Apparently February’s weather had a lot of folks staying home. I was able to get out several times and ended up doing OK. As always, pictures first with the report below.

From Dave Kilhefner: got out on the Sandy river a few times in early February and got a couple on spoons. An aquantance had a fun father/son day, hooking a nice fish then handing off the rod to his son who landed this chrome beauty.

The crazy weather last month put a damper on our fishing efforts but a few of us managed to get out and make some good things happen. Pictures are first with the report below.

From Darryl Huff: Got my 1st steelhead on the swung fly January 4th on the Sandy. Went back out the next day got a Wild steelhead on the swing. Had the drag a bit too loose on this one. It went airborne immediately with line coming off the reel too fast. Got out one more time on the 8th before the Sandy blew out & caught one of my top 10 best fighting hatchery steelhead. It had a left max clip and weighed 14.2 pounds.

From Chris Brehm: Spent several days chasing winter Steelhead. Got one little hatchery fish on the Sandy. Released some chrome natives on the Wilson. Stopped by Pyramid Lake NV on a road trip with my wife. No luck for me but I saw some nice fish landed. Hope to get back there soon.

Thanks to everyone for sending in their reports!

Hope everyone enjoyed the Holidays and was able to get out and do some fishing. The big news was Ed and Lane’s trip to Venice…Louisiana! Pictures first with the reports below.

From Lane Hoffman: Did well on some big Lousianna Redfish with Ed, Tom & Ken.

From Wayne Hughes: Fished Hagg lake and found some fat hold over rainbows willing to take some leach patterns fished on a type 3 full sinking line.

Spent a couple of days with the reintroduction of Chum salmon group at the Big Creek Hatchery. We helped relocate about 190 adult Chum salmon back into streams that historically had Chum runs in the past. This program might have some implications on some Willamette river tributaries.

From Darryl Huff: got a nice steelhead on the Sandy in late December. The steelhead run on the Sandy is late this year. The left max clip on this fish indicates that either the sperm or the egg came from a wild fish. 

From Rich Harvey: hit Blue Den Lake for some big trout. Cool/cold weather slowed down the fishing but grinding it out with white streamers paid off.

From Dave Kilhefner: Rich & I hit Big Tree Lake for some afternoon trout fishing for our last trip of 2023. The cold water had the fish moving slow but we managed a few each. Afterwards we got some good food and a cold one at the Clarkes General Store.

Thanks to everyone for sending in your reports!

November is often a sleeper month that can produce some very good fishing when the weather cooperates. For the most part it did. Pictures are first with the reports below.

From Greg Obrien: Went to the Delta with my brother in early November. He did great on stripers up to about 10 lbs and I scratched out a few smaller ones. We also got a few large mouth bass up to 5 lbs; 2/0 clousers with rattle beads were the ticket. Ventured east with a buddy for the only summer steelheading of the year for me and we got a couple, one 29” swinging a floating line/wet fly and one 32” swinging a bunny leech with a sink tip.

From Dan Colish: Hit the Deschutes in late November. It was a good day on euro. Easy to forget how close we are!

From Tanner Kennedy: Fished the Kilchis November 10 & 11^th swinging for chum.  I’ve been fishing that river since the late 1980’s and I don’t think I have ever seen that many chum present before; also don’t know if I have ever seen that many drift boats on the river! Friday the 11^th was crazy from Logger Bridge down, there were at least 50 boats on the river. On the 10^th I was fishing with my son in his boat and we managed to also find some chinook and a beautiful specimen of a native coho.

Thanksgiving morning I took my Son to an OFC Stillwater and we landed some nice rainbows on tiny bugs under indicators. It was really good. We landed 26 fish and made it home in time for Turkey and a nap.  We decided to try again 2 days later and found several more using indicators and stripped fly tactics.

From Darryl Huff: Made multiple trips to the Warm Springs area in November. We caught quite a few nice trout in the 15-19″ range, primarily on egg patterns.

