Seasons on the Fly Grande Ronde River

[grsteelies]

Did anyone catch last sundays episode Seasons on the Fly, fishing the Grande Ronde? I guess I should have as I was on the show. We shot the show 2 years ago and I forgot what all we did. I haven't seen it yet, give it to me straight. Good, bad, indifferent? If I remember right there should be some awesome Bighorn Sheep footage as well as a few steelies. BTW, I accidentally caught my steelhead of the year (summer run) at the mouth of the GR fishing for smallies on Sunday. Maybe they will be back early this year?

[overfitty]

I saw it...it was awesome! I gotta get over there this fall. Just need to figure out where I can camp and fish from shore. Great job!!

[jeffey]

I wathced the show and thought it was a good one. Lots of fish, good footage, etc.

I'm not surprised you caught your first steelie over there already. The counts over lower granite have been great considering how early it is. I guess the water hasnt warmed up enough to slow them down in the Columbia.

[grsteelies]

Thanks you guys. The GR is a fall season must for steelhead anglers of the NW. Lots of public water and camping near the mouth, and multiple access areas from Troy , OR all the way to the mouth. BLM has a great river map that is really good. I'll keep up on a decently timed post this fall to help keep you guys on the coast wasting gashole money driving over for poor fishing. Call Boggan's for more info. 509-256-3372. I pray it's the other way this fall. Early fish and lots of them. Let the swing begin!

[chromeseeker]

It's nice to see high early counts but the counts were great last year as well and the fishing was great but the catching stunk.

Hope the "catching" improves this year!

CS

[overfitty]

Originally Posted by grsteelies

Thanks you guys. The GR is a fall season must for steelhead anglers of the NW. Lots of public water and camping near the mouth, and multiple access areas from Troy , OR all the way to the mouth. BLM has a great river map that is really good. I'll keep up on a decently timed post this fall to help keep you guys on the coast wasting gashole money driving over for poor fishing. Call Boggan's for more info. 509-256-3372. I pray it's the other way this fall. Early fish and lots of them. Let the swing begin!

Thanks so much for that info...I REALLY want to make it over there this fall. You can PM me any additional details as well...MUCH APREESH!!

[mcsquidly]

that the fish counts were high but the fishing was only good if you were high!

Its as if the fish counts are almost meaningless. They are all a bunch of hatchery brats that, by comparison to there native cousins, hate the greased lined or skated fly.

No doubt the GR is steeped in lore and tradition. But this reverance was born out of an era with healthy native fish stocks. Now, its nothing but a race of "posures" of the revered wild chromer.

I am remiss (and also, at the moment, lit) because of what portends to be healthy returns of steelies is nothing but an illusion of good fishing potential.

Good luck to those who fish it. Take lots of beer, you will need it.

[sothereiwas]

They have done 2 episodes on steelhead and its all nymphing, who wants to watch that?

[D3smartie]

Originally Posted by sothereiwas

They have done 2 episodes on steelhead and its all nymphing, who wants to watch that?

seriously...

[sothereiwas]

I'm not saying no nymphing, but all nymphing?

[FLGator]

I'd turn the channel.

[mcsquidly]

Nymphing!!??

How can this be? The GR is famed as a dry fly fishery, isnt it!!??

Now it is a "nymphing" fishery. I am depressed.

Maybe I should take up bass fishing

[chromeseeker]

The GR has some of the most beautiful steelie water on it of any river I've seen. With the disgustingly filthy structure, the sweet smell of sage in the air and the ever present danger of rattlers and scorpions, the river begs to be fished in the most classic sense--with a dry line and skated or damp fly.

To chase these fish with nymphs is both a sad commentary on what has happened to the sport on this river and what has happened to these once noble gamefish. They are but empty shells of the once grand "O. mykiss" that once finned in this watershed.

CS

[grsteelies]

Sorry to hear that it bothers some of you that we actually catch fish during the winter when the water temps are just above freezing condition. WE all love to see the fish take, and or pull the rod out of your hand on the swing, but when the water is almost frozen, they dont take on the swing with must success. I would guess one of the main reasons we do catch so many fish in Jan-Feb is that you swingers don't enjoy this type of fishing and we have the lower river almost to ourselves daily. This surely beats 30 boats hammering the water each day during October in my opinion.

