Icons, a web series from Swing the Fly, looks at the most influential figures in spey casting and swinging flies – from North America and beyond – in the 21st century. In this installment we visit with Adrian Cortes, champion of the GreaseLiner, critical care nurse, and part-time ice cream trader.
Your early childhood was spent in the Philippines. Have you ever gone back there to fish?
Indeed, the Island of Cebu, Philippines was my place of birth. Unfortunately, I have yet to fish those waters. Somehow, I grasp for a connection with the Pacific Islands through steelheading on the west coast. It’s as if by touching a steelhead I find a link through anadromous trout that came from the Pacific, as I did when I was six years old. In hopefulness upon release, that steelhead will find saltwater once more … likely not the direction of my island of birth, but at the least in the magical mysterious Pacific Ocean.
When you are fishing on your own, which river do you consider to be your “Home River” (or rivers)?
Not far away from my front porch, the Clackamas River has revealed some of its winter and summer steelhead secrets. It has really been on this home water that the opportunity to observe steelhead and their reaction to the dry fly presentation has cemented my confidence in certain steelheading techniques.
The Deschutes River for summer steelhead is three Lynyrd Skynyrd “Freebird” replays and a River Rambler podcast episode away from me.
And there is another Home River that we shall keep in the back pocket.
Which river that you have never fished before would you most like to try?
There was once a majestic steelhead river up North whose environment and its surface-oriented steelhead tested the mettle of the finest steelheaders. Sadly, the Thompson River is a shadow of its glorious past. I still fantasize about wading its treacherous banks offering a Thompson River Caddis to one of the greatest steelhead strains in the world. Heck, I’d even be humbled to cast a hookless dry fly over her now…sigh.
In lieu of the grand Thompson, maybe the Copper River in British Columbia or the Babine River would perk my interests.
What is your favorite fly?
It would have to be a steelhead dry fly. Harry Lemire’s GreaseLiner is the greatest steelhead fly ever created…from theory to design to functionality to simplicity to effectiveness – it’s brilliant.
However, Roderick Haig-Brown’s Steelhead Bee has become my favorite pattern because it is not an easy fly to tie well or fish well. But I like steelheading challenges, and when one can figure out how to tie and fish the Steelhead Bee effectively – everything else is gravy.
Of note, both patterns originated from true steelheading icons. Haig-Brown and Lemire: observant top rods that loved the surface take.
Way back in 2017, there was an internet post where your 11-year-old daughter was tying a skater in-hand, without a vise. Is she still in the game?
That would be my youngest daughter. By nature, she is not an angler or tyer, although, I have no doubt with instruction and practice she could hold her own in tying and casting. She is an opportunist, and if presented with an offering where she receives something in return, she accepts a challenge. Her typical response would be along the lines of, “What do I get for it?”. So I humor that and offer ice cream dates. She has tied GreaseLiners for me that have hooked steelhead. Quid pro quo…ice cream for her and a steelhead for me.
Recently, she asked me to take her steelheading. I was surprised. Seeing the wall prints of her older sister’s steelhead pictures on the family room wall, she mentioned wanting her own steelhead picture. So, I took her to the river and she raised, hooked, and landed a dry fly steelhead on her own tied GreaseLiner with a bamboo rod.
What is your favorite two-hand rod, and what line do you most like to use with it?
The one and only, my river companion, Becky. She’s a beautiful honey blonde, jeweled with light green agate stripping guides – a 6-weight build hailing from the bamboo rod shop of James Reid on the banks of the Campbell River, BC.
At 11’5″, Becky is not only a beautiful casting specimen but fully capable in fighting summer run steelhead. Currently matched with the now defunct Airflo Compact Scandi at 420 grains, she glows, she awes, she mesmerizes, and she gets things done.
She’s not demanding but neither is she a pushover. I walk away with a smile after every single river date with Becky. And she only ever fishes the Steelhead Bee.
What is your favorite memory from your times on the water?
Man, that is a two-hour long answer at the local pub. So many wonderful moments and mostly with steelheading pals involved. A beautiful end to a float, tailing a pal’s steelhead, laughter at the tailgate…
…yet when cornered for the best moment, it has to be when my oldest daughter (then 15 yrs old) landed her first two steelhead, both on dry flies on a two-day camp at the famed North Umpqua River. How does that even happen?! Still astonished by it.
You’ve made many contributions to steelheading and two-hand casting. Is there one you’re particularly proud of?
I’m not quite sure of any contributions that I have made, but I do appreciate the sentiment. I am just a big fan of the steelheading traditions, the beautiful fly patterns, and truly enjoy the challenges of the two-handed cast. As my pal Mark has wisely mentioned, “We are just standing on the shoulders of giants”.
Nothing I do is original, but I am fond of introducing others to the art of tying in hand (whether Atlantic Salmon classics or contemporary steelhead patterns), fishing two-handed modern taper bamboo rods, and dry fly steelhead. I suppose my passion for making each aspect of steelheading as special as it can be is what I hope to share with peers.
What is it going to take to save wild fish?
Acknowledgement from by all the agents involved that there are problems. We cannot turn a deaf ear to actual problems. A common understanding of a problem (which might require more education to the public ears) is the first step. And then find responsible groups that are willing to table their minor differences so they can work together to fix the major issues.
The recent Klamath River resurrection after the dams have been taken down is an amazing example of inspiration. The steelhead and salmon already returning to the uppear reaches is a mind-boggling success.
Maybe there also needs to be an emphasis in prioritizing which wild fish river needs help now. I’m not sure. In my line of work as a critical care RN, there are chronic problems and there are ACUTE problems. Acute problems need intervention STAT. We can’t fix everything at once, so we have to use all our resources to stop the main bleed so to speak. The other problems can be revisited later. What is hemorrhaging? Where is the next cancer? How about the Winchester Dam on the legendary North Umpqua?
(I don’t know if any of that made any sense but I just completed 2 night shifts at work with limited sleep at the time of this writing).
What are your plans for the next five years?
I’m not much of a planner. The groove I’ve been in the last few years has been pleasant. So, God willing, I’d like to ride the same wave in the next five. Tie a few flies, wade a few steelhead rivers, raise a few fish, laugh with a few friends.
Somehow in the recent past, a few anglers have suggested that I compose a book: short stories, pretty flies, a few dry fly techniques and a smattering of inspiring images. I’ll be honest, it’s piqued my interest, but it does seem like an endeavor that aligns with more work than fun. But the ‘maybe’ is still there. We’ll see.
