Low and clear
Knowing the odds are long—but showing up anyway—is the core of being an angler, and maybe a person, too.
Ahoy gang,
I went fishing yesterday. Conditions weren't great, but I went anyway.
You may be reading this with sled tracks and foot-tramped white stuff outside, but here in the Pacific Northwest we're in the midst of a snow drought. December's atmospheric rivers gave way to a near-record-setting dry January, with mountain snowpack punishingly low and ski resort operators crying uncle. Fishing plans are going to have to be adjusted, and smart money says we're going to have a smoky summer.
The dour voice on the hatchery hotline recording gave the river level, and the two words that disabused me of small notions of success: "low and clear."
Low and clear, steelheader's fear.
Continuous pulses of fresh water, from rain and snowmelt, are what trigger steelhead to head into fresh water from estuary and offshore staging areas. No big water pulses, no "steelhead green" rivers, no green light for chromers. "Good luck if you come out," he added, basically an invitation to mow the lawn, or start caring about the NFL playoffs.
I rarely get the luxury to only fish when conditions are perfect. I'm grateful for the time I can beg, borrow, and steal. So I found a good audiobook, hit the road, and made the best of it.
And my internal weather report wasn't looking great, to put it mildly. So, a long drive, some time on the water, a few hours out of service: Grounding myself in the present, right here.
I wish I could tell you there was a fishy ending to this story, but there wasn't. I'm not sure I even gave it the old college try. I spent just as much time gazing at the water as fishing, hoping to at least spot steelhead moving around. No dice. The plunkers weren't catching any either, so I didn't feel bad.
The conditions might not have been perfect, but my opportunity lined up with a need to just check out for a day, and reconnect with what's wild. I needed to remember what it's like to walk up the road, and play peek-a-boo with the river through the trees. To clamber down steep embankments and size up where to start into the run. To get the mind music going. (These are the earworm songs that get stuck in my head during a session. Anybody else get those? It was Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For a Hero" this time.) To try and see through the water with x-ray vision.
To ponder why certain sticks had puffed-up clumps of snow around their ends, as if a capillary action was extruding the moisture, then freezing it in perfect soft clumps, like fruiting bodies of fungi.
To round the corner of a ridge and be hit by the solvent-citrus terpenes of a thousand Douglas Firs in the bright morning sunlight.
The smoke may come. But today, I tried to stay present. The air was cold and clean. The sun felt good. The fly swung. I was fishing.
Ecosystem work needs us all
Another thing keeping me buoyant today is the great community of anglers and wild fish advocates here in Oregon. This group's power was on full display last weekend for the premier of Sean Burke / Prolific Northwest's "Sharks in the Freshwater" film. and an important fundraiser for its subjects.
The film tells the story of the Wilderness Calling Conservation Initiative, led by guide Matthew Thornton, which is raising money to tag juvenile steelhead (kelts) with satellite transponders to learn more about their migration patterns.
The premier event here in PDX attracted a sold-out crowd and raised over $13,000 to be put toward the tagging program. Donations received up until February 10th will go toward this year's group of fish. You can learn more at thewildernesscalling.org and watch the whole film on YouTube.
PDX F3T Meetup 📆
On Saturday, February 7th, a group of CFS pals is hitting up the Fly Fishing Film Tour's Portland stop. The F3T is a stoke-fest, premiering 10+ short films from all over the world, showcasing the sport's premier filmmaking talent and some epic fishing.
We're meeting up beforehand at a nearby bar, and then heading over to the theater to experience the thrill and spills and great giveaways the show has to offer. Get a ticket to the show here, and then RSVP for our group meetup if you want to join us!
Leaders ➰
Ten(ish) fishy links to get your week started on the fly side of life.
Mindset 🧘♂️
📹 adam amir's exceptional "Seasoning a kid" talks of raising a child in tune with moments across landscape—salmon, berries, snow, rain, migration, and more, with adorable footage of his child intermingled and in-tune with migratory birds, marine mammals, and more. Don't miss this one. (Emergence Magazine)
What's the tao of DIY? Issue 55 African fly fishing magazine The Mission asks Ray Montoya, "permit hound and Omani beach vagabond," to break down his mindset in planning and executing DIY saltwater trips around the Indo-Pacific. (The Mission Fly Magazine)
Environment ⛰️
While those of us in Northern California, Utah, Washington, and Oregon are holding out for a late season miracle storm or two, Montana's snowpack is looking OK for now. (Big Sky Anglers)
If you're living in Metro Boston, your streams may be fishier than you had previous imagined. Native Fish Coalition's executive director Bob Mallard gives an update of a series of electrofishing and eDNA efforts to find out just what species might be living in Massachusetts' urban and suburban streams. (Midcurrent)
Tools 🎣
📽️ Red Fly Shop's on Washington's Yakima River breaks down what tools you actually need—just the essentials—to tie flies. (YouTube)
📽️ While you're getting started fly tying, why not build out your nymph box? Old Dominion Trout Bum looks at how to build the perfect nymph box. (YouTube)
Technique 🤺
Interested in learning more about fly fishing for winter steelhead?
Here's an update from the ODFW on the season's prognosis, a fun story from Greg Thomas at House of Fly, and a quick scandi vs. skagit tutorial. (It's ska·juht, not skag·it.)
Greg Thomas
Phil Monahan
Conservation 🌲
In the "bearing witness" department, join photographers Jim Elzinga and Roger Vernon as they chronicle the melting glaciers of Alberta / BC's Columbia Icefield. (The Narwhal)
Community 🏘️
If you could use a fancy set of china for your fly fishing retreat, why not buy a set from the estate of America's greatest angling president, the late Jimmy Carter? (Christies)
That's it that's all! Current Flow State is a weekly newsletter from me, Nick Parish.
How's your internal weather report? Tell me on Bluesky 🦋, Instagram 📸, YouTube 🎥, or the Fishcord 💬.
If you enjoyed this, please share it with a friend. We all need more fishing buddies. 💌
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