Fly Fishing in Hot Weather with a Leadwing Coachman.

My Fat 16-Inch Trout

The Leadwing Coachman fly was originated in the early 1800s. It was tied by an Englishman who was a hired coachman, and to please his lord he tied this fly. I have used it for years and have always had consistent success with it by swinging it across the surface or dead drifting it. One of the better times to use it is during caddisfly hatches, especially when dry flies are nonproductive. 

I had the opportunity to fish the Deschutes River in early July when the caddisflies were particularly active. The only problem was that an extended heat wave was going on and the temperatures had been in the mid to high nineties for nearly a month. This can cause water temperatures to rise to 70 degrees or more. This condition can play havoc with trout fishing because warm water contains less oxygen than cold water. As temperatures rise the oxygen levels decrease and trout will begin to undergo extreme stress and become lethargic. The fact is that extended high temperatures can also cause death. Optimum temperatures for rainbow trout is around 40 to 61 degrees depending on the stream and location, so a stream thermometer can be a helpful tool. 

Eye-Catching Sunset on the Deschutes River

One evening I headed downriver to one of my favorite evening haunts, but I had serious concerns about my success.  As I approached, the air temperature was 99 degrees and the water temperature was almost 68 degrees. There was a decent hatch of caddisflies and a few Pale Evening Duns, but there was little evidence of rising fish. At any rate, I decided to make a few casts using my Leadwing Coachman. After a hour of periodic casting, I managed to hook and release a tired-looking 7-inch trout. Regretfully, the only thing that was really biting were the mosquitoes, so I took a few photos of a sunset and left. 

The second evening wasn’t quite as hot and the water temperature had dropped to 63 degrees. The changes were minimal, but it made a substantial difference. I hooked three fish and landed two:  a 10 incher and a fat 16 incher. I also watched a fish close to 20 inches jump and spit out my Leadwing Coachman. I had a warm feeling of satisfaction. 

Cooking Trout in a Cast Iron Skillet

Chuck Stewart showing our catch of Kamloops trout!

After almost 480 miles we finally reached Huff Lake, B.C. As was the custom back in the early 1960s, we always stopped by Wilson Ranch to get a fresh fishing report. The lake was in good shape so we headed up the rough, dirt road and set up a camp. The Kamloops rainbows had put on a few more pound this season. The fish were in the 5 to 6 pound range with some measuring well over 20 inches. We quickly rigged our rods up and, as in the past, fish began to take my Huff Lake Shrimp pattern aggressively. Inside of two hours we hooked and released a dozen fish or more. We decided to keep a few fish for dinner that evening, and we began to prepare for a late meal.

Back in those years, my cooking utensils were not the state of the art. Everything was fairly clean with the exception of my 14 inch cast iron skillet. It was in absolute disarray. Not only was it dirty, but it was rusty and still had greasy remnants from a previous trip. My dad was stunned and said that it wasn’t fit to eat from. Rob admittedly wasn’t a great cook, but he knew that cast iron had to be kept clean and in good condition. After an hour of completely refurbishing the neglected pan, we prepared a meal with fish as our main entrée. Our meal that evening was very tasty, but not just because of the clean cast iron skillet. It was also because of the fire engine red meat of the Kamloops trout. Their coloration was mainly due to the fish’s avid diet of fresh water shrimp, and to this day my mouth still waters when I think of their rich and savory taste.

Cast iron flying pans and Dutch ovens will last forever if you take care of them. To begin, it’s a good idea to buy American made cast iron to guarantee its quality and heating performance. Good cast iron retains heat evenly and can tolerate high temperatures without any damage. Also, it cooks even better the more you use it.

Methods for properly taking care of cast iron skillet.
1. Clean it with a little hot water. If food is stuck to the pan, use a wooden spoon to scrape it off.
2. Heat the pan to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and then let it cool.
3. Use a rag to reseal the entire pan with a light coating of olive oil and it’s ready for storing.
4. Warm up and cool down cast iron gradually to preserve its longevity.

Things not to do with cast iron skillet:
1. Do not boil water in cast iron because any seasoning will dissipate.
2. Do not place the pan over really high temperatures as this can eventually cause cracking.

Fire it up and enjoy some delicious pan of fried trout!

Pros and Cons of Spey Rod Fly Fishing

Photo By: John Shewey, Classic Steelhead Flies © 2015

Spey fishing is named after Scotland’s Spey River. It is basically a dramatic roll cast that helps to change the direction of the cast and enables casting longer distances. I learned how to cast a Spey rod over 30 years ago on the Sandy River with my friend Cal Cole. He had a good understanding of Spey casting and showed me the basic methods. However, I was having such good success with my single handed rod that I didn’t feel that there was a need to change.

The advantages of Spey casting are obvious for larger rivers in that long casts can be effectively used to cover more water. You can also use special casts such as the Snap C, T and Z, which are very important in putting the fly in motion. Spey casting may be less frustrating and fatiguing than casting a single-handed rod. It may also be more effective in mending the line, controlling its speed, and using less effort to play fish. Aside from this, a Spey cast is primarily a long roll cast that doesn’t require extended back casts. This allows you to cast and fish in places that are surrounded by obstructions such as trees and brush. Of course, this depends entirely on the ability of the caster.

