Spring Cleaning

I've had it! My piles have finally become so high that I can't stand them. Then they fall over, mixing the A,B,and C piles together. I haven't seen the cat for days, not since he was rubbing up against the "B" pile. Hmmmmm. I have been setting up an office area in the family room so I can still be around the family while I work. In the past, I would always bring in some work to do while watching TV with my wife and my son James. Then, I would intend to put the stuff back but it would generally get placed on a table and sorted into A,B, or C piles. The piles got higher and higher, and then I wouldn't see the cat for days. Now I have one place set up where I can be with the family while I write, tie flies, and work on the computer for business "paperwork" and my consulting business. Of course, there is a dedicated area for the A,B, and C piles.
The next step is to clean out the garage. My wife said that if the garage was COMPLETELY cleaned out and organized, she would support my wish to put up a building in back to hold all my entrepreneurial acitivities. It will be a faux log cabin, barn style, with a storage loft (attic) above. Lots of workbench space, and a lounge area for friends and customers to relax. Of course the mandatory refrigerator/freezer, microwave, and sink will have to be set up. Windows and a skylight will bring in natural light, and the air conditioner and propane heat will keep it comfortable in summer and winter. On the front of the building will be a dutch door and a sliding glass door. It will have a nice shady front porch with chairs, railings, and maybe a rocker. Fifteen feet across the lawn, along the fence line, will be an artificial waterfall and stream. Bluegill will inhabit the water feature, and maybe some catfish.

Two Days at Big Tree Lake

Fished Big Tree Lake again Friday and Saturday. On the water around 11 and off by 4 or 5. Temps are changing enough that I feel I need ot arrange my scheduling for more early or late fishing. I am missing the hatches. Sporadic fish making splashy rises. On Friday one pontoon boater caught 4 on Black Wooly Buggers with a little flash on them. The other three or four on the lake each managed to catch at least one, using a light blue dun emerger that flew from my vise a couple of weeks ago. I am calling it an OFC Midge. On Saturday I expected a huge crowd on the lake. Just me, my guest, and two others in float tubes. We caught a few each, but the others on the lake got skunked. They were fishing Wooly Buggers. I honestly tried to find some other way to catch fish, but either the flies or my technique weren't up to the task. I finally went to the OFC Midge fished wet and still had no luck. I was in the pontoon boat, bobbing around in 78 degree windless conditions, trying to write and trying to stay asleep....I mean awake, and my rod tip dove for the bottom of the lake. I missed that strike. To be sure that that action wasn't a fluke, I remembered that the OFC map of Big Tree claimed where I was at was 10 feet deep. Simple calculation.....71/2 foot leader, three feet of tippet..I had a couple of inches of fly line out the tip of the rod....little flip out, and let it dangle. Less than a minute went by and BAM! fish on! That technique worked for three nice fish, then the action ceased. It is probably important that I was moving around in the water as carefully as a fat 56 year-old man sneaking up on a chocolate cake. No oars, fins, or chocolate cake dangling in the water. If this works for you, remember me.

Hamlet's Fishing Trip

To fish, or not to fish, that is the question.

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The wind and rain of outrageous fortune

Or to fish against a pond of troubles.

-William Shakespeare's fishing buddy

Monday was like that. Finding myself in Oregon City already, I was torn. 15 minutes to Marquam Hill Pond or 25 minutes to home (and a hefty to-do list). The weather was lousy and not expected to improve, but the pontoon boat WAS in the back of the truck.

The pond looked bigger than I remembered. Memories are like that sometimes.....or was it because the fishing platform was under six inches of water? Light intermittent rain and gusty winds were my constant, but unwelcome companions. From the southern end of the pond, the wind pushed me along, allowing me to "drift fish" the structure along the west side. The surface of the pond was devoid of anything but wind chop. If flies were hatching, they weren't on the surface long enough for me or the fish to see them. There were no splashy rises to indicate fish chasing emergers. Off-color water and no observable insect activity called for a subsurface something that fish could find....a Wooly Bugger or some "secret something". My secret something is a Brush Bugger. It's an efffective variation on the good 'ol Wooly Bugger.

