Join Caddis Fly Shop and The Redsides Chapter of Trout Unlimited as they welcome Springfield, OR-based author, angler, and conservationist Jesse Lance Robbins for an evening of fly fishing storytelling and discussion. Jesse will read selections from his debut book The Best Fly Fishing is Everywhere, and talk about his journeys and misadventures around the globe, in the fly fishing industry and as a writer, which led him to nonprofit conservation work.
What: Book launch, reading, discussion and signing When: Thursday, March 5 th at 6:00 p.m. Where: Caddis Fly Shop, 168 West 6th Ave., Eugene, OR 97401 Why: For fun, inspiration, and fishing karma
Event is free to attend. Books will be available for purchase, and complimentary refreshments will be served.
About the book: In The Best Fly Fishing Is Everywhere, Robbins invites readers into a contemplative journey through water and time. This collection of essays, stories, and meditations moves beyond the pursuit of the perfect cast or the biggest catch. Instead, it explores fly fishing as a dialogue between human and nature, solitude and connection, movement and stillness. From the misty rivers of Oregon to the urban waters of Tokyo, the windswept flats of Key West to the trout-laced waters of New Zealand, Robbins captures the essence of place and the spirit of the angler. Each chapter is a moment suspended—sometimes triumphant, sometimes humbling, always honest.
“Jesse Lance Robbins has an eye for the unusual, the intriguing, and the downright surprising. Whether cataloguing obscene quantities of flies, delineating the precise qualities of a good cast, or simply sharing an old fashioned fishing tale, Robbins’ eye for the unsung details that make fly fishing such a distinctive and special obsession is unmatched.” —Jason Rolfe, editor of The Flyfish Journal
About the author: Jesse Lance Robbins is an essayist, creative writer, and journalist whose work has appeared in The Drake Magazine, The Flyfish Journal, Swing the Fly, Modern Huntsman, TROUT, and Atlantic Salmon Journal, as well as online. Jesse has worked in and lived various facets of fly fishing since high school—from fly shop staff, trout bum, guide, casting instructor, trip host, and writer to tackle design and development, marketing, travel, and sales; for over a decade, he worked in-house at Sage, Redington, RIO Products, and Fly Water Travel. He now works in nonprofit fisheries, river, and water conservation, connecting people with the places they love, and the work being done to protect and restore them. A native of midcoast Maine, Jesse and his partner live near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers in Oregon with their cache of old boats, timeless books, acoustic guitars, and always-strung fly rods.
Click and pawl reels have a special spot in many angler’s hearts. Traditionalists, purists, and those who appreciate a simpler design that requires more finesse are drawn to these reels. Nowadays, consumers can purchase heavy duty sealed disk drags that can stop the largest fish in their tracks. The draw of a click in pawl lies in its elegance and function. A light drag means an angler must use much more finesse when fighting a fish with a clicker. This creates a stronger connection between each fish and the angler; a fully immersed, more mindful experience that levels the playing field between cat and mouse.
Photo of an Iwana from Tokyoflyfishing
Iwana reels are crafted in British Columbia, but were born on a trip of a lifetime chasing the elusive Iwana Salvelinus leucomaenis, a char sometimes referred to as a trout. This salmonid makes its home in the cold mountain streams of Japan. These fish sport a dark colored background with light spots like many char, they resemble our juvenile Bull Trout. Liu Shaojie, a classic reel designer, and Wang Liang, an avid fly fisherman and traveler teamed up after their trip to give birth to Iwana.
Iwana produces high quality click and pawl classic reels. They aim to bring traditional clicker reels back on the river. Timeless silhouettes and proven click drag systems are produced with modern CNC machining capabilities, giving rise to a classic reel with tighter tolerances, more consistency, and an overall higher quality.
The Minami comes in two sizes: 2 3/4″ and 3 inches. The smaller 2 3/4″ is better suited for smaller rods ranging from 2-4 wt. Its light design makes it a fantastic option for shorter creek rods from 6’6″ to 8’4″; it certainly is not too light for a 9″ 4 wt either. The 3″ reel is better suited for rods ranging 4-6wt. If you have a 4 wt and are deciding between the two sizes, I would run the smaller 2 3/4″ on a shorter 4wt, and the larger 3″ reel on a standard 9″ 4wt. It comes in a gorgeous deep green, black, and silver.
The Minami is built lighter and simpler than the Retro Trout which in my opinion makes it a better option for lighter and shorter rods. It has a solid side plate opposite of the handle, and classic oval porting on the spool. It also features a much higher pitched click, which I generally associate with smaller rods. It makes a fantastic option for you if you’ve never had a click and pawl reel before.
The Retro Trout is more complex and flashy compared to the Minami. The first thing you notice is the elegant “S” handle on the reel, which echoes a time gone by. The Retro Trout features a heavier frame and separate colored spool. The spool nests between one solid side of the frame, and the other ported side. This creates a gorgeous contrast between the darker external frame and lighter spool. The Retro Trout also features Iwana’s cased caddis logo.
Sizing for the Retro Trout is more complex as it comes in more size options and comes in several widths. There are two sizes for the 2 3/4″: small and wide. The small is a good fit for 1-3wt rods and the wide being good for 2-4 wts. The next size up is the 3″ which works for 3-5 wt rods, with the weight I’d lean more towards 4 and 5 wt. Lastly, there is a 3 1/4″ and that is for 4-6 wts, personally I’d lean more towards 5 and 6.
My Thoughts With my Reel from Iwana
I want to share my experience with my reel from Iwana. I was torn between the more simple Minami, and the flashier Retro Trout. I opted for the 3 inch Retro Trout because I preferred the elegant “S” handle and two toned porting. The black frame paired with a silver spool created a gorgeous contrast. I also like that the Retro Trout has Iwana’s logo on it. A simple cased caddis design was something I didn’t mind having on my reel. The Retro Trout is slightly heavier and balances the 10′ 4wt Winston Air 2 Reach, which is my current nymphing stick.
