Newsletter

I am a bit late with my newsletter this spring for good reason. I am currently in the middle of a heated debate on the catch and release of our wild winter steelhead on the Umpqua system. I have truly been torn the last couple weeks between spending time supporting our fish and doing the necessary desk work for my business. Unfortunately, this battle comes at a time when I am supposed to be spending my off-season reacquainting myself with my family. Both my family and I agree that this is a cause worth sacrificing for. I will dedicate a fair share of the back of this page discussing this issue in detail. Please help support our fish!

I do have some big news to share with many of you who I have not seen since the last summer/fall season. On Thanksgiving Day, my wife Alex gave birth to our daughter Dyllyn McCrea Howell. We could both not be more excited about her addition to our family. Our son Boden is now 2 ½ years old and is growing like a weed. I would bet my paycheck he can already out spey cast most of you. We’ll maybe not, but he is pretty savvy at the bluegill pond!

Many of you who have received my newsletters in the past, may want to skip the rest of this page. It just explains what I have on tap for the coming summer season, very much the same way my previous letters have done. BUT, please check out the highlights from the past winter on the back of this page. If you have not yet fished with me in the winter, these highlights are guaranteed to spark your interest.

WILLAMETTE (May - June)- This is the first of our summer steelhead fisheries to kick into gear. It is also one of Oregon’s most overlooked steelhead runs. These fish are big, strong, and aggressive to the fly. Some of the hottest fish I see each summer are from the Willamette. These are drift boat trips where we get out of the boat and wade fish. The day is spent swing fishing big classic runs that are easy to wade and are user-friendly. The Willamette provides an opportunity for the hardcore steelhead angler to get an early crack at a fish. It’s also a great chance for the beginner spey caster to be able to wade comfortably, get help with their cast, and catch a couple of screamin’ fish on the swing.

NORTH UMPQUA (mid-June - November)- For those of you who have never experienced the North Umpqua, it is a must to put on your list of places to fish. The river and its fish are arguably the most beautiful in the world. There are few places that offer a better opportunity to catch a steelhead on the dry fly. Last summer, most of the fish my guests caught were on the surface. If you have never had the rush of a steelhead launch itself out of the water after your fly, you’re missing out on one of the sport’s most incredible experiences. Along with the fishing, a stay at the legendary Steamboat Inn (www.thesteamboatinn.com) can complete your trip to the North Umpqua. It can make for a memorable experience for the hard-core angler as well as couples looking for a nice getaway.

ROGUE (August - December)- This is a fishery where multiple fish are the norm. I just plan on catching fish here. Lots of them! I am not at all surprised to end the day with double digits on the Rogue. I often use my jet boat here to access sections of the river that can’t be reached by many of the drift boats. We are out of the boat wade/swing fishing. Yes, I said swing fishing on the Rogue! Forget about what everybody says about having to nymph fish on the Rogue. One day swinging flies and feeling that BIG GRAB and I guarantee you’ll put your indicators away until winter.

*Bookings or questions, please contact me at (541) 608-0403 or scott@scotthowellfishing.com.

**Be sure to check out my new website. I am fortunate to have Josh Frazier and the folks at Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters helping me redesign my entire site. It should be done soon! You will still find me at:



For those of you familiar with my newsletter format, you would expect my second page to start with the last season’s highlights. After all, it is the only part of the letter worth reading! This year I want to dedicate a portion of my newsletter to a much more important issue. That issue is helping to protect the world-class fishery we have right here on the Umpqua System. We are in the middle of a battle right now with ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife) and a group of local anglers over the current catch and release regulations on the system’s steelhead. Some of you may be aware of the fact that with A LOT of help from other concerned anglers, a petition filed last year by a small group of guides passed and restricted the killing of any wild steelhead on the Umpqua. You say, ”GREAT!” Well, it turned out that was only the beginning of the battle. As we headed into ’08 we found out that ODFW got their feelings hurt and basically rallied the support of local “kill’em all” anglers to have the commission’s decision reversed.

The issue is pretty cut and dry. If you believe in preserving our wild steelhead stocks, this is a fight you should be a part of. I am not asking you to help us bring our fish back. We still have them. We are just hoping to experiment with a concept that ODFW and many other fish agencies around the world have failed to try. We are hoping to be proactive this time and save the system while its wild fishery is still somewhat in tact.

How can I help? Several ways: (1) At the very least, PLEASE get on my website and sign the petition. (2) Forward an e-mail to every person you know and have them sign the petition (whether they fish or not). (3) Contact me and I will send you hard-copies of the petition and you can carry one in your car, take it to your fly club meeting, or take it to your local fly shop. (4) Maybe most importantly – send a personal letter to the Oregon Fish and Game Commission expressing your concern of the issue. Once again please contact me if you need help with this. These letters weigh heavy with the commission. Send to: ODFW Regulations, Attn: Rhine Messmer 3406 Cherry Av. NE, Salem, OR 97303-4924 or rhine.t.messmer@state.or.us (5) The only things that carries more weight is if you would join us at the August 8th commission meeting in Salem and let your voice be heard. That’s what put us over the top last year. The best hope we have of winning this battle is if we show the catch and release of wild steelhead is what the public wants. For a more detailed description of the issue please check out the petition page of my website or the article I wrote in the May edition of Salmon, Trout, & Steelheader magazine.

A LOOK BACK...

At the end of April I finished what ended up being another winter season of solid fishing. As wild steelhead runs decline all around us from BC to Northern California, Southern Oregon continues to boast robust returns. I once again saw days this winter that stretch the limits of what most people even think is possible in a days fishing. I can’t help but mention just a few of the highlights from “The Daves”:
SD!- “Super Dave” Laurence started ‘08 off right by having my first double-digit day of the season on NEWS YEARS DAY when he went 8 for 10 on fresh winters. This year was well deserved! He missed out on an epic day last year when he had to send Charles Lilley in his place. Charles started that day with a 37” chrome buck after about 20 seconds of fishing and ended the day hooking well into the mid-teens.
BIG WAVE!- It has about gotten to the point that most people don’t recognize my boat without Dave “Big Wave” Fredericks in the front of it. Dave and I fish a lot together. We have the same mind-set on the water and we fish hard. So, it was no surprise he had of one of my best days on the river this winter. The last day of Dave’s January trip we spent most of the day in one run catching big shiny fish nearly at will.
DAVE “Mr. LUCKY” SOUTHER!- Dave is just one of those guys that seems to always bring good luck into my boat. Our relationship started out several years ago when he went 13 for 19 one day with me on coastal winter runs. His luck proved no different this year when he put his hands on a 23-25lb Umpqua buck. It was truly a massive fish. Don’t worry – you’ll see it on my Christmas card!

THANK YOU! Most of all, I want to thank all of you who continue to fish with me and make my business successful. I could not be more thankful to have the return guests that I do.

Contact Scott
(541) 608-0403
Scott@ScottHowellFishing.com