Oregon Fly Fishing Report

FALL SEASON RECAP
It’s been a busy time at Small Stream Headquarters, but that hasn’t included a lot of days on the water and for good reason. My wife, Sara gave birth to our first child in October. Noah Matthew was born on October 22 and weighed in at 8 lbs, 4 ounces. The past month has been amazing and I look forward to getting him out on the water soon.

As for the fishing… the Fall season was a mixed bag. Sea-Run Cutthroat fishing was very solid, although we didn’t see any massive 20″ fish like we did last year. The numbers of fish appeared to be very similar to 2007. Coho fishing on the Sandy was very good as usual and better than average at the coast. As for the Coastal Chinook… the season was a disappointment once again. Numbers appear to be very similar to last year’s poor return. We saw slightly better runs in some locations and slightly worse in others. Predictions are for above average returns in 2009 and 2010, but we aren’t holding our breath for that one.

NEW FLY FISHING FILM ON LINE
I took some time off from guiding in October to acquaint myself with Noah. While that kept me off the water, it gave me some much needed time in the office to finish up the editing on our second film. On November 4th, we released Chapter 1 of the Headwater Chronicles. N59 - A Journey to the Bering Sea is a short (5:45) film that tells the story of a wilderness fly fishing adventure. It chronicles the journey of nine anglers that float from a remote lake 55 miles to the Bering Sea. The film is available on our website The Headwater Chronicles and also on Hook.tv We are excited to produce more episodes and hope to shoot two in 2009 for release in late 2009 or early 2010. Stay tuned for more info on those!

WINTER STEELHEAD SEASON 2008-2009
With Chinook season tapering off, it’s now time to think Winter Steelhead. My personal favorite! Nothing is more exciting then seeing a 15lb chrome steelhead bursting out of the water tail walking across the river. We are now booking the 2009 season, so contact us early for the best dates. Any trip for 2009 booked before December 31 will honor 2008 rates. Beginning January 1, there will be a ‘09 rate change. We will be fishing coastal streams like the N. Fork Nehalem and Nestucca beginning in min-January and then we’ll begin to move over to the Sandy in March and will continue to fish that through May. Predictions are for an decent return this season, which translates to about 1-3 hookups per day.

From all of us at Small Stream Outfitters we hope you have a wonderful upcoming holiday season and are able to get out and wet a line!

Tight lines and best wishes,

–Jesse Sampson

As we approach the end of September and get closer to the peak of the local salmon runs, a few things are becoming clear. There are a lot of coho (silvers) this year. A lot. Every stream (including the Siletz and Nestucca) on the coast is seeing increased numbers of coho from years past and the Sandy has been its’ usual stellar self. I wonder why that it? Could it be that there was no commercial fishing off the Oregon coast this year? Funny how that works.

Angling pressure for these coastal coho has remained light, due mostly to the fact that it is a catch and release fishery. For fly fishing guides that live on catch and release, this is great news. We love to strip flies for these silver bullets in tidewater. It’s tremendous sport. For those that like to take a couple fish home the limit on the Sandy river has been increased to 3 hatchery fish and will remain that way in future seasons. We haven’t had trouble garnering limits and on many days have released lots of fish just to continue enjoying the amazing action. Photos of these beautiful fish can be viewed at this Coho (Silver) Salmon Gallery

The chinook run on the Oregon Coast run got a nice shot of chromers early in September, but the action has slowed throughout the month with low and warm water. There are certain to be additional shots of fish throughout October and November, but overall expectations are for a fair season with average to slightly below average numbers. We’re seeing increased numbers of jack chinook which should translate to better returns in 2009 and 2010.

Coastal Sea-run cutthroat fishing continues to be good, although in certain areas the smaller cutthroat have been pushed to different holding areas by the chinook and coho. Good numbers of fish can still be found and on cloudy days the fishing has been excellent.

To book a fly fishing trip for Chinook, Coho or Sea-run cutthroat call 503.515.3533 or Email Us

We entered this Chinook season with great apprehension. As everyone knows last year’s coastal Fall chinook run was a bust. It could even be described as dreadful. The talk around the fly tying vise was for improved ocean conditions for the fish this year and increased numbers of Fall Chinook. But talk is just that… talk. Until we saw for our own eyes decent numbers of fish we were not about to sell a fishery that fell fall short of expectations last year. The talk is over!

We started see big pods of fish in tidewater on September 8 and numbers of fish appear to be increasing every day. We landed two stunningly chrome, small bucks yesterday and saw lots more big bodied chinook. We breathed a hugh sigh of relief this week and are now excited to chase King Salmon chrome for the rest of the season.