Brush Bugger - Rabbit fur as a collar hackle adds movement. If using a Bunny Brush, the rabbit is very dense and actually bulks up when wet and pulsing in the water. A heavy head gives a head-bobbing attitude with a twitching retrieve that also causes the rabbit hackle to move enticingly

Hook: 2x - 4x long nymph or streamer hook (Mustad 9671, 9672, or 79580)
Head: Bead or cone, light or heavy, metal, glass, or plastic, gold, silver, black, or colored
Thread: 3/0 to match collar hackle or black
Tail: Marabou to match body
Tail Flash: Krystal Flash to match body
Body: Chenille, dubbing, or dubbing brush (black, brown, olive, white)
Body Hackle: To match body
Body Flash: To match or contrast body (blood red for subdued color, neon or glow in the dark for very discolored water)
Collar Hackle: Bunny Brush, rabbit that is hand twisted on a wire, or in a dubbing loop
Optional: Rattle chamber (most effective in discolored water) and/or a weed guard

Casting a white Brush Bugger up against the structure drew one strike, resulting in a gorgeous bigger-than-I-deserve rainbow being released with a smile and a thank you. A thank you for being nice enough to take my streamer when all his peers insisted on being totally rude. Constant wind and rain is only an inconvenience if you are catching fish. In this case, however, the conditions provided a good reason to pack up and head home. This was only my second trip to Marquam Hill Pond. I caught absolutely nothing the first time I fished here. This trip was an improvement, but not a significant one. I will wait for some hot weather to bring out the bugs and get the bass to moving. Until then.

Lower Colton Pond

This is an OFC property I don't fish much. It is close to my favorite fishing spots, Big and Little Tree Lakes, so I have no excuse. I just have been in a Big Tree rut and not fishing other properties nearly as much as I could or should. The OFC president, CEO, CFO, and guy who lives on a trout and bass lake (I am NOT jealous...really....no, really) had mentioned that some members are in a Colton Ponds rut. Since they and I are in the rut I did something about it.

The geese took no notice as I parked in the grass next to the pond. As I approached the fishing platform at the edge of the pond, geese began to paddle around nervously. The geese were cool to watch, but those splashes all over the pond were trout, not geese. Splashy rises are generally indicative of fish chasing prey to the surface. The prey were rising rapidly to the surface from the pond's muddy bottom. Black chironomids work great in Big and Little Tree Lakes. Black chiros would obviously be my first imitation to try. Not a hit. Every technique in my bag of tricks was used. Not a hit. Dry imitations. Not a hit. Scuds. Not a hit. Wooly Buggers and Brush Bunnies. You guessed it....Not a hit. A long-handled aquarium net emerged from my pontoon boat's left pocket. Bending over to sample the water hoping to find whatever the trout were chasing to the surface, I saw, right in front of me, an adult size 18 chironomid. A gently positioned finger was welcomed as a way to get away from the voracious trout. As the insect crawled over my finger I noticed its overall blue-gray color which didn't surprise me. The body however, was different from other chiros I had found in OFC lakes. The front one-third was a beautiful medium olive and the rear two-thirds was the expected gray-black of other chiros. All I had was black or olive, no combos. I did have some light blue duns in a size 18. Again, the trout refused to take a dry. I examined the fly. What could I do to make it look like an emerger? The light bulb that went off might have spooked a few fish, but was worth the chance. I pulled the wings off. I pulled and pressed the dry hackle toward the rear of the fly to sweep it back wet fly style. After tying the fly back on the 6X tippet, into my mouth it went. A careful soak in saliva (makes it sink immediately) and I casted to the edge of the shorline structure, an area of partially submerged brush next to a fishing platform adjacent to the outlet of the pond. A ten-count got the fly down and then I began slowly and sharply twitching the fly to the surface. The next hour and a half were so much fun. I lost count of the two, three, and four pound trout that came to my boat. This was a great learning experience for me and I wanted to pass it along to you. Next time, and there WILL be a next time, I will have more of these dry flies and a LOT of the same pattern tied as an emerger. The addition of permanent markers will leave me totally prepared for any contingency......or, probably, until the next time I go fishing.

Twin Oaks Pond

My fishing buddy Trevor and I went to Twin Oaks Pond last week. He did the navigating. Yeah, you guessed it. We missed the turnoff to the ponds. The right turn finally made, and we only lost about 5 minutes of fishing time. We both fished the shallows with flies and never saw a fish. Spinners (single hook and barbless) didn't draw a bite shallow or deep anywhere in the pond. I was just about convinced that the pond was fished out. We had brought some worms to fish for catfish in the Tualatin River if it came to that so we gave those a try. I made a simple rig for worm fishing, barbless single hook on the bottom and a coupleof removable split shot two feet up the line. Tried worm and bobber in the shallows and in the middle of the pond. Nothing. Finally, the most boring fishing in the world unless bites come immediatley.......on the bottom, prop up the rod and watch the rod tip. Pepared myself to sit on the bench and wait 'till Trevor wanted to go. Cast out, let the rig sink to the bottom. Reel in the slack, prop up the rod and reel in slack again and wait forever to catch fish that aren't there. As soon as the worm got to the bottom the rod tip went tap, tap, tap. THERE ARE FISH IN HERE! Brought in a very nice rainbow in the 17 inch range. Yelled to Trevor and he re-rigged and started catching fish too. We caught fish for an hour and then it was time to leave. It's always rewarding to solve a fishing problem and turn a frustrating trip into a satisfying one. Every time this happens I learn. When I learn I become a better fisherman. As I become a better fisherman people benefit from my advice and finally I have someone else to pat me on the back......I threw my shoulder out last month doing it myself. This was my first trip to the pond and it's a cute little pond. An active small airport runway to the east and llamas across the fence to the west. A shaded picnic table, fishing platforms around the lake, parking close to the table, an outhouse with magazines and no toilet paper (always bring your own.....I left mine there for you to use), and Trevor squealing about the big fish that has just wrapped the line around the dock's leg. I vowed to return again soon. Conner and Kyle called today and tried to shame me into taking them fishing tomorrow....something about the last day of spring break and I still haven't taken them fishing. We leave at 9am.