The timeless silhouette of the Retro Trout instantly caught my eye. The reel feels good in hand. It is slightly heavy in the best way where you can feel quality craftsmanship and materials. The clicking sound is audibly pleasing for those who can appreciate a good click and pawl mechanism. The Retro Trout has a deeper click which I prefer for a larger rod when compared to the Minami.
Initially, I ran this reel on my winter, big water dry fly rod which is a Winston Air 2 9′ 5wt. I got impatient as Baetis hatches this winter have been inconsistent with the fluctuating weather, and I just wanted to hear my new click and pawl reel scream. I am running a 5wt Scientific Anglers Amplitude Textured Anadro Indicator wf5f on the rod and reel. For a line with such a large head, it fits nicely on the 3 inch Retro Trout. I think squeezing that line on a Minami would be more difficult.
My Retro Trout has a gotten a lot of use recently and I have caught several large 16+ fish that have awoken the reel’s deep clicking scream. I historically ran sealed disk or cork drags with more stopping power on my nymphing rod. I associated clickers with the purists’ dry fly fishing, but am pleased I have a nymphing setup with one now, especially in the winter when it meets more fish.
Choosing between the Minami and the Retro Trout was difficult; once I picked the Retro Trout picking between black and green was even more difficult. The deep emerald green color that they have for both the Retro Trout and the Minami is gorgeous. It is a rich green that is reminiscent of a Winston blank; as I primarily fish Winstons, I decided against the green, and chose something with more contrast. I am planning on adding a Minami to my collection this summer for one of my lighter rods. It will follow me up into the mountains fishing smaller tributaries and spring creeks, singing a high pitched scream all afternoon.
Iwana has redefined the classic click and pawl reel. By looking to the past for silhouettes, proportions, and design and looking at the present by incorporating contemporary CNC machining processes, they have created functional works of art. These reels feel most at home in the hands of an angler that takes things slow, and wants a deeper connection between themselves and the fish on the end of their line. The tactile clicking of the reel, the audible scream of the drag, the finesse needed to land a large fish on a traditional reel, these are all ways that Iwana offers the in tune angler a more immersive angling experience.
If you’re local and want to check one of these out, please swing by the shop. We are happy to help you find the best reel from Iwana for your needs. If you are out of state you can shop online here. If you have questions, give us a ring (541) 342-7005, email us support@caddisflyshop.com, or message us on instagram @caddisflyshop for help.
Everyone knows squirmy worms work whether you like them or not. Silicone squirmy material has a serious Achilles’ heel. The silicone the worms are made of is extremely fragile. If you crank too hard with thin, but strong thread it breaks. Sun exposure causes melts and splits. Summer heat degrades the material. It is prone to being beat up by fish teeth and torn up and breaking. Our friends over at Montana Fly Company developed a genius solution to this issue. They coated a small chenille core with silicone material. This heavy chenille core is similar to the material used in a San Juan worm; it is virtually indestructible. With Trina’s Squirm Material from Montana Fly Co, you get the durability of a San Juan Worm with the realistic look that a squirmy provides. With this upcoming rain in the forecast, the rivers will bump in flow and this fly will be a staple until levels drop.
Our February gathering is happening this month on the 17th at Falling Sky brewing. This month we have a special raffle that one of our Community Night veterans is generously donating. Adison of Soggy Waders Guide Service is donating one of his famous Stillwater trips in the valley. He donated one last year and it was a huge hit. If you are lucky enough to win, Adison will take you on his fully decked out 18ft boat chasing large smallmouth bass, spotted bass, trout, or a mix of them.
Max was the winner last year for Adison’s raffle
I have had the opportunity to be on his boat several times for Spotted bass and Smallmouth and Adison has a very unique program. The Spotted Bass push 8 pounds and will have a 6 wt doubled over like it is glass. The Smallmouth program he offers targets smaller fish in comparison to the massive Spotted Bass, but still gives you shots at chunky 14-18in Smallies all day. Lunch will be provided, but if you win, don’t forget to tip your guide for the day on the water!
Max last year on his prize guide trip with a huge spotted bass
If you don’t end up winning the raffle and are interested in getting on the water with Adison, contact the shop to get in his books. Late winter and early spring is the best time for his Stillwater offerings in the valley.
This could be you!
If you haven’t been to one, it is a monthly gathering that we do over at Falling Sky. It is a great excuse to get together and talk about fly fishing, tie flies, meet new people in the community, usher in newbies, etc. See the bottom of this post for the full schedule for 2026.
Tiers are encouraged to bring their vise and materials and tie flies if they choose. We will still continue with the monthly fly swap for tiers who participate. If you aren’t planning on tying, but want to bring a hand tied fly, you are welcome to bring one from home. We have run dry on our prize materials from our friends at Fulling Mill for this month, but are expecting more for our March gathering.
Big stillwater smallies are right around the corner
Where: Falling Sky Brewing [1334 Oak Alley Eugene, OR 9740]
When: Tuesday February 17th at 6:30
What: Raffle for a Stillwater Trip with Adison Rook, Fly tying, new friends, prizes, great food, great beer, fly swap, and connecting with the community.
Falling Sky has great beer and some very talented chefs working hard in the back. Their burgers and sandwiches are fantastic, if you choose either of those you have to try the truffle fries. They also have a fantastic bacon loaded truffle Mac and Cheese. Steph en, the owner, has been generous enough to host us monthly for a year and a half. He is a fly angler himself and always makes his rounds. Be sure to extend your gratitude to the man who has made this happen every month for well over a year.
We can always expect our regulars to show up monthly. We also encourage new people to swing by. We have had a massive influx of new faces and new anglers, so it is a great time to stop by if you’ve been hesitant. Whether you’re a veteran to community night or brand new, we are looking forward to seeing you Tuesday!
Help spread the word!
-Simon
The first smallies from 2026 are staging for prespawn in our valley reservoirs
2026 Schedule
Community Nights will land on the third Tuesday of each month for 2026. Some dates are subject to change, so keep a close eye for updates.
