North Umpqua River at Steamboat Inn
Earlier this fall I took a trip to Oregon’s beautiful North Umpqua River for a couple days of steelhead flyfishing. This is a tough fishery and I’ve learned through the years that to have a successful trip, it is important to keep your hopes high and expectations low. In other words, fish every cast with care, as though a steelhead will take your fly at any point, but don’t be surprised or disappointed when it doesn’t happen.
This year, my low expectations were met, at least in terms of not catching any steelhead. I did catch a beautiful sea-run cutthroat trout and several nice rainbows. The cutthroat took this size 8 Silver Brown, a classic Northwest pattern originated by Roderick Haig-Brown to imitate coho salmon fry. I tied it on because there are a lot of October Caddis on the N Umpqua at this time of year, and this fly offers the October Caddis colors with a bit of extra flash from the silver hook.
Here is the pattern.
A few other words of advice:
– This is a famous river with a long, distinguished flyfishing heritage. Take some time to read about it, appreciate the history, and learn its traditions and protocols.
– Wading in the North Umpqua is tough and can be dangerous. You will read in every guidebook and magazine article about the North Umpqua that studded wading shoes are essential, and it is true. I’ve done well with Patagonia Beefy wading boots with carbide studs and, more recently, Simms Headwaters Vibram with hex head screw-in cleats. These perform very well on wet rock (slimy and regular versions), dry rock, and on the trail.
– Carry a wading staff to help keep your balance in the water and while scrambling up and down the banks. I use a section of vine maple sapling, tethered to my vest with braided parachute cord and a mini-carabiner. I’ve used it for years and it works very well.
Filed under: Fly Patterns, North Umpqua, Oregon, steelhead | Leave a comment »
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