[D3smartie]

I'm sure the numbers you catch have nothing to do with all the hatchery fish in the river and returning to their release points. Fishing for kegged up boots in the middle of winter is one of the fisheries I'll surely pass on.
Nymphing from late sept-early nov is pretty weak as well. With such trouty steelhead and the quality opporunity to pick one up on a dry it is pretty lame to see so many nymphing the hell out of it. Many people are stuck in the numbers game though, and it is effective.

CS- your last paragraph sums up my feelings about the G.R. these days as well. I love the river and have spent some quality time there, but the class of fish has declined so much over the years that they are truly just a shell of their former ancestors.
I caught 1 fish down there a couple years ago that was surely wild and it was an experience I'll never forget. I rose 3 fish in 15 minutes to the dry and finally beautiful hen tore me up tailwalking all ove the place. hard to have much more fun for me than that in such a beautiful canyon. Unless its chasing chukars in the morning

[hpalmer]

I Thought It Was A Great Show. Hope To Make It Over There This Fall.

[grsteelies]

Thanks for the kind words Hpalmer. Drop me a pm before you come over and I'll get you an up to date report.

[raptorschild]

Originally Posted by mcsquidly

that the fish counts were high but the fishing was only good if you were high!

Its as if the fish counts are almost meaningless. They are all a bunch of hatchery brats that, by comparison to there native cousins, hate the greased lined or skated fly.

No doubt the GR is steeped in lore and tradition. But this reverance was born out of an era with healthy native fish stocks. Now, its nothing but a race of "posures" of the revered wild chromer.

I am remiss (and also, at the moment, lit) because of what portends to be healthy returns of steelies is nothing but an illusion of good fishing potential.

Good luck to those who fish it. Take lots of beer, you will need it.

I mostly agree with this post...although early in the year, there are natives to be had.

The last several years in fact...the water levels have been substantially lower that the median and mean averages which has caused many many fish to stack up in the snake at the confluence and wait for higher, cooler water. This creates a smorgasboard for guys drifting eggs in the jet boats on the snake at Heller bar.

Last year there were guys C & R'ing 20 fish in a day all way until November. INSANE!!!

According to the Biologists, it had an incredible impact on native fish and obviously hatchery.

I agree with everything else though....the fishery is a shell of itself.....but the reasons are many......including MANY more fisherman. I started chukar hunting down there in the late 1980's, and doing some fishing on the side, and you usually had miles of unfished water.

Completely different scene in the late 90's, and now its just flat out ridiculous. nowadays...the fish you pick up are fish that someone else missed. thats all there is to it.

[JRV]

D3, I would like to see you pull a fish out of this river in late Jan. or Feb when their is ice floating down the river and it's 10 degrees out. I'm sure if the episode was filmed in October you would have saw plenty of dry fly action.

I would much rather watch a fishing show with someone nymphing than one with a bunch of gear chuckers, especially when the show has class indviduals such as the ones contained in this episode.

I have fished the river for the last 20 years, and while yes it has went down hill it's no different from any other river with hatchery fish. Look at the deschutes that place is a freakin *hit show especially the lower river. In my opinion the best time to fish the GR is after thanksgiving, all the fair weather fishermen have gone home and you can fish pretty much any hole you want.

[D3smartie]

why? I've done it. it sucks.

[chromeseeker]

Tossing chunks of feather-covered lead to a bunch of hatchery brats in freezing cold weather sounds like a load of fun to me. Um, I'll pass!

I'd rather fish a river like the John Day in January when there's ice floating about my waders but the fish are still grabbing swung flies. Why? Because they are WILD fish. Granted, it's a pretty slow swing, but a floating line and unweighted fly can be used.

There's a good reason the GR is vacant after November.

CS

[Penobscot]

I've really enjoyed the show. I'll enjoy it even more when I hear, next up,
Mark Few, basketball coach at Oregon, ties into a big one.

[JRV]

That's the exact reason why I don't fish the river in Oct. it's way to crowded. In my opinion thats one of the best things about the GR after Nov. the majority of the people don't want to fish it because it's to cold, I can go down their catch a ton of fish and have just about any hole to my self.

one of the best days I have ever had, from a numbers perspective was in Dec., their was ice floating down the river my self and one other person caught 19 fish between the two of us all were caught on a fly.

[grsteelies]

Originally Posted by Penobscot

I've really enjoyed the show. I'll enjoy it even more when I hear, next up,
Mark Few, basketball coach at Oregon, ties into a big one.