Tuesday January 20th at 6:30
Tuesday February 17th at 6:30
Tuesday March 17th at 6:30 (This date may change due to St.Patricks)
Blue Winged Olives or Mayflies from the “Baetis” are a staple in trouts diets all over the world during the colder season. Many places only have a good BWO hatch in the spring and fall, but our weather is mild enough that we have them opt off during the winter too. They prefer hatching on overcast days when the air is cool, not cold. In this video, Simon ties a fantastic classic unweighted baetis nymph. This creates an extremely versatile fly, one that can be fished with virtually any rig. Because it lacks a bead, it can be fished as a dropper behind a small dry fly. If you want to fish it as a nymph locally, you will have to use another fly or add split shot to aid in getting it deep enough. The fly uses a new material from Montana Fly Company called Medallion Sheeting V2. This makes a great body when palmered around the hook shank, and an even better wing case. Feel free to size this up or down and adjust colors to mimic other species of slim bodied mayflies.
Note the slim body of Baetis sp. mayfly nymphs; this is consistent for most nymphs in the Swimmer family of mayflies.
In this video, Simon ties a unique variation on the traditional pheasant tail nymph. With winter conditions, a heavy tungsten bead on a jigged hook was a must. Simon kept high flows in mind while designing this fly and aimed to create a fly that gets down deep, and holds a more significant profile compared to a traditional pheasant tail nymph. He aimed to do something different with a fantastic dubbing from Fulling Mill. Eco Warrior Dub is a rabbit dubbing that is extremely buggy from our friends over at Fulling Mill. It makes a great dubbing for ultra buggy bodies such as a scud, but this dubbing can also be utilized to create legs. Simon puts a healthy helping of this dubbing into a dubbing loop made by a Smhaen Thread Splitter and seamlessly creates a fantastic, ultra buggy pheasant tail. This material will kick out as legs near the head, while also compressing only slightly under heavier flows. This creates an extremely lifelike profile effectively mimicking the silhouette of a variety of mayfly species. This fly will be an excellent searching pattern during the march brown hatch, which is approaching sooner than you think. This fly can certainly be sized up or sized down for your needs.
The new year finally came around and this coming Tuesday is the first community night over at Falling Sky Brewery off of 13th. If you haven’t been to one, it is a monthly gathering that we do over at Falling Sky. It is a great excuse to get together and talk about fly fishing, tie flies, meet new people in the community, usher in newbies, etc. See the bottom of this post for the full schedule for 2026.
Where: Falling Sky Brewing [1334 Oak Alley Eugene, OR 9740]
When: Tuesday January 20th at 6:30
What: Fly tying, new friends, prizes, great food, great beer, fly swap, and connecting with the community.
Attached photos are from our holiday party which ended 2025. We gave away items from Loon, Scientific Anglers, Fulling Mill, and Costa. It was a blast, we had a fantastic turn out and loads of new faces.
Falling Sky has great beer and some very talented chefs working hard in the back. Their burgers and sandwiches are fantastic, if you choose either of those you have to try the truffle fries. They also have a fantastic bacon loaded truffle Mac and Cheese. Steph en, the owner, has been generous enough to host us monthly for a year and a half. He is a fly angler himself and always makes his rounds. Be sure to extend your gratitude to the man who has made this happen every month for well over a year.
Local fly tiers are invited and encouraged to bring their gear and tie flies while they visit. Fly tiers have the opportunity to engage in a “Fly Swap” where they contribute a hand tied fly into a pot. They will receive a ticket and as the numbers are called you can select someone else’s fly. The first handful of people will have their choice of materials donated by Fulling Mill.
We can always expect our regulars to show up monthly. We also encourage new people to swing by. We have had a massive influx of new faces and new anglers, so it is a great time to stop by if you’ve been hesitant. Whether you’re a veteran to community night or brand new, we are looking forward to seeing you Tuesday!
Help spread the word!
-Simon
2026 Schedule
Community Nights will land on the third Tuesday of each month for 2026. Some dates are subject to change, so keep a close eye for updates.
Tuesday January 20th at 6:30
Tuesday February 17th at 6:30
Tuesday March 17th at 6:30 (This date may change due to St.Patricks)
In this video, Simon ties an effective large profile searching pattern. The fly is versatile in its imitation of several different types of large calorie food items for trout. The fly effectively imitates stonefly & salmon fly nymphs, crawdads, hellgrammites, sculpins, and more. The fly was initially developed for large predatory brown trout and rainbows. Simon was looking for a fly that would stand out to an opportunistic large fish that selectively feeds. Upon testing, he realized there was not much wrong with the fly. The bigger issue was his tippet was too light or his knows were bad He left the fly testing 2 flies lighter pondering what, if anything, he would change when he restocked. Two massive fish breaking off was enough to show Simon that this fly was worth tweaking and refilling his box. Some more tinkering at the vise yielded several colors and a little extra weight in the form of lead wraps hidden below the body. This aided in getting the fly deeper quicker and improving the flies overall silhouette and taper. Simon likes to tie these in several different colors depending on where, when, and how he is fishing them. See the photo below for all of the color variants he likes: Black, Brown, Olive, Orange, Gold Grizzly.
This is one of Simon’s confidence flies, especially right now with the high winter flows we are having. High flows knock large stonefly nymphs and sculpins loose. This is the time of year, more than ever, that large educated trout are on the lookout for these large food items that enter the middle water column haphazardly. The fly also is suggestive of crawdads and can be dead drifted, stripped, twitched, or swung for bass. As the fly swings, the legs collapse onto the body forming a wide head silhouette just like a sculpin. Simon has caught several fish letting this fly swing into structure or at the end of his drift. The Fulling Mill Rabbit Strip along the top adds movement and the Fulling Mill FM5130 Jig Force Long Hook provides a stout foundation for a long bodied stonefly nymph, sculpin or crawdad. Stay tuned for another update on this fly in the near future, you may be able to get it from the fly bins at your local shop.
