Klamath OR Rogue - Oct 28th????

**itsbenlong** · 10-24-2013, 11:32 AM

Hi Tim,

Thanks for taking the time for this in depth report. I am definitely swinging my way through this trip. However, I will have a back-up nymph/drift rig in case things are tough on the swing. Hopefully I don't have to use it. Honestly, we will probably change rivers before we pull out the bobbers. By the way, I am not at all hatin' on that style, just love that take on the swing so much that its all I want and really care about. I almost don't care what happens after the take. It's all gravy after that! lol

Regardless, I am not opposed to drifting a few rigs through some deep troughs from time to time, just to get the skunk off.

In regards to what time we are fishing, this is our plan.......Sunup to sundown.......so it sounds like we will be fishing at just the right time for a good chance at something that swims.

It sounds like you had a pretty decent trip all around.

Thanks again for the report and the good wishes.....hopefully we will have more than a one liner post when we return.

**TaylerW** · 10-24-2013, 09:50 PM

Gettem! Love the feeling of a leaving on a trip. Good Luck!!

**Nip Hadlock** · 10-26-2013, 11:59 AM

A friend and I just did two days this last week on the Klamath with a guide, Jack Trout, and the fishing was very good!
More than a dozen adults to hand in two days.
Fishing downstream from I5 was much more productive (and secluded) than drifting with several other boats around from Irongate.
Egg patterns all the way...
Good luck!

**itsbenlong** · 11-04-2013, 01:46 PM

Well, I am back from my trip! My plans changed hourly as I prepared for it. I think I was heading to the John Day before I posted this with a friend of mine who ended up not being able to make it. A week later I was heading to the Rogue with another friend and then after this post it was a toss up between both the Rogue & Klamath. Well, I ended up going alone and instead of taking my usual Trinity to Klamath route, I head towards the Rogue and ended up in Happy Camp on the Klamath.

About 20 miles before Happy Camp on a cold overcast Monday afternoon, I decided that I had to get out of my vehicle and get my line wet. Can't catch steelhead driving down a highway and it was just too perfect, minus the rain, to not start fishing.

I hooked my first fish of the trip in about 5 minutes, swinging a Copper Head Mossback.......it was on after that!

I fished until dark and found a place to camp....it was so cold that next morning that I didn't really get started until 9 or 10am. It was also overcast most of that day, however it cleared up and was sunny and fairly warm the remainder of the week.

Now, I have been fishing parts of the Klamath for some years now and the same on the Trinity. However, I have never fished between Happy Camp and the I-5 and it is a different beast for sure. For anyone who hasn't been there before, it is covered in black berry bushes and the rocks in the river are slippery and extremely difficult to walk on. I think it has to do with many of them do not move, so when you step down your feet, ankles, body, etc...just twist and turn and slid all at the same time. I loved the challenge but have to admit, I bailed a few times and I am someone who rarely if ever does. Access is tricky and you just have to go for it and do whatever it takes to get to some of those places hiding fish. I loved it here. Thankfully I brought my Spey rod because in many places I would have been doomed using a single hand rod....(cause I suck at casting it in tight situations)....lol

Anyway, to the fish, flies, strategy, etc.....

I am not going to get detailed on numbers, but my least amount of fish in a day was 5 (only fished 3 hours on Monday) and my best day was 12 (fished all morning and all evening with a few hours break in the middle). I did not count any smolts, just half pounders and adults. I obviously caught more half pounder than anything. Many of them were those 2nd year fish that some folks call adult, some call half pounders, I call them steelhead and everyone of them was a blast to catch. These were all to hand and about 8 were between 20"-25".

Since I was alone and often out in the middle of the river, I didn't take to many photos. I don't really like to mess with the fish to much or for too long and have enough fish photos to put my friends to sleep these days.

I'll post a few......

I caught fish on 10 different flies, from an egg sucking leach's, brindle bugs, moss backs and other typical flies for the Klamath. I was using a 7wt Spey Rod and started out with a floating line but spent most of the trip with a T-11 Skagit MOW tips....

I spoke with a few guys fishing the area and many of them were not having any luck, picking up a fish a day and one guy said he hasn't felt a bump in 3 days.....However, I think they frequent the area and have there specific locations they like to fish and stuck with those areas and I had zero areas and tried anything I thought would hold fish.

I also happened to stumble on two different sections of river holding fish and I would fish one spot and pull 3 to 5 fish out and then hop in my rig and drive to the next spot and do the same, back and forth all day. The next day, I did the same but had to find where these fished moved to during the night. My last two days, Thursday and Friday, I had to really scramble until I found fish and break myself from returning to the same spots as before and wasting to much time in them. Basically, if I didn't catch anything or get a bump within 20 - 30 minutes, I would take off and try something new. My plan on Friday was to fish my way out of there on my way to the I-5. I ended up crossing the river at some point and taking a dirt road that followed the hwy on the other side. I think it was called Klamath River Road and it was long, bumpy and in a few places to many, a bit treacherous. The river access was private in many sections but I found two epic runs full of fish and one of them was in the shade all day. When I pulled up to it, Salmon were jumping all over and a few steelhead as well. I think I caught my first fish in about 30 seconds......

I know this might sound like fish were just everywhere.......they were not! I fished a ton of spots without a hint of any fish around. The other thing I did was switch my fly out constantly and I think it made a huge difference in catching 1 or 2 fish in a run or 4 or 5.....

Anyway, that is my story! Sorry it was so long, but I swear I help back on a ton of info.....A lot can be said or written from a week of fishing.

Before I go I have to mention that I have been using my Spey Rod for about 2 years and I just haven't felt like I have figured out how to consistently make good casts and also mend and swing flies the way I should be. The one great thing about going on this trip alone and fishing so much river without anyone around was I could just relax and cast. My first day and a half I was actually a bit discouraged, still catching fish though......however something clicked and it just all came together. I finally figured it out and what I was doing wrong. It was such a simple and subtle change that made all the difference in the world. It really helped me get my line out to places that I couldn't get it to before and definitely increased the number of fish I caught.

It was a great trip and I can't wait to return to that section of the river.

Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. It is always great to hear about everyone's opinions and ideas on where and how to go about catching steelhead. I think the best advise I ever heard was go with your gut and just go and fish. So, that's what I did!

The one photo of a fish without a rod next to it was one of my largest fish....unfortunately my rod tip was tangled in the tree above it....hahaha

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**M Duper** · 11-04-2013, 09:40 PM

Sounds like a great trip. Good looking egg sucking leach too. lol!

**Jeff F** · 11-05-2013, 08:44 AM

Sweet report, Ben! Had everything a good report should.

You fish like I do.....stick and move, stick and move. Covering water is the key to steelhead fishing, I believe. Or maybe I'm just too freaking impatient. Or I just like to explore and find new water. But, waiting for the fish to find me, ain't happening!

Thanks for posting.

~J