Words by David S. Lewis.  Executive Editor, (614) Magazine.
Photo by Judith O’Keefe

Mother’s Day marks the beginning of spring fly fishing for many.  It takes a different breed (and a river out West) to brave the freezing waters of February, or the rapids of the snow melt in March and April.

Truth be told, I could have easily waited another couple weeks, but I’ve had my tomatoes growing since February, and I started my beans inside the house.  I get antsy towards the end of winter.

My first trip was fraught with the usual frustrations: my leader was more snarled than a Rottweiler farm; my finely-honed cast of last year is now suddenly impotent.

Still seething on the way home (some delightful chap saw fit to take my clearly empty fly rod case out of the back of my pick-up), I had the hindsight to remember a few things that I wish I’d been only slightly more aware of while actually fishing.

1.  Use a leader stretcher first, and often. That reel and line sat in your closet for months.  Memory happens. Put on a new leader and strip the first 40’ of fly line (at least) and stretch it out.  Do it twice; the difference in performance will be dramatic.

And stretch the leader after every fudged cast.   You’re not going to be throwing them like you were last winter, certainly not at first.  Every time you remove a wind knot, you should be using the leader stretcher, too. Stretching it after each (inevitable) tangle is wise because not only is the line going to cast more forgivingly, it’s also going to perform better in the water.  The very experienced fisherman will have been working hard throughout the winter, honing his technique.  The rest of us weren’t  give yourself every advantage you can.

2.  So you spent the winter fantasizing about that special hole, and when you roll in at noon, someone’s already there, fishing YOUR spot? Well, you’ve just got to go somewhere else. Your “hole” isn’t something you’re sharing with that dude, who by the way is rocking a spincast reel and a bucket of minnows, and is just assassinating fish in your hole left and right.

Them’s the breaks, kid.  Fishing etiquette dictates that the early bird gets the worm. Plan to arrive at the hole you need to be there.  Very rare is it that the time you need to be at the hole is the same time you want to be fishing.  Don’t let spring fever make you a discourteous sportsman; the fish will know.  They always know. Angler’s karma can be a savage force.

(On my first day out, I had been working a small island for hours when another angler stumbled down the hill and came out to the island, clearly having every intention of jamming himself into my peaceful Sunday afternoon.  Unfortunately for him, my Catahoula, Roscoe, doesn’t take kindly to discourteous fishermen, either.  Extend courtesy, but if you’ve got the hole, don’t give it up easily unless you’re hurting for company.)

3.  Fish the water you have, not the water you want. Fishing in early spring means the water’s going to be cold, it’s probably going to be moving fast, and it’s not going to be as clear as it will when the slower waters of summer give streams a chance to settle down. Trout will be paying a lot of attention to sulfurs in the next couple weeks, and sulfur nymphs are going to be killing them until at least Father’s Day. As always, the vast bulk of the fish are biting sub-surface. Make sure your wallet includes lots of brightly colored flies, to catch their eyes in all that sediment.

I find brass and gold work better in sediment-filled spring streams, while silver is better suited for muddy lakes and ponds. And your “lucky” fly? If it doesn’t jive with the water conditions you are fishing, it’s not going to catch fish.  You might be sentimental, but I promise you the fish aren’t   Foolishly caught fish are young fish; that lucky fly might well bring in the 6-incher while that heavyweight cruised right by, looking the meal he knows he wants.

4.  Keep your eyes open. Your leader is in worse shape than the tangled strings of Christmas lights in your attic.  Your fingers, cold from surprisingly chilly spring weather, can barely grasp that 6X tippet material, let alone tie anything onto it.  Your strike indicator won’t float. And, to add insult, the damn fish aren’t biting.

Set down the rod.  Don’t even untangle the leader first, or you will be tempted to make another cast, and that’s not what you need.

Look at that pretty little creek, and try to figure out what you’re doing wrong with the rod out of your hand.

Spend a moment with your surroundings. What are the birds doing? If there are fifty swallows taking bugs of the surface of the water, you might try something dry; try to get it right at the edge of that shady area.  Fish are more likely to strike at temperature shelves in the water, and the birds are using their eyes to find bugs; they’re probably leaving that half shady spot alone, which makes that fish even more likely to be there.

