Worthington Fly Fishing Bonefishing Trip & Winter Steelhead

Brandon Just got back from a great week Bonefishing in Southern Yucutan with good friend and client Ryan Tuck. Now back state side Worthington Fly fishing is busy guiding the winter steelhead waters of southern Oregon…

Use your eyes for better spey casting

Many spey casting issues can be remedied with one simple fix and the use of a tool we all have, but don’t use often enough.

So when I’m guiding spey clients, where casting is a big component of the game, I try and distill casting down to its fundamental components, use a simple toolbox to fix problems, and ensure we can spend less time farting around casting, and more time actually fishing.

We know (or should know!) that good casting leads to more opportunities on the water, yet it’s still too easy to lose sight of our casting, which can lead to a whole host of issues, including blown anchors, speed and d-loop problems and trajectory mishaps.

So have you figured out what tool to use?

Yes, it’s, your eyeballs! And using them to watch what the heck is going on in your cast from start to finish is where every caster should begin to solve many of the casting problem they are having.

I see all too often, even from good anglers, poor casts are the product of a lack of observation throughout the casting stoke. They’ll  set an anchor, form a d-loop, apply power to the forward stroke, and do it all blind, expecting a lazer-dart cast to fire off their rod tip into the abyss.

It works like that for some people, but not most of us, so here’s some simple ways to apply your eyeballs to your casting for better and more consistent results.

1)    Watch your rod tip

Train your eyes here from the very beginning of your cast until the end. It might take a few tries to keep your eyes trained the whole time, so you can include the junction of your running line and shooting head too. The point is stay with your cast, all the way through, start to finish.

2)    Open up your stance

If you are having trouble staying with your tip throughout the cast, try pointing your toes a little more downstream so your shoulders don’t get in the way and you are facing more of your d-loop. If your shoulder is getting in the way of watching your cast, you’re likely over rotating! Good casters look like they are hardly doing anything at all, and you should strive for that too.

3)    Head Up

And keep your head on a swivel. In just about all spey casts, there are multiple directions involved, and you are going to have to move your head to stay with your cast and execute it. Allow your head to move as you cast, to follow your rod tip, observe your d-loop and pick a target for the forward cast. It will help your timing immensely, and even save a bad cast. By watching it all we’ll often catch the error mid stroke and can make a real time correction. Keeping your head on a swivel will also save you from annoying issues like catching your d-loop in the trees behind you. Why? Because you were watching it and saw it was about to go in there!

So watch your rod tip, open your eyes, and enjoy throwing some beautiful wedges out there!

Rogue Steelheading Under Smokey Skies

Summer Steelhead fishing is very good under smokey skies in the Rogue Valley. Depending on wind direction, the smoke varies between clear, blue skies and the campfire following beauty...

Every run feels fishy right now.

Fishing in Smoke is much like fishing on a cloudy day, if you can bear it. Yesterdays fish came at 12pm and 2pm.

Tight lines,

Brandon Worthington

Happy Thanksgiving!

Southern Oregon Steelhead Report

The Holidays are always a great chance for me to sit back, relax and be grateful for all of the amazing people, family and opportunities in life.

In a lot of ways, a day steelheading is like so much of our day to day. We know that at some point, we are going to get an opportunity. We hope it will be how and when we want it, though we understand that much of it is out of our control. We simple do our best to set it all up so that when the opportunity presents itself, we can capitalize on in.

As a guide, I do my very best to decrease the randomness, increase your likelihood, and maximize opportunity. (I think thats why so many of you trust me to take you out time and time again!) I am so grateful for the opportunity! Thank you!

The last few weeks have seen great consistent late fall fishing. Some of these photos illustrate that. Though as the seasons change, so do the fish, the locations and the way I pursue them. It's time to get into winter steelhead mode. Take a look at my winter and spring fishing program to get a better idea of whats just around the next bend at Worthington Fly Fishing. Follow along on my instagram and Facebook. The real adventures are about to begin. This is the season of the highest highs and the lowest lows, the season that cuts the fat from the everyday angler and challenges you to take advantage of opportunities for some of the greatest rewards you can find in the angling world.

