Klamath River Steelhead Trip
October 27 – 30, 2005

by

December 2005

Homer with cutthoat
Mike Pinelli with a half pounder

A squad of eight PFF anglers descended on Marble Mountain Ranch on October 28 and 29 in search of steelhead, including Mike Pinelli (the Fishmaster), Mike McGuire, Homer Eaton, Larry Mitchell, Chris Rich, Richard Holubek, Oscar Guzman, and Wesley Kinnear. Many half pounders were brought to hand (also the occasional quarter pounder), and there are disputed reports that one large adult steelhead ended up in a boat attached to Richard Holubek. A photo is attached, although some believe that it may be Photoshop enhanced and started out as a snapshot of a decaying salmon. Decide for yourself, taking into consideration the character of the angler and his reputation for truth telling.

Rich with steelhead
Richard Holubek with a "spawned-out" salmon

It rained solidly through Thursday night and all of Friday, the first day of fishing, but the Klamath stayed remarkably clear. Saturday brought partly cloudy skies and some wind. Two boats drifted and the remaining anglers probed different access points along the river. Doug Cole (the owner of the ranch) and his colleague Dan provided able and entertaining guidance, boatmanship (no anglers were actually lost; Mike Pinelli did fling himself into the river to escape Richard's paean on his fetid salmon/steelhead), and in one case selections from Phantom of the Opera. Anglers typically swung traditional or near traditional Northwestern wet flies as well as golden stones and meddlers on sink tips, full sink, and Teeny lines, as light as four weight and as heavy as eight. Tippets were heavy (2X) and fly choice was not critical. Mike Pinelli landed one steelhead on a dry fly (reportedly a hopper dressed by Mike McGuire) fished within inches of the riverbank. As always when swinging flies, the key was to keep the flies deep, on a straight tight line, and in the water, as we were reminded with some frequency.

Crowsnest River
Chris Rich and guide, Doug Cole, with a half-pounder

The ranch's dining hall was closed for the weekend, so that the anglers cooked for themselves. The culinary teams performed with imagination, enthusiasm and unsuspected skill (ranging from Thai curries to veal to pasta) to produce enough food to feed the entire county. Drink, however, was barely sufficient. The anglers also provided their own entertainment, including Larry's intense sense of humor; duck calls, Mike Pinelli's display of extreme tidiness, and earnest discussion of politics, religion, and furled leaders. All in all, the trip was successful, we caught a lot of fish, and had a lot of fun.

–Wesley Kinnear

More Information

Marble Mountain Ranch
web: www.marblemountainranch.com