[VFB] Fishing Report - JIMMY

[Jimmy D. Moore]

Ok, Gang,

I've been home a week from Oregon, so I guess it's time that I post my
fishing report for the trip.

Arrived in Eugene, Oregon on Friday, Oct. 11. Spent Saturday with
Jody's Mom and sisters. Sunday - my brother-in-law Tom and I hit the
McKenzie River in his drift boat. Tom decided that we should fish a stretch of the river where the water was calmer this year, which was alright with me. Hard to catch'em in the boiling current anyway.

Tom started with a # 12 Stimulator and me a #12 Renegade. We both caught rainbows, and cutts, nothing really spectacular, but about 20 each that afternoon, the largest being a 16" that I coaxed out from under a bush.

Day 2 - more of the same.(same flies) Largest fish, a bow of 18" by
Tom. My largest was about 10". Caught lots of fish but was disappointed
in their size.

Day 3 - Uneventful other than catching about 25 assorted bows and
cutts. I fished Rick's Tennis Ball Fuzz Caddis.( I think it was Rick's)
Tom fished a Royal Wulf.

Day 4 - Tom decided we'd try the steelhead, so we went to Leaburg Dam
and put in just below the "fish ladder" and anchored in the roiling
white water where the steelies were trying to climb the ladder in their
quest to get upstream to their birthplace. This was really tough
fishing. Tom caught a couple of nice ones around 35" on an Egg Sucking
Leech. I didn't catch a one. Saw literally dozens of them stacked up
near the fish ladder, but they weren't interested in my Skykomish
Sunrise, Thor or my purple Egg Sucking Leech. All they had on their
minds was climbing that dam ladder.( I went back on Day 5, by myself and
fished from the bank, but guess what? NO STEELIES anywhere. But,
"That's Steelhead Fishing."

So, there you have it folks. Great trip and I didn't get out of the
drift boat except for a couple of times to fish gravel bars. Good
thing! My ankle wasn't and still isn't ready for any prolonged wading.
Doc says it'll be another 6 months before I'm back to normal. Maybe
I'll get my steelie next year.

Will post photos when I get my Scanner working again.

Cheers!

Jimmy