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| 2008 Metro Summer Steelhead Preview |
| With many anglers focusing
on trout during the summer months, it's a great time to
start paying attention to Summer Steelhead throughout the "extended"
Portland Metro Area. Let us help you get prepped for the 2008
Summer Steelhead season. We'll predict and forecast the
rivers closest to the Metro Area. |
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Travel Time
from Downtown Portland: 30 ~ 45 minutes.
The Clack' has been an outstanding Summer Steelhead option
over the years, as river and road access to the river is easy
to come by. Most of the parks alongside the system offer great
walk and wade opportunities and being less that 40 minutes away
from downtown, the Clack is an ideal escape for metro anglers
before or after work.
This year however, expect wading at some of your favorite runs
to be harder due to higher flows. Crossing the river will not
be an option in many places until much later in the summer.
A boat, raft or pontoon will now make the most sense or going
on a guided float trip is another great option.
There's a large difference in CFS flows between 12.5 feet and
14.5 feet. Use caution when wading.
At 12.5 feet the CFS is usually around 2700 CFS!
At 14.5 feet the CFS is usually around 6800 CFS!
Ideal conditions for fishing feathers and fur is a reading of
11.50 ~ 12.80 feet on the Estacada Gauge, or so we used to preach!
But this spring, with steady flows, water has been green to
dark green though high. (Typically high water such as 14.5 feet
equates into murky water!) With that said, the water will probably
cloud up as soon as we hit air temps in the upper 80's
again. Until then, you should be fine! Expect the Clackamas
to run high most of the summer, but again note that high and
stable water flows should not affect the Clack' as much
as they do in February and March. With a cooler spring and early
summer, the water released from the dam has been less murky
and has s nice greenish tint and the river has been fishable.
The higher water level will force anglers close to the banks
making for a tough back cast. A two hander or switch rod will
due wonders this summer and fall for close in casting.
Clackamas Summer Steelhead are of the Skamania strain. Returns
at the hatchery last year were 400 fish, obviously this number
doesn't count fish caught and retained by anglers. Water
temperatures have been cooler this year, making the run a little
later than normal. The run is expected to be "good"
as usual as reported by ODFW. Late June through mid July will
be peak this year, but fish will continue to trickle in throughout
as late as October.
Only about 20 summers have been trapped at the hatchery as of
today. The hatchery is not running juveniles at the moment.
Reported numbers of fish already caught have been "fair
to good" and should continue to improve. In fact, late
reports have been very good. All summer Steelhead will have
the right maxillary clipped as well as the adipose fin. It's
not uncommon to encounter fish weighing in the mid teens. Clackamas
Summer Steelhead are "above average" size for Oregon
summer fish and most are exceptional fighters.
With water this high, stick (not to be confused with high sticking!)
to your winter tactics, unless you see fish holding in skinny
water. Larger Intruder style flies in Purple, Blue, Orange,
Pink and Black are always solid producers, with fire engine
Red being a sleeper color. T-14 custom mini tips and sink tips
in type 2 thru 6 should be in your tip wallet mix. As the water
warms up, think about scaling back the size of the fly a touch
and if it really warms, dial back the tip too. Once waters return
to normal flows (if they do), definitely switch to floating
and intermediate tips and your favorite summer flies.
Guide Info: Jad Donaldson. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your
trip.
_ day float trip (1st light to noon) $ 275.00 up to two people,
no lunch.
Full day float trip (1st light to 4:00 pm) $ 450.00 up to two
people, lunch. |
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Travel Time from Downtown
Portland: 45 ~ 60 minutes.
We Oregonians often overlook our neighboring rivers up north,
and the Kalama River is no exception. From downtown Portland
you can be waist deep in water in less than 45 minutes! River
access on the Kalama is great for the walk and wade angler and
the road follows the river in many places. The river is relatively
small, but floating is also a great way to go. Due to its size
the Kalama is a great river to learn on.
