Free-floating through fall
Fly tying meetups, welcoming a new Intro alum group, and more
CFSstronauts!
Welcome to the newest Intro to Fly Fishing alum class, who shined at St. Louis Ponds on Saturday. It's the peak of fall fishing in Oregon. There's less than a month left in the west side trout season, and prime time steelhead fishing around the state.
We've got some exciting stuff in store this fall. Namely some fly tying meetups, and an inside look at a new fly tying book for our the Read By the River book club.
PDX-area fly tying meetups
To help folks get started filling up their boxes over the next few months, I'm hoping to host some fly tying meetups in town. I've spoken to a few of you about it. But it'd be helpful to get a broader sense of interest.
If this is something you're interested in joining, hit the button below. We're looking at Friday nights.
No tying experience necessary. We have some vises and materials to go around. It's even OK if you just want to come and shoot the breeze.
Other upcoming PDX-area events
Next Monday, October 13th, stop by this month's Trout Unlimited Clackamas Chapter meeting at 6:30pm at Hopworks Urban Brewery on SE Powell. It'll feature a talk from Matt Thornton, a local guide embarking on an ambitious steelhead tagging program, The Wilderness Calling. Stop by to hear more on creating scientific data around steelhead life patterns. There's a Zoom option available, but you'd miss out on door prizes and solid beer. (link)
Headed out to this event? Got an upcoming event you'd like to share with CFS readers?
Leaders β°
Mindset π§ββοΈ
Have you ever been seriously lost? It's fairly easy to keep your bearings when you're by the river. But getting turned around when you're bushwhacking to find water, that's another story. The Guardian takes a look at four case studies and the key lapses in judgement that led to perilous situations (link)
Environment β°οΈ
Speaking of bushwhacking, Oregon has hundreds of high-mountain lakes stocked bi-annually...by air. ODFW choppers in and drops hatchery trout for backpackers and others willing to put in the miles. A nice daypack, your favorite boots, and a tenkara rod? Eager trout await. Central Oregon Daily offers a look inside the process. (link)
In other chopper-based wildlife activities, Columbia Insight takes a ride-along with a biologist who flies around darting wildlife they're tracking for research studies. A steady hand and nerves of steel are what it takes. (link)
Freshwater electric fish are higher voltage than saltwater because they conduct in series. Chronicler of the esoteric Futility Closet looks at how fish cells ("electrocytes") are arranged. (link)
Tools π£
It's easy to get caught up in the hedonic treadmill of acquisition. Especially in the throes of a hobby. Portland Underground Graduate School founder and spiritual advisor Douglas Tsoi, ever a thoughtful read, reminds us "there's always a better towel" (link)
Technique π€Ί
Fish love to hang out around boulders. But the microcurrents they create can be tricky to fish. Midcurrent explores how to be successful in these special zones. (link)
π₯ While our trout season is waning, in the Southern Hemisphere it's just getting started. Take a trip to the other side of the world to meet a river lover in the micro-documentary "Amor Al Rio" (link)
π₯ Speaking of fishy film, Robert Redford's passing surely brought many anglers back to "the movie." It was the most influential media exploration of the sport yet. You may have seen A River Runs Through It. But make sure you also watch the PBS documentary Shadow Casting: The Making Of "A River Runs Through It". It goes behind the scenes on the film's production, including the runaway fish-fighting rapids scene. (link)
Conservation π²
Catching steelhead is hard, literally and emotionally. Even harder is reading tales of yore and coming to terms with the decline compared to the glory days of the 20th Century. Over at the Fly Project, Calvin Fuller recounts his personal history with the sport, and the oral tradition as rivers that endures. (link)
Community ποΈ
Visiting anglers brought over $1bn in economic impact to Montana and supported almost 16,000 jobs in 2024, according to the University of Montana, Bureau of Business and Economic Research (link, PDF)
If you've been around the Deschutes (or Portland-area fly fishing events, you've probably run into Zac Carothers former bassist of Portugal, The Man. Zac talked with Mission fly magazine about his latest effort, Ripple Effect Outreach, a fly fishing group for anglers in recovery from substance abuse. (link)
In case you missed it
Due to class, I didn't have a chance to write anything substantial this week. But in case you missed some recent stories, check 'em out:
Nick Parish
What do a legendary surfer, Hollywood director Christopher Guest, and zen archers have in common?
Nick Parish
Learning to cast a fly rod like Harry Potter uses his wand.
Nick Parish
Are Grateful Dead collabs the sign that outdoor brands have jumped the shark? A look at Simms latest, and the value of high-quality gear.
Nick Parish
Challenge yourself to go beyond the bobber.
That's it for this week! Current Flow State is a weekly newsletter from me, Nick Parish.
Catch any nice fish so far this fall? Tell me on Bluesky π¦, Instagram πΈ, YouTube π₯, or the Fishcord π¬.
If you enjoyed this, please share it with a friend. We all need more fishing buddies. π
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