Category Archives: Steelhead

Days on the clack.

25 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by in Fish, Steelhead

≈ 1 Comment

Hit up the sandy and the Clackamas this week. Tommy and I got out in the raft and hit the sandy when it was high. No results at all,but had a good time in the rain anyway. Hit up the Clackamas the next day with Ian, Brent and I. I hooked up with four fish, and put two to the boat, both hatches. So I got to kill something at least. It was not red hot, but fish were landed, and fun was had. After Ian left, a guide (Forrest Foxworthy) with a jet boat invited us out to do some back trolling. Forrest Foxworthy was one of the most knowledgeable fisherman I have been with for a long time. He knows his stuff to perfection. He fishes the Clackamas, Willamette, Columbia, but his expertise lies on the banks of the Deschutes river. Fishing it for several years, he was one of the first Oregon guides, and the one to get a hold of  to book a great trip with a great guide.

His fee is a minimal amount of only 200 dollars a day. I believe you can’t go wrong with this guide.

 

You can get a hold of him at 1 503 720 6993 to book a trip. You can’t go wrong.

 

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One good article!

09 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in Fly Fishing, Magazines, Steelhead

≈ 1 Comment

Well I made into the new issue of Salmon Steelhead Journal this quarter. They gave me some great props, and wrote a great article about the Situk River and Yakutat Lodge. If you get the chance to take a look that would be great.

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Good luck to you

Flymstr;

This is way to fun!!!!!!

03 Tuesday Mar 2009

Posted by in Creeks, Fish, Fly Fishing, Steelhead

≈ Leave a comment

   Well today was another great day on the creek. I met up today with a fisherman from Utah. You may remember him from the December posting, when we went up for the late summer fish. He was in town again for business, and had the day to hit the creek. I have noticed this year in particular, that the fisherman I have seen, are making their way down the creek at such a high rate of speed, that there is no way they are fishing, or seeing the fish in all the slots and holes along the way. When fishing this creek, you have to take your time and look hard into all the little slots and riffles. When you think you see a slot that is to small to hold a fish, just remember, I will be behind you to get those fish. If a fish is 3 feet long, and 6 inches wide, don’t you think that he can fit into any slot on the creek, “I think so”!.  So with that, I followed Matt down the river, and got into several fish that he left behind. Matt was able to hook up with 3 fish, but they schooled him and live to see me tomorrow. I was able to hook up with 7 fish before I saw Matt, and land 3 of them. After I caught up to Matt, I hooked 2 and landed one real nice hen, of about 12-14 pounds. Around 12:30 I said my goodbyes to Matt and headed back up river to retrieve the one fish I retained earlier. When I got back to the log hole, it was full of fish. I hooked and landed another real nice female, and lost 3 more in that hole. While I was fishing this spot, a fisherman on the other side of the creek wondered down to see what I was doing to get into all these fish. I described the best I could over the sound of the creek, that he needed to shallow up his presentation, and switch to orange, or chartreuse. Five minutes later, up stream, I saw him fighting his very first Steelhead.

“That was great to see”.

So for all you fish porn addicts, here are the pics from the day.

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Good luck out there.

Flymstr;

Going in Tomorrow

11 Wednesday Feb 2009

Posted by in Creeks, Fish, logs, Steelhead, Streams

≈ 1 Comment

Ok Matt and I are going in tomorrow to look for the log jam. If we find it, then we can get someone to remove it and the fish can get going on up river. If you read this before tomorrow morning, we will be there at about 7 am and then we are just going to start walking in until we find it, or it gets dark, Ha Ha. Anyway if you want to join, be at the hatchery parking lot up by the mail box where we all park to walk in to fish. We will be getting under way at about 7:15 am. Hope to see someone else there to help.

 

Aaron;

Silvers and Chinook on the Fly

12 Sunday Oct 2008

Posted by in Fish, Fly Fishing, Rivers, Rods and Reels, Salmon, Steelhead, Streams, Trout

≈ 1 Comment

Well it took me awhile to get off the couch and really go out fishing.

Today I went down to the Oregon coast to seek out some bright Coho, and Chinook Salmon. I found a bunch of them. We fished the Trask river, just this side of Tillamook, and the fishing was great for the fly rod. I went with my buddy Steve, and again I had to show him how it was done. Steve spotted the first fish of the day, on a quick stop along the side of the road to pee, he looked down and saw two nice Chinook. We got our gear together and went in for the slaughter. It took abit of time to get things in order and to start getting into the rhythm needed to successfully fish. After about 15 minutes worth of warm up time, we started hooking up. I got into four fish in the first hour, and Steve hit into two. That was the last I heard from Steve almost the rest of the day, but I had just begun. We headed up river, and found another location, where we could see fish. We got the gear out again, and now it was really time to start hooking up. In the next five hours, I hooked approximately 20 fish or more, landed about 11, and Steve touched one, and got another one to the bank.  Tough day on the Steve man!!!. It was a great day, and the best was the 35 pound Chinook on the 8 weight fly rod and 10 pound test. Here are the pics from today. Steve is holding the one that he was able to bring to the beach, the rest are the ones I talked into giving up. We did not retain any of these fish, for they were all natives.

 

Hit the fly Great Fish Bright one Red Silver Big Chinook Nice Fish Red Silver Bright Fish Big Silver Nice Fish Perfect Slver Steve's big one

 

Good luck out there!!