The water temperature in early June this year has been more
reminiscent of a typical early May! Temperatures are only 47-48
degrees, 3 degrees cooler than norma. Like the rest of the Northwest,
cold runoff from snowmelt is to blame. Peak of the run, both
hatchery and wild fish, is usually the last week in June to
the first week in July, but expect the majority of the fish
to be a week or two behind schedule this year. Fish will continue
to trickle in during autumn.
With no river gauge on the Kalama and additional snow pack waiting
to melt, predicting the mood of the Kalama is a little tougher
than usual this year. The river will run higher than normal,
which actually could improve conditions throughout summer and
fall especially during mid day. Should you be in doubt about
current water levels, use the EF Lewis River gauge on NOAA.com
and look for CFS flows less than 1200 cfs and dropping. The
Kalama usually drops and clears 24-48 hours after the EF Lewis
does. Visibility of 3 feet or better is preferred.
The Kalama has a healthy population of wild fish. Returns are
estimated at about 700-1000 fish this year. All native fish
are ported upstream to the canyon section of the river. The
Canyon stretch is fly fishing catch and release only and a great
spot for fly anglers to probe the pockets of the river. The
trap at the upper hatchery (located 8.5 miles upstream) allows
hatchery workers to sort out hatchery fish from wild fish. However,
this year a few Brood stock hatchery fish have been inserted
with a snout-tag (not visible!) and will be let free in the
Canyon stretch! Even these fin clipped Brood stock fish must
be released unharmed.
Both hatcheries located on the Kalama receive returns of summer
hatchery Steelhead. In great numbers I might add! The hatcheries
(combined) expect 1500-2000 Steelhead to enter the river. Fish
are always spread throughout the whole system, as hatchery fish
are recycled back downstream weekly during summer and fall.
The limit for adult hatchery steelhead is three. Regulations
could change and frequently do. We'll keep you posted
via our normal fishing reports.
With the closure of Spring Chinook fishing, Summer Steelhead
anglers should see less pressure and have more room to swing
this year, making the Kalama River an even more attractive close
escape.
Techniques on the Kalama have always been a mixed bag, ranging
from traditional swinging methods with dry lines and smaller
flies (both wet and skaters) to nymphing techniques, and even
night fishing tactic's. Night fishing has been closed
for the year; however, and with higher than normal water fishing
a skater this year might be a bit optimistic. We suggest you
revert back to your winter tactics with tips and leeches. See
Clackamas Report for fly patterns. |
Travel Time
from Downtown Portland: 20 ~ 45 minutes.
The Sandy River can be quite moody as glacial snow melt can
blow out the river with little notice. Record snow packs on
Mt. Hood assure we can expect even more runoff this year. Call
us at the shop and ask for updated information about current
conditions.
The river has gone through some changes with the removal of
Marmot Dam, but the fish are returning regardless and summer
fish have been reported caught since April. Fish caught so far
have been of great size as well. Expect the "larger"
trend to continue. With lower water temps, the run is expected
to peak in mid July through August. Cedar Creek is running in
the low 50's and the main stem of the Sandy is still a
few degrees shy of 50.
Only 3 summers have been trapped at the intake as of June 5th,
but again, cooler water is keeping the fish in the main stem.
Anglers congregate around the Cedar Creek Fish Hatchery, but
floating the river will get you away from the masses. The hatchery
expects around 400-500 fish to be trapped, not including the
fish retained by anglers. All fish trapped will be recycled
downstream, giving anglers a second chance. All Sandy summer
hatchery fish are from the Santiam strain. They will have an
adipose fin missing only. Very few strays visit the Sandy River.
Until the Sandy drops to "normal" summer levels
(sub 1600 CFS) continue using winter methods. Larger flies and
tips will dominate the scene right now. Pink and orange have
always been good colors on the Sandy, but with murky water,
black, purple and blue could be better choices.
Fishing is now open from the Salmon River/Sandy Junction near
Brightwood, downstream to the mouth. With the removal of Marmot
Dam, crossing the river above Dodge Park will be much harder
and not recommended. We recommend hiring a guide for the day
to get familiar with the new "surroundings".
Guide Info: Jad Donaldson. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your
trip.