Blue back (harvest trout, sea-run cutthroat) fishing continues to be excellent. Fish are ranging from 10-17″ with lots of fish in the 14-15″ range. These are great trout on light fly rods and together with a chance at a chrome chinook you just can’t go wrong.

Give us a call at 503.515.3533 to get in on the action!

Adventure scouting trips are all about trying a new river, or a new stretch of water, or perhaps an familiar stretch of water at a new time of year. The latter was the case yesterday as two us set out to find the Portland Metro area rivers coho (silver salmon) scouts. Those chrome bright early fish that can sneak in unnoticed under light angling pressure, often for a couple weeks before the word is out.

We went fully expecting to catch nothing and to enjoy a nice float down the river. Still an enjoyable day on the water with the sun shining, shirt sleeves and 80 degree afternoons. There are worse ways to spend a day. The water was low, so we took the white water raft, some extra rope and a handful of fly rods. The raft was a good choice as we both agreed the driftboat would have gotten us into some serious trouble.

We got an unusually late start, perhaps around 8, but the sun was still low and off the water in most of the river canyon. Four deer crossed the river in front of us as we shoved off. Always a good omen. We fished two nice looking holes in the first half mile of the drift and came up empty. Not surprising. The next run we came to was long and wide with a nice choppy riffle at the head and smooth steelhead looking tailout. We pulled the boat over, hopped out and made a couple casts. Seconds later my angling partner’s rod surged and dove as a chrome silver came up tail walking. Fish On!!! Eventually the hook pulled out after several minutes, but the fish left us excited for the day’s prospects. We were not to be disappointed. We hooked four more fish in that hole alone including a Fall chinook and a couple chrome coho jacks.

Once the sun hit the water, the action slowed. However, we did manage to hook one more pig chinook late in the day that swam off with a hook in his mouth. 20-25lb fish are hard to land on 8lb. On a day we expected nothing, we were more than pleasantly surprised. It’s game on for these buggers and it’s only September 6. What is it going to be like in two or three weeks?

To take a crack at these hatchery and wild salmon give us a call at 503.515.3533 or Email Us.

Tight lines and good fishing,
Small Stream Outfitters Guide Staff

An unusually strong system pushed through the Oregon Coast and Willamette valley around August 20 bringing with it a good deal of rain. It was enough water to raise the Siletz 1.5 feet and turn it steelhead green. Chinook have been reported as high as Mile marker 5, but have yet to make their way into the river.

Steelhead moved around a great deal the last week. After several days of fishing it appears the fish that were in the system before the rain have blown through and are now in the upper reaches while some new fish have made their way in to the lower reaches of both the Siletz and Nestucca. The push was not as strong as we expected, but there are still steelhead making their way through tidewater.

Sea-runs or blueback are a different story. They are in the Siletz and Nestucca in solid numbers. The best fishing is still in tidewater and the lower few miles of the river, but there are now fish spread throughout the system. Numbers will only continue to increase throughout the next month. The time to fish these shiny buggers is now. We captured a couple of chromers on film over the weekend. Check them out in our Photo Gallery. To get in on some of this great top water fly fishing action call us at 503.515.3533 or email us at info@smallstreamoutfitters.com

Tight lines,
The Small Stream Outfitters Guide Staff

Summer steelhead continue to fish well on the Clackamas. Concentrations of fish can be found around the hatchery and fair numbers of fish are spread throughout the rest of the system. We had good fishing last week from first light until late morning until the high sun put the fish down. Early mornings have been best, although fish can be found in shaded areas and covered pools throughout the day. You can check out pictures from last week in our Photo Gallery. A drop in river temperature is sure to put fish on the move and it looks like a significant system is headed our way and slated to hit August 19-20.

We’re really looking forward to this system as it should increase river flows and drop river temperatures across the area. We expect to see a push of coastal chinook and steelhead off this system as well as increased numbers of Bluebacks or Sea-run cutthroat trout. We don’t plan on missing out on this opportunity for a mid-summer storm. Call us at 503-515-3533 to book a trip. You can read a weather report from the National Weather Service below.

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COMPUTER MODELS AGREE ON BRINGING AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG STORM INTO SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS WEEK. THIS STORM IS ACTUALLY MODERATELY STRONG EVEN FOR WINTER TIME…AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE UNUSUALLY STRONG WINDS FOR SUMMER ALONG THE COAST AND AN UNSEASONABLY HIGH AMOUNT OF RAINFALL.