River left or the South channel exiting the “Powerline” flat below Bellinger is blocked.
The lower river is one of the most dynamic sections of the river, with all the “post fire” wood in the river. We strongly advise against even putting in at Bellinger boat launch or floating past it.
A large log spans the entire river, there is no route around it.
A strainer has formed in the Upper Mckenzie just below Paradise bloat launch. The log spans the entirety of the river between paradise and the trailhead of the McKenzie River Trail. The log lies just above it. In the upper river, do not put in on any launch above Bruckart. Ollie and Paradise are not viable launch sites at the current time.
Please share this article and spread the word! Please help out and spread the news before people do their weekend recreating.
This time of year with high water, debris in the river is not an uncommon sight. Keep your wits about you and be safe!
If you have any questions give us a ring (541) 342-7005
Nothing beats the excitement of waiting quietly in the pitch black for a brown to inhale your mouse.
Reminiscing on summer months I was recounting my annual trip to the Midwest’s Driftless Area spring creeks. This past summer I tried something new: mousing for large brown trout. This is an exhilarating method of fishing that, unfortunately in Oregon, we cannot do. Fishing for salmonids after sunset is strictly prohibited in Oregon. There is nothing stopping you from taking a trip to indulge once things warm up.
Short mashup of mousing on some spring creeks this summer.
Many seasoned anglers are familiar with the term “mousing”. For those that this is a novel term to, mousing refers to targeting fish using a floating mouse fly. It is most commonly associated with large brown trout that feed nocturnally, but mousing can be done for bass, jungle species, other types of trout, etc. It also is not restricted to the night; in Alaska people target large resident rainbow trout using mice. Generally through, when you hear someone across a fly shop talking about mousing, they are talking about chasing aggressive brown trout at night.
Note the Atomic Glow Strip from Hareline that I incorporated into this micro mouse’s design.
The best time to go is when it is dark out, which may come obvious. The level of darkness is generally correlated with better fishing; the more dark the better. This generally means avoiding full moons and timing your mousing trip close to the absent new moon. Most of my mousing on my trip was done over a few nights between the 11pm and 2:30 AM. Minimizing light also means only turning on your headlamp or flashlight when absolutely necessary. This is especially important on the small intimate spring creeks of the Driftless Area that sometimes are a few feet wide.
The browns are relentless once the sun goes down, slashing at anything that disturbs the surface.
Mousing most importantly requires a mouse. Knowing the size and temperament of the fish you are targeting is helpful when choosing the size of your mouse … or rat. In the jungle of South America Chris has told me stories of throwing rat sized mice for golden dorado. Throwing Squirrel sized rodents for Taimen overseas is not uncommon. Generally I like to start with a medium sized mouse and size up or down based on what I encounter. I feel it is a good way to probe unfamiliar waters.
This articulated mouse is one I designed and glows bright to make tracking easy.
My top choices for searching mice are: Rio’s Pip Squeek or a Preparation H Mouse. The Pip Squeak has a trailing hook and the Prep H is tied on a classic Salmon/Steelhead hook setting the hook towards the rear. Fish sometimes short strike mice so I always look at the hook placement. If I need a smaller mouse my absolute favorite is the RIO Pip Squeak Baby. For larger mice that blue the lines between mouse and rate try the Satkowski’s Headbanger Mouse . Other options using deer hair are the classic Morrish’s Mouse with or without a trailer or a Mini Mouse. Deer hair mice are great at pushing water, but can bounce off of a trout’s mouth when they try to eat it. I’ve found that I prefer the foam and rabbit strip variations, and get more consistent hookups.
Charging the Atomic Glow Strips and Scientific Anglers Indicator Glow Marker.
Technique for mousing varies but generally it involves swinging or stripping the mouse across attractive holding water. Generally this is a glossy glide or pool where the wake of the mouse will be more intrusive on the calm surface. This is why mice are designed to push water and drive predatory fish nuts as they pick up vibrations with their lateral line. Mice are surprisingly confident swimmers, so generally swinging is the preferred method. The most difficult part of mousing for browns is not pulling the mouse out of the trout’s mouth. You need to use a significant amount of restraint and not trout set early, yanking the fly out of the trout’s mouth. Instead you need to be patient and feel the take and strip set hard. Another method that helps is tagging a small streamer off of the back of the mouse off of heavier Scientific Anglers Fluorocarbon 3x-0x is the size you’d be looking at depending on the size of the trout. Here are a few good options for your tandem mouse/streamer rig: Rubber Legged Jigged Soccer Mom, Conehead Slump Buster, Conehead Kiwi Muddler, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, or the trusty Thin Mint.
Application is easy and turns any standard mouse into one that you can keep track of.
There are a variety of items that make mousing much more easy. First a good headlamp or light is necessary even though the goal is to keep it off as much as possible. Using some sort of glowing substance to track your mouse is extremely helpful. Scientific Anglers released their Indicator Markers last year and they have countless uses. I always have one in my pack. The glow color can be charged with a light, but a UV torch is even better. Ive found that the Loon UV Bench Light fits easily in my pack and charges the SA Marker 2-3 times as long as a headlamp. If you tie your own flies, incorporating Atomic Glow Sheets into the fly is fantastic. You can see them incorporated into an articulated mouse that I designed. Having good Fluorocarbon tippet is essential, especially when doing a tandem streamer rig. My favorite is Absolute Trout Fluorocarbon Tippet in 3x-0x depending on your fishery. Lastly having a good line to turn over flies is crucial. A delicate trout taper is what you do not want. You need a line with a powerful taper such as a Scientific Anglers Amplitude Infinity or a Scientific Anglers Amplitude MPX Fly Line. This must be paired with at least a 5 wt, but a 6 is even better. Anything below a 5wt would only work well throwing the RIO Pip Squeak Baby. Some good rod options are: Winston Air 2 , Sage R8 Spey , Scott Centric, Scott Session , or an Echo Trout X. All of these rods are powerful and have ample backbone to turn over a wet mouse. For tighter water I’d choose a rod closer to 8 feet and if you have more space a 9’6 works great. I personally use a 9’6 Sage Sonic with a Scientific Anglers Amplitude Infinity.
