Fishing has been pretty good on the Deschutes as well as many other waters in the Northwest.  Hopefully you have an opportunity to get out and have some quality time on a river or lake.  If not then get out there as soon as you can.

An important item is a retirement from our board of directors. Red Smith has served as our Membership Director for almost 15 years and he has informed the board that he will be stepping down on 12/31/18.  We will miss Red on the board and on behalf of the club we extend our Thanks for his many years of service.

We need a replacement for Red Smith as soon as practical so the person can work with Red over the next few months to get invaluable knowledge and incite about the position. It does not take a lot of time so please consider letting Red or any member of the board if your interested.

Our last month speaker was Randy Clark and he gave an interesting presentation on fishing for Sea Perch on the Oregon coast.  The flies were pretty basic, but you did need a stripping basket and  some  saltwater tolerate gear. As our fisheries change it may be a species work looking into. Next he discussed fishing for Tiger Muskie in a few lakes in the Northwest that holds these monsters.  They get quite large and are a wary adversary.  It was a very interesting evening.

The speaker for June is Nick Wheeler of the Royal Treatment Fly Shop. Many of you know Nick from the shop and he will be speaking on flies and techniques of fishing for Shad. We have very significant numbers of Shad that return to the Willamette and Columbia systems and they are a fun to catch during late May and early June.  Nick will share his knowledge on pursuing one of his favorite fisheries.

The last fish-a-long was at Rocky Ridge Ranch and as you saw on the blog it was a good day for everyone. The food and company was outstanding and the fishing, although, a little challenging was good.  The lakes are always and enjoyable outing.

For June we are considering fishing a lake in the Cascades as they give us good flexibility of people and a good chance of participates success. More information will be coming shortly on the particulars of  the event.

The Sandy River Spey Clave went off without a hitch with good instruction on Friday, presentations on Saturday and Sunday plus  great support from a number of manufacturers.  Many people were constantly trying equipment, listening to speakers and enjoying the good food provided for the event.  Mark Bachmann and the entire crew at The Fly Fishing Shop are to be congratulated for a well run program.

Do not forget our sponsors as they are the lifeblood of our club. Stop by their shops to say hello and thank them for their support.  Better yet buy something or book a trip to really underscore our gratitude for their support.

Gil Henderson

We have a great month coming up with a well known speaker and a fun fish-a-long.  Notwithstanding that we just finished a great fish-a-long on the Sandy River with at least 12 people attending.

First, I would like to Thank our member Ron Lauzon for arranging the site and then assisting further by sharing his casting expertise with members. Also, a Thank You Dave Kilhefner and his wife were gracious  hosts providing a delicious lunch for the attendees.  Everyone who attended it complimented the event.

Last month our speaker was Nick Rowell who spoke to us on winter Steelhead fishing. Nick had a great presentation with many practical ideas about how to you be a success in catching these wily creatures.

This month it is exciting to welcome our one and only Founding Gold Sponsor, Mark Bachmann, owner of the Fly Fishing Shop in Welches Oregon. In addition Mark is an accomplished guide, fly tyer, and author who will be sharing with us a new topic.  He will be speaking on Trout Spey Fishing which should be of interest to about everyone who enjoys Trout fishing. It will be interesting to be exposed to another way to fish for them successfully.  Do not miss this presentation.

As it is now Steelhead season our major door prize will be a seat on Mark’s drift boat for a float trip on the Sandy River. This always a fun trip and some lucky person will join the winner of our online auction on the trip.  Good Luck!!!

A couple of events that are coming up shortly. First the Fly Fishing Film tour will be at the Aladdin Theater on 2/10/18. Tickets are available at Royal Treatment Fly Shop and Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters as well as online at the Fly Fishing Film Tour.  We also have a fly tying event at the Fly Fishing Shop on Saturday 2/10/18 where they will be concentrating on tying Streamer patterns. Next the Sportmen’s Show on 2/7-11/18 at the Portland Expo Center which does have some fly fishing exhibits and programs. Finally, the N W Fly Tyer & Fishing Expo will be coming up on March/9-10/18 in Albany Oregon. It hosts a large number of fly tyers as well as equipment vendors, instructors for casting and techniques.

Remember our sponsors as they allow us to bring you our activities and speakers.  Drop in a say hi, better yet buy something or book a trip with them as they appreciate our support.