I have ask Mark about the "Oregon Job" rumors many times, and he always tells me the same thing. Ernie is a great coach and that's all that it is........Rumors. He is such a class act like said before. I am fortunate to be one of his friends and spend days fishing with him on the GR. He is happy in Spokane at GU. Awesome support from all at GU. Close to Montana for summer trout fishing, and close to the GR for Steelies. I love Oregon, but it's a long drive to Eugene for a basketball game. GO ZAGS, and Ducks too!

[grsteelies]

Originally Posted by JRV

That's the exact reason why I don't fish the river in Oct. it's way to crowded. In my opinion thats one of the best things about the GR after Nov. the majority of the people don't want to fish it because it's to cold, I can go down their catch a ton of fish and have just about any hole to my self.

one of the best days I have ever had, from a numbers perspective was in Dec., their was ice floating down the river my self and one other person caught 19 fish between the two of us all were caught on a fly.

JRV, I'm with you. I stay on the Snake during October and let all the purist have at it. I stopped guiding during October because all the people and the like attitudes we read in this post. You can have the entire river to yourselve in October D3 and Chrome, along with the 30 other boats. I'll save my days for after the October gauntlet and enjoy the peace and tranquility the canyon brings without the crowds. Way to Go JRV, 19 steelies on the fly is AWESOME! FYI, during the shooting of this episode, day one Heister and I landed 15. Day two Few and Nagy landed 16. I'll sign up days like that anytime. Anyone else care to? And YES, there will be coming shortly a Seasons On The Fly GR swing\skating episode without the crowds. How did we pull that off? Keep watching, you'll find out.

[sothereiwas]

I dont want anyone to take my initial comments the wrong way. I'm no purist and have nothing against nymphing. I do plenty of it in winter situations. But it would just be nice if they did a show swinging. Up until recently most of my fishing partners were from older generations ( I'm 28 ). The guys that I have been fishing with since this last winter that are closer to my age think its odd that swing with a floating line almost exclusively from April to Thanksgiving. I do, because its what I enjoy. They have picked my pocket a few times with their Skagit lines and tips. To each his own. I just think since there are few fly fishing shows that even do steelhead episodes that it would be nice to see one come to a swung fly on occasion. One thing that I found odd about that episode is that the fish were all released. If hatchery brats are a big portion of the problem in that river then smack them. I realize that it looks more PC and but any moderately educated fly fisherman knows that these fish need to be harvested.

By the way that is a fishy looking fly they were using. I already have some tied up for winters on the coast.

Brad

[grsteelies]

Originally Posted by sothereiwas

I dont want anyone to take my initial comments the wrong way. I'm no purist and have nothing against nymphing. I do plenty of it in winter situations. But it would just be nice if they did a show swinging. Up until recently most of my fishing partners were from older generations ( I'm 28 ). The guys that I have been fishing with since this last winter that are closer to my age think its odd that swing with a floating line almost exclusively from April to Thanksgiving. I do, because its what I enjoy. They have picked my pocket a few times with their Skagit lines and tips. To each his own. I just think since there are few fly fishing shows that even do steelhead episodes that it would be nice to see one come to a swung fly on occasion. One thing that I found odd about that episode is that the fish were all released. If hatchery brats are a big portion of the problem in that river then smack them. I realize that it looks more PC and but any moderately educated fly fisherman knows that these fish need to be harvested.

By the way that is a fishy looking fly they were using. I already have some tied up for winters on the coast.

Brad

Brad, Your right on the money, that fly is a fish catching machine.I have caught many fish with the Madison Special from AK to NORCAL. In regard to the "hatchery" fish, if I remember correctly, of the 31 fish caught 11 were "wild" fish. I say "wild" loosly because even though they possessed an adipose fin, we dont really know whether they are the true native GR strain, or natural fish which are a by product of hatchery/wild fish spawning naturally in the river. There is no doubt in my mind that the pure genetic GR wild stock has been diluted. Taking this into perspective, it is what it is. I love the taste of fresh smoked steelies, so I embrase these marvelous wonders, hatchery or not, wild or not. They remarkably travel 400 + miles over 8 dams to the Pacific, and in my opinion only by the wonders of God do they return. Not just a few, but thousands make the trip back every year to do their part in reproduction, only if I don't get them in the smoker first. Please don't get me wrong, I am a conservationist. I practice catch and release most of the time, but I also fill my punch card every year. Few has never let me kill a fish with him. He holds them too precious to be caught only once, which I truly believe we all understand. Dams, gill nets, commercial fishing, etc. The destruction of our natural resources will continue as long as money and political corruption continue