Byron & Derek Joined me for two days on the Rogue River. They were not disappointed!

More Rogue Steelhead Stoke

As always, the Upper Klamath Produces!

This one ripped! Nice one Spencer!

Happy Fall, Happy Turkey eating. 760-424-9682 & Worthingtonflyfishing@gmail.com

Happy Halloween!

Rogue River Steelhead Report

The second half of October saw some rising rivers, a little tougher conditions for a few days and then some awesome fishing. I was on the water most days this month and there is no denying that October is a good month for a reason. Enjoy a few photos, and look forward to more as I dive into my Klamath season!

Colin Enjoys a fine fish at the take out!

Ryan Bittle of PNW landing nets shows how to get it done!

First Steelhead, and on the Swing! Way to go Anistasia!

Kinda funny how we only managed one photo of the many...

Homer and Kate Shared a few fish on the Klamath

Thank you every one for joining me in October! I am looking forward to next month and hitting the water again with many of you in the coming months and next year! Still a select few openings in November on the Klamath. 760-424-9682 or worthingtonflyfishing@gmail.com

Worthington Fly Fishing with Jefferson Rod Co. at Rogue on the Fly

Join Brandon Worthington at the Jefferson Rod Company Booth this Saturday, October 1st at Rogue on the Fly! I'll have a spread of both single hand and spey rods for you to give a cast. Come see why these are some of the finest casting rods made anywhere.

Rogue on the Fly is a free steelhead event held at Indian Mary Park on the beautiful Middle Rogue river and is a steelhead centric event with vendors, presentations, steelhead olympics and live music and food. I should also mention its free FREE! See you there!

Summer Steelhead - Rogue & Klamath River Report

Rogue River Summer Steelhead

3:45 am starts. Taking advantage of the early mornings. Steaming mugs of good coffee, stringing up with our head lamps, and beginning our casts before we can even see our lines...

Fly-Only on the Rogue River - Mark your Calendar!

We're just weeks away from the most anticipated time on the Rogue River. Fly Only regulations begin September 1st! This is when the river begins to quiet, and the most beautiful time on the upper river. We are set for a couple of great months a head of us! With good fishing beginning in June this year, our summer fishery has kept us after it and I am so excited for how it has set up the fall.

Around the bend - Rogue and Klamath Steelhead

September is one of my favorite times to chase steelhead on the Rogue. It's when many of our fish make their big push. The leaves are just turning, the weather and water conditions are very consistent and so is the fishing!

As October rolls around, fish concentrations increase and fishing remains fantastic. October is the traditional month we mark our calendars to get after it, though I find fishing is often better in the shoulder months of September and November! I'll be making my transition this year to the Wild and Scenic Klamath this year October 15th. I have a few late October Rogue days but its a tough sell to get me to come back to the October-Rogue-bobber show when we can wake dries with six weights all day for all wild steel on the Klamath!

If you would like to join a guided trip during Fly-Only on the Rogue or on the Wild and Scenic Klamath river in November, I have some great dates available in both September and November. Drop me a line  HERE

Until then, good fishing and tight lines!

Why We Love Summer Steelhead

It's early mornings and hot coffee. There's a slight chill we know will quickly burn off, but hopefully not before we get into our casting groove. The first tail out is promising, but the not so subtle waking fly is not. At least not here, for this fish. But each run is a new opportunity to match your fly to the fish and make it grab. This is the run where the fish feels metal, your reel sings, the rod bends and the net plunges.

Here is a shot that is burned into the back of your eyes but it was only a split second, a small portion of the experience.

It's summer steelhead season now. Wet wading, light lines, long casts and great jumps.

