Current Fishing Report

Our host Cory Drenon took these photos today at Eagle Canyon.

We could use some rain here on the coast to bring a new batch of chrome into the rivers here in Southern Oregon.  It looks like we will be getting some here on Tuesday. I've had a great season so far with my dedicated spey clients.  Just about everyone has had opportunities swinging flies on rivers both big and small this season.  I expect some pretty amazing opportunites to come once we get some rain, particularly on our smaller rivers.  I just have a few open days left for the season before I pack it in and get ready for my Mexico Tarpon trip.  If the rain doesn't come soon, I will open up some more days in March, which fished great for me last year.

A dime bright winter fish

Jess on her first day of speycasting...impressive!

Doug swinging a perfect tailout on a remote river

Here are some more photos of our Project Healing Waters day at Eagle Canyon.  These photos were taken by Pat Young with Western Outdoor News.  Thanks Pat!

And a few more photos from Pat Young at Western Outdoor News.  Project Healing Waters had a great day at Eagle Canyon!

Eagle Canyon hosted Project Healing Waters today.  The local chapter is supported by the Shasta/Trinity Fly Fishers.  They brought up a group of 12 veterans.  This group has been practicing casting, building rods, and learning to tie flies.  Today they all got to take their fishing experience to the next level by hooking and playing some very large trout.  All of the veterans landed at least one fish.  The hot fly today was the rubberlegs stonefly, but fish were also caught on size 16 pheasant tails, glo-bugs, san juan worms, zebra midges, and various streamer patterns.  The fish ranged in size from 3 pounds to 12 pounds!  It was a great event.  We even had the local Action News reporters out.  Check out the spot they aired last night: click here

Todd landing a big one

Fish on!

Todd hooks another one!

Fishing on the Trinity has been up and down over the past few days but it was really good to us today.  Mike from Missoula caught his first ever Trinity River steelhead and then caught 3 more.  They were all wild fish, too!  The highlight of the day was sight-fishing to a group of fish holding against some boulders.  Another bonus today: we hardly saw any other boats or fishermen.

Mike sight-fished this steelhead

Here are some photos from today at Eagle Canyon.

We took a break from steelheading today and fished for trout at Lewiston Lake.  The trout are cruising in large pods right now and we were able to do a lot of sight-fishing.  Dry & dropper worked very well for Burt, and his son Scott did really well with nymphs under an indicator.  Burt even had a few grabs on his dry fly.  This fishery will only get better as the weather warms up over the next two months.

Scott's big fish of the day

I enjoyed a nice day on the Trinity today with Ramon and Stefan from the Bay Area.  We landed two wild steelhead and a nice brown trout.  Today was the first day this season that I saw a large brown trout rising to march brown dries.  Over the next five weeks we should have more and more dry fly action as the weather warms up.

Stefan knows how to hold a fish

Dell from Folsom with two very nice rainbows

The winter steelhead season has been pretty classic overall thus far. It rains, rivers rise, then drop into shape, then out of shape. I've seen a steelhead exceeding 20lbs crush a swung fly, chased 1000 yards downstream around corners and through branches, and actually landed by Brady Johnstone...truly an amazing moment. Did some epic sight fishing with my clients Jeff and Gary, along with some classic local steelhead legends. No fish were hooked though, but good times were had and new friends made. Winter Steelhead, you just gotta love it.

The winter steelhead season has been pretty classic overall thus far. It rains, rivers rise, then drop into shape, then out of shape. I've seen a steelhead exceeding 20lbs crush a swung fly, chased 1000 yards downstream around corners and through branches, and actually landed by Brady Johnstone...truly an amazing moment. I saw a my buddy Gino get my raft mega stuck between two rocks, and with some manly help from Kenny Moorish get it out somehow. The three of us professional anglers then hooked 7 steelhead, and managed to somehow lose each and every one of them....classic. Did some epic sight fishing with my clients Jeff and Gary, along with some classic local steelhead legends. No fish were hooked though, but good times were had and new friends made. Winter Steelhead, you just gotta love it.