The Tailout

Look West

2009-09-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

The Coast Range is badass.

There, I said it. It's no secret, but you'd think it was after spending a day enjoying the wet and musty, stanky and crusty, bulbous and busty coast range of Oregon. Wild anadromous salmonids that wreck your flies with abandon, freshy fresh wild mushrooms in mature forest, lunches spent gazing out at the largest body of water on the planet. And with a little extra effort we had it all to ourselves.

The clouds cooperated for most of the morning. Cooperating in this sense means that they were there. Sea-run Cutts have an aversion to sunlight resembling vampires... vampires that school up and run into coastal streams with the seemingly single-minded intent of annihilating any bright fly stripped inches under the surface, and then battle with the pissed-off panache of a coked up midget at a prizefight.

They come brighter than this, but rarely any prettier. Thanks, big guy.

Break for lunch: Summer sausage, natural cheddar and italian bread as the waves crash 40 yards away. Wash it down with some homebrewed stout and the finest oatmeal-cranberry-white chocolate-dark chocolate cookies you've ever tasted. Back to the woods.

The forest out there is like one huge salad bowl of free lunch. Look, good people, and ye shall find. Though it certainly helps if you look for mossy-floored mature forest with plentiful amounts of oregon grape.

I'm no expert, but careful study of my treasured copy of the Junior Coastal Mycological Society Field Guide: Vol. 4 leads me to believe that this is one of the first flushes of the year. It should only improve from here until the real cold sets in.

Dinner time:

The prep.

Ready to go, next to a side of fresh broccoli sauteed with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cashews and almonds.

The aftermath.

Now just sit down with your favorite adult beverage, tie some more blueback flies, and get ready for the next time.

Saracione and Burkheimer. Hot damn!

2009-08-12T23:47:00.001-07:00

Whilst perusing the interwebs today, I ran across this hot little story. Seems like vaunted reelsmith Joe Saracione has joined forces with legendary rod designer Kerry Burkheimer. Are you excited yet? Because you should be.

When the Master of Mojo and the Sultan of the S-handle team up it can lead to only one thing: The finest steelhead fishing system this side of bait.

Check it out, anglers.

The High Life: Part One (or "Sharpen Your Knives")

2009-06-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

Summer's here, kids. Dig it.

It's hatch-hatch-hatchery time here in the immediate vicinity of Tailout World Headquarters, and we've got the whetstone out. It's hard work putting a fine edge on our brat bleeding paraphanelia, but after gore-tex, griz', grabby hooks, and persistence, a good knife is one thing you don't neglect.

So pack your blade and kill those bastards. Because somewhere in the future there's a youngster landing a wild summer fish, shaking like hell, and unknowingly thanking you. Dig that.

What the got Dam hell are they thinking?

2009-05-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Now listen folks, the Tailout gets around. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Michigan, Colorado, Montana, Alaska, Wyoming, Florida, Wisonsin, Indiana, Utah, California, South Dakota, Missouri... This list can go on. We've had camp in one place or another over the last 20 years, and we've seen alot of rivers and alot of fish. And we've seen some bullshit, too.

Sadly, one of the most diverse, unique and beautiful rivers we've ever been privy to is in danger of being fucked by greed and shortsightedness. Tailout personell are pissed, and we're determined to stop the destruction. The following words come from a good friend and we reprint them here with the hope that it will publicize the battle, a battle to retain and continue to improve one of the most special fisheries on the planet. Please do what you can to help.

The Siletz River drains the rainiest part of the Oregon Coast Range, traveling a tortuous path through steep forestlands to the Pacific Ocean. The Siletz isn’t a large or famous destination river, but it is a unique gem, and supports more species of anadromous fish than any other river in the entire state of Oregon. Spring and fall chinook, fall coho, summer and winter steelhead, chum salmon, and sea run cutthroat are all native to the Siletz basin. Lamprey too! Siletz summer steelhead are particularly unique, being the only native summer race of steelhead in the entire Oregon Coast Range, with a few hundred wild fish returning annually to spawning grounds in the upper basin. All of these fish species manage to survive despite intense past and present logging in the basin, continued introductions of hatchery fish, and documented cases of poaching each year. What could make matters worse?

A dam.

Political forces in Polk County are currently evaluating the feasibility of damming the Siletz River. The proposed dam on the South Fork Siletz River would be 100’ tall and create a reservoir 5 miles long and 3 miles wide. A total of 20 usable river miles of mainstem and tributary habitats would be blocked. The best and preferred chinook spawning habitat in the South Fork Siletz would be directly inundated by the dam. The remaining stream reaches in headwater tributaries above the reservoir would become isolated from one another, confounding the seasonal migration of juvenile fish among various tributaries essential for their survival. The lake itself would become a gauntlet of invasive stillwater bass, bullfrogs, and other species that always seem to benefit at the expense of native salmonids. In an unprecedented era of dam removal, why on Earth would Polk County propose now to dam the most diverse anadromous river in Oregon?

