I recently had the pleasure of fishing with Sam Wurdinger who recently started a jig company named Dinger Jigs.  Sam has  quite a variety of jigs they are well tied and they catch fish.  Sam ties using owner hooks and the finest Marabou when you see his jigs , they are beautiful.  This is one of the 7 fish Sam hooked proving his jigs do work.   I have defiantly been sold on fishing jigs  I look forward to catching a lot more fish on a Dinger jig.

Thank you Sam good job!

If you would like to try some of these awesome jigs contact Sam Wurdinger at 503-932-8386 or email Sam at dingerjigs@yahoo.com

Fishermen in Oregon start thinking about Winter Steelhead fishing immediately after thanksgiving dinner.  As most of you know I am a duck hunter so I typically do not start steelhead fishing until February.  This year February 2nd was my day, and the steelhead gave me a warm welcome. 

On the 2nd we hooked 7 and landed 5 hatchery fish. On February  3rd we landed 7 and also caught 5 hatchery fish, now this is a pattern I can live with.

The beautiful water and 55 degree sun shiny days were equally as enjoyable as our chrome bright steelhead catches. I will be steelhead fishing through late march with the help from mother nature, I can only hope that fishing remains as productive as it is right now.

See ya out there on the water…

Craig

Rogue Steelhead for "T"

Tina and I were watching the making of “Blue Collar Comedy Tour”  the one with Jeff Foxworthy, Ron, Larry and Bill.  They were talking about their friendships, surprised successes ect..  Then they talked about their feeling of it all coming to an end, that’s when it hit me, they said it will never be the same again.  I truly feel the same at the end of our Fall Rogue season.  I guide year round but our big season starts min-May.  The crew comes together and we reunite with friends and guests, some guests who have shared river trips with us for up to 35 years.  Speeding ahead to our last trip of the season.  I always feel empty knowing I won’t spend time with my crew until next year and knowing I may not ever see some of my guests again, knowing it will never be the same again.  It may be better next year but it won’t be the same.

Needless to say it’s January and I’m looking forward to seeing my crew and sharing a laugh, fish, steak and a new memory with my very special guests.

Craig

Survey crews tracking bull trout implanted with radio transmitters witnessed the spawning event Tuesday, Oct. 4 2011 in the cool, dark waters of Pinhead Creek, a tributary of the Clackamas River located approximately 35 miles upstream from North Fork Reservoir in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

The female bull trout shown in the video will produce 1,000 to 2,000 eggs and the juveniles should start to emerge in April.  It will take sometime for the Bull Trout to reach the age that reproduction is possible, but within 4-6 years the cycle of life will begin.

The river has not seen a bull trout population since the early 1960′s. Although a prolonged return of the Bull Trout is uncertain, seeing the video above is encouraging.

Click to view slideshow.

The autobahn society just completed their Christmas bird count.  They found 91 different species of birds and a few that were quite unique; a White Tail Kit,  Eurasiane Widgeon, Cinnamon Teal,  Eurasian Teal, Tundra Swans as well as the Short Eared Owls, Hairers and Eagles.  This place is alive with bird life.  We will be busy with this project through January.

February 1st I will be back to fishing.  After recent rains I can’t help but think that steelhead fishing should be good right now.  I wish I could be there but February will come soon enough.  Tina and I are positive and hopeful for 2012 we wish everyone the best for this New Year.

Craig

It’s amazing how fast my favorite season comes and goes.  We only have one more Rogue Canyon fishing trip left.  September bookings were just ok, we really did not get started until Mid September.  All in all though it has been a good season.  Salmon fishing was good below Rainy Falls this year.

We have caught a fair number of adult steelhead and our past few trips half-pound steelhead fishing was good on day tow and three of our trips.

Even more outstanding than the good fishing has been the amazing weather. WOW! now the fall colors are starting to really pop, with brilliant reds, oranges and yellows, it’s no wonder mid-October is my favorite time of year on my favorite river.

The crew, Tina and I  would like to thank all who joined us this year and thank you for supporting us and thank you for letting us share the Rogue River with you.

Thanks Again,

Craig & Tina

Rogue Canyon Fishing is on in a BIG way.

Number of fish caught on trip was below average:-(

Total weight of fish caught was WAY, WAY, WAY ABOVE AVERAGE!!!!

Bryant Hazel with Dad and 50 plus pound Chinook Salmon caught just below Rainie Falls on Saturday, September 17th. Length of fish measured at 46-inches!!

Bait used was a red gummy-bear.

Paul

Nice Job!

Just over a year ago we posted a blog about the new cooling tower that PGE had added to Pelton Damn… We have fished the Deschutes River for over 30 years and this year noticed some definite changes. Is this because of the Cooling Tower or just a weird year, who knows… But As mentioned in the post nearly 14 months ago there are some definite concerns we should all have.

Questions and answers on Deschutes water temperatures From PGE Posted On Their Site:

July 29th, 2011

The selective water withdrawal facility is now in its second year of operation, and we’re getting questions about how we’re managing water temperatures in the Lower Deschutes. Here are some answers for you:

• What’s PGE’s role in managing water temperatures in the lower Deschutes?
• How is “natural thermal potential” calculated?
• Why has the temperature of the water released below the dams changed in the past two years?
• Isn’t warmer water bad for the fish downstream?
• Given that PGE now manage water temperatures, why aren’t you working to counterbalance other human influences that make the water unnaturally warm and bad for fish, like irrigation and other development?
• What can you do to adjust temperatures if it turns out you’ve deviated from natural thermal potential?

Have you noticed a difference on the Deschutes? Let us know your thoughts, we would love to hear from you.

We have just announce and locked in the 2012 Wine Tour Dates! JULY 18-21 2012, Book today it is sure to fill up fast…

I must say that it is hard to leave this beautiful place (southern Oregon’s Rogue River Valley).  But now I am off to the Lower Deschutes to fish for the hottest fly biting Steelhead that exist.   Deschutes steelhead are only 5 to 12 pounds but they are a kick!  As hard as it is to leave the Rogue to my crew, I am equally looking forward to a Deschutes sun rise and the sound of a screaming fly reel.

Our Rogue River rafting is in full swing and the river and the weather conditions are awesome!  We still have some great dates and deals for the month of August.  What better way to spend three days  than with your family, friends, co-workers or even the boss this summer out on the beautiful Rogue River.  We have a trip that everyone would enjoy,so come join us.

See ya out there on one of our Oregon Outdoor Adventures of a lifetime!