Marty's Drift November 2004

New ClackaCraft GulfStream® Bottom

At ClackaCraft we never stop working to improve the way our boats perform. Our Tunnel Hull set the performance standard in drift boat design. Now we have taken design to the next level. On our 16' Low Profile model we have changed the bottom to include a pattern of dimples. It has long been acknowledged that golf balls fly far and true because of the dimple design on the ball. Earlier this year a European automaker put a dimpled plate on the undercarriage of certain models to cut air friction. A powerboat manufacturer has also included a dimple design on their boats to eliminate drag.

Test rowing the new bottom by staff and guides has resulted in unanimous agreement that it holds and rows even more easily than with the Tunnel Hull alone. Currently we are putting the GulfStream bottom on the 16' Low Profile model. More information is available on the website or call us: Idaho Falls (800) 394-1345, Portland (503) 655-9532.

Fall

There is something about the fall. Maybe it's the noticeable shortening of the days, the change in the angle of the sun, or the way the daytime high temperature ramps down. I always love the fall season. Days on the river are easier to deal with-no scorching hot weather, fish more eager to strike a fly.

I had lots to do this fall. When I got home from the Jackson Hole One Fly, I immediately did some laundry, put away my trout gear, repacked my duffel, and organized my steelhead fly fishing gear. I hooked up my drift boat and headed east on Interstate I-84 with my faithful fishing dog, Buster. We were on our way to Peach Beach RV Park on the Columbia River at Mary Hill, Washington. Fishing guide, Ed Iman had organized an Outdoor Writer's Camp Out. He chose this location because of the wide variety of fishing available--within a 30 to 50 mile radius there are numerous fishing choices.

On the Columbia River itself you can find the biggest fish selection: crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass and walleye for those who like fishing spiny rays. Our native fish in the Columbia are sturgeon, steelhead, chinook and coho salmon. Nearby Columbia tributary rivers also contain some of these species.

Fishing isn't the only attraction in this area. There are world class wineries. Just up the hill is the Mary Hill Museum, always a delight to visit, and the WWI vintage replica of Stonehedge.

Peach Beach gets its name from the surrounding fruit orchards. I visited Gunkel's Fruit Stand and purchased some of the finest tasting peaches I've ever eaten. I picked up a list of the fruits they have available through the season, and you can bet I'll be sure to visit them again when the cherries are ripe in early summer. The phone number for Gunkel's Orchards is 1-509-773-4698.

My intention was to take some of the attending writers for float trips on a nearby Washington river. Unfortunately, recent rains and a high freezing level had put the river out of shape. Luckily the Deschutes River is just four or five miles away. Steelhead counts at all the Columbia River dams was up due to early fall rain that had cooled the river temperatures. The Deschutes isn't a bad river to have as an alternative. On Wednesday, September 15, John Kruse, Don Roberts and I walked up river for a mile or so and began fishing. The Deschutes also had a little glacial color from the White River glacier on Mt. Hood. John was fishing with spinners, and he was the only one to hook a fish this day. The fish jumped a couple times and threw the hook, but John was happy just to have an encounter.

John had to leave Wednesday afternoon, so early Thursday morning Don and I were back, trudging up the river trail to try it again. I really think steelhead fly fishing is like spinning a roulette wheel--eventually your number will come up. Both Don's and my numbers came up this morning, and we each landed nice fish. Don's was a wild fish and mine was hatchery.

Every time I go fishing I tell the guys in the shop at work that I'll be bringing in fresh steelhead for lunch. They've been hearing this for five years. It has gotten to the point that they just laugh now. Finally I came through. Monday at noon I fired up my propane grill and we ate steelhead for lunch.

A New Look at the Yakima

All of my experience fishing the Yakima River has been in the Canyon stretch. I've had some very good fishing there. In late September I was shown a new side of the Yakima. Jack Mitchell, owner of the Evening Hatch Fly Shop in Ellensburg (509-962-5959, theeveninghatch.com) was holding a customer appreciation day at his Riverside Camp near Umtanum Canyon. Jack's camp is a great place to spend some time. He has spacious wall tents set up with floors and comfortable beds. There is a dining tent and showers with plenty of hot water. It is located right on the banks of the river, so you can relax with a great view of the river. I took a boat over for the customer appreciation day so people could get a good look at one.

On Friday before the customer appreciation day, Jack suggested we spend the day fishing, and I readily accepted. Joining us was photographer Jeff Edvalds. Jeff and I had met years before when I was editor of Flyfishing magazine. During the years I was there I bought Jeff's artwork and photographs. Watching a guy like Jeff work gives you a great appreciation of what it takes to get good fishing photos. His day was all about photos, not fishing. As Jack and I fished, he stood by with cameras ready. A good photographer doesn't have time to pick up a fishing rod. He has to be in position and have his camera ready when the action happens.

We did a float on the upper Yakima. I almost thought I was fishing in Alaska. It wasn't the terrain or the weather. Rather it was the fishing technique. We used egg patterns and strike indicators, just like fishing for rainbow and Dollies in August and September when the sockeye are spawning on the Kenai. The size and number of rainbow we caught reminded me of Alaska, too. These were great fish!

We would find a group of spawning chinook (king) salmon and begin to drift our egg patterns behind them. That's where we found the rainbow. We caught fish up to 18 inches and hooked a few that could have been bigger. This was excellent trout fishing in any state.

Give Marty a call at: (503) 655-9532

You can also call Idaho Falls at (800) 394-1345.