These come in several other colors; stay tuned for an article in the future for more summertime uses.
Unfortunately to chase large nocturnal browns at night you must leave the state of Oregon. Traveling opens up tons of options and there are rivers in neighboring states that offer shots at massive brown trout. My last trip yielded some decent sized browns, but the massive 24+ inch browns of the Driftless eluded me. What a great reason to make a trip back to one of my favorite small stream destinations. If you want to try your hand at mousing some big browns up, swing by the shop, we are happy to get you geared up.
In this video, Simon ties a wonderful BWO soft hackle. Soft hackles are traditionally swung, but their sparse design allows them to be so much more than a swung wet fly. Simon developed this pattern for a late season trip to the spring fed creeks of the Midwest’s Driftless area. The fly quickly proved productive when tagged behind another, more buoyant dry. Trout, especially in spring creeks, get keyed in on more vulnerable insects. Ones that are stilllborn, actively emerging, or have become crippled in their emergence. This fly fished in tandem with another dry mimics a bug in trouble rather than the typical ascending nymph that a swung soft hackle imitates. Since then, the fly has become a staple in Simon’s box not only from its productivity, but also its versatility. Its simple construction makes it attractive when needing to fill your box. Few flies can be swung, stripped, fished tagged off of a dry in the film, and nymphed. This makes this style of fly very important and every angler should carve out space ion their box for flies of this likeness.
Alaska has been an iconic destination for anglers from all over the globe, and for good reason. The opportunities for world class fishing seem to be endless. Saltwater, rivers, lakes, creeks, ponds, trout, char, grayling, sheefish, pike, salmon, steelhead, halibut, lingcod, rockfish…. Whether you fish conventionally or with a fly it’s hard to pick your pursuit. Personally, I’m a dedicated stillwater angler. My first trip to Alaska was in 2018 with my wife, our float tubes, a rental car and a list of lakes to check off while we looked at properties for sale on the Kenai peninsula. I’ll certainly be back to Alaska for a similar trip due to its logistical ease, price point, accessibility, and excellent stillwater fishing, but this year I stepped up the adventure aspect with a remote backcountry DIY wilderness float through Papa Bear Adventures in Bethel.
This trip has been on my radar for over a decade. Dreaming of fishing the Alaska backcountry and seeing some of the most remote wilderness in the union has an allure that can consume you. When I first started dreaming of this trip I wanted to share it with my father. My dad is responsible for my current fishing addiction. I started at a young age fishing with him and my grandfather whenever possible and they created a monster; in a good way of course! Like everything in life, things get increasingly expensive over the years. Add not getting any younger to the equation, and we just decided it’s time to make this thing happen. I selected a group of close friends and family to invite, mulled over our options and the five of us were set to have the adventure of a lifetime in July on the Arolik river in remote Alaska. We chose the Arolik because it was a less popular river from the given options. Being a smaller, more intimate river came with its own set of challenges. My goal in this post is to help take some of the guesswork out of planning a trip of this magnitude, give you some useful tips, and of course stoke the fire in you and inspire you to get out there and make your own dreams come to fruition.
We were set to land in Bethel in the afternoon of our arrival. Papa Bear Adventures would pick us up, do some grocery shopping, we would lodge with PBA for the night, and fly out after breakfast the next morning. It was nice to be able to do our own shopping, but PPA does has a service where you can just fill out a form/list and they will do the shopping for you. It is super convenient and I recommend you use that service, as your food will be ready to go when you get there. Aside from convenience, if you get to Bethel early enough and the weather is clear the owner will give you the option of being dropped at your river the same day and I recommend you take advantage of that if you can. The weather is very unpredictable all year in this part of the world. What are good flying conditions today, might be the only shot you get for the foreseeable future. We learned this lesson on day two when the owner told us conditions weren’t good to fly and we waited, and waited, and as the time went by, we got anxious. So, here’s another tip: stay prepared and be flexible. The elements can foil any plans in Alaska and if you can, add an extra day or two into your schedule in case inclement weather pushes your flights out.
We waited for what seemed like forever, and I even started contemplating putting together a rod and commandeering a raft so I could fish the small lake PBA resides on. Then at the end of the day the owner found us and told us to suit up, and we were leaving immediately before it’s too late. A small spike of adrenaline hit our veins as we scrambled to get our waders on and figure out our seating arrangement. It was happening. We were going into the most remote wilderness any of us had been to, and despite the wait throughout the day, it seemed to happen quick.
I’d never been on a float plane before; as crude as the planes seem, I was very comfortable and takeoff was smooth. As the plane lifted off the lake, our journey began and I immediately went into adventure mode. We started over the tundra. Our pilot, a cool young guy from Bend, started pointing out the moose that frequently cruise certain spots out of town. Then a little while into the flight we spotted caribou. “Let’s check him out!” our pilot said over the radio. He banked the plane around to get a couple looks at the lone Caribou, and we were off. These planes aren’t instrument rated, so the pilots fly from sight. They generally only fly a few hundred feet in the air, so you get a good look at the landscape, and it was beautiful. We flew across the tundra until we found the Arolik. Then the pilot turned up the drainage, and we followed the river for some time. From the air it seemed untouched. I spoke up over the comms, “Those fish have no idea what’s about to hit em!” we we’re only the third group they had on the river, so the pressure these fish had was nothing compared to back home.
