to the bottom fly to the bend of the hook of the larger stonefly. Use a Uni Knot or Duncan Loop knot.

Name This Fly – Rogue River Steelhead Report

Here’s the pattern I need a name for. I’m just going with Large Brown Stonefly Nymph.

Coho salmon that took the Brown Stonefly Nymph under sunlit conditions.

Surprised me when a Coho grabbed the nymph. Here’s the proof.

Au naturale…a Rogue River steelhead also comes to the nymph.

Here’s the bead head version of the Brown Stonefly Nymph.

Delighted to hook up this steelhead in a new “honey hole” on the Rogue River.

I love new flies that work. This one, provided to me by “a find in the sticks along the Rogue River”, is steadily proving its worth in the low, clear water of November. I tie a lot of steelhead flies with sparkle, glitter, bead heads and what not. That’s the norm, right? Steelhead don’t seem to mind the glamour? Well this fly’s focus is on the “au naturale” look. It worked well the other day on first a Coho and then a steelhead. I should readily know this as I’ve been a big advocate of the buggy-looking Bead Head G.R. Hare’s Ear Nymph for years.

Here’s the deal: Come up with the original (if there is already one?) or a new name for this fly, and if I like and agree, I will send you a custom tie of it in a size you desire.

The G.R. Hare’s Ear Nymph is a pretty natural looking fly until I add the bead head. That said you also get your choice of the stonefly nymph weighted with a bead head or not.

Recent Flies That Have Been Working on Rogue River November Steelhead

A recent fly combination that I have been having success with. The top pattern is a dark, buggy stonefly representation.

Here is the fly that has captured most of the attention. A small fly with a lot of the elements of a G.R. Hare’s Ear Nymph.

Rogue River November Steelhead

Low cold water, shy bite…small flies on the swing have proved productive. Thin tippets have also been key. Depending upon the water, I’ve scaled down to six pound test. Generally two flies are good and the norm. A large Carpetbagger or other stonefly and a trailing smaller fly works well.

The Rogue River, Oregon at low November flow.

A Rogue River steelhead creates a frothy ruckus after being hooked by a small trailing fly.

A pretty Rogue River November steelhead. It’s the spots!

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