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Darian
06-30-2005, 11:02 PM
Thought I'd try to bring out some old memories about friends and flies used for Pacific Salmon in California/Oregon estuaries/rivers, coastal/valley..... 8) 8)

I was just recalling some time I was fortuante enough to spend with Chuck DeJournette of Red Bluff. At the time, about mid-80's, Chuck was called a River Docent for the Lower Sacramento. A friend and I went with Chuck for a drift from the Red Bluff Diversion Dam down to the take-out at the south end of town in a 14' row boat (not a drift boat). We found him to be informative, enthusiastic, knowledgable and downright fun. 8) 8)

Chuck's favorite fly for the Sacramento was a large Boss (black chenille body, round silver tinsel rib, brown kip for tail and brown saddle hackle collar. The bead chain eye area was wrapped with green Krenik braid (he said he'd tested all of the available colors and felt green was the best. These flies were heavily weighted and tied on size 2-4 hooks..... If you got hit in the head with one of those flies it'd be man overboard.... :shock:

On the morning of the drift, we were negotiating Blackberry Riffle at a relatively high rate of speed when Chuck decided to jump up on the front seat of the boat to make better casts. He hadn't made more than two casts when he was fast to a bright 20 pound King. Great stuff. The fish was brought in rapidly and released.... All the time we were fishing, Chuck kept up the education about how the river was changed by "The Corps" but they were re-thinking their strategy..... He pointed out birds/wildlife, etc., along the way. It was a great morning....

Not sure whether Chuck is still around but I ceratinly hope so.... He's a great guy and fly fisherman.... 8) :D :D

OregonSalmon
07-01-2005, 09:35 AM
Up 'har on the Oregon coast, where the salmon are bright and the women aren't, we love that Boss fly. The standard is the standard, but I also like the Larry Cullens Boss: same fly, chartruse hackle. A winner also is the Stick Fly Boss: the Stick Fly is a cross between a comet pattern and wooly bugger with short hackle. Gotta have a bright fly and you can't beat a Golden Goose. Had my most vicious grab on that pattern in the Nestucca estuary. Damn fish took it on the sink, I had the shooting line on my index finger, and recieved a dandy friggin' line cut. That fish must have hated that fly...or me. Can't blame him/her for I was aiming to drag it around, whap it on the head and eat it!!!
It's a dog eat dog world in the estuary, but unlike Lewis and Clark, I'd rather eat salmon than dog. But no dog salmon.