The pilot made his way to the head waters, Arolik lake. It’s big, and we flew all the way around the lake. We spotted two Grizzlies chasing salmon around the creeks that emptied out of the opposite end we were set to camp on. “If those are the only two bears I see this whole trip, I’ll be just fine with it.” I chuckled over the comms. The pilot set that plane down smoother than a mallard on a flat pond, and we throttled back as we approached shore. After the pilot anchored the plane on shore we popped out and started off loading gear. The pilot pushed off, throttled down and he tipped his wings to us as he headed back to civilization. We were all alone in remote Alaska! There was only a couple of hours of solid light left in the day, and we just focused on getting the rafts set up and making camp. Being the stillwater junky that I am, I had to see if we could catch something out of the lake. Of course camp could wait, so I rigged up a rod and got after it. It didn’t take long to work up a couple lake trout from shore. I was stoked; my first fish of the trip was a species I had never caught before. I was off to a good start. We made a quick dinner of sandwiches and got things ready for morning. More weather blew in, and my little tent rattled in the wind all night.
The first day of the float was rough. The first ten miles before the main confluence is notoriously skinny water. There is a lot of getting out and dragging the boat. We were told that it gets worse as the season goes on, but it was boney by the time we got there. Another tip: If you aren’t in good shape, I’d consider a float less physical. I would also advise leaving the rods in the tube and waiting until after the confluence to fish. There is some fishing in this stretch, but it’s probably best to wait. The river is still beautiful, meandering through a few different types of topography. We immediately began to see schools of sockeye salmon. The schools seemed to part as the boat floated by. We even had a caribou that followed us downriver for a mile or so. He seemed to be curious of our presence. Even though the first ten miles was a rough go, the adventure was full throttle. We hit the confluence towards the end of the day and we were stoked. The fishing picked up a tick, and we decided on a camp for the night.
Over the course of the next few days, the fishing really picked up. Our group had two boats, and we caught fish as we floated. When we would see a big gravel bar the five of us could spread out on, we hopped out and fished. It was ridiculously good most of the time in the middle section of the Arolik. We were catching king salmon, rainbows, coho, grayling, chum salmon, a few sockeye, and more char than you could shake a magic bug wand (fly rod) at. I had waited so long for this trip, and I couldn’t believe it was happening. Sharing it with friends and family made it perfect. It was the ultimate form of adventure and not knowing what was around the next bend was exhilarating.
Every gravel bar we stopped at, I mean EVERY gravel bar, had grizzly tracks on it. We got somewhat lucky that we never had an encounter, but they had a presence everywhere. Another tip: have whatever form of protection you choose within arm’s reach. Even bear spray is prone to accidental discharge. My friend’s dad was fishing in the adjacent raft and accidentally knocked off the safety clip; he gave himself a small shot of bear spray. Luckily, he only got the overspray and didn’t take a direct shot. He took it like a champ! Things were intense as we tried helping him relieve the pain. Once the situation was under control, the jokes started rolling and we were back to business as usual, laughing and looking for the next fishing spot. I’m not one to be “bearanoid” in the woods. I’ve done a lot of backpacking in my day including the Bob Marshall wilderness of Montana which is home to plenty of Grizzlies. I just accept it and try not to let it take up head space. I slept fine in camp.
The old men in camp snore so bad that I told them I’d take my chances with the bears and set my tent up isolated well away from them. I STILL heard them snoring on occasion. Those bears are on the forefront of most people’s minds when going to Alaska but let me tell you, it’s the mosquitoes that draw first blood out there. To put it simply, they will black out the sun. That brings me to another tip: whatever you do, when you make your gear rental list through PBA, rent the screen tent for your trip. Between your sleeping tent and the screen tent they are your only refuge from the bugs while in camp. The screen tent also sheds rain well. Head nets are another easy choice, but I was smart enough to bring a couple pairs of thick mechanic nitrile style gloves to keep them off my hands too. Between screen tent, sleeping tent, head nets, gloves, rain jacket or long sleeves, pants or waders, you might escape the little vampires and not need a blood transfusion by the end of the trip. Back to the fishing.
Gear choice can be tricky. I wanted a rod that would be fun for the average trout and char, but I also wanted to be prepared for salmon. I had never fished for salmon on the fly before. I build rods, and I have plenty of them. As a stillwater angler, I fish 10’ rods exclusively. I settled on a 10’ 5wt, 10’ 6wt, and a 10’ 7wt in case we got into a lot of salmon. The 10’ rods might have been too long in the upper section, but they served me well in the middle and lower river. I paired them with Scientific Anglers Anadro Indicator Lines, Rio Xtreme Indicator Lines, Rio Outbound Short Lines, and even brought a spool with a OPST Skagit head setup for swinging flies on sink tips. I was actually surprised at how versatile the Outbound Short was. The line seemed to be able to fish everything well. It even handled skagit style casts and swinging smaller weighted streamers on a longer leader. It didn’t seem like it was overkill for indicator fishing either. I run that line on my guided stillwater trips when I’m indicator fishing using longer leaders and balanced leeches with clients and it performs well.
As far as flies go, you could fish a bead under an indicator from beginning to end and catch an absolute pile of fish. While it was deadly effective, I’m not a fan. Due to the nature of the way a bead fishes, you end up hooking fish all over their face. That put me off and next time I’ll be tying and fishing egg patterns on jigged hooks to get a clean purchase in the roof of the mouth. I love jigged hooks as you rarely damage the maxillary. Other effective patterns were egg sucking leeches, sculpin patterns, squirrel leeches, dolly llama, and graboid leeches. I fished a mouse pattern on occasion and got some blow ups, but I didn’t land any fish. Leaders ending in 3x for trout and 0x for salmon were sufficient (although I did have a king salmon break my heaviest tippet).
The fishing was straight forward. As mentioned above, a bead under an indicator was king. The one thing that surprised me was how shallow the fish were holding in the river. Most fish were caught on the edges in 1-2 feet of water. Most of the fish caught mid river were salmon with the occasional trout, grayling, or char. Swinging flies is my favorite way to fish the river; although it wasn’t as effective as the bead, it still accounted for plenty of fish. Don’t overthink fly patterns. Part of the excitement of getting prepared for any trip is loading a fly box, but it is easy to overthink it.
