Oregon Fly Fishing Report – Small Stream Outfitters & Guides

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!

Siletz River Tidewater Chinook

The first significant rain of the Fall doubled the cfs in the Siletz triggering a small early season push of Chinook. However, the precipitation was short lived and quickly dropped back to low summer levels by the weekend. A few fish made it out of tidewater and up into the lower reaches of the river on the briefly increase flow. There has been a decent early am bite before the sun hits the water that quickly tapers off by mid-morning. Fishing pressure is moderate to heavy for this time of year.

Siletz River Tidewater Sea Runs

Sea run cutthroat fishing is excellent as there are good numbers of fish throughout the system. Upper Siletz river tidewater continues to produce healthy bright fish in the 13-18″ range with a few nearing the 20″ mark. Proven patterns include black-nosed dace, spruce, bucktail coachmen, micky finns and other similar streamers in size 6-8. Anglers have been successful fishing these patterns on 4 and 5 wt rods, floating lines and 3x leaders. Look for these magnificent trout in slots, cover riffles and deep pools with rocky or woody bank structure.

Nesutcca River Tidewater

The chinook bite and been hit or miss with a few decent fish being caught each day. Nestucca river Chinook have not yet made their way into freshwater in any good numbers. Sea Run Cutthroat fishing in tidewater is good – excellent.

Small Stream Outfitters is currently booking Sea-Run Cutthroat and Fall Chinook combo fly fishing trips. Call or email today for a reservation! 503.515.3533

Tight Lines!

After nearly two months without any measurable rainfall, the coast was finally blessed with two days of light rain. While it wasn’t enough rain to trigger a massive push of Fall Chinook, Summer Steelhead and Sea Run Cutthroats up the coastal systems, it did put a few fish on the move.

~Siletz Gorge~

There was a nice early morning and late evening bite on the upper Siletz Friday and Saturday tapering off through Sunday, as the water began to drop. A few fish moved through the upper river, but the bulk of Summer Steelhead remain sedintary in the deep dark pools, awaiting a period of rain large enough to significantly increase flow and discolor the water.

A handful of Sea Run Cutts have made their way into the Gorge. Look for them behind the few remaining spawning Spring Chinook and in fast covered riffles. The bulk of Sea Runs will still remain in upper tidewater until the first good numbers of Fall Chinook make their way up the river to spawn.

With additional rain on the way Monday and Tuesday look for fishing to continually improve throughout the week. Good luck and tight lines!

Small Stream Outfitters is currently booking Fall Salmon and Sea-Run Cutthroat combination trips. Call today for a reservation!

Siletz River Report

Extremely low water conditions continue on all coastal streams slowing progress of early Fall Salmon runs upriver. A few Chinook have managed to make their way upriver and have been spotted as far upstream as the town of the Siletz. The ever popular Cedar Creek Hole continues to support decent numbers of fish but very few biters. There are a few scattered Chinook between Morgan and Strome and a fair number of fish low in Tidewater.

Fresh Summer Steelhead have tapered off the past couple weeks but there are still a few small pods of fish entering the river. Look for the bulk of the Summer run between the fishing deadline in the gorge and twin bridges. Early morning and late evening is still the best chance for these wary fish.

Good numbers of Sea Run Cutthroats including fish in the 15″-18″ range have made their way above tidewater. Fly fishing has been good to very good for these fish. Concentrate your efforts on deep dark pools, shaded areas, bankside debris, and fast rocky riffles. Small unweighted streamers fished on long leaders and floating lines have been productive.

Expect conditions to change quickly with the first good batch of rain.

Tight Lines,
The Small Stream Outfitters Team

While August can often times be a tough month for anglers with warm water conditions, bright sunny weather, and limited bug activity, it is also a time when crowds have diminished, lots of fish are staging in the rivers and the magnificent Fall runs are just around the corner.

We at Small Stream Oufitters have been having a great time this Summer chasing Spring Chinook, Summer Steehead and lots of trout. The first reports of good numbers of coastal tidewater sea-run cutthroats are beginning to stream in and we have already seen our first Fall Chinook!

NOW BOOKING! – Fall Chinook, Summer Steelhead and Sea-Run Trips. Peak-Season is fillng quickly so make your reservations now!

Individual River Reports

Nestucca River – Fair to Slow for Summer Steelhead – Water is low and clear and continues to warm up. The best fishing has been in the first couple hours of the day. Try small dark, trout type patterns to trick these wary fish. Small searuns are beginning to show downstream of 3 rivers and into tidewater.

Siletz River – Fair to Good for Summer Steelhead – Water is low and clear. The best fishing has been in the first couple hours of the day. We spent two days over the last weekend chasing Sea Run Cutts and Steelhead just above Tidewater. There are LOTS of Summer Steelhead still entering the river. Groups of anywhere from four up to twenty-fish are making their way up the river. Fish were moving up until 10am. They are in very shallow water and extremely spooky. Take great care in approaching these fish. Floating lines, long leaders, little flies and delicate presentations are your only chance until the first rains cool off and discolor the water.

SEARUNS – Fair to Good numbers of fish are present downsteam of Jack Morgan. Best patterns have been spruces and royal coachmans fished just beneath the surface in shaded areas, around woody debris, and in deep back edddies. These early fish range from 8″-14″, but there are a few pigs already above tidewater. There are scattered fish between Ojalla bridge and Jack Morgan Park.

CHINOOK – We didn’t expect to see any Chinook this early in the year, but they are coming. We saw several solo chromers in the 15-20 lb range travelling upriver just above tidewater. There are not yet fishable numbers, but expect an decent early push with the first good shift in weather.

McKenzie River – Fair to Good for Trout – Water is low, but still fishing well. Fish are concentrated in medium speed riffles and keyed into to nymphs. Try small stone flies, pheasant tails, sparkle pupae, sparkle princes and other small attractor nymphs. Deerhorn to Hendricks has been a productive drift the last couple weeks. Dry fly fishing has slowed as the water has dropped and warmed up.