Coulda happened ..

.. but trip #2 of 2026 was another goose egg fish wise. Not that I was expecting to hookup. Mostly needed to get out and clear my head after a rough week at work.

Anyway the river looked good and there should be at least a few steelhead in now. Upstream bank looks sketchy after the high water, so that's off limits. At least for now. Maybe in lower water and a month or two of drier weather. What can get to just below is pretty much bobber/jig water. There are a couple fishy troughs right against the bank, but tricky to fish with the tangle of logs and roots.

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So really, just one good fly run. Not a ton of fishable water here, but looks pretty sweet even though it has yet to produce for me. Everything felt right but still waiting for that first tug..

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This spot was a bit shallow prior to the high water events. One benefit from those was scouring the main bucket. I ran a bobber rig through adjusting depth and found its now 6-7' max at this level. Another plus (likely temporary) is due to the large cedar that fell a while back. It's stuck mid river just above the run and is splitting the flow creating a more defined seam.

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Swung it through twice and rested it a while to take pics and look for fresh agates on the gravel bar.

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Only found one but a very nice walnut sized blond.

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It was a nice afternoon. Maybe one of these times I'll actually connect with a fish.
 
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Looks like heaven! We are stuck in the "nothingness" out here in the Gorge so a day on the river in the sun sounds incredible.
 
It was a nice afternoon. Maybe one of these times I'll actually connect with a fish.
Are you fishing one of your little flashy shrimpy Comet-y flies under a float with that bait-caster?
 
Ah. I thought you meant those over-sized weighted "comets" I use for pool coho.
I guess I'm not fully up to speed on all the subtleties. You'd have to give me the A/B. I always like the looks of those flies when you post them though.
 
I guess I'm not fully up to speed on all the subtleties. You'd have to give me the A/B. I always like the looks of those flies when you post them though.
Thanks. It's always a challenge for me to tie the same stuff consistently, so yeah, the patterns tend to meld somewhat.

This "mega-comet" is one of the few I've tied consistently over the years.

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But not entirely unlike this stuff, which might be better suited to running under a float.

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This is closer to what I had on the bobber rig yesterday.

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Really I just need to tie up some proper jigs.
 
I think I remember seeing a post that this is your property right?
The bank at my property is upstream and not currently accessible due to recent erosion. I can access this section from my downstream neighbor's (great people). Its a steep, rope required, bushwhack, but a good workout for an oldish fat guy.
 
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Really nice agate.
Some good looking water
I think that our problem with not hooking up some fish is the lack of fish in our rivers
 
Well, it actually did happen (finally) today! Just not the way I was hoping it would, but not complaining my first fish of 2026 was on a bobber. Really no other way to fish this spot with the tangled roots, logs, and thick brush.

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After cursing through a few tip wraps and branch snags, I finally found a functional casting envelope. Figured I'd have to dial in the depth, but the float went under on the 2nd cast. Lifted thinking I was hung on submerged forest products. Then utter disbelief to feel head shakes. Not large, but a beautiful wild fish of about 7lbs.

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Only thing to top that would be a swung grab. No players here today but my confidence level just kicked up several notches.

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Although I was blanked at the fly run yesterday, looking for agates on the gravel bar is an enjoyable way to rest the run. No new high water deposits since the last trip, but found a few nice, previously overlooked specimens.

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Found 2 really nice petrified wood pieces. Maybe 3 but not sure about the large one. Tree rings or sedimentary bands? The small agate is the typical amber/blond common at this spot. The larger 2 agates dont have the same clarity as the blonds, but I see hints they might be moss agates.
 
Went back today. No steel but confirmed the suspicious plucks I felt at the gravel bar run. How a whitefish can get hooked on a steelhead fly is amazing. Nice chunky one too. Lucky it came off or it would be headed for the smoker.

Taking a trout rod next time.
 
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Went back today. No steel but confirmed the suspicious plucks I felt at the gravel bar run. How a whitefish can get hooked on a steelhead fly is amazing. Nice chunky one too. Lucky it came off or it would it be headed for the smoker.

Taking a trout rod next time.
Whites never cease to amaze! Maybe you're a little deep for the steel? Either way, so fn cool you can swing long fin grayling out your back door!
 
Whites never cease to amaze! Maybe you're a little deep for the steel? Either way, so fn cool you can swing long fin grayling out your back door!
Yeah, I was deliberately dredging when I hooked the first. Briefly hooked another after switching to a smaller steelhead fly. Bringing some PTs and small stonefly nymphs next time. There was a legit hatch of small black stones the whole time I was down there.

And yes, I am unreasonably stoked to have whiteys available.
 
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