The river can be divided into three sections. Upper, middle, and lower. The upper section generally doesn’t fish well until after the confluence. The middle section is lights out. The beginning of the lower section fishes well, and the bottom of the lower section becomes tidewater. You’ll notice the riffles give way to a deep river with a slick surface; the fishing slows substantially. I can see it potentially fishing well for salmon, but our trip was focused on trout, char, and grayling. That brings us to another tip: focus your efforts on the middle portion of the river. It might be a good thing to stay two nights in one camp if you end up on a gravel bar worth staying on. We noticed an uptick of King Salmon, Chum Salmon, and a few Coho in the middle section. It seemed like everything was happening in the middle section. Downloading maps on an app like OnX Hunt is super helpful in determining where you’ll end up staying and keeping track of your progress. It is also fantastic for finding potential gravel bars to fish while out of cell service.
We floated the Arolik for 9 days; it could have easily been done in 7 or less. That being said, I wouldn’t change a thing. I think we had one day of sunshine. We basically lived in our waders and rain gear. It was so wet and dank that it was difficult getting a fire going most of the time. Another tip: the second to last day of your float you’ll end up in or near tidewater. You should find the highest elevation to set your camp up on, even upriver. Enough rain or tide flux can raise the river enough to flood camp, so keep that in mind. Always drag your raft ashore and tie it off. We woke up to our raft floating one morning and the only reason we didn’t lose it was the fact that it was tied off to a willow.
While I was getting prepared for this trip I spoke with some of the guys at The Caddis Fly, who are well versed in Alaska fly fishing. They have everything you need to get set up. A couple of them had even floated the Arolik in their day. They were kind enough to share some stories about their trip, helping elevate my stoke factor even more. Papa Bear Adventures is super helpful with any questions you might have for the trip, but I would lean on the fly shop for any fishing intel and supplies.
Alaska has adventure you can’t experience anywhere else in the lower 48. We are truly blessed to have it as part of the union. I’m already plotting my next back country trip with PBA. I hope this article helps you lock in a date and pull the trigger on the trip you’ve been dreaming of regardless of where it is. Don’t let another year pass by if you can help it. But be careful, it’s a slippery slope….
Adison Rook is a stillwater focused fly fishing guide in the Willamette Valley. Contact Caddis Fly Shop or visit the oregonflyfishingblog.com for details on his trips. Follow him on Instagram @soggy.waders
For any of you who have attended any of our community nights in this past year, thank you. This has served as a great opportunity to bring our community together, spark friendships, and usher in beginners. Our last Community Night of 2025 is around the corner and you don’t want to miss it.
Where: Falling Sky Brewing [1334 Oak Alley Eugene, OR 9740]
When: Tuesday December 16th at 6:30
What: Our last community gathering of 2025: fly tying, prizes, great food, great beer, fly swap, and connecting with the community.
For this Community Night, we have great gifts from several of our favorite brands: Scientific Anglers, Loon, Fulling Mill, and Costa. We’re ending the year with a bang doing a big giveaway, so besides the events being a great time, you do have a chance to win a prize.
Community Night regular, Mark won the last raffle for the Fishpond Tailwater Tying Kit
Local fly tiers are invited and encouraged to bring their gear and tie flies while they visit. Fly tiers have the opportunity to engage in a “Fly Swap” where they contribute a hand tied fly into a pot. They will receive a ticket and as the numbers are called you can select someone else’s fly. The first handful of people will have their choice of materials donated by Fulling Mill.
Falling Sky has great beer and some very talented chefs working hard in the back. Their burgers and sandwiches are fantastic, if you choose either of those you have to try the truffle fries. They also have a fantastic bacon loaded truffle Mac and Cheese. Steven, the owner, has been generous enough to host us monthly for a year and a half. He is a fly angler himself and always makes his rounds. Be sure to extend your gratitude to the man who has made this happen every month for over a year.
We can always expect our regulars to show up monthly. We also encourage new people to swing by. If you’ve been thinking of swinging by, this is a great one to come to as there are a bunch of free gifts. We also have had a massive influx of new faces and new anglers, so it is a great time to stop by if you’ve been hesitant.
Please help spread the word. The more the merrier and we all love meeting new faces. A big thank you to all who have attended and made this possible over the years. If you can’t make it, happy holidays and we will see you in the new year.
The change of seasons can be an especially challenging time to find fish. This is even more true for new anglers. Beginners and experts alike have had the last 6 months to become accustomed to summer and fall conditions, which sometimes do not differ all that much. Winter fishing for trout is often very different from the summer and fall conditions that we all love. It comes with its own challenges, but can become an extremely rewarding time of year when we and the fish get our winter bearings.
Occasionally we are blessed with the opportunity to chase trout with a snowy backdrop.
Winter in most places is synonymous with one word: cold. In some places it means snow, some places wind, but in the valley here it typically means rain. Winter rains affect every aspect of fly fishing, most notably because the creeks, streams, and rivers where we fish collect much of this rain that falls in the valley. Excess rain makes its way down the draws in our Cascades, eventually hitting a small creek, a larger tributary, then into a river that will reach the valley floor. In this way, conditions from day to day can change depending on rainfall. Heavy rain can cause rivers to rapidly rise and become off color with sediment. When rivers rise to the point that they are un-fishable we refer to them as being “blown out”. Conditions like this can also be dangerous, so please use caution if you venture out in high water. As temperatures and precipitation constantly fluctuate throughout the winter, insect and fish behavior follows.
This is great winter holding water. A calm refuge with a feeding lane nearby.
Insect hatches are generally not as consisitent as in the summer time. When the weather is in the right window, we can see extremely prolific hatches of Baetis sp. mayflies. These are also commonly referred to as: Blue Winged Olives, BWOs, Olives, Blue Wings, or by their family name Baetidae. These small olive bodied mayflies love hatching on overcast days, generally the hatch begins mid day. Blue Wings generally prefer to hatch along “glides” of relatively calm water. This ensures a more successful emergence as mayflies have to let their wings dry on the water’s surface before flying away. This means when the river is rushing faster, and there is more turbulent water, that there is less desirable space for them to make a successful emergence. Generally, timing a great BWO hatch means finding an overcast day, that doesn’t happen to land after several days of torrential downpours. Especially cold weather in the low 30s is also a bit too cold for them to hatch in massive numbers, however I have seen it in past years, finding olives and winter stones on the snowy banks.
