January 24, 2007
South Umpqua Buck
This shot has nothing to do with fishing in Virginia. My dad, Steve Taylor, recently pulled this 8-pound steelhead out of his home river, the South Umpqua.
He catches quite a few steelhead every winter, but this one was kind of special. Dad was wade-fishing a run within sight of at least four driftboats that were unsuccessfully working the water. Everybody who fishes knows it's super sweet to catch one from "the bank" in front of boats, especially when those boats aren't catching them.
Oh, some of you may be wondering why he killed this fish. Simple. It's a hatchery fish. The way it works is the steelhead are released as fingerlings in the rivers, swim to the sea, then return just like natives. Natives must be released so they can spawn, but the fisheries experts out there actually encourage anglers to keep the hatchery fish.
Comments
[January 26, 2007 2:34 PM]
Tina BoydIs this the South Umpqua river in or near Roseburg, Oregon or somewhere else? I'm currently living in Roanoke,VA. So to see South Umpqua was quite interesting since I was born in Roseburg Oregon and spent many summers in and on the South Umpqua river.
[January 26, 2007 4:22 PM]
Mark TaylorSame river, Tina. Sorry I forgot to include the fact that it was in Oregon in the original post.
Small world, huh?
I grew up about 15 miles upstream from where you were born -- in Myrtle Creek. Since I graduated from South Umpqua High School I've been back only to visit, but my folks still live there.
My childhood home was about 200 yards from the South Umpqua, and that's where I fell in love with smallmouth bass (and dangerous rope swings at swimming holes).
Southwest Virginia reminds me of Southern Oregon in many ways. Would you agree?
[May 21, 2007 2:38 PM]
Glen McClendonYes, small world. just happend across this page. I had your mom and dad as teachers in high school. I graduated from SUHS in 1983.
I must say, your Mom was my favorite teacher. Please tell them "Hi".
[July 20, 2007 2:41 PM]
Don DorrI'll be fishing the South Umpqua tonight (7/20/07) for the first time! What's the 'hatch' this time of year?
[July 20, 2007 3:05 PM]
Mark TaylorGlad to hear you'll be hitting my old home water, Don.
Of course, it's smallmouth time and not steelhead time, but the fishing should be good.
If you're using fly tackle, the normal smallmouth stuff will work -- medium-sized poppers and sliders, and, of course, typical streamers.
Great summertime lures are small plastic worms (I used to fish them on 1/32nd ounce jig heads -- long before shakey head worms became all the rage), flukes and such, and topwater.
Have fun and please let me know how you do.
mt