Friend and I went a week ago. Water temperature 72 and water pretty soupy. We hooked 24 and landed 12 using slime lines and black leeches. All fish 18-24”s. By noon only boat on the water.
Friend and I went a week ago. Water temperature 72 and water pretty soupy. We hooked 24 and landed 12 using slime lines and black leeches. All fish 18-24”s. By noon only boat on the water.
Gordon Langenbeck
Grants Pass, OR
Someone said there where about 24 springs on that shallow lake and as it warms up the fish go there and up the rivers too.
They use to get 15#ers up there.
Great fly fishers like Rich Henry, Bob Quigley, Al Perryman, Denny Rickards, Jon Knapp and Joe Shirshac all use to fish there in the 20th century.
Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)
567 Barber Street
Sebastian, Florida 32958
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Cell: 530/753-5267
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Last week a huge yellow algae bloom occurred and is still present. Is 72 degrees ok to fish? I know the temps deeper are in the 50’s and 60’s.
I guess you need to find some cold springs in the lake or go up the Williamson river?
Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)
567 Barber Street
Sebastian, Florida 32958
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Cell: 530/753-5267
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Contact me for any reason........
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My Brother lives in Chiloquin. He heard recently that the fish weren't going up into the Williamson this year because it's silted up from runoff from the fire. Might be bull S but you would think those fish would be up there by now??
On a side note, he also had a guy tell him that there are bass in there also. Anybody know one way or another?
The Upper Klamath Lake is 8 to 50 feet deep which I would consider to be a fairly shallow lake.
I has mostly very cold water running in to it from spring fed tributaries and springs.
I can imagine it has some warm water species in it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Klamath_Lake
Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)
567 Barber Street
Sebastian, Florida 32958
Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
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Cell: 530/753-5267
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Contact me for any reason........
______________________________________
It's a great area. My brother has been up there for at least 5 years. We floated the Williamson last June. Those fish don't like a dead drifted fly. At the end of our drift I whacked em swinging flies in the riffle by the Wagon Wheel resort. The rest of the float was a struggle. Lots of bony water and lots of frog water. He wants us to move up there and I am seriously considering it. We were up there over the Fourth and my wife really liked it. Fires concern me. If we end up there I will probably sell the glitter sled and buy a drift boat with a small outboard. That seems to be the best craft for the region. My brother tries to get Intel for me but it seems that not a lot of people fish up there. They hunt mostly and if they fish they go to the Rouge or the Coast.
More than anything, I like the area because you can feel all the horseshit disappear the minute you cross the border.
About 40 years ago some good fly fishers (Don Childress, DDS) from the Flyfishers of Davis fly fishing club stumbled onto the
Williamson river and spread the word around Sacramento. Lot of folks went up there after that.
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My good friend Jon Knapp of the Davis club fished it as much as anyone and had his favorite local guide.
Later Jon had a large lovely home built on the east side of the river below Spring Creek.
https://www.facebook.com/Roeoutfitters
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Maybe 30 years ago my friend Al Perryman use to guide the Williamson river with a drift boat.
I think he said the fish from the lake moved up into the cooler Williamson river in starting in July.
For guiding he used a #6 weight rod with a type 3 full sinking line and a small maroon leech.
At that time Al was a good friend with one of the best Native American fly fishing guides up there, Rich Henry.
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I fished from a boat with Al once at one of the beautiful clear springs where it entered the lake.
Al used a 4 weight rod, 15 foot leader to 4x and a small sparce #16 nymph.
We could see 5 to 10 pound Rainbows swimming in the clear cold water.
Don't remember catching any fish that day but it was exciting and a learning event for me.
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I use to go you there ~35 years ago with Joe Shirshac where we 'drove, walked and waded' the river.
Not sure if that is real possible today? Access might be limited due to development and private property.
We waded in town at a park or empty lot? and up where Spring creek entered the Williamson river.
We used 6 weight rods with a WF6F line, 9' leaders to 3x with big caddis dries, muddlers, leeches and spun deer hair mice.
5# fish were common, a 10 pounder was areal big deal and we always heard about 15 pound fish.
Al was guiding for the "Take It Easy Ranch."
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Bob Quigley lived there in Chiloquin for some years selling his amazing flies.
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For many years starting in the late 1970s we would make a week long trip to the famous central Oregon lakes like Crain Prairie.
On the way up we would stop in Dunsmuir for some Upper Sac fishing, them head up to the Williamson river and then finally get up
to our cabins on South Twin Lakes resort on the upper Wickiup reservoir.
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The fishing and hunting in California, Oregon and Washington was amazing in the 1960s.
I would guess most of it is down, on average, about 90%. Most due to the destruction of the environment.
Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)
567 Barber Street
Sebastian, Florida 32958
Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
Certified FFF Casting Instructor
Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
Cell: 530/753-5267
Web: www.billkiene.com
Contact me for any reason........
______________________________________
In the early 80's I taught the Orvis fly fishing school at Fort Creek. Fell in love with the area. Spent days fishing Agency with Rich Henry and Quig. Except us three, never saw another fly rod on the Williamson or Sprague. We would sight cast to 8-10 pound rainbows. Crazy good fishing until logging silted up most of the best spots. Last time I was there was in 2010. It was only an empty shell of its former self.
Last edited by Ralph; 07-20-2022 at 05:58 PM.
Thanks Ralph.......
Seems like many fisheries are down to about 10% of their past populations?
Average sizes are way down now too?
Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)
567 Barber Street
Sebastian, Florida 32958
Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
Certified FFF Casting Instructor
Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
Cell: 530/753-5267
Web: www.billkiene.com
Contact me for any reason........
______________________________________
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