Noe Fierros and his 40 year Klamath river experience.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

In the Fall back in the 1970s Joe Shirshac was taking many of us young Baby Boomers to the Klamath river.

One of those years a young Noe Fierros went with us for his first time on the Klamath.

He drove his 2 seater Alfa Romeo sports car with his camping gear in the passenger seat and trunk.

That trip changed Noe life forever....starting an over 40 year plus love affair with the wonderful Klamath river.

Joe usually stayed in an RV/Campground around Orleans and he fished from Johnson's Bar up to Happy Camp.


Somehow Noe got connected with the old Klamath River Lodge about 4 miles down stream of Orleans.

http://www.klamathriverlodge.com/


Over the years I have gone with Noe and other good buddies to the Klamath River Lodge.

The lodge is one one of the best long wadeable runs on the middle river so you don't have to leave if you don't want to.


Noe loved to fish his little 3 weight rod if it wasn't windy. He had a 5 weight for windy afternoons.


Pretty sure he used mostly a floating line, tapered leader and his flies were unweighted and around a #8, slightly longer hook?

Noe tied his own unique flies that we tailored after the October Caddis insect.

He had a fly, that was probably his "go to" that looked like an adult October Caddis that he fished "damp".


Noe told me he went to the middle Klamath river three times every Fall. Mid-September, mid-October and mid-November.

He said the fish were smaller in Sept, a little larger in Oct and the largest in November.

If you land a 10# Steelhead in the Klamath it is a huge event.

Fish over 5# are usually screamers.....


Noe just told me that he is done going to the Klamath river.......which is kind of sad but try to imagine the fishing he saw in 40 years?

[matt johnson]

Hi Bill,

I went with you and Noe to the Klamath River Lodge way back in I think 1998 or 1999? The fishing was not very good but it was an awesome trip!

That private run behind the lodge sure is sweet. A guy could make a pretty good living just cycling through that run a couple times a day.

We also fished a tail-out (the one in attached photo) closer to Orleans one evening. There were some nice adults rolling as the sun went down deep in the tail-out and on the far side of the river. I remember wading as deep as I could and double-hauling as far as I could with my single-hander but couldn't get it done. I can cast farther now ;)

Cheers to Noe. He had a heckuva run on the Klamath!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Yes, we have been very fortunate....

Three Generations of anglers fished together on that river.......like uncles, fathers, brothers, cousins and sons.



I just love the hell out of that picture.............it tells it all.

[Andy]

Yes, we have been very fortunate....

Three Generations of anglers fished together on that river.......like uncles, fathers, brothers, cousins and sons.



I just love the hell out of that picture.............it tells it all.

That photo reminds me of several I've snapped too geeked to leave the run but such a pretty fish you gotta get a photo one handed, release fish and cast again.

Old schoolers on the Klamath inspired me to learn more when I moved to Siskiyou from down south. When I finally tied into an adult on an Assassin i taught myself to tie it was a watershed moment, never looked back.

One old school Klamath mentor of mine, Chris Stromsness, who kept detailed records of his fishing, recorded a day (in the 50's I think) when he hooked something like 156 1/2 lbrs. His favorite place to stay was the Klamath River Lodge as well.

Love that river, its fish, wild beauty and the adventure of every trip.

Andy

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Sac State professor Bill King camped on the middle Klamath river at Perch Creek camp ground for a month about 40 years ago.

While he was there in a tent with his VW Bug it rained and the river came way up and got dirty brown, but he stayed there.

In a few days it was coming down, got green and the Steelhead came flooding through.

First day he said he landed over 100 Steelhead with a dozen over 5 pounds.

Next day was almost as good as the first with many Half-pounders and some adults to 7 pounds.

Third day he said the river was clear and he got about 50 Steelhead, mostly Half-pounders and a few over 4 pounds.

By the fourth day he said he only landed 30 Half-pounders which was the day before we got there.


The next morning Joe Shirshac, Frank Pullen, Mel Jeffs and I hit the "Ice Cream Riffle" at Dark Thirty.

We ran into a school of fish that were 22 inches, hot as hell and weighed about 4 pounds.

Frank got a 7 pounder and Joe got a 6 pounder. Talk about screaming Hardy reels.

We were all using 6 pound Maxima UltraGreen but we popped off a few big ones on the strike so we all went to 8 pound.


We were introduced to the Klamath river by Joe Shirshac, now 98, who started fly fishing up there in the 1950s after World War II.

Joe said back then he caught many around 6 pounds and the biggest was 9 pounds.

Joe is responsible for taking us young punks (Baby Boomers) to many of his favorite places to fly fish.

[Terry Thomas]

Perry poking? ��

[Terry Thomas]

Perry poking? ��
Hi Bill,

I went with you and Noe to the Klamath River Lodge way back in I think 1998 or 1999? The fishing was not very good but it was an awesome trip!

That private run behind the lodge sure is sweet. A guy could make a pretty good living just cycling through that run a couple times a day.

We also fished a tail-out (the one in attached photo) closer to Orleans one evening. There were some nice adults rolling as the sun went down deep in the tail-out and on the far side of the river. I remember wading as deep as I could and double-hauling as far as I could with my single-hander but couldn't get it done. I can cast farther now ;)

Cheers to Noe. He had a heckuva run on the Klamath!

[matt johnson]

Perry poking? ��

That Klamath trip with Bill and Noe was in my pre-Perry Poking days, lol!

Paul Johnson (formerly of SAGE) and I were "teaching" each other to spey cast about that time (late 1990's). Paul is physically gifted and made it look easy. We were using RIO Windcutters that were probably too light in grains? Try casting a lead-eyed leech on a 15" sink-tip with a underlined Windcutter sometime. Talk about brutal!

All things spey are so much better now. Pretty incredible evolution of rods, lines, and casting has taken place- including development of the Perry Poke, my favorite river-left cast!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

20 years ago there was a large failure rate into Spey because the rods were so big (14' #9 in 3 pc) and the lines/heads were too long.

I tried Spey casting maybe 20 years ago and gave up.....said I would try it again after I was retired.


Now the rods are smaller, lighter and the heads are shorter so it is pretty easy to get going.

You need someone who knows the two handed sport to get you the right size outfit and the right lines then get a lesson.


Forum members Jeff Putnam, Terry Thomas, and Andy Guibord know Spey/two handed fishing very well.