Flyfishing Merit Badge Class

Last week I taught a 4 hour flyfishing merit badge class to six Boy Scouts . It's a wonderful opportunity to pass along flyfishing and fly tying skills to youngsters. Not all of them will catch the fire and continue to adult hood, but there are always a few. Through years of teaching these classes I have somehow managed to attract three fishing buddies that give me a call almost everytime there is a teacher planning day, spring break, or summer vacation to go fishing. Ten year old Trevor has continued on and comes to the house on Tuesdays to tie flies with me. We tie together for an hour and then he gets a half hour piano lesson from my wife. He is really sharp, and it's a lot of fun to watch the expressions and body language when he hooks a fish. It's a real hoot! It would be great to see him get good enough to tie at some sportsman's shows and expos. Last week we put our heads together and co-created a new pattern. It has been dubbed the Peterson Special. I wish I had a pic for you. The USB thingie to transfer pics from my camera to the computer gave out on me and I still have to get another. I will update pics in a new post soon.

I would be terribly remiss if I failed to mention the many individuals as well as industry wholesale and retail concerns that have donated tools, materials, and tackle at various times to assist me in my classes and I appreciate their assistance with all my being. I could not afford to offer this to the youth without you.

I have another class next saturday and look forward to that class as well.

March fishing

March 3 - 10am to 6:30pm - Big Tree / Little Tree Lakes
41 degrees air temp., 41 degrees water temp.
Cold, wet, windy, nasty day. Steady rain.
This time of year is prime chironomid time. The pupae seem to head for the surface when the air temp. reaches 50 degrees. There were sporadic splashy rises, indicative of fish chasing emergers. Unless there is a good hatch going on I prefer to drag or cast streamers (white, brown, or black Bunny Brush Baitfish) and Wooly Buggers (white, black, brown, or olive with a little flash). Tried a new Woolly Bugger color, black with red flash along the sides. Let's just say I need to tie up some more. Caught innumerable fish on Woolly Buggers, all about 17 inches. On successive casts from the fishing platform just south of the pontoon boat launch, I caught a couple of hold over fish estimated to be about 6 and 8 pounds respectively on a white Bunny Brush Rainbow Trout streamer.

March 13 - 10am to 3:30pm - Big Tree / Little Tree Lakes
56 degrees air temp.
Cold, wet, windy. Rain showers, wind, and rough water separated by periods of Sun, no wind, and glassy water.
When the weather was nasty there were sporadic rises and a rising black chiro pupa or #18 Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear worked well. When everything calmed down, the glassy surface of the lake was well covered by a #16 cinnamon colored mayfly. The topwater action was really fun. Later in the day a hatch of chiros joined the cinnamon mayflies. These new participants in the hatch were #20 extremely light blue dun, practically light gray, adult chironomids. The fish had seemed to switch from the mayflies to the chiros. A #20 Griffith's Gnat seemed to be the go to fly.

March 15 - 10am to 4pm - Big Tree / Little Tree Lakes
50 degrees air temp.
Fishing was very tough unless you had exactly the right fly and fishing technique. Nothing else worked except black chiro pupae rising off the bottom. I had one black chiro. I was fishing it below a bead head prince nymph. As the flies headed for the surface a fish apparently came up from under the flies. When I landed the fish I was amazed. Deep in its throat, farther down than I could reach with my forceps without damaging the fish, I saw the prince nymph. Somewhere below that had to be the chiromonmid pupa. Retrieve the last black chiro I had and kill the fish, or cut it loose. Well folks, if you need a black chiro pupa, just catch the right fish. He might be near the south shore of the northern most island.
A fellow club member and fisherman that lives 5 minutes from the lake....wouldn't that be just terrible?.....had the perfect setup and technique for fishing the chiro hatch. Sink tip line and #10 bead head Hare's Ear with a #12 black chironomid trailer. I think the Hare's Ear is there for the weight, getting the chiro pupa down fast. He casts out thirty feet or so and lets the flies get to the bottom. Then he slowly backs his pontoon boat. This causes the flies to rise off the bottom and head for the surface just as the real chironomids are.