The first few outings can be frustrating, due to inclement conditions and out-of-practice anglers, but remember why you like fishing: the woods smell like spring rot, earthy and fertile, and the stream is just humming along. Paying attention to everything that’s happening around you won’t just help you relax: it’s going to help you fish.

Al James is a musician and avid fly fisher based in Portland, Oregon.  Al has carefully combed the banks of the Deschutes River for over 10 years, and offers 5 hard-earned lessons for fishing this beautiful waterway.

Drop everything and fish the salmon fly hatch

It’s estimated that there are more than 3,500 Wild Redside Rainbow Trout per mile on the Lower Deschutes River in Central Oregon which stretches for 100 miles from Pelton Dam down to its confluence at the Columbia River. That’s a helluva lot of football-shaped, blood-red trout that –pound for pound– might be some of the strongest fighters in the salmonidae family. Mid-May through early June is a special time on this glorious river with the yearly explosion of gigantic salmon flies that hatch and provide a non-stop old country buffet style feeding frenzy for these aggressive lunkers.

This year will be no different and most guides and shops that service the river are predicting a mid-May hatch which means there’s a 2-3 week window to head over to the Deschutes and experience one of the most epic trout fishing experiences on the West Coast. If you haven’t tried it, make the trip. There is plenty of river, tons of access, and like I stated before, lots and lots of hungry fish. I’ve fished this hatch on and off for a decade and here are some basics I’ve learned over the years:

Fish the banks. I’m serious about this one. If you are wading up to your knees (unless you’re fishing toward the bank) you probably spooked all the fish in the area. I wear waders, but try to step in the water as little as possible. The fish on the Deschutes hold right up against the bank. This is good news because it’s a big river. It’s not about long casts here. It’s about breaking the river into manageable pieces and working the banks with short, careful casts.

Keep moving. Work a section of river and then move on to the next one. If you hook and lose a fish, give it a rest and come back in a half hour. Head up or downstream and then revisit spots where you’ve seen or hooked fish. The more you move, the more fish you’ll find. Last year a monster Redside broke me off three times under the same overhanging branches in the course of one weekend. I’d visit the spot in the morning, the afternoon and in the evening every day I was there. I’ll be back this year to the same exact spot with heavier tippet.

Come early or late. Often hitting the Deschutes just before or after the hatch by a week or two can yield incredible fishing. During the peak of the hatch the Redsides are often too full to feed. You don’t have to hit it perfectly. Check with online reports from Central Oregon fly shops for current details.

Spring has arrived here. This means you’ll likely see an awesome array of critters and wildlife: wild turkeys, river otters, mallard ducklings, mergansers, osprey, mountain goats, and on the downside, poison oak and rattlesnakes. For all the cool stuff pack a camera and binoculars, for the other two bring Technu skin treatment and a cautious step when you’re hiking around the riverbanks.

Check in with the experts. Fly shops in Eugene, Maupin, Portland and Welches start posting up-to-the-day reports on the hatch starting in May. They’re on the river every day and are monitoring it as it develops. They’ll post when and where the salmon flies are starting to show up. They’ll also steer you in the right direction for fly selection, but then again, that’s the beauty of this hatch. The flies are big and simple and in most cases, foolproof.

Peter Patenaude, a registered Maine guide, has been a Filson advocate for over six years. His blog Boot & Canoe, focuses on traditional skills and Maine’s outdoor heritage. Today, Peter shares 10 tips for a successful day of ice fishing.

Exercising a small brook trout on a fly rod is a great experience; similarly, pulling one out of a hole in the ice can be just as gratifying. Winter is a long season if you are waiting and watching for it to boil over into spring. Ice fishing can be the perfect remedy for cabin fever, and offers a great excuse to get out into the cold fresh air. There are few better ways to build camaraderie among old friends or new acquaintances while fighting off the temperatures and waiting for a flag to stand straight up. I have always truly enjoyed this type of fishing, and arguably, one of the many reasons is because of the lack of bugs. You do not need to invest a lot of money to pursue this activity, and if asked, most people have old ice traps and equipment that has been in their attic, untouched for years. Here are some tips to get you out onto the hard water and catching fish:

1. Elbow Grease:  A hand auger or ice chisel will not break down or run out of gas. Although they are more work, they are quieter, more reliable and will warm you up.

