Emerald Water Anglers

Seattle Fly Shop - Guide Service - Global Travel Outfitter

4502 42nd Ave. SW Seattle, WA 98116
10-7 Mon-Fri, 10-6 Sat, 11-5 Sun
info@emeraldwateranglers.com
206-708-7250

An ode to bent rods…

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Sitting here going through thousands of unedited photos from all over the world I was struck by the number of times I have kept an image simply because the subject in it had a bent fly rod.

While you can’t always see the fish, which would be the next best thing, for fly anglers or anglers period for that matter, to see a bent rod…we know what it means and we get excited about.

From 14 wts on tuna and sailfish to spey rods on steelhead and even those wispy little glass or ultralight negative 0wt rods on 6 inch fish, a bent rod in a still image conjures up emotions and makes all of us wish we were there, anywhere.

So here is brief homage to our favorite pastime, or profession depending on who you are, and the tool of our trade.

Upper Yakima River, Theo, fish on! Good way to start!


Karn putting a laser out there on the Grande Ronde.


Yeah, I even fish sometimes too. Hey you Pacu, come over here! Dave in Bolivia and I almost got that B2mx turned 180 degrees.


Dad into one on an unamed stream in Chile.


Andrew Bennett into one on the Cowlitz River, momentarily anyway.


Nancy Kim finds a last minute fish on the Skagit River.


John Baugn stressing out the 000wt on the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie.


Yeah Laker!! John Lake puts some schtick to a tuna off the Washington coast. Be careful though…


Rods are only supposed to bend so far. Donte going between admiring his fish and his new 11 piece 12wt. Oopsie Daisey!

Fish everyone, and hopefully fish on!

Grande Ronde River, OR — Mucho Bonito, Poquito Pescado

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For over a decade, I have always looked forward to at least a week on either the John Day or the Grande Ronde Rivers in NE Oregon. This year was not exception as I was about to spend 4 days with my dad, whom despite both of our efforts just don’t get to spend enough quality fishing time together. I will leave “enough” up to those of you who don’t fish for a living to decide how much is enough. Anyway, all of it I do, most is not with my dad unfortunately.

This was going to be the year where I got to watch him catch fish in front of and behind me in every run, some with eyes closed, others on terrible fluke casts and even a few (not just a couple) with a hookless fly — there were going to be that many fish. I mean come on, last year I got a fish on my second cast, AFTER I rowed over my water first!

This year it was the Grande Ronde and it didn’t disappoint, at least not the piscatory sense everyone should expect, it is simply one of the most beautiful multi day floats one can do for steelhead anywhere.

Fish were abound, somewhere, just not where we were swinging flies so numbers of fish caught with 6 anglers over 4 days, hold on to your seats — exactly 5 and I have gone over every minute of the trip so as to not overlook any landed fish, because they would have been easy to forget…

Day 1 — Randy, Allan, Nancy, Roy, dad and myself put in with the guides and bag boaters on the Wallowa River and float about 12 miles to our first camp, no pressure for a fish on first day, just reacquainting myself with a raft in low water with a load of 15 full bags, dad, 100 pounds of camera gear and some libations. Some fishy water covered and spey casting coming around for everyone. Day ends with confidence in our casting, beautiful stars at night, great dinner and lots of laughs at all things surrounding fishing.

Day 2 — Wake up and feel fishy. Not cold out and water is in the high 40’s so ALL those fish should be really active, I bat around the idea of skating a fly, figure I will stick a few first before I really make it challenging. Lunch time, no fish to hand, 1 grab and 3 near swims by Allan and dad. Today ends with Roy landing a steelhead finally with a gentleman’s release about 2 feet from his hand. PERFECT!! We have FOUND the fish, tomorrow will be epic.

Day 3 — Coffee, everyone scratching at their rods like two pistol fighters in an old West shootout, daylight finally pokes through the fog and Nancy, Randy and Allan all draw their weapons and its game on! After fishing the home water which is SWEET, no fish. Lunch time, no fish, dinner, Roy has 2 steelhead landed (for real this time) and Nancy is on the board with her first ever steelhead, not just swinging, EVER!! Countless days on Cowlitz, Skagit, Snoqualmie, O.P. rivers and others, she finally brings a bright and beautiful wild hen to hand. My heart swells for her as I love and appreciate nothing more than to see the final nail in someones steelhead coffin. She is all in, forever! As I roll past another boat with 3 guys from Montana who had asked for a whiskey fix in exchange for dinero the day before I ask if they were still in need, the answer wasn’t even necessary.
I hand over my flask of Glenlivet and emphatically say “enjoy” in hopes the fish Gods will reconsider our fate for the next day. Another great feast and some culinary discoveries in the kitchen, Ted is reassuring everyone they found most of their fish really on day 3 and 4 so still plenty of time. So we hit the sack with sugar plums, I mean steelhead dancing in our heads. No problem sleeping tonight.