THIS SYSTEM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE GALE FORCE WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS BEGINNING LATE TUESDAY AND CONTINUING TUESDAY NIGHT. WIND GUSTS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST COULD REACH 50 MPH OR MORE. THIS STORM ALSO IS FORECAST TO HAVE A VERY HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT…AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAINFALL THROUGHOUT MUCH OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING…

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Tight lines and we’ll see you on the water!
Small Stream Outfitters guide staff

Brief periods of Summer rain showers on July 30 and August 1 brought the Siletz, (located near Newport and Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast) up an inch or so each time. Not really enough to trigger another big push of Summer steelhead, but it did get some early Sea run cutthroats moving out of tidewater and into the river. We found a few bluebacks as high as the town of Siletz, but most of the fish are still in tidewater waiting for the river to cool off a bit.

Cool, coastal marine layers have kept the area relatively cool the last week and that has extended the morning bite. The best steelheading has been early in the morning, from first light until 7am. The bulk of the fish in the system are hanging out in the gorge. Hatchery fish are being recycled from the trap to moonshine park and then running that section again. Fresh fish have tapered off some, but expect another good size push in the next month or so with a significant change in pressure or significant rainfall.

Judging by the numbers of big SRCs (bluebacks) we’ve seen already, this season is shaping to be another great Sea-run cutthroat year. These fish are strong and bright and range from 10″ -20+”. Our guides are excited about the prospects and will be on the coast a lot chasing these fish from Mid-August through September. To book a Sea-Run Cutthroat fly fishing trip please call 503.515.3533. We recommend lodging in Newport, Salishan or Lincoln City for all Siletz fly fishing trips.

Tight lines,
Small Stream Outfitters Guide Staff

A mighty Spring run off from a Winter of heavy snow kept Cascade streams on the high side most of June. However, rivers are now running at close to normal levels and the McKenzie is no exception. The river is in beautiful shape with 6-7′ of visibility and a cfs of 2,870 (near vida as of July 21).

Stocked rainbow trout are prevalent and provide great action all day long. Native Rainbow and Cutthroat are also present with the best opportunities for these fish coming during hatches and low light periods.

Predominate hatches are Yellow Sallies (size 10-14) and Tan/Brown Caddis (size 12-16). A few PMDs are also flying around.

Try hopper/dropper setups during hatches and rely on nymphing tactics when the sun is bright and on the water.

To book a McKenzie river guided fly fishing trip, please call Small Stream Outfitters at 503.515.3533 or email us at info@smallstreamoutfitters.com

Tight Lines,
Small Stream Outfitters Guide Staff

After a long cool Spring, Summer is finally here and it feels good. At Small Stream Outfitters that means lots of early mornings chasing Summer Steelhead and warm afternoons dabbling dry flies for Coastal Cutthroat. Coastal conditions are exactly where they should be for this time of year. The water is still cool, but flows will decrease slightly each day and the water will increase slightly through August and into September.

Summer steelhead are present throughout the entire Siletz system and in decent numbers. We are finding a fair number of fish in the mid to upper river. Fish will continue to enter the river throughout the next month and stack up in deep low-light pools waiting for that first rain. Early mornings and late evenings are the best time to target these fish. Traditional swing tactics work well in times of low light. Switch to long leaders and delicate presentations once the sun hits the water.

If the sun is a little too bright for steelhead we like to switch to the 3 and 4 wts and try our luck for the coastal cutthroats. Try fluffy dries (size 8-12) with touches of red or yellow. Patterns like humpys, royal coachmen, stimulators, adams and elk hair caddis work great. Concentrate on shaded areas with good cover and high oxygen content. Most of these fish are between 6-10″, but be ready for a whopper, because there are always a few hold over sea run cutthroats this time of year that can get as big as 20″.

We are certainly enjoying our Summer at Small Stream Outfitters and hope you are too. We are now booking; Summer steelhead, Coastal Cutthroats, Sea-Run Cutthroats and Rainbow trout. To inquire about a guided fly fishing trip please contact us through the website or by phone at 503.515.3533

Tight lines and good fishing!

Small Stream Outfitters is proud to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website! We’re still at the same www.smallstreamoutfitters.com address but have an entire new site. New features include; updated descriptions of Oregon Rivers and the fish we chase, plus a new seasons page that makes it easier to plan your trip for the perfect time of year. Also, on the new site are updated photo galleries and new ordering systems for flies, rods and merchandise. Stay tuned for online booking, which will be available soon.

We welcome your feedback, please Email us with any comments!