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Jousting with Steelhead
Late in the morning we switched to pink plastic worms, which Palmer says has become his go-to bait when the fish won’t touch eggs. Kremers touched a fish right away and then, at straight-up noon, a streak of rainbow-splashed chrome slammed my bait.
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Spring Fishing: Think Big for Ice-out Trout
A lot of fishermen trade their dreams of catching a trophy-sized trout for the easier goal of catching a limit of eatin’-size rainbows. But the big fish hunter is only one cast away from the trout of a lifetime. Early in the season, soon after the ice comes off the lake, the trout bite can…
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Big River Rainbows in Downtown Redding
Dave Jacobs fired up the Mercury and Hank Mautz shoved the boat away from the dock. With the big motor at idle we let the current push us downstream toward the Sundial Bridge. It was early, but already the cowboys were stirring for the rodeo that would take place later in the day. With all…
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Beaver Pelts and Bobber-Doggin’ on the Umpqua
In 1832 the Hudson’s Bay Company built a fort that was to become the southernmost outpost of the fur company’s influence. From here the HBC controlled the trade for beaver on the Umpqua, the Rogue and the Klamath. And the beaver pelt became the medium of exchange until the winds of fashion in Europe changed.…
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All Aboard – For Steelhead on the Wallowa River
It wasn’t going to be easy. We took a left turn at La Grande and headed for Minam, but not before we stopped at the Mt. Emily Ale House, eight of us armed with long rods and chest waders. Jerry Grant introduced himself, a fisheries biologist turned brewmeister with creations like Heifer-Weizen, Paleface Ale, and…
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Spring, When Our Fancy Turns to Trout
In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of trout. Those were Tennyson’s words. Almost. Doubtless I am not the first trout enthusiast to make sport with poetic verse, but with apologies to the bard, I discovered that Shakespeare reads just as well if the word ‘trout’ is substituted for the word…
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Found! A Drive-To Arctic Grayling Fishery
Alaska is a land of big rivers and big fish. So why would anyone bother to chase grayling in the spring when there are salmon in the river all summer? Because grayling are silver-sided denizens of deepest Alaska, with tall, sail-like dorsal fins and a propensity for popping dry flies. To me, they are the…
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Local Experts Pick Top 10 Trout Flies for Area Waters
When I was thirteen years old I left my fly box on the bumper of my grandpa’s Ford at the Elk Lake boat launch. The accumulation of many evening’s work at the tying bench was crushed beneath the wheels of grandpa’s trailer. I didn’t realize my loss until that evening back at camp, many miles…
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Small Streams and Alpine Lakes Offer Sanctuary for the Angler
He was easily the biggest trout I’d seen that day. Peering over the bank I could see him at the head of the pool, ready for whatever insects might drift down to him. The smaller trout in the pool, just half his size, would have to settle for leftovers. I eased away from the bank…
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A Little Stream-side Etiquette is Needed on Local Waters
The sign read “Please wait to be seated.” And so we waited. Soon the maitre’d arrived and showed us to our seats. There were two of us at the table and two empty chairs. As we perused our menus, a waiter arrived to clear the extra place settings. A steady flow of dishes drifted by…