Follow the money. The headwaters of the Siletz River lie within Polk County, which in recent years has seen increased development as a bedroom community for the Oregon State Capital. Growth requires water, and continued growth will strain existing Polk County water supplies, jeopardizing further development and cash influx. Polk County borders the mighty Willamette River, which provides an abundant and perfectly usable source of drinking water, with communities both immediately upstream (Corvallis) and downstream (Wilsonville) treating Willamette River water to excellent drinking quality. Polk County has an open option to purchase additional Willamette River water rights from the nearby city of Adair, but hasn’t done much to explore this option. With Willamette water so close and readily available, what makes damming a remote coastal river so appealing?

Follow the money, again. Historically, the creation of large reservoirs in remote areas in Oregon and elsewhere has promoted development and recreational tourism. Landowners along the Siletz River could stand to gain handsomely from a new dam and reservoir. Riverside lands formerly owned by Boise Cascade and now deemed unproductive timberlands were purchased in recent years by Forest Capital, Inc., an investment company with a long history of making lucrative land deals in forestlands. Their clients are wealthy investors, not family loggers in Oregon. Perhaps coincidentally, the Polk County commissioner who has been spearheading the dam evaluation effort has a background in real estate, heavy construction, and construction engineering. That’s one dam coincidence after another.

Contact Commissioner Mike Propes and the other Polk County Commissioners, and let them know what you think of damming the most diverse anadromous salmonid river in Oregon.

Mike Propes: mike.propes@co.polk.or.us & mikepropes50@hotmail.com

Tom Ritchey: Ritchey.Tom@co.polk.or.us

Ron Dodge: Dodge.Ron@co.polk.or.us

Want to voice your opinion in person? Attend a panel discussion of the Valsetz Reservoir and Dam Proposal.

May 7, 2009 7:00-8:30 pm
Monmouth Library, 168 S. Ecols, Monmouth

Panelists include:
Mike Propes/Austin McGuigan, Polk County
Mark Milligan, Buell-Red Prairie Water Association
Barry McPherson, Retired Fisheries Professional
Stan van de Wetering, Siletz Tribe Fisheries Biologist
TBN, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Professional

Panelists will each give a brief presentation followed by general discussion and questions from the audience. This meeting is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. (Hosted by Friends of Polk County)

'Tis the season

2009-02-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

Tailout headquarters are reeling from the awesome certitude that wild winter steelhead are probably the coolest fuckin' thing this side of anywhere. To that end, Tailout personnel have been wrapped up in the pursuit of the authentic...

Beer and bacherlorhood lead to beautiful things.

The Fishkiller stares into his crystal ball.

Is your heart pure?

It's pure now.

Everything, anything that you've ever wanted or needed or felt or loved or treasured or believed is realized. That's authentic. The "how" is inconsequential, the "why" pointless to ponder, it is everything that's right.

You want to keep your mind clear? Keep your fly wet.

The Traveler: Day One and Two

2008-08-26T23:42:00.000-07:00

Hot K recently graced the greater Tailout, and, as he is a member of the midwest pro-staff, it was only proper and right to show the man an officially badass time. Naturally, this began with a night on the tiles, a cute waitress that K tried unsuccesfully to seduce, a Fugazi playing basement bar, an enlightening visit to the Big Willamette, and a ride home that was payed for exclusively in gold coins.

Then the fun began.

K and I have spent our fair share of rough mornings and late evenings surveying rod tips on Michigan piers, and when Tailout recon hinted at the chance for some plunk style steelhead, the urge couldn't be denied. Now, we know a thing or two about three way swivels, pyramids and big water, but we know very little about police for lease.

You see, kids, HWA Security never patrols Great Lakes pier heads.

What with the terrrrrrists plotting to rape our dogs and beat our wimminz, you never know what kind of fear to look out for. Moslems could be at our gates, commies could be in our schools, hippies could be fishing the Columbia after five pm. The thought of these threats sound like a siren to our men and women in private security uniform, a ringing call to duty in a land beset with criminals. Enter Napolean, and Bob.

"Hey, you boys come up here, and bring the rods."

"You got it"

"There's no fishing after 5. Stop right there"

"My apologies guys, we thought this was open to fishing until dark."

"I'm going to need your fishing licenses and ID. Yeah, all of you. A ranger will contact you in the morning if he feels it's necessary"

"What kind of ranger? State game enforcement, US Fish and Wildlife?"

"Ahhh uh, a Federal Ranger. A federal ranger. Yeah, he'll call you."

