PRODUCTS Our quiver is full of the best products from the very best companies in the buisness. We produly offer a large selection of products from Sage, Simms, Ross Reels, GLoomis, Scientific Anglers, Rio, Fishpond, Outcast, and many more!!
WELCOME
Your heart leaps as you watch a large native Steelhead snatch your skating dry fly on the Grande Ronde River. Kids laugh with excitement as they land their first Rainbow on the Wallowa. You realize you just missed a nice strike at your fly because you were too busy taking in the rugged beauty of the Imnaha canyon . These are just a sample of the experiences you can have in the territory the Nez Perce called “Land of Winding Water.”
Welcome to the Joseph Fly Shoppe located in the beautiful Wallowa Valley. We are a full service destination shop which specializes in a large selection of high performance fly equipment, unbeatable customer service, and absolute dedication to the graceful art of fly angling! Let us help make your Eastern Oregon fishing experience a memorable one!
We believe that customer service is our most important product and look forward to helping you with your next fly fishing adventure! For more information about fishing, Joseph, and the beautiful Wallowa Valley explore the links below:
Guided Fishing: In 2008 we sold our guide buisness to Winding Waters River Expeditions. This comprehensive guide service offers a wide range of whitewater and fishing trips on some of the areas most fantastic rivers including the Grand Ronde, Wallowa, Salmon, and Snake rivers. Please explore the Winding Waters River Expeditions web site and see the PHOTO GALLERY at: www.windingwatersrafting.com and give them a call at 877-426-7238 / 541-432-0747.
Shuttle Service/ Rentals: For information on river shuttles for the Grande Ronde ($90) or Wallowa ($35) rivers, as well as rafting equipment rentals call the MINAM STORE at 541-437-1111
Check this out.The Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries is monitoring hatchery steelhead passage on the Imnaha using in-stream counters that read “PIT” tags placed in a percentage of the fish.This information is available on line at the site linked below.The problem is, the information is difficult for layman to decipher.Tribal Fisheries representatives have assured me that “as soon as they have time” they will try to sort, interpret and post this info in a form that will allow fishers to better monitor current Imnaha steelhead numbers - on any given date (ie:are there enough fish in the river to justify my driving over?).Summary reports at year end will also quantify the number and success of the hatchery run. http://www.ptoccentral.org/dbaccess/InStrmDtctn/InStrmDtctn_query.html
FISHING SUMMARY
11-25-11 Upgrade from poor to fair based on reports over th past two days.
11-23-11 Steelhead report for the Grand Ronde/Imnaha/Wallowa Rivers: Steelhead Flyfishing has been poor the past several weeks due to low water levels and temperatures. Fishing pressure is down and we are getting few reports in the shop. However, following snow last week we have had warmer temps the last few days and river flows have increased (Ronde up 140 cfs to 918, and Imnaha up 35 cfs to 184 and rising). This should put the fish on the bite, but we will see. Despite good numbers over the dams the steelhead season to date has only been fair at best. There will be some good fishing this winter and spring, but most fly guides and fly fishers have called it quits for the year. We will try to report on any improvements – until we close for the winter on 12/31.
11-06-11 see individual river reports.
10-12-11 Heavy rain on 10/10 bumped water levels on the Ronde and Imnaha and slowed fishing the last couple of days. Water levels are now starting back down and we would expect good fishing when rivers stabilize.
10-06-11 We just received a new report on the Imnaha River. Fishing at the mouth (five miles down the trail from Cow Creek) was reported to be good, although boats on the Snake were also fishing this area at times. Sight fishing for steelhead in the lower river, up from the mouth, was also productive. The "PIT" tag counter (see our link) indicates 15 or so tagged steelhead have recently passed the Cow Creek area, which roughly translates to 150 steelhead that have recently moved upstream of Cow Creek. Remember the Imnaha is a small, fun little river for steelhead.
10-05-11 Rains the past few days seem to have picked up the Steelhead fishing on the Grand Ronde. We are waiting for reports on the Imnaha.
10-2-11 Steelhead are starting to trickle-up the Grande Ronde, but forcast rains this week could really help. Plug guides below Bogan's are finding steelies most days with one boat last week reporting 6. Water temps in the Ronde are good but low flows are the biggest problem. Counts over te dams are very good. The Imnaha is still too low to attract steelhead, although a few have been caught. Trout fishing on the Wallowa has been good.
9-2-11 We had a little frost on the pumpkin this morning -- so trout will become more active and steelhead will be on the move.
