South Umpqua Ditch Pickles

[jamisonace]

Have I ever mentioned that I find bass fishing to be the most boring fishing I do all year? I ended up doing a couple bass trips in the last few weeks and they were pretty fun. The first trip was for Camp Millenium, a week long camp here in Roseburg for kids with cancer. One day of camp week is a float on the Umpqua for bass. I didn't take pics but we had 18 guide boats all floating together. It really was a good time. I had 3, 6 yr olds and they got so excited the first few fish they caught. Lots of fish were caught and everyone had a great time. Then this weekend, a friend brought his two boys down from Salem and we fished some private water on the South Umpqua not far from my house. It was new water to me and I was shocked by the size of fish in there. We got some big ones but there were larger fish hanging out under the boat that I could get to commit. It is the only game in town right now so I think I'm going to take the fly rod down there in the early morning and see if I can get them to rise for poppers. It works on the Main so I'm sure it will work on the South. here are a couple photos from Saturdays trip.

 

[hobster]

Most excellent, I commend you on your work with those kids! Good on ya dude. I love fly fishing for smallies, I tied a bunch of my own flies, but they are mostly submerged. Lots of fun!

 

[Diehard]

Very cool I usually crappie fish this time of year light gear and little bobbers it can be very relaxing fishing for warm water fishbas I tend to take It a little less serious and really enjoy myself nice bass

 

[troutdude]

How awesome of you guys to take those wee ones out for some fun!

 

[jamisonace]

Most excellent, I commend you on your work with those kids! Good on ya dude. I love fly fishing for smallies, I tied a bunch of my own flies, but they are mostly submerged. Lots of fun!

I ended up going back with a fly rod but I took the wrong reel. I like to use a floating line with a heavy sink tip attached with a few feet of leader. Let the fly get to the bottom and they'll usually grab. Since I had the wrong reel, I used my spinning rod and put a black tube jig on a small jig head...probably 1/8th ounce....not sure. I let it hit the bottom them just barely twitched it. I must have caught 20 fish before I made a cast that didn't get bit. I'm taking some local boys that love to bass fish out there this week. I'm hoping to watch them put on a clinic for me.

 

[troutdude]

I ended up going back with a fly rod but I took the wrong reel. I like to use a floating line with a heavy sink tip attached with a few feet of leader. Let the fly get to the bottom and they'll usually grab. Since I had the wrong reel, I used my spinning rod and put a black tube jig on a small jig head...probably 1/8th ounce....not sure. I let it hit the bottom them just barely twitched it. I must have caught 20 fish before I made a cast that didn't get bit. I'm taking some local boys that love to bass fish out there this week. I'm hoping to watch them put on a clinic for me.

I got into smallie fishing again, 2 years ago. My buddy lives in Sweet Home and we take his boat to Foster or Green Peter. It's an absolute blast!

Plus I always troll the deeper side--typically with a worm (or mice tail) and dodger. I almost always catch trout too.

Have fun!

 

[scched]

I grew up fishing bass in the south and it can be a ton of fun. Understand the desire to chase salmon and the bigger species, but a day with 20+ bass and a few cold beers can be pretty fun too

 

[jamisonace]

I grew up fishing bass in the south and it can be a ton of fun. Understand the desire to chase salmon and the bigger species, but a day with 20+ bass and a few cold beers can be pretty fun too

Add a good buddy in there and I'll take it.