Day 4 — As we begin to float out, I more or less resign myself to going fishless this trip and I am actually totally fine with that, seen it and experienced it enough to know, it isn’t really in my hands, not this time or ever. All I want to see is Randy and Allan get into one. Their spey casting has been looking awesome and some of the water towards the end of the trip is just gross. I mean some of the most structured, ripply-slick, fishy looking water anywhere so my resignation letter turned in, I ask for it back, I can’t help it!!

Dad and I hit it HARD. Dad, finally and I mean finally slips in and goes for the full swim. All my life I have enjoyed watching that and now, maybe even more so. He is fine so not worried about that, another few years and I will but we laugh about all the times on other legendary water he has done it, early in my childhood while I was on his shoulders he really tossed me — that explains a few things to those who know me!

Finally I feel it, a tuggus legitamus!! I let my loop go til I feel the weight and then hit the sob with all I’ve got — a giant strip set that is still fresh in my muscle memory from Bolivia and Golden Dorado. Fortunately he stays on and comes to hand. Dad, getting even with me for laughing about his swim and possibly for this being the FIRST EVER fish I have ever taken fishing behind him “mishandles” or “Bob Leaches” my fish so photos of the fish are a bit less stellar than expected. Each of the rest of the boats go by and nary a fish for anyone, that was the last one for the trip.

Trip ends with hugs, exchanges of contact info and a resounding agreement that despite the triple digit fish count I had promised, even guaranteed, it was a great time and a trip of a lifetime for Nancy.

Thank you GR for yet another serene expedition through your long history. We will see you next year, or maybe I take the dreaded McCoy curse back the the JD!!??

Thank you to Ted, Brian and the boys, Randy, Allan, Nancy and Roy for dealing with some of my neuroces and to my dad for being my dad, this would have never happened if it wasn’t for you!

Fall Steelheading…Oh Yeah!

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As fall arrives in our region, some anglers begin to feel a bit anxious, almost hormonal in a way. It’s the change in the air as we walk downtown to work or while trout fishing one day late in the summer, we can smell it, even sense the change of season upon us.

It is fall and my absolute favorite time of year to fish and not only fish but to swing flies, both dry and wet for steelhead.

For some, it is the time of year when they will marginally consider going out fly fishing, only if the weather is “cooperative.” For those anglers it is the last chance at a steelhead for the year as they won’t endure the winter conditions to pursue these fish, their disease hasn’t set in — yet!

Fall steelheading is pure serenity on the water. Cast, mend and step, watch the line swing, or not, take a deep breath and feel the cool crisp fall air deep in your lungs — repeat. Paying more attention on the next one because you know you are headed for the bucket or something grazed your line on the last pass, nearly impreceptible in this perfect piece of water, a mere hesitation that brought you back to your senses.

As those of us who are hosts or carriers of this affliction/affection for steelhead wander or sprint our way into this time of year, we inevitably question ourselves on every facet of the pursuit. This is the game and we love it. It drives many nuts to even open this proverbial can of worms with someone like us because there are no absolutes with one exception — you must be in the water with your fly to even have a chance, this we can all agree on.

I don’t wish to delve into the minutiae of the rest, only want to open a door here for those who haven’t yet had it cracked. Without question, this time of year will drive those whose heart is not owned by a particular river insane — way too many choices!

May favorite question from my regular and new clients is “Where should we go to get a steelhead?” My mind says “HOLY CRAP, did you really just ask that!” Because I can only come up with about 20 absolutely beautiful, serene, sexy, fantasmical (word unsure?) rivers to watch water pass on. Especially if 7 hours drive isn’t too much and for those afore mentioned anglers, this is not a problem.

Here is a brief list of my favorites with candy:

North Umpqua River, Oregon


Grande Ronde River, Oregon, yes Oregon


John Day River, Oregon


Deschutes River, Oregon


Snoqualmie River, Washington


Cowlitz River, Washington


Hoh River, Washington — Yeah, there are summer fish here too!


Skykomish River, Washington

I think you get the point and the scary prospect is this barely scratches the surface. Imnaha, Clearwater, Rogue, Willamette, Toutle, Wenatchee, Methow, Klickitat, Sol Duc, Salmon, Kalama…if it happens to be a tributary to or even a trib to a tributary of the Columbia or any of these other rivers, it likely has steelhead in it this time of year. And don’t let anyone tell you you can’t catch steelhead on the swing in these either, you can you just have to actually do it. Please do not let someone tell you they are going to have you swing then after an hour of half hearted effort be like, “Well, good thing you have that long rod because it sure makes managing your indicator easy from the boat!” Choose your path and stick to it, make it a mission and it will happen.

One item to note, so as not to make it even worse, I haven’t even mentioned leaving the U.S. to the north, even I can’t take it once we bring those lovely waters into the picture.

So to summarize, where will you find yourself this fall? Here maybe:

“Where is this?” you ask. Anywhere you want it to be, you just have to get yourself there!

Emerald Water Anglers

4502 42nd Ave. SW
Seattle, WA 98116
10-7 Mon-Fri, 10-6 Sat, 11-5 Sun
206-708-7250

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