Now's the time to look closer
When that winter metabolism slows down, take a closer look to see what's really going on.
CFStrians,
Do you ever launch into some sort of project with gusto and enthusiasm, then step away...and then when you return to it your inner David Byrne shouts "My god, what have I done?"
And you may find yourself...with a bunch of flies and fly boxes arrayed on your table in hopes of re-organizing a system that was working perfectly well.
But that's OK: It's wintertime. The time to putz and putter. I've been organizing and tweaking gear. Getting in some casting practice reps with a friend headed to Cuba this week. Plotting steelhead missions as the rains come and go.
Tis the season to go slow, sleep in late, and stare at things long enough for them to come into focus.
Fly tying in January
Back by popular demand! This Friday, January 16th we're going to be meeting again at NE PDX's The Paladin's League, from 6-9pm, to tie flies and shoot the breeze. Last time we tackled flies from Pheasant Tail Simplicity, and I'll probably keep tying those. I want to try and tie them all.
But, you're welcome to bring and tie whatever you want. Thanks to some rad donors I now have three additional fly tying setups, so don't worry if you don't have a vise and / or tools. Please do RSVP at Luma so I can get a sense of how many folks are coming. Just hit this button and RSVP now.π
More upcoming events π
Late notice, but the Clackamas River Trout Unlimited Chapter is having its monthly meeting tonight at 6:30 at HUB in SE PDX and on Zoom. Guide Colby Olson is talking winter steelhead. Not many guides spend more time on local rivers than Colby, so it'll be a great opportunity to hear about what he's focused on as the winter steelhead season picks up. I'll be there: Say hi if you make it out. (Clackamas River TU)
We're getting a gang together to attend the Fly Fishing Film Tour together here in Portland next month: Saturday, February 7th. It'll be a lot of fun. There are tons of great giveaways at the event itself, and last year Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters did a fun pre-party that had some good giveaways as well. Pick up tickets here and bang this button if you're interested in joining:
If you're in the PNW, here's a final date for your calendar: April 24th and 25th. The Sandy River Spey Clave is returning. We'll all have a chance to share stories from winter steelheading by that point. I attended last year and it was great fun. (Instagram)
Ten Foot Leaders β°
Ten(-ish) links (lotsa video this time) to start your week with a full net.
Mindset π§ββοΈ
π₯ Our favorite video this week comes from underwater cinematographer and river snorkeler Joseph Ricketts, who floats through a creek in Alabama and gives us a front-row seat to all the life inside. How's this for a life lesson: "Although the internet may tell you you have to endlessly go bigger or go home, I'm not sure that's the best way to go about things. I found it's just as much about the little guys and tiny creeks as it is about the big guys and vast oceans. Both matter. And both are worthy of wonder and protection." (youtube.com)
Environment β°οΈ
I would read David James Duncan if he re-wrote the phone book, but here, in an excerpt from the newest edition of Emergence, is a stroke of genius in "How the Pacific Makes Love to the Rockies". The child of this union? Perfection, and salmonids. (davidjamesduncanauthor.substack.com)
As part of its 50 Species that Save Us franchise Dino Grandoni, Alice Li and Joshua Lott at the Washington Post tag along with the Voyageurs Wolf Project, which is monitoring grey wolf populations in Minnesota. They've found wolf predation on deer correlates with fewer highway accidents involving deer...but not for the reasons you might think. (washingtonpost.com)
Tools π£
What's the loneliest road in your state? Frank Jacobs put together the crunched data for Atlas Obscura. I can almost guarantee that there are fish there. 395, the loneliest road in Oregon, has a trout stream or two intersecting along its length. (atlasobscura.com)
Technique π€Ί
π₯ PNWers Savage & Smith dropped a greatest hits from a past winter steelhead trip to tide everyone over until the high water goes down and the season starts in earnest. Float along with them and pick up a couple tips on reading water for steelhead, along with some gourmet camp cooking (youtube.com)
Conservation π²
Erica Browne Grivas at Columbia Insight asks "Where are all the young environmentalists?" and finds that many youth-focused conservation groups are both keeping things quiet and focused, and looking at broader, systemic challenges (i.e. creeping fascism, in the case of the Sunrise Movement). (columbiainsight.org)
The Western Watersheds Project gives lie to the talking point "ranchers were the original conservationists" with just one major example, free-range cattle grazing's consistent degradation of habitat that supports the Western Sage Grouse. (westernwatersheds.substack.com)
Speaking of consolidation and capture: EOY Deschutes River monitoring data from the Deschutes River Alliance points to constant higher-than-allowable pH and continued violations of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) water quality standards. This is a choice to degrade the fishery from PGE and tribal authorities, administrators of the Pelton Dam. (previously). (deschutesriveralliance.org)
Community ποΈ
The situation on Colorado's Lower Blue River seems so emblematic of what's going on across public lands, where essentially we have a billionaire working through the legal system to capture a recreational resource intended for all citizens . Much appreciation for those that continue to press for our rights as citizens, and the rights of the river. Zach Weinzetl guest stars at Flylab to break down the situation and what the fly fishing community can do. (flylab.substack.com)
Watch Andy Mill give a master class on catching tarpon at the Ole Florida Fly Shop. Even if you never fish for tarpon, there's stuff he says that's applicable for any gamefish. (youtube.com)
More from Current Flow State
Here's more of what's been happening recently:
The CFS EOY member update
In case you missed it: Here's a rundown of our 2025 progress and, more importantly, our 2026 plans. I'm grateful for all the support you've offered this project and our growing community, and have a bunch of fun stuff in store for this year.
2025: A year in reading
I don't only read fly fishing books, but here are my favorites from last year. Can you do me a favor and recommend the books you loved?
Making it
The mug wall has always represented more than just the accomplishment of becoming a guide on the river.
Understanding all the differences with measurements in fly fishing can feel like it requires a math degree, or some sort alchemy.
Dig in to understand the main measurements, how they work, and where they came from. And then, forget what you learned and just go for what feels right.
That's it for this week! Current Flow State is a weekly newsletter from me, Nick Parish.
How do you organize your flies? Tell me on Bluesky π¦, Instagram πΈ, YouTube π₯, or the Fishcord π¬.
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