From Craig Kerschen: Catching a Chum Salmon was my bucket list. I was able to make it down to Tillamook Bay for the last day of that season…Nov 15th.

I had hunted Elk up both the Miami and Kilchis rivers so I was familiar with those rivers. It did not take long to find Chum near the 3 mile marker up the Miami. What a thrill! Got a beauty, my first Salmon on a fly rod. 

From Chris Brehm: Spent a cold late November day on Diamond Lake. The Browns are gorgeous this time of year.  

From Mike Shiiki: Had a great day in Warm Springs watching Darryl hog all the hogs, again! It was a great day. My son Nathaniel did well too with a 20+” Redside. 

Also had a good day at OFC Big Tree Lake. The cabbage is starting to die down making it easier to get around.

From Dave Kilhefner: Rich Harvey, Dave Hopkins and I hit OFC Blue Den Lake a couple time. Both days were cold and the fishing was a little slow. We all managed some nice fish but Rich caught two exceptional trout measuring 34” and 31” on big white streamers.

Thanks to everyone for contributing thier reports. We already have some good ones rolling in for December as well.

September is always a good month and this year was no exception. We’ve got some great reports to share; pictures are first with the written reports below.

From Joe Warren & George Krumm: Fishing was pretty good on the Naknek last week. Best fish was 33″! These trout are just like steelhead! Three of our 4 angler group landed trout in excess of 30”. Caught my first arctic char, 28″. I definitely want to go back!

Three of the four anglers in the group landed fish in excess of 30 inches. If you’re interested in going, email George at gkrumm@gci.net.

From Dave Kilhefner: Rich Harvey and I hit the Clackamas above North Fork Reservoir. Fishing was slow but we got a few. The river was lower than ever before and wading was very slippery.

From Lane Hoffman: There are some good reasons to get up early!

From Craig Kerschen: Laurence Lake has fished well all summer. The stocked rainbows are very healthy with 16″ fish fairly common along with small Bull trout and cutthroats. Afternoons will usually have a good Calibaetis hatch. Fishing the west end in float tube on the west end is my favorite approach.

From Dave Kilhefner: managed to combine business with a fishing trip to the St Joe River in the Idaho panhandle for Cutthroat & Whitefish. Fishing was off and on but when it was on, it was on!

From Chris Gardiner: spent 3 nights camping on the Metolious with friends at Lower Bridge campground. Fished between the Hatchery and LB campground. Tons of bug hatches but picky fish for the dry fly action. Picked up all my fish euro nymphing. The big ‘Bow pictured put up a hell of a fight with some screaming reel moments. Fun stuff!

From Matt Baker: I was able to find a few sea run cutthroat on the Wilson with the help of a few past trip reports.  The water was low and fishing somewhat slow but there were a few willing to bite.  Also went up and explored Fish Creek a bit; water was very low but I can confirm there are a few small fish in Fish Creek. 

From Ian Porteous: a mid September personal best coho!

Thanks to everyone for contributing reports this month!

In spite of another hot, extra dry summer August was a good month to get out on the water. As always, pictures first with the reports below.

From Tim McSweeney: Sorry I’ve been so MIA this summer, been fishing a lot! Excited for the next meeting to catch up and swap summertime fish tales. Spent the last week fishing for bull trout on the Metolius and caught a whole bunch of angry fish.

From Matt Isham: McKenzie was straight up good trout fishing! Chernobyl and dropper or skating a dry fly produced action. 

From Chris Brehm: Got out for a few Tuna trips plus a limit of Salmon at Buoy 10.

From Greg O’Brien: Brother visited and I took him out on the Willamette for bass on the fly.  We got a few; always fun and close to home.  

From Jim Behrend: Went to North Santiam once which was not rewarding, and to the Wilson a week ago. It was low and fishing was not great. Hopefully rain will help.

From Dave Kilhefner: Went out on the ocean out of Depoe Bay with Joe Warren. We had good fishing for Rockfish and Tuna plus landed a couple silver salmon. Double limits of crab was a great bonus too!

Thanks to everyone for contributing your reports!