Trout fishing on the Wallowa and Imnaha has picked up this past week. We have reports of both good numbers and some big trout being caught on the Wallowa River, including a 22” fish that may have been an early steelhead. The river is still low and fairly warm so trout are in the faster water and deeper pools. Most trout are being caught on nymphs (stoneflies with a smaller dropper like a copper john), but hoppers are also producing. Try greasing up a muddler minnow and using it as a hopper, then swinging it like a minnow. We believe that the high river flows on the Wallowa earlier this year pushed more steelhead smolt down stream than normal, so don’t expect as many residual steelhead smolt (the Wallowa’s version of a stocked rainbow) as normal.
On the Imnaha we have a report of a 24” steelhead being caught at Fence Creek, so there are probably more in the river. The Imnaha is running 182 CFS, 122% of average for this date.
The Grande Ronde, on the other hand, is running at 679 CFS (90% of normal) due to heavy irrigation during the hot weather this past month. As a result the GR is low and warm and steelhead fishing slow. Most steelhead are probably holding in the Snake waiting for freshets of cool water to start them moving. Steelhead counts over the dams look good: Bonneville is at 94% of the ten year average and Lower Granite is at 187 %! The relatively high flows in the Columbia and Snake have kept fish moving – without the normal “thermal blocks.” Bass fishing around Bogan’s Oasis has been fair to good.
Wallowa Lake has been fair to poor during much of August, due to the local ODFW hatchery having to kill some 40,000 rainbows due to disease and a stoppage of their normal stocking in August (not reported on their stocking schedule web site). Area ponds have been poor for the same reason. However, there is one notable exception to this stocking problem. Last week some 800 “trophy trout – 2+lb fish) were dumped into Wallowa Lake near the Marina. Power bait has produced some big time, big fish action this past week as these fish have hung near the Marina like pets.
8-21-11: We seem to be in the August doldrums. The Wallowa River has continued to drop quickly as the hot weather has resulted in more water being used for irrigation. Water temps are still OK. Fishing has been slow most days, although the evening hatches have been thick and fishing fair to good after the shade is on the water. The best fishing is being had by fishers in cleated boots who wade the fast water to find the fish. Wallowa Lake is fishing poorly, their may have been a problem with the stocking program. I will contact ODFW on Monday to check. Imnaha River is fishing fair near town. Will update steelhead report shortly
8-6-11 The Wallowa River has dropped considerably, but is still difficult to wade - use studded boots. During the day it is difficult to find larger fish, but good numbers in the 10 inch range can be caught with #10 prince nymphs on the swing. After 7:30 PM the big boys come out to play. Last night a gentleman caught four fish in the 16 " + range on a bucktail coachman -- the same fly my dad used seventy years ago on the Wallowa. The Imnaha is fishing fair for smaller trout on hoppers. The high lakes still have snow and ice at the higher elevation lakes. Wallowa Lake is fishing fair to good for stocked bows at the river inlet.
7-20-11 All of a sudden lots of nice rainbows are being caught on the Wallowa River in the canyon between Wallowa and Minam. Water is still high, but fish are feeding agressively through-out the day. Golden stones and salmon fies are hatching along with a variety of caddis. Size 8-12 orange simulators working well.
Spring Chinook being caught in good numbers on the Imnaha by gear fishers. Limit has been upped to 9 per day (four adults and five Jacks), better hurry though THE LAST DAY OF THE IMNAHA SALMON SEASON IS SATURDAY JULY 23! The Wallowa river will remain open for salmon until further notice.
7-14-2011 Water is coming down but rivers are still high and a bit off color. Fishing has picked up on the Wallowa River so don't let the high water discourage you, nymphs are attracting nice fish in the slower slicks, and large stimulators might get a big fish to rise. The Nature Conservancy public access on Big Sheep Creek offers some great water too. Kenny lake continues to fish well as does Wallowa Lake (which recieved a new stocking of 6000 fish this week!). Salmon fishing on the Imnaha has been fair and the bag limit has increased to four adults per day! Tight lines!
7-9-2011 With consistent warm weather the rivers are still high but trending downward, which is great (you can check stream flow from our home page). Salmon fishing is getting good on the Imnaha and many lower elevation streams, Lick Cr., Chesnimus Cr., Crow Cr., are fishing well for trout with dry-flies (small stimulators/ attractors) working! Looking Glass Cr. outside of Elgin is also fishing well for Salmon and trout. Fishing has been consistent on Wallowa and Kenny Lakes as well. Wallowa lake will be stocked with another 6,000 trout the week of July 11 (check the stocking link below!). Looks like we might get our fishing season after all! As the water drops guided trips will be booking fast so be sure to book your trip with Winding Waters Guide service ahead of time.
For more fish data check out the links on our home page.
Note: in hot weather being extremely careful when releasing fish is important. Handing of the fish should be as minimal as possible and they should not be removed from the water. After a good fight you might need to hold them in the water for as long as 2-3 minutes before they are strong enough to swim away. As always we recommend using barb-less hooks and a net to aid in the healthy release of fish.