I don't know if it was the black hat with "SECURITY" in puff letters across the front, the remarkably dim gaze, or the lack of lucid conversational skill, but Napolean was starting to show his hand. I got out a pen and paper

"OK, so you've got our info and we'll be on our way, but could I have your names first."

Silence. Until a low grunt passed napoleans throat, and a word.

"Why?"

"Because I always ask for identification in these situations."

"Wwell we don't have to give it to you."

"You mean you legally don't have to provide us with your name?"

"Nno, not really."

Not really?

Now, there's a point where one in our situation realizes that even if you wanted to fight it on prinicipal and you're pretty damned sure you'd make it good, the man in the suit still has you tight by the gonads. So the Tailout took the high road to a beer and a good story and we just let it be. But somewhere theres a federal ranger with our names, and Napolean is still a dirty son of a bitch.

2008-08-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

Dear o' the track,

On account of the mind bending power slam perpetrated on me by NU ghostfish, I'll be returning an altered angler.

Hit the nuggets.

-NRK

Have you seen the Klick' lately? How about the Hood?

2008-08-09T14:06:00.001-07:00

No, and I've been single for months, but I'm fixing to play around with the D' before long.

Tailout personnel are currently tying things up in the west in preparation for tying things on in the east. At 12oo hours, the Master Craftsman himself reported to Tailout's R&D lab with a full recon report on the Gorge fisheries, the state of the third world, proper cola flavoring, OPEC, missing fly boxes, scandi line rear tapers, PNAC conspiracy theories, and the oft unheralded benefits of 3/0 mustads. I was able to pay attention just long enough to learn that today's intended destination was awash in untold amounts of glacial silt. Fuck.

No matter, Indestructatruck's navigation systems will be reprogrammed, the proper gear will be requisitioned, and some sexy little flies will be swung.

Olive Wooly Buggers and Blue Fly Lines: A Discourse On Proper Rations, Gear, Clothing, Transport and Technique

2008-07-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

Tied it, bagged it, looped it, lined it, patched it, found it, used it, timed it.

Packed it, weighed it, spliced it, tailed it, spun it, winged it, flashed it, nailed it.

Brewed it, made it, bought it, iced it, strung it, threw it, grooved it, liked it.

Rode it, found it, set it, dosed it, woke up swung the fly and rose it.

On account of the cork dust...

2008-07-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Sirs o' the Track,

On account of the cork dust, I won't be making it to the previously discussed pig roasting, hamster neutering and string bean throwing festival scheduled for 19-27 July, the year of our lord 2008. Allow me to offer my most synthetic apologies, which I've enclosed in this letter in the form of two pubic hairs, six shards of what was once a tapered carbon fibre tube, one used hankie, several thousand morel mushroom spores, five PBR tallboy tabs, and a poorly tied Blue Charm.

In lieu of your exceptionally exasperating events, my attentions will turn instead to a higher power and a lower latitude. Know that I couldn't want you any less, and as my automobile turns south and my leader turns over and my bottle turns upside down and a 'head turns on my skunk, I won't stop for a moment to turn my mind off and remember what I'm missing.

Adieu.

-NRK

New Year

2008-01-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

Tailout headquarters are occupied once again after an extended fact finding, beer drinking and fish catching mission to the motherland. I certainly love the woods and water of Michigan with a passion born of lily pads on the lakeshore, whitetail deer, cedar swamps, fox tracks in the snow and late evening popper trips for bluegill, but it's awfully nice to be back in the Northwest. I won't pretend that winter steelhead season doesn't have something to do with the joyful nature of my return.

When in Rome you do as the Romans do, and when in Michigan I get down and dirty with flat bottom boats, four wheel drive trucks, pac boots, and hot'n'tots. Fuck yes.

14 inches of fresh snow on the ramp? Grab your oars and salt, and work for it.

Nice work on the big ass brown, Karl. It was a beautiful fish. Guess where it came from, kids? Yup, the tailout.

Knots

2007-12-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

The first three trips of the season have proven my skills rusty, in need of oil and elbow grease. They've produced one fish on the jig rod, and one fish hooked on the swing and promptly broken off. Failure at the surgeons knot is unacceptable, though the grab and throb without a true battle only make me want the next one even more. Two more weeks of fishing and I'll be tight as a drum, zoned in and living the swing. The fish will come.

Dec 19, 8:30 am, Oregon Coast

2007-11-05T21:40:00.001-08:00

You just powered up the riffle, the first one seen in 3 years, and you scan the water ahead for a good place to rest and collect yourself before moving upstream. Then you spot the boulder and you push up through the current until it lessens slightly on your right, and you ease over, four lengths behind the rock, and hold position as the current plays your fins. Welcome to the tailout.