Oregon was good to me

This past October, I was able to get down to Maupin, Oregon to fish with Mia Sheppard for a day.

I’ve never fished in Oregon before, so I was extremely excited to get on some new water, but also fully expected to not catch anything. (For those who don’t fly fish, or– more specifically– those who don’t swing flies for steelhead, this seems like an odd concept I’m sure. Why go if you don’t think you’re going to catch anything? Because, I’m crazy and love fishing for species that aren’t always there. I guess you could say I’m a sucker for a good challenge.)

Anyway, after taking a few years off from pursuing these increasingly rare fish, I was looking forward to just getting out on the river and knocking the dust off my spey rod. I also was pumped to fish with Mia for the first time, as we’ve crossed paths at spey claves before, but haven’t actually fished together yet. So, it was going to be a winning situation no matter what in my mind.

Spey casting is an art in itself, so when you get to do it on a beautiful river with awesome people, the experience is worth every minute– hooking a fish or not.

With all that in mind, I was absolutely floored when on the second run of the morning, I felt that familiar tug at the end of my line, and within seconds my line was running out of my reel– immediately waking me right up from my serene daze.

Now that I had a fish on, I was sure I was going to lose it. Fighting a wild steelhead is incredibly exhilarating, but scary, because they never make it easy to get them to your hand. I guess I was meant to get lucky that day, because with Mia’s help, we successfully were able to tail and release it– leaving me shaking with happiness and relief.

(Mia’s pup, Eddy, was also there to help if needed)

Mia’s friend, Sherryl, shared the day trip with me, and we had a blast giving each other a hard time and taking turns being a lap for Eddy on the drift boat between runs.

I hooked another fish a bit later that day, but it came off after a short fight. As much as I love to be able to see and release these fish, it’s better for them to not be touched.

I was pleasantly surprised with a successful day, but mostly felt happy to be back in the swing of things (pun intended). I was reminded of all the reasons why I love fly-fishing, spey casting, and swinging flies for steelhead. The feeling of elation combined with anxiety that comes with the grab and anticipation that follows, brought me back to the place I missed so much and made me thankful to be back.

A huge thanks to Mia for a fantastic day.

If you ever want to be guided on the Deschutes or John Day, she’s the gal to go with. Booking info

I’ll definitely be back next year!

Until next time…

~Lisa