Columbia Gorge trip

The primary goal was lots of shad on the 5 & 6 weights without being elbow to elbow. Mission accomplished by heading a couple dams upriver of the Bonneville circus.
The faithful IMX 5wt with a OPST Commando Smooth and a S6 5' tip did well with a jig, but the more enjoyable tip was an old 10 or 12' extra fast Airflo poly leader and a small bonefish fly like this.
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People will tell u they like pink, they like chartreuse, they like red....they like the flash the best. Gorge Outfitters in Rufus said "the #1 seller was blue, wait no green, one guy swears by orange." They all have the same crystal flash. 😁

For the record, the green (chartreuse) did well for me. I struggled to find even a bite while trying my green and orange creations. And then I found that hot green jig hanging in a snag. 😁
I ended up buying 3 of them from Gorge Outfitters the next day.
My tug addiction has been met. Caught a bunch on the swing (with a little jig action) and even more stripping once in the swing.
This one got to the last 4 wraps of my fly line!
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The green jig also caught a pretty decent sucker!
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And the bonefish fly caught a couple smallies!
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I also tried a few of my old bass spots, but the wind and dirty water made that a no go.

I also went to a couple of my old carp snagging spots to see if I could get them to eat. Hold on there junior, it used to be legal to snag them so no lectures please. You could shoot them with a damn arrow too. Anyway, the old haunts were also a bust. Milfoil has completely destroyed one and an RV park has taken over the other. I bet they found a lot of carp skeletons when they put that in!

I got lucky today though and hit a pond I've wanted to fish. Most carp were either sunning or on the move. I took up station in about the only spot I thought had a chance and found a couple eaters. I blew my chance at the 1st one that went about 20, but 2 more came along and this 10 lber ate a falling Hybrid about 2 feet above the bottom. I'll take it! When he was fighting 3 or 4 other carp were chasing him. 2 of them were twice as big. Not sure the 8wt would have kept those bruisers out of the grass!
Need a bigger net.
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I then enjoyed a nice drive down the gorge on HWY 14 before making my way home (not so nice drive) to CovTown in time to see 2 good kids get drafted #1 & #2. It was a good trip.

A few more for fun.
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Definitely not the zoo at Bonneville.
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@clarkman they all fight just like that, I promise. 😁
I think we're misconstruing my attitude towards them. @Evan B has you thinking I turn my nose up at them....it's not that at all. I just enjoy the sadistic art of trophy hunting a bit more than most. Yes, I'm sick. Very sick.
 
I think we're misconstruing my attitude towards them. @Evan B has you thinking I turn my nose up at them....it's not that at all. I just enjoy the sadistic art of trophy hunting a bit more than most. Yes, I'm sick. Very sick.
Haha. Yeah, I know you're a musky hunter.

It's funny, the trip reminded me that there is fishing (cast across, let it swing, strip, strip & repeat) like for shad and then there is hunting like I did for the carp. I'm still learning the musky game, but it seems so to be a bit of both. Which is really cool!
 
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