Full day float trip: $ 450.00 up to two people. |
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Travel Time from Downtown
Portland: 60 ~ 90 minutes.
Unlike the turbid rivers in the valley on the east side of the
coastal range, the Wilson and Trask are running low and clear.
The North Coast Rivers, in general, will run low and clear until
we receive the 1st heavy rain come September or October.
With impressive numbers of hatchery fish returning to the Wilson,
its mind boggling that only few anglers are seen swinging flies
for summer Steelhead. Spring Chinook fishing has been trying
this year and the crowds are down, you should find plenty of
elbow room out on these rivers to both swing flies and run drifts.
As many as 1500- 2000+ hatchery fish are believed to call the
Wilson and Trask their respected summer homes this year (combined).
Only the Wilson River is planted with hatchery smolt, but as
many as 30-35% adults from the Wilson return as strays to the
nearby Trask River. The strain of fish is of the Siletz origin,
which is the only true north coast coastal native summer run
fish. All fish will have a clipped adipose and right ventral
fin. Expect fish to weigh in at 5-10 pounds with some larger.
The run usually peaks in mid June, but expect the run to be
a little late this year. Only few reports have surfaced, mainly
lack of angling pressure, but scattered chromers have been caught
for over 2 months now.
Walk and wade access on the Wilson is great along HWY 6. The
highway follows the river all the way to Tillamook and there
are plentiful pull outs and can easily be spotted while driving.
There is private property along the way, and some "holes"
are quite popular with swimmers in the heat of summer. Best
fishing will take place from the confluence of the South Fork
(near Elk Creek Campground) down to the Donaldson Bar boat launch
past the old Guide Shop. Bear in mind that summer levels are
often too low to float in a drift boat, but low flows make for
a great pontoon river.
Many fish tend to roam around much higher in the system come
late July. Cooler water temps and better oxygen levels found
higher in the system. Fish will sometime pod together in pools
during the day, but early mornings and around dusk fish can
be found in faster riffles and tailouts, looking for more oxygenated
water.
Traditional swinging techniques with floating lines are the
preferred method here. We like traditional steelhead flies such
as the Green Butt Skunk, Kaufmann's Freight Train and
Stetzer's Bomber. In the last few years smaller summer
leeches has been more and more common as well. Hickman's
Fish Taco fits this trend.
Nymphing techniques are also a great way to find fish, especially
in the boulder gardens. Your box should consist of smaller trout
style nymphs in size 8-12, even down to a size 14. Also, don't
discount the power of a size 6-10 mill glo bugs or bead. Even
trout anglers can "cross over" using a big 6 weight
rod here, as delicate presentation can be needed in low and
clear water. |
Travel Time
from Downtown Portland: 2 ~ 3 hours
Not exactly a close-in Metro option, but with the Siletz having
both hatchery and wild fish "we squeezed" this river
in our forecast for an added option. A stellar option that is!
The Siletz River has the only native run of Steelhead on the
coast range. 327 wild fish were trapped last year at the Falls
(RM 64.5) with an additional 2000 hatchery fish on top of that.
The hatchery fish collected in the trap were donated to the
Oregon Food Bank, used for stream enrichment with some recycled
downstream to give anglers a second chance. All recycled fish
will be marked with a floy (spaghetti) tag. Sportfishing harvests
of Siletz hatchery summer steelhead from catch card estimates
(1994 ~ 2005) range from 500 ~ 3200 per year.
Best walk and wade access is from Moonshine Park upstream to
the deadline at Siletz Falls. Be aware that access in the Canyon
area near the deadline is not available during the week, as
the roads are blocked by locked gates. You can however access
this area on the weekends.
Access below Moonshine Park is best by boat, although some scattered
areas are still accessible by foot. Adequate flows are needed
however, as the river can be too low at times especially come
late summer.
Techniques are similar to the Wilson River report above, but
note that glo bugs and 10 mill milked beads are deadly come
August and September as steelhead will be in areas where Chinook
are spawning. As an added bonus, the Siletz has a great population
of Sea Run Cutthroat. They follow Chinook into the river and
are suckers for glo bugs and beads July through September. |
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