Articles

Columbia River Steelhead Forecasts Cut Again, Idaho Drops Bag Limits

by Ben Kryzinski - Thursday, Oct 10th, 2013

This steelhead made its way up the Columbia River and on to the Deschutes River, in Oregon (photo: Chad Shmukler).

Last week, officials again cut the expected returns of B-run steelhead. The current forecasted number of B-run steelhead (steelhead over 31 inches) is now only 10,700 fish, which represents only around one-third of the originally expected 31,600 fish. Only around 2,500 of the currently forecasted returning fish are expected to be wild.

In response to the reduced forecast, officials in Idaho have cut the steelhead bag limits on the Clearwater River and its tributaries accordingly. The Clearwater is the primary destination of most B-run steelhead entering the Columbia. Normally, anglers are permitted to take three steelhead per day. This year, however, anglers will be permitted to take only one steelhead per day.

Final 2013 Photo Contest Reminder

by Tom Breck - Wednesday, Oct 9th, 2013

Last year's grand prize winner, "Natural Beauty", by Hayden Clark.

To say that this year's photo contest has been our best might be considered to be saying a lot of nothing at all. After all, the site itself has only been around a little more than two years, and this year's photo contest is only our second annual. That said, by virtue of these contests, we've had the pleasure of hosting some of the finest fly fishing photography out there. Some of these photographs have been submitted by professionals, some by avid amateurs and some by everyday fishermen that have become accustomed to carrying a camera on the water with them whenever they go, with little more in terms of expectations that keeping a visual record of the experiences that drive them to the water each time they venture there.

Whether the camera is a $3,000 digital SLR, a point and shoot, a GoPro or a smartphone, the result is the capture of many stunning images which remind each of us why we seek out fish-filled waters. It is a privilege to host and showcase these images and it is no doubt a tradition we hope to carry on for years to come.

5 Reasons Beads are Better Than Egg Fly Patterns

If you're going to fish an egg imitation, you might as well fish one that catches more fish and kills less

by Chad Shmukler - Tuesday, Oct 8th, 2013

This dolly varden from Alaska'a Tongass National Forest is hooked in the outside corner of the jaw, typical of a hook set with a properly setup bead rig.

I don't get excited about fishing egg patterns like some fishermen do. But, there's good reason for their excitement: they work. It's a simple fact. When spawning salmon are in a river dropping eggs, other fish are eating them. In these situations, fishing an egg imitation will almost invariably out fish any other method available. Anglers aiming to imitate eggs in the water generally have two options in the world of fly fishing: the more traditional yarn-based egg patterns such the Glo Bug or the more recently adopted plastic bead egg imitations.

Radioactive Waste from Fracking Found in Pennsylvania Creek

by Chad Shmukler - Thursday, Oct 3rd, 2013

The Claghorn Bridge on Blacklick Creek, upstream of Hesbon (photo: Blacklick Creek Watershed Association).

A study published yesterday in the journal Environmental Science and Technology revealed disturbing new information about troubled Blacklick Creek in western Pennsylvania. The study, which sought to investigate the effects of the disposal of fracking wastewater by water treatment facilities into Pennsylvania's waterways, found vastly increased concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials in stream sediments near wastewater disposal sites. Concentrations of radium, a naturally occurring isotope that is 3 million times more radioactive than uranium, in these stream sediments were found to be around 200 times higher than both normal background levels of other area sediments including tested sediments from upstream locations.

Blacklick Creek, which is situated about an hour's drive from both the city of Pittsburgh and some of Pennsylvania's most storied trout waters, has a somewhat lengthy history of water quality issues thanks to acid mine drainage. After almost two decades of stream improvements efforts, however, the stream had begun to exhibit signs of life. A 2011 survey by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission found encouraging signs of fish beginning to return to the creek, with small specimens of eight different warm water species of fish discovered in the creek.

RIO Introduces Three New Skagit Heads

by Ben Kryzinski - Wednesday, Oct 2nd, 2013

The new RIO Skagit Max.

RIO announced yesterday three additions to its lineup for the Skagit segment of the spey world. Included is an all new floating head, which RIO is calling the Skagit Max. The Skagit Max will be available in both standard and short versions, with the short version intended for use with shorter (sub 13') spey rods and switch rods. Joining the two new Skagit Max lines is another new head called the iShort, which -- while not dubbed the iFlight Short -- is presumably a version of RIO's existing iFlight intermediate Skagit head intended for use with shorter spey and switch rods.

RIO is highlighting its ConnectCore technology as the driving force behind the new lines. In their press release, RIO notes that their "unique ConnectCore results in a fly line with only about six percent stretch as opposed to the standard 28-32 percent stretch. This ultra-low stretch makes a line much more dynamic to spey cast with helping anglers gain distance through more instinctive timing and better loading. It also enhances sensitivity to detect subtle takes, avoid snags when fishing deep and allows for fast, efficient hook sets."