 

 

Flymstr;

River Loggin’

11 Friday Apr 2008

Posted by in Creeks, Fish, Fly Fishing, logs, Rods and Reels, Steelhead, Streams

≈ 1 Comment

The wind is blowing, the snow is falling, and my partner and I are heading down to the boat launch for the first time of the year from the Yakutat Lodge. You may think the boat is full of fishing gear and clients. You couldn’t be more mistaken. In the boat today is materials for fixing the tent camp, which is a small wood frame cabin about 5 miles down the river. The cabin is used by fisherman every season to utilize as much of the river for fishing as possible. Most who use the cabin will float and fish the top five miles, then stay in the cabin for the night. In the morning they will then float and fish the remainder of the river. Doing this enables an angler to really fish the entire river without having to hurry down. The cabin is mainly used for Steelhead season.Hanging out of the boat We have extra sleeping bags, coleman stove and lanterns, batteries for the electric starter on the kerosene stove, and of course all the staples for camping, including salt, pepper, coffee, butter, and pots, pans, and silverware. Though these things are certainly important for the clients using the tent camp, you have to be able to get to the tent camp. This is where the wood eaters come into play. Along for the ride is a Stihl 026, and a Stihl 066 chainsaw. Without these companions along for the journey, you wouldn’t make it very far. As we exhaustingmake the first turn down stream I am waiting to see the first of many obstructions left behind by the violent winter storms that sweep through the area on a regular basis. Every thing looks good, and I think maybe this year it will be clear and I won’t have to cut my way through. Now we have made it through some of the worst area’s and I am feeling confident. We make it to the tent camp without a hitch. With the tent camp cleaned up and ready for the first guests of the year, we head down to the area of one of the worst log jams on the river. I am praying that it washed out over the winter, I am wrong. As we come around the corner I can see there is no way through. Eventhough the jet boat operators have cut the logs above the water, leaving only the logs left just under the water. The jet boats have the ability to slide right over the top of these submerged logs, our drift boats are not so equipped. So as we come up to the hemlock tree that was ironically toppled by one of the resident beavers, we drop the anchor and asses the situation.  I get out of the boat and call for the 026 saw. Not being a big tree I assumed this saw would do the trick. The log is situated about 10″Saw  under water in a fairly slow moving section, allowing me to get out and stand in the water with the log. I started in and within seconds the water had the Stihl screaming for more power. So with that I grabbed the big boy 066. The power of this saw is incredible, and water doesn’t slow it down a bit. A couple minutes later 3 sections of the tree are floating away through the current and we now have a opening to drift on through. We were very lucky this year. I only had to cut this one log from the float. and the rest of the river was wide open. now you know what takes place before you arrive to drift the Situk river. Here are a few more pics and a little video.

Saw wedged  Log Jam Log jam saw wedged

Well I have given what I promised, but I know what you really want. STEELHEAD.

       Here they are! I spent about 2 hours on the lower end this evening, and hooked up with some real nice fish.As I was fishing the a run with about ten fish in it, a couple of fisherman I has helped out earlier that day. When they got to area I was at, I had already landed two nice fish and was working on my third, The bite had slowed for about 20 casts, so I asked the guys if they wanted to toss in their bobbers and jigs and see what happened. I was sure it would not be to long before they would hook up. About 10 casts later the first on was hooked up, and he landed a nice spring fish. Not to much after that the other guy got into one, but the button came undone before he got any real fight out of it. I knew that the fish had turned off from my fly that was drifted along the bottom, and I also knew that they would bite a suspended jig sent down in front of them. I also knew that if they could hook a few, that would be my ticket to getting more myself. Once the two fish were hooked up, I saw the group make a big circle and start darting in and out of the seam. They were riled up and ready for action again. As soon as the button came out of the second one, they politely excused them self’s, asked if the next run was a good bet, I said it was (And it was, I hooked one there after they went through) and with a thank you and a invitation to buy me dinner (Which I may just take them up on) they headed on down river. Soon after they walked away I hooked a tail jerker (A fish that runs into your hook and gets stuck in the tail) I pulled him in and released without a picture(Just not fair to get a pic of a fouled fish). Minutes later I was hooked up with a biter. Landing that fish and hooking three more, I left these fish to them self’s and heading on down. As I went on down I was able to land another chrome spring Steelie and then it was over. I headed back for dinner and now I think about the ones I didn’t get.  I will see them tomorrow up river. HAHAHAHA

Beauty Steelie Bobber and Jig

Flymstr;

The Natives are coming? I Think!!

20 Thursday Mar 2008

Posted by in Fish, Rivers, Salmon, Steelhead

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Well to those who are waiting for the Eagle Creek natives they are still a no show. Recent conversations with the hatchery staff have led me to beleive that if the natives do show it will not be until April. The run came early this year and that was that!!!  Gene, at the hatchery said that around 35 fish entered the trap at the hatchery since the 10th of the month. The good news is that the fish that are arriving seem to be in good shape still, leaving me to hope that there are still groups in the Clackams River just waiting to shoot up. The cold water may be the biggest factor in the late arrival of the natives. With warming waters will bring new fish in and the natives will show up then also. On the other hand, this is the year of the return of the Chinook into the creek. Five years ago there were 60 thousand smolt dumped in at the Eagle Fern park just above the first ladder. Since then the number of smolts released has increased, and the dump site has been pushed up the creek to a private landowners property just below the hatchery. So eventhough all the Chinook may not return all the way to the hatchery this year, you can bet on a good run next year, since the number of smolts has gone up to 200,000 for the last 3 years.

So look for the big boys to return soon.

Flymstr;