This winter has seen its ups and downs, along with the flows. We're at the mercy of the weather and the fishing is the same. If the rivers come up, it's good on the drop. When the river's stay low, the fishing gets tough. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know but, we've had a very strange weather pattern so far this year.

First of the year, taken in early January

Like every winter season, no matter what mother nature throws at me, I live for this. There is no pull like a coastal winter fish. When it's right, it's right and you know it, feel it, breathe it. Every fish tailed is a feat on both halves. Getting tail-whipped as they swim away is as sweet as... well you know...

If you have yet to fish for these fish with the hint of the salty ocean coming in on the afternoon breeze, or have driven along the coastline imagining the fish nosing into its rivers scent, you've yet to truly fish for them.

Not marinated in awesomeness, only soul...

So, things will change, the rivers will rise again and fall, same ol'story . Be there when it's right, if not, know where they'll be livin'.

River's are full of secrets, you'll never know one fully.

A hatch-fish taken for the smoker but, notice the girth expansion, def. of  squatty-body. — A hatch-fish taken for the smoker but, notice the girth expansion, def. of squatty-body.

Cheers,

Rich & Bo

Another season has quickly faded away. They seem to fly by these days. On the North Umpqua we again had another wet spring and high-water in Steamboat Creek through June, which allowed our fish to jettison the main river to their home water, where they want/need to be. Good or bad, depends on how you look at it. For me.... as angler, that's fine and good, for me... as a guide, eh, it is what it is. It's a double-edged sword, lot's a fish can bring lots of people, not so many fish and bad reports mean, fewer but less pressured fish.

Purple flies still catch steelhead, who knew?

Sandra Scandibar of the "fly girls" with a "little hen"(her words, small in comparison to the sea-run browns she's been catching in TDF). This "little hen" I think gave her more than a sea-run brown woulda in the same size. Bad pic I know, maybe one of the only bad things to say about I-phones, gotta put the girls up, best week of the year no matter the fishing.

The Rogue fished well at times, other times, well, just typical steelheading, put in your time and you'll run across 1 or 2, sometimes none, sometimes more. With Gold-Ray dam out though, the fish seemed a bit hotter, maybe the days spent trying to navigate the dam really took a toll on them?, I dunno.

With my first season of guiding on the Trinity pretty much done, I have to say it was so much fun to be guiding down there. While the fish of the Trinity may not be of North Umpqua size, they have the heart and soul of them. One of the coolest rivers on the planet, yes in California. The Trinity in my opinion offers the best chance at a steelhead on the dry you'll ever come across. The majority of our days down there we saw multiple fish to the fly each day. It's an exciting, wild place to fish, full of anticipation.

Charles Gehr with his and Skeena's first Trinity steelhead.

A Rogue riffle where every cast could reward with the grab.

With my summer season done my mind begins to drift west, to the coast. I bit early I know, I tell myself that ever year but, you never know, right place, right time...

A short of shorts of sort of some video clips:

Many thanks to all who fished with me this summer/fall,

Rich

It ain't been easy

In the end...