I’m taking a trip to Grants Pass, OR to visit my 92 year young aunt the third week of September, and to fly fish with my cousin for “whatever bites” in the Rogue. She’s new to fly fishing so she’s not much help in this arena (I think I have my work cut out just keeping her flies out of the trees and in the water :lol:)
I’ve read a few websites about fly selection for steelhead, but would like to see if anyone here is familiar with the local waters and the common “go to” flies that I may want to have in the box. I plan on taking my local Ohio steelhead flies which include Buggers, Egg Sucking Leeches, Egg patterns, and a variety of nymphs, and just wondered if I needed to get any fancier than that. (I’m also taking an assortment of dry flies as well, on the offchance I can pick up a local trout or two)
I’ll only be fishing three days, so I don’t need to take a lot of flies, nor do I want to tie every day from now till then.
If you go to the “features” link on FAOL homepage and click great rivers, there is a link to the Rogue river and lots of info. links to fly pics near the end.
Rogue Rive has a love of history, regarding Steelhead Fly Fishing. There are many anglers that have contributed fly patterns, from fishing the this river. Two that come to mind are Joe Wharton, who had a shop at Grant Pass OR where he sold fly fishing equipment and flies, and other is Zane Grey (author) who fell in love with the Rogue and was outfitted by Joe Wharton. Zane Grey fished his own special Rogue River Fly Pattern, which he named the “Irish Hilton”. Only difference between the “Silver Hilton” and the “Irish Hilton”, the “Irish Hilton” used Peacock Sword material for the tail on the fly pattern.
A very good book on the Steelhead Rivers of Oregon and Washington, Steelhead Fly Fishing by Trey Combs. It is published by Lyons Press and has 490 pagers of history the fly anglers, dressers, and patterns.
Unless I miss my guess, there should be some Sea Run Cutthroat in the river at that time. Very fiesty fish and more numerous than steelhead. My second favorite fish in PNW rivers.
For both Sea Run Cutts and Steel have some of those Reverse Spiders that were the fly of the week in black, yellow and red. Great fly, easy to tie and very effective.
Thanks to all for your tips and guidance. Googling for information is just not the same as getting firsthand information. I appreciate it, and hopefully will have a picture or two to post from the trip.
Two patterns you’ll probably want with you are the Otis Bug and the Agent Orange, currently hot patterns on the Rogue. Both are large, heavy “nymphs” with bead heads and rubber legs and are used to get your dropper (typically smaller nymph or egg) down.
If you go to the “features” link on FAOL homepage and click great rivers, there is a link to the Rogue river and lots of info. links to fly pics near the end.