Baetis sp. are some of the most widely distributed cool weather mayflies in the world.
Winter Stoneflies are another insect that hatches in the winter. These are extremely small stoneflies of the Nemoura family. They are sometimes referred to as forest flies or little black stones, and can actually tolerate being frozen. Generally these show up later in the winter in January and February. Unfortunately the dry fly eat for these bugs is far less than the BWOs, almost nonexistent in comparison. They do however make a fantastic searching nymph. As large quantities of these nymphs move into the shallows to hatch, trout do get especially keyed in on these small black stoneflies. Here is an especially productive winter searching pattern for winter stones.
Fish behavior heavily follows insect hatch behavior. It is also influenced by two other factors: temperature & flows. Temperature directly influences a trout’s metabolism. Cold weather slows trouts metabolism significantly and they are focused on conserving energy. This means that when trout are not actively feeding, you need to practically hit them on the nose with your nymphs to elicit any response. Times of feeding during the warmer parts of the day, or during an active hatch is a different story. Lots of activity is packed into a smaller time window, so being in the right place at the right time is crucial. After the window has passed trout will again default to their sluggish disposition that they will not shake until late winter/ early spring. Like humans, fish are also slow to rise on cold mornings, most of their activity will be isolated to the warmest parts of the day.
You can see the water is high. This fish was caught just off the tip of my rod.
Especially high flows displace fish. This can be understood again through a trout’s slowing metabolism. A trout’s tendency to conserve calories in the winter means they will hold in ares that require very little physical effort. Trout may leave these areas to enter a feeding lane for a short window, but generally will hold in slower water. This means behind rocks, snags, deep pools, long glides, and they will not be sitting right on a seam, rather they will be unusually far from it compared to the summer. As rivers swell and approach “blown out” conditions fish find a respite from fast currents unusually close to the bank. In high water you can catch fish right at your feet on the bank, so start close and progressively probe deeper and deeper. Generally, finding where fish stack up will reward you with several fish that may investigate your nymph offerings. When you locate where fish hold in sections of river you are familiar with, it is important to learn when they most actively feed based on current conditions and return then.
A sneak peak of a new pattern coming soon, the fly is very big and moves correspondingly big fish in high water.
High water not only corrals fish into more calm water, it also displaces smaller trout, baitfish, and sculpins. Especially old, large fish have seen this for years and know high water means displaced T-bone steaks. These fish can be awoken from their slumber for large meals, only to return to their calm lie after inhaling a small fish frantically darting downstream. The same can be held for larger nymphs such as slamonflies, gold stones, and worms that end up in the river after rains causing high water.
Because a trout’s metabolism slows in the winter, after they feed they re-enter their winter trance and can’t be bothered. In the summer, trout have to constantly feed as it is their growing season and they physically are more active. After a trout feeds heavily during a short winter hatch or after eating up a large baitfish, fish do not have to feed frequently as other times in the year as those calories go much further in the winter.
A late winter sampler. Note the worms, eggs, and the size of most nymphs being extremely small.
Streamer fishing requires heavy flies or a sinking line or tip this time of year. Streamers can be fished in tandem as well, and it is often especially productive. When fishing them in tandem, Generally tagging a smaller, lighter streamer off the back is best. You can even tag one of the soft hackles listed above when swinging and stripping streamers in the winter. Here are some winter staples: Tactical Jig Zonker, Tungsten Thin Mint, Sculpzilla, Krystal Bugger, Bead Head Mini Bugger, Cascade Bugger, Gaviglio’s Minnow Bugger TSB, or Kure’s Squirrel Micro Zonker. Below is a fantastic streamer developed especially for winter fishing.
If you have any additional questions swing by the shop if you’re local. We’re happy to help get you geared up for the change of the seasons. If you’re out of state give us a ring or reach out on social media, we are happy to lend a helping hand over the phone (541)-342-7005 or online.
-Simon
P.S. if you’re a fly tier, here are some additional local patterns that work great in the winter. These are local patterns that you can’t find in any store! We’ve got all of the materials online and in the shop!
Cold weather and winter rains are late this year, but are not entirely out of the picture. With plenty of rain in the forecast, our rivers are likely going to swell and a heavy nymph that stands out is necessary. In this video, Simon ties a fantastic high water offering that is on the smaller side but still stands out. Many people’s go to for high water is a large stonefly nymph, worm, egg, or chucking streamers. There is nothing wrong with any of those options, but they do not necessarily represent what fish are feeding on in large quantities. Sure fish eat up a sculpin, worm, egg or stonefly as it is a large meal, and trout are opportunistic. Mayfly nymphs and Caddis larvae vastly outnumber the former, so having a fly that is small and still can stand out is important.
This fly uses Fulling Mill Eco Warrior Dub spun into a buggy body using the Smhaen Thread Splitter which helps the fly cast a wide profile even in high water. It has additional lead hidden under the body to supplement the already heavy 3.8 or 5/32 tungsten bead. A hot tag of Fluoro Fiber out the rear and up the back adds an extra attractor element to the fly. Lastly, a CDC collar, as we all know, is a fantastic additional to a jigged nymph providing movement, which is curial in high water.
The fly naturally provides a wide profile effectively mimicking many larger mayflies. This would be fantastic for the spring March Brown hatch. Other clingers that this fly mimics follow: Quill Gordons, Cahills, or Black Quills. Many species of drakes also have large bodies that this fly effectively imitates. This makes a fantastic searching pattern on the Metolius for Green Drakes or late summer for Gray Drakes on the Mckenzie. The Rockies, Sierras, and Tetons, with their heavy runoff, will appreciate this pattern in the spring.
