[Go Fish]

Decided to take a very long over due vacation and did a high speed cruise to
just north of Grants Pass ( Merlin) to hang with some old friends. Got in about
6 pm after 7 hours of driving and was met with dinner and to much local vino....the girls
were getting toasted so my pal Ken said how about the guys get up early and fish so you can sleep in?
"Sure they said' just be back by 2pm. So 6:30am comes and Ken is hooking up the drift boat and I'm pounding coffee
wondering if I sould be drinking beer instead. Ken breaks the end of his gear rod first thing and grabs a 1950's glass rod to use.
I drive his old car and drop it off down stream. Fishing by 8 am on a beautiful sunny day. I would have to say the Rouge is a stunningly beautiful river...wildlife, lots of Great Blue Herons, 3 pairs of nesting Osprey, Eagles, Deer, Green Herons and more. The most suprising thing (to me) were the prolific bug hatches on the river. Baetis Spinners, caddis of all sizes, yellow drakes (I think).... sections of the river were clouds of bugs (no interest by the fish). I knew the chances of getting steel were slim so there was no disappointment in only catching a handful of rainbows and steel babies (biggest 14 inches). It was worth it all... hung over, burnt out from the road, and having a blast with an old friend talking fishing and life. I wouldn't trade it for a big springer!

( the last line is a lie) (maybe)

Dave

 

[fredaevans]

If you're going to do the burn out trip again (SOON!) hit the upper Rogue (Shady Cove up to the Hatchery). At the end of March the fish count (winter steelhead) was 5326 ...... end of the first week in May?

Just under THIRTEEN THOUSAND!!!

Now that Boys and Girls is a hell of a lot of fish, and they're (apparently) still coming through the counter (Gold Ray dam) at about 100 per day.

 

[Go Fish]

Fred, we were supose to hook up with another friend to fish
the upper section but he canceled out. He said he was having 3 to 6 fish days up there last week. That area is about an hour
away from my friends house.

Next time.

Dave

 

[Old Man]

If you're going to do the burn out trip again (SOON!) hit the upper Rogue (Shady Cove up to the Hatchery). At the end of March the fish count (winter steelhead) was 5326 ...... end of the first week in May?

Just under THIRTEEN THOUSAND!!!

Now that Boys and Girls is a hell of a lot of fish, and they're (apparently) still coming through the counter (Gold Ray dam) at about 100 per day.

Yeah they come back to Oregon but not to Washington. They (the Fish and game in Washington) blame the down turn of Steelheading on the people harrassing the smolts when the real problem is out in the ocean. From the fish being harvested by the foreign nations.

 

[fredaevans]

Fred, we were supose to hook up with another friend to fish
the upper section but he canceled out. He said he was having 3 to 6 fish days up there last week. That area is about an hour
away from my friends house.

Next time.

Dave

Hi Dave,
If he's about an hour away (I'm assuming the upper river) he's a Medfordite. And I have no reason to disbelieve him. Last 'official report' is as of 5-3-10 and that was a handful of fish short of 14,000. As we're 10 days later, the 'real number' could be closer to 15,000.

That said, doubt much more than that will be heading into the upper river ...... we're WAAAAAAAY LATE in what should be a typical winter run season. My guess is the extreame low flows out of Wm Jess just held these guys back, and back, and back between Grants Pass and the upper river. A couple of weeks of heavy rains (which we really needed badly) just set them offat a dead run for their spawning area(s).

fae