Gil Henderson

Happy New Year !!!!  We are off and running for a new year with great programs, fish-a-longs and raffles. We encourage everyone to get involved and participate as much as you can as it makes the club much more  fun.

The December meeting was fun for all as Phil was in great form handing out gifts to many members. The speaker was interesting with a presentation on kayak fishing. Of course we had no fish-a-long last month nor fly tying because of the holidays.

Not so this month as we start the year with our speaker Nick Rowell, a local guide, who will share some techniques about winter Steelhead fishing. We are right in the heart of that season so his remarks should be very helpful.

The fish-a-long will be  chasing Steelhead on the Sandy River at Oxbow park.  Ron Lauzon, a new member and certified fly casting instructor, will be on hand to give some pointers on single hand and double hand casting. Members can range up and down the park to find spots to chase Steelhead and polish their skills. Lunch will be served.

Remember Fly Tying on the fourth Wednesday of the month. More information to follow.

Check on the Fly Fishing Shop (Gold Founding Sponsor) flyfishusa.com(events)  for information on the Three Days of Modern Spey Fly Investigation  involving  winter Steelhead flies and Trout flies. In short Mark Bachmann will quarterback a field of guides and tiers to instruct everyone on tying some the most effective patterns. The dates are 1/13/18, 2/10/18 and 3/17/18.  A great way to spend a Saturday.

Remember our sponsors by visiting their shops when you are in their area. Stop in and purchase something, book a trip, or just say hello and thank them for their support.

Gil Henderson

Wow it is almost Thanksgiving and the fishing year slipped by much to quickly. Hoping that you had the chance to get out and chase some fish.  Speaking of fish, we are out to chase the Chum Salmon on the Kilchis River this Saturday 11/11/17. A post is on the site with all the details and weather cooperating we will have good conditions.  If you have not made this outing do so as it can be a lot of fun.

Our speaker in October, Kevin Erickson, gave a great presentation on the art of tying Atlantic Salmon flies.  They are quite complicated to tie and frankly seemed to beautiful to actually fish.  It was interesting and maybe one of our members will give tying one a them a shot in the future.

Our November speaker is Jeff Morgan, who will sharing information on fishing the Cascades.  This should be great as these waters are in our back yard and it would be great to know more about them.  Do not miss this one.

As a reminder we will not have a fish-a-long in December, but will have our annual Holiday meeting.  Everyone attending will go home with something  from the club. More details to come.

Remember our sponsors by visiting their shops when you are in their area. Stop in and purchase something, book a trip, or just say hello and thank them for their support.

Gil Henderson

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMER

A number of opportunities are out there for us to get out and fish.  We have trout in many of lakes and streams as well as Steelhead in the Deschutes and other Columbia tributaries. Do not forget the coastal streams which are now starting to see Sea Run Cutthroat Trout as well as Chinook and Coho.  These are just a few so get out there and wet a line.

Our last speaker was Jim Colthrust, a founding member, who spoke to us on fishing for Permit in Xcalak, Mexico. He shared a number of videos to show the features of this fishery which he has enjoyed for a number of years. It was an entertaining and informative program. Our thanks to Jim.

This month we welcome Kevin Erickson who will sharing with us techniques in fly tying. This will be a different program, but as we have a number of tiers at all levels it should be very informative. I encourage you to attend.

The September fish-a-long journeyed to the John Day River for Smallmouth Bass. It was well attended and everyone caught fish albeit most were of the smaller size although a few big ones were landed.  Cottonwood Canyon State Park is a beautiful spot and all had an enjoyable day.

Next we will be on the Deschutes River for Steelhead. The date is Saturday October 21st and  more details will be coming soon.  Although the overall numbers of returning Steelhead are down, there has been increased numbers tagged at the falls so fish are now getting distributed throughout the river. Make this one.

The November fish-a-long will be before our November meeting as we are targeting Chum Salmon on the Kilchis River. The date is Saturday November 11, 2017 which is the last weekend before the fishery closes on November 15,2017.  Mark your calendars as this is a fun day conditions permitting as weather may be a factor. Keep a look out for more details as the we get nearer to the date.

Remember our sponsors by visiting their shops when you are in their area. Stop in and purchase something, book a trip, or just say hello and thank them for their support.

Gil Henderson