The Fish

Winter is my favorite time to chase steelhead with the fly. The crowds are gone and the fish are big. This is the time when you have a legitimate shot of catching that 20-pound chromer you've been dreaming of.

Our winter season kicks off Thanksgiving on the lower Umpqua. Here we're fishing for chrome-bright fish just off the tide. Some years this can be the most exciting fishing of the winter.

After our first big rains, we will start fishing the South Umpqua. I believe this is the most overlooked fly fishery in the state.

By the first of January we will be fishing the lower North Umpqua, South Umpqua and a number of coastal rivers. Where we fish depends upon on the weather. Versatility plays a big roll in our success.

From mid-Febuary through the first part of April we can start fishing the Rogue, Applegate and upper North Umpqua. The Rogue and Applegate can often be a saving grace in the winter months because of the dam controlled flows. But to go out and truly have a shot at that monster of a lifetime, the North Umpqua in the winter time is a hard place to beat!

My winter guiding (excluding the fly only section of the North Umpqua) are all drift and jet boat trips. The day is usually spent combining both traditional wade and swing fishing along with side-drifting indicators from the boat. Let me make it very clear for you hard core traditional swing fisherman like myself, there is plenty of swing water if that's your thing. We can leave the bobbers at home!

Summer steelhead are what made the Rogue and North Umpqua so famous. Given the warmer water temperatures, these fish are very aggressive and are often caught on dry flies.

Summer fishing begins in April on the Willamette River. These are drift boat trips near the city of Eugene. Most people are chasing spring chinook at this time, so we often have the steelhead water all to ourselves.

By the end of June, our long-awaited summer runs arrive on the North Umpqua. As the only on-sight guide at Steamboat Inn I have guiding access to the North Umpqua's legendary fly only section. This is a special use area of the National Forest with a limited number of guide permits.

Steelhead on the Rogue generally show up in August. As far as numbers go, this is some the best steelhead fishing in the country. Multiple hookups are the norm when drifting the Rogue. This is the longest of all our summer fisheries, extending well into December. As a matter of fact, our best fishing generally starts the end of September when the river flows start dropping. Let me make it very clear for you hard core traditional swing fisherman like myself, there is plenty of swing water if that's your thing. I even catch these fish on dries.

Most of my fall chinook (king salmon) fishing is done on the lower Rogue River. The Rogue boasts chinook salmon runs of over 200,000, rivaling those of the great Alaskan rivers. The Rogue currently holds the world's fly fishing record for chinook (71 pounder!) I wade-fish the gravels bars with a traditional tight-line swing similar to what most people are accustomed to when steelheading. Don't be misled -getting these fish to eat the fly rather than lining them (snagging in the mouth) can prove to be a challenge. Fly fishing for these beasts can be one of the sport's most rewarding endeavors.

The Rogue and North Umpqua may have two of country's most overlooked trout fisheries. One of the few positive things resulting from Lost Creek Dam on the Rogue was the increase in aquatic life resulting from controlled flows. Along with this came a robust trout fishery that never existed prior to the dam. The Rogue's prolific caddis and salmon fly hatches can make for great dry fly fishing for rainbow trout.

The upper section of the North Umpqua has some of the biggest wild trout in the state. You often catch rainbows, cutthroats and browns up to 20 inches all on the same day. Very few people target these fish, so they are uneducated, to say the least. Dumb trout are good trout! There are no weighted flies allowed therefore nymphing is out of the question. Similar to the Rogue, our summer hatches can provide some great dry fly action. Skating muddlers can also be an exciting way to catch these trout.