There are some disadvantages in Spey casting. Longer rods may become more difficult to handle when you try to land a fish with your hand. If you are fishing a good run that has brush, logs and other debris behind and below your position, landing a fish can be difficult. I can remember an angler that had to stick his Spey rod back into brush and use the tip section to try and land his fish. Longer rods can be less efficient in fighting fish and may cause overkill on smaller fish. Also, transporting Spey rods in a car and carrying them through brush can be difficult.

An additional and somewhat unfortunate problem with Spey casters is that many never had the time or inclination to learn how to cast and enjoy a single handed fly rod. Casts like the side arm, back hand, curve, parachute and many others are seldom used in Spey casting. These types of casts are vital for success in fishing all types of waters. Also, anglers that first learned how to cast a single handed rod usually make a smooth transition when learning how to Spey cast. I also believe that if you are a sturdy wader and can cast 60-70 feet or more, you can cover nearly as much water as a Spey caster.  A final dilemma is that Spey rods weren’t made to fish small streams and rivers and personally, I like to fish small rivers.

One thing for sure, I’m not trying to discourage people who want to learn how to Spey cast. It’s a very productive and satisfying method to use. And maybe, just maybe, when my old legs start giving out I’ll become a dyed-in-the-wool Spey caster. I remember my Dad’s transition when he was in his late 70’s and not able to wade like he used to. He gave in to better judgment and switched to using a bubble and fly on his spinning rod and he caught fish. Aging has a natural tendency to change a lot of old, integrated habits, and Spey casting may be the logical answer.

Problamatic Lake Fly Fishing

Jim's 16 inch Trout

It was a clear, picturesque day as Jim’s Ford pickup bounced over the ruts and chuck holes that guarded the Central Oregon lake’s rocky entrance. The sky was a deep azure blue with a hint of a little wind and maybe some good luck in our quest for large rainbow trout. But as we bumped up the rocky grade to the lake’s dike, a problem quickly arose. 

Because of the mild winter, the lake’s shoreline was clogged with algae and reed beds that were wider and thicker than normal. Longer casts of 40-60 feet would be required to avoid snagging and to reach fishable water. As we rigged up our outfits, the bulrushes and tall grasses were being invaded by a variety of birds in search of food. We hoped that the fish would be in the same feeding mode. 

Thunderheads Building Up

A first cast hookup was usually a good sign that we might have a banner day. My first attempt gave us hope as I hooked a beauty, but I lost it after a short battle. Jim had a few takes as well but didn’t have any solid hookups. After two hours, we had nothing more than a few good strikes and short takes. As we sat down to eat our lunch, I noticed that a series of large thunderheads were building up in the Northeast. From past experiences, I knew that this could easily indicate a falling barometer and put fish off the bite. I hoped this wouldn’t happen. 

Released this nice trout.

After lunch a brief hatch of emergers surprisingly occurred. I hooked and lost a few trout and Jim finally landed a nice 16 incher and lost one over 20 inches. This gave us renewed hope, but without warning the wind began to pick up and gusts of 20-30 miles per hour whipped the water into heavy riffles. The hatch was quickly put down which further dampened our spirits. 

We decided to wait out the oncoming storm for another hour, but without observing any surface action, we finally called it a day. In some respects it was a disappointing trip, but rather than mope about it, we chalked it up to bad luck and the fickle whim of Mother Nature.  

A Nostalgic return to the Nestucca River

Doug with his Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout

When my friend Marty Sherman asked if I wanted to float the Nestucca River, I jumped at the opportunity. I had fished this Oregon coastal stream many years ago with good success and had nostalgic memories of its great runs of Steelhead. This popular river has a prime run of large native Steelhead in the winter and good runs of Summer Steelhead in the spring. It is also popular for Spring and Fall Chinook fishing. 

Marty fly fishing the Nestucca for Steelhead

The Nestucca was in good shape as we launched Marty’s 18-foot Clackamax at First Bridge, near the town of Hebo. It was flowing at a depth of 5 to 61/2 feet, so success was foremost on our minds. We decided to fish at the boat launch, known as the Bridge Hole, because in the past Marty had hooked several Steelhead there. We both rigged up similar outfits with a float indicator near the butt extension and several small split shots about 1 to 1 1/2 feet from the flies. I was using an orange Glo Bug, and Marty tied on a colorful streamer fly.
Surprisingly, in less than fifteen minutes, I got a good tug that felt like a Steelhead. It turned out to be a colorful 14 inch Sea-Run Cutthroat trout which was released following a few quick photos. After nearly an hour of casting without any strikes, we pulled anchor and headed down river. 

Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout

As we floated the 5- to 6-mile drift, Marty pointed out four popular fishing landmarks with productive fly fishing water: the Rope Swing Hole, the Rock Hole, the 101 Camp and the Farmer’s Creek take out. We stopped and fished these areas without any success, but the pleasant weather was a fitting reward. It also gave us a chance reminisce about past experiences and plans for future trips. Sometimes fishing is not all about catching fish!