Check this out. I field-tested several of the currently popular strike indicators purchased in fly fishing shops and here is what I found. Test methodology: I secured four fly rods in rod-holders, stripped out some line, and let… Read More
Sea Lice? Salmon and steelhead fishers commonly look for sea lice on fish they catch and use the presence of these parasitic copepods as an indicator of fish fresh-from-the-ocean. Well, it turns out that sea lice can hang… Read More
A month ago, I stood among salmon. Tonight, Chinook are digging redds in more than twenty of our coastal rivers. They are not alone. The coho, chum, steelhead, and cutthroats will each find their own river-places, digging nests… Read More
Original artwork Copyright Jay Nicholas, 2009 Christmas Eve, 2009. Religion means many things to many people. I’ve never been much for organized religion, organized ways of thinking, or regimented behavior. I beliveve in the existence of things that… Read More
Salmon eggs as Bait? It was probably 1961 and I was deep into learning about fishing here in Oregon. I was learning to tie flies. I was trying to catch a salmon or steelhead, entirely unsuccessfully, I should… Read More
Really…. Bill and I were anchored together on the Lower rogue, alone, one drizzly afternoon. Everyone else had packed-it-in by noon without hooking a single fish. About three o’clock, I hooked-up with a nice king of about twenty-five… Read More
Journal Entry – Elk River November 23 & 24, 2009 Two fascinating days on the Elk. Anticipation, danger, discovery, disappointment, success, and more. To read the full article and see the photos from these days, see the Oregonflyfishingblog… Read More
Harbor seals. I was reading an article in Fly Rod & Reel about steelhead fishing in BC’s Queen Charlotte Islands last night. Imagine that. Me. Reading. Oh well. There was a photo of the author, Greg Thomas, proudly… Read More
I started tying flies somewhere around 1962 or 63. Somewhere in there. My first vise was, most naturally, from the magical Herter’s Catalog. It got me going but didn’t survive the rigors of a seventh grader trying to… Read More
Death and re-birth – Copyright by Jay Nicholas This simple watercolor image represents the transition occurring this season in wild salmon rivers across the Pacific Northwest. Salmon spawn, die, and their carcasses decay, nourishing unborn salmon that will… Read More
Six days fly fishing for kings in the last two weeks. Six days dawn-to-dark on the water. Most were cold, rainy, nasty days fishing high water. Six days chatting with guys back-bounding eggs and Kwikfish. Six days and… Read More
Fishing - and Life - With Jay 