A weekend in Eugene

Ashland to Almaden in 3 Minutes….

This last weekend, we hung out in Eugene visiting  my son who is in his senior year at University of Oregon..  We watched the Ducks put the hurt on the Georgia State Panthers.

IMG_7213On our way up to Eugene,  we stopped at his roomates parents house located ten minutes out of Ashland in a town called Talent,  to pick up a Ping Pong Table to deliver to his new house.   The Town of Talent is really a very nice place to live.  The houses are less expensive than Ashland and it is only 10 minutes from town.  The Ashland Fly Shop down the street from the Ashland Spings hotel were we stay every year  is a full service fly shop.  They mainly fish steelhead in the Rouge and Kalamath which are about an hour or less out.   The Oregon steelhead season starts in Late July and ends around February!  I guess if I retired there,  that would be the main event.  In addition,  the Ashland Shakespeare Festival is as good as ever.  Gina and I saw  “Guys and Dolls’ and It was great fun.   It made me reminisce about my college days when my roomate played Sky Masterson and my college girl friend played Kate in the UC Davis 1976 production. I still know the lyrics in my sleep to most of the songs.

With Mark working several jobs gaining valuable clinical experience for his upcoming applications to PA school.  It is looking like we will be visiting him on Thanksgiving.   I talked with the guides at the fly shop and it could be a good time to fish the Rouge for steelhead the weekend after Thanksgiving. Ill have to check also with the Caddis Fly Shop for local conditions.

The Echo Prime 8

IMG_7243I also had a chance to check out the deals at Caddis Fly Shop in Eugene.  I test casts a Sage Bolt 8 wgt and I believe this is Sages fastest 8wgt yet.  Its a great rod.  They recently had a big 30% off rod sale .  There were three Helios II rods selling for  less than $560.   I love the Caddis Fly Shop because they don’t charge tax and have free same day shipping.   I did cast a rod that I ended up buying .  The Echo Prime 8 which is a one piece 8ft 10inch 8wgt.  I’m addicted to one piece eight weights in the boat.   One piece rods are 20%, lighter,  faster, and stronger  than any comparable 4-pc fly rods.  Check out the  break test on a Prime 8.  I can’t pull harder than that on a big striper because its beyond common sense.   Note that at max flex the rod handle is  straight up and the tip of the rod is two feet under the boat!.  There will come  a time soon when I will only have one piece rods in the boat but first I am going to design a custom quiver that will keep them safe while rigged.

 

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