2. Extra Blades:  Whether you bring a hand or power auger, bring extra blades and the tools to replace them as they can break off or dull by hitting underwater rocks or stumps.

3. Depth:  Use a lead sounder to check the depth of the water and set your bait at a level appropriate to the fish you want to catch. You can mark your line by attaching an old button to slide up and down.4. Variation:  Do not be afraid to drill more holes or adjust the depth of your lines if you start catching fish in a particular area and depth.

5. Know the Land Beneath:  It helps to know some of the underwater features such as large rocks, ledges or sandbars.

6. Warm Lunch:  There is nothing like hot food to keep you going on a cold day.

7. Check Your Traps and Bait:  The water in the ice hole will freeze over, so bring your skimmer to break it up and remove it. It is best to do this when you don’t have a large fish on the other end of your line. Also, it is hard to catch fish on an empty hook. The smart fish will take your bait without getting hooked and setting off your flag, so every so often, check your bait.

8. Know the Water:  It is ice fishing, not open water, so know the lake before you go out onto the ice to avoid thin areas and breaking through.

9. Insulation:  When setting up an ice trap or pulling in a fish, kneel on your mittens or another insulator to keep your knees from getting wet in the snow.

10. Snowshoes and Traction:  You never know what the conditions will be, and glare ice can be very dangerous. Bring snowshoes as they will work in deep snow, or provide traction on slick ice.

Oh, the excitement that deer season brings with it each and every year, isn’t it great? Peter Fiduccia of Woods N’ Water Press knows it all too well, and do you know how he keeps that thrill and anticipation running all year long? Shed hunting.

Shed hunting dates back to our earliest ancestors. Cavemen collected antler bones not only to make tools, but also to carve the antlers into jewelry, charms, and trinkets. Native Americans used shed antlers to scrape hides, cooking tools, and for axe and knife handles. Today antlers still hold a special allure as collectibles for people.

Understandably, most hunters want to collect them while they are still attached to the buck’s head, but finding a buck’s dropped antler is equally exciting. A shed antler can serve as a valued trophy and an important piece of evidence. Finding them provides both confirmation and clues regarding which bucks survived the hunting season and winter as well.

I found my first shed antler over 40 years ago. While walking through a laurel I accidently knocked off an antler that was hung up on a branch. It was a small 4-point antler. I was overwhelmed with excitement. Holding the antler I began to imagine what the buck might have looked like with both antlers on his head. That’s the type of exhilaration shed hunting imparts. From that point on shed hunting became an enjoyable pastime for me. Every time I locate a shed deer antler it invokes anticipation, enthusiasm and high hopes for the next deer season.

What also makes shed hunting fun is that it can be enjoyed alone or with family and friends. One of my fondest outdoor memories of our son Cody is connected to finding a shed antler. He was about five years old and was sitting on my lap as I slowly rode him on my lawn tractor around a food plot. All of a sudden Cody yelled “stop dad, I see a buck!” Since it was early May I giggled as I replied to where is he Cody?

“Turn around and I’ll show you,” he said. As we drove back Cody shouted, “Look daddy he’s right there!” I noticed he was pointing his little finger to the ground and as I followed its direction I saw the huge dropped antler! (See photo). Of all the shed antlers I have collected – that one holds a special place in my heart and mind. It also told me that one of the mature bucks I hunted hard for that year but didn’t get survived! Having Cody find it gave me new hope and inspiration for the upcoming deer season.

When to Begin Shed Hunting

The unfortunate fact about finding shed antlers is it isn’t always easy. There are ways however, to help shed hunters increase their odds of locating dropped antlers. If you live in northern climates begin to search for sheds soon after snow melt. The best time to start searching for sheds is usually late April. Over the years I have found most of my shed antlers in May while I’m planting food plots or hunting for turkey. Planning a shed hunting excursion in April or May will help you to locate antlers that haven’t been chewed by mice or other rodents yet.

Tips on Where to Locate Shed Antlers

Locate where deer were feeding most from January to March. That will quickly help you determine where their bedding areas were. That time of year deer are primarily concerned with food and bedding. Therefore, they instinctively locate their beds as close to the winter food sources as possible.

Stay tuned for part II of  Shed Hunting Tips for Bone-Heads — tips and suggestions for “Bone-Heads” (a term I coined to describe people who have become addicted to shed hunting).