Oregon Fly Fishing Report – Small Stream Outfitters & Guides

A great snow year generally equals a longer, higher Cascade run-off and this year is no exception. With the Willamette Valley streams like the McKenzie, Clackamas and Sandy on the high side for fishing flies, we’ve opted to hit the coast where run-off is over and rivers are holding nice flows and cool temperatures for this time of year.

We’ve had bursts of decent steelheading here and there, but numbers have generally been low. However, both Steelhead and Spring Chinook numbers have been getting steadily better over the last couple weeks. With the good flows I would expect fishing to improve in late June and early July.

Although Steelheading has been slow, Coastal Cutthroat fishing has been very good with anglers averaging a couple dozen fish per rod in the 8″-17″ range. It feels as if some of the sea-runs may be hanging in the river longer this year because water temperatures and water levels are still prime and food is abundant. On cloudy days, hatches last all day long and are a great mix of small stoneflies, green drakes and caddis.

As the valley streams drop into shape throughout late June and July we’ll be transitioning over to WV Summer Steelhead and trout. Give us a call at 503.515.3533 or email us to inquire about a guided fly fishing trip this Summer!

Tight lines,
Small Stream Outfitters Guide Staff

After a long wet, and cold Winter steelhead season, we finally had a nice little break in the weather and I was able to get my oldest son Noah (2.5 yrs) out on the water for the first time. We took a nice little troll around Big Creek Reservoir outside of Newport, dangling woolly buggers out the back of the drift boat in pursuit of the elusive hatchery trout. Noah enjoyed potato chips, Andes mints and catching his first trout equally. Next time, he’s rowing.

We are currently fishing the Nestucca, Siletz, McKenzie, Sandy and Clackamas. Give us a call at 503.515.3533 or Email us to book a Summer Steelhead and/or trout fishing trip.

Summer Steelhead are now showing in fishable numbers on the Central/North Oregon Coast as well as in the Clackamas and Sandy. We took our first Summer fish on April 30 and look forward to good fishing throughout May and June.

We are currently fishing the Nestucca, Siletz, McKenzie, Sandy and Clackamas. Give us a call at 503.515.3533 or Email us to book a Summer Steelhead and/or trout fishing trip.

Our Oregon Coast February Steelhead Gallery has been added to the website.

Take a peek at some of the great fish customers landed during the month of February. The weather was at times, a challenge, but well worth it for some spectacular days of steelheading.

January steelheaders are hearty souls, braving the worst mother nature has to offer, all in hopes of catching a steelhead. Weather throughout the month of January was fairly typical marked by one long period of high, dirty, blown out rivers in the middle of the month and the rest of the month the river was up, green and fished great. The Coastal river blow out in the middle of the month marked the end of the early hatchery runs and first big push of native steelhead. Numbers of fish dropped off slightly throughout the month, but the quality increased tremendously. We hooked a lot of big fish late in January, landed a few and lost a bunch. Those big ones have a habit of trying to get away and often succeeding. January was a great month of steelheading on the Oregon Coast and we expect the good fishing to continue right on through April.

The Oregon Coast Winter Steelhead season of 2010/2011 is in full swing! We still have a few late season dates left, but they won’t last long. To arrange a guide trip for Winter 2010-2011 steelhead action, give us a call at 503-515-3533 or email us! We’ll be fishing these agressive, acrobatic fish through April.

Click here or on the images below to view this month’s photo slide show.