Summer Steelhead Report

I recently took my first Summer Steelhead scouting trip to get a feel for what was in the river and where. Over the last few weeks I've been roaming far and wide, searching for fish. My most recent trips have taken me to the Willamette, just a few hours north of the Rogue Valley. I also sampled a day on the North Umpqua in a section I spent a few winters guiding for winter steelhead. In one of the same pools I consistently found fish when the water was big and green I found a player willing to rise twice to my skater on two different attempts. After this, I'm happy there are just a few more weeks of trout fishing for me before my brain and time shifts back to swinging flies for steelhead full time. 

Summers First Chrome

A fine Native Rogue River Cutthroat

Its raining hamburgers for the trout

Mr. Time Sexy loops throwing on the North Umpqua

A little adventurous streamer fishing never hurt anyone

It looks to be the start of my summer steelhead season. Give me a call at 760-424-9682 or e-mail worthingtonflyfishing@gmail.com to get your day!

Chase the Good Water

 Wow, what a different winter it's been! We have water! I think the last couple of seasons have been easy in comparison. Hell in a lot of cases, I didn't have to even check the flows before going out, they were just steady and some color from the tribs just made it perfect.I'm only reminiscing a little though because we have a good snow pack, ample precipitation and full reservoirs. But for us, both Applegate and Lost Creek have enough water that when we get a large weather event, they open up the gates, and it's not the rain and tributaries that pushes us off, but the out flow from the dams...

one of the good ones

Unfortunately the Applegate has been more or less a bust. Few fish-able windows and just a few good fish to show. I suppose it's a nice respite for the fish because they have been fished pretty hard over the last several years in low water. Still had a few chances though

 Lights out bright

probing the pool

Could have done with a few more mornings like this

I'm happy to have the Klamath in my book, and it's been a saver producing some really nice fishing days. Regarding the K but on a different, yet extremely cool note, the Klamath basin had enough water this year for a system flush. This would naturally occur of course if there weren't 5 dams on the mighty K, but as it stands, more than a couple of factors have to align for this cleanse to happen.. With Klamath Lake full, enough snow pack and a precipitation event together, Pacificorp, NOAA and the Bureau of Reclamation set up a cleansing flow of 11,000 cfs from Iron Gate Dam. My hydrologist friend explained to me it takes 8,500 cfs to clean river gravel and 10,000 to really turn it over, scour it and rid the stream bed of the disease "Ick" so have a drink to a healthier Klamath system after this event .

A Klamath Krusher

I'm looking forward to the next several weeks and the tail end of winter steelhead season. It looks like the last few days of the month and most of April will offer up good fishing conditions just in time for a block of trips I managed to reschedule in hopes of more favorable conditions.

For now though, a few days on the North Coast for vacation (yes i'm bringing the boat) and then back at it. 

Searching

Drying off but ready for more 

Snap it

760-424-9682

Chase the good water

It's An Official Winter Steelhead Season

It's officially Winter. El Nino is official. And it's raining like a sunofabitch. I'm glued to the flows as often as possible. Checking, re checking, comparing forecasts with other forecasts, and hoping it all lines up.

This is the stuff that cuts the fat off the casual Steelhead Fly angler and chisels the die hard. The conditions aren't perfect. In fact, they've been marginal at times. But you still go. Because the fish are there. And they're here, and they will keep coming. Only you would never know if you stayed at home and hoped for the flows to drop into what the conventional wisdom states is "Go" time.

In a winter like this, don't wait for the report. Because by the time you do, it's already over. The water bumped, or the fish moved. I'm finding windows, because there are always windows. Fish like you mean it, and you might just be surprised.

Yeah Buddy! That's a lot of water in the background.

It's more than just the fish we're after

Stuart Swung one up from the milk shake

There was a fish on that inside edge...

D-Loops for days

February is around the corner. It's one of my favorite months to chase Winter Fish. Give me a call or e-mail if you want to join me on the hunt!

760-424-9682

Worthingtonflyfishing@gmail.com