Washougal River flyfishing

This fly pattern was created by famed SW Washington fly fisherman Bill McMillan. Zaq tied this for me and I'm anxious to give it a try. Thanks Zaq!!!!


Here is a Washougal summer fish that I caught back when I had hair


This fish was caught on the East Fork of the Lewis circa 1975.



[This message has been edited by bigstew (edited 01-30-2001).]

[Jellyhead]

Hi BigStew!

Good looking pic's. Your Lewis river fish was taken the year I was Born (hope that don't make ya feel too old).

Just wondering if those were winter or summer fish. I'm assuming summers, if your using the McMillan washougal olives.

Been bit hard by the old flyfishing bug myself. Just can't seem to put a steelhead on the beach this winter, quite a few hookups so far, Just nobody wants to come play on the beach with me :-(.

Oh well, thanks for posting the pic's.

Aaron

[GBSkunk]

Jellyhead, if you're hooking winter fish on flies but losing them you might consider tube flies. I've found that I beach about 50-60% of my fish hooked on regular flies but it jumps to +85% with tube flies. The Fly Shop in Welches has the best ones.
On the other hand, just to be hooking winter steelhead on flies is great!
TL's

[roblosey]

Hello all:
I am a steelhead flyfisher myself and have been hitting the Alsea lately with little success. What type of setup are you guys using? I am using a shooting head system with a type 6 or a chunk of Deepwater Express at the end. Also, why would tube flies result in more landed fish? Thanks for the tips.

Hey 'Stew, I used to steelhead flyfish the Washougal when I had hair too . Actually, it was the one I did most of my summer steelhead flyfishing on; along with the Kalama and Deshcutes rivers, and a few others, as well. I remember fishing up river a ways away from Bill McMillian and his partner Mark Noble several times. I learned to be more gentle/suttle with line mending in clearer water conditions by watching Bill fish. I caught a lot of steelies on flies until my foot probs kept me from wading. But now I have a cataraft and a new steelhead flyrod and am ready to get after it again. Mostly for summers though - I'm having fun jig fishing for the winters. - Steve

[GBSkunk]

Hi Roblosey, if you're fishing that way you must have been visiting the Scarlet Ibis. They are big proponents of a short piece of Deep Water Express (or something like it) and using light running line. In small water like the upper Alsea, that works great. I imagine you are also using a cabalerro too?
The tube fly holds on so well because you use a very small hook. It's actually a glo-bug hook, the Tiemco 105 in a size 4. This hook is then inserted into the tube. Small hooks like this hold on better than a long shank hook like Tiemco 7999 or an Alec Jackson. This tube fly method allows you to fish large flies with small hooks.
Last year my dad went to B.C. (the great trout farm of the north!) and hooked 46, beached 38 in 6 days. Two over 20lbs, all on a size 4 glo-bug hook! Got to www.flyfishUSA.com for some pictures of the setup.
TL's

[ZaQ]

Great pics! I am starting to see that fly in my sleep.
Just as a note similiar to Jellyhead's, I was 2 when you caught that fish. Couldn't resist.
Let me know when you are going to give those suckers a try and I will join you.

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Fish this!
ZaQ

[Jellyhead]

GBskunk,

Thanks for the tube fly tip. I've never tried them, and haven't got a jig to hold them in my vice, but may have to figure something out. I've never had so many fish come unpinned as I have this year, usually my hookup to beaching ratio is pretty good. I use a #3 or 1 1/2 Alec Jackson hook now on my marabou flies, on a 6' leader. This is attached to a 6' mini-head of lead core, attached to my shooting floating head. I usually fish fairly small, faster rivers, and this setup gets me down! (sometimes too far down, see empty fly wallet)

I don't know if anyone here went to the Sportsman's show in Portland earlier this year, but I was doing a demonstration on tying winter steelhead flies at the Fly tying theater. One of the flies I was tying there has been The one I've gotten all of my hookups.

Here's the pattern if anybody's interested.

Hook: Alec Jackson Spey #1 1/2
Body: Orange Seal
Hackle: Orange Marabou (Started in the middle of the fly and wound 3-4 turns)
Forward Hackle: White marabou, 2 turns in front of the Orange marabou
Forward, Forward Hackle: White saddle, 2 turns(this helps keep the marabou always facing rearward)
Wing: (optional) 4-6 strands pearl crystal flash

This fly was created after watching one of my buddies absolutly clean house fishing an Orange and white marabou jig one winter. Orange a white works awesome! Even in the lowest, clear water. Try this combo.

A note to jig fisherman: tie up some orange and white, they outfish pink and white 2 to 1. (Trust me, I was the victim of this cruel experiment a couple of years back)

Happy Tying

Aaron

[roblosey]

GBSkunk and others:
Thanks for all of the helpful tips. I have ordered some materials so that I can tie up my own tube flies--you guys are great salesmen. Anyone have an idea why orange colored flies/jigs would outperform pink? Something to do with the way steelhead see color? Hitting the Alsea this weekend. I will let you know how I did.

[ZaQ]

Uh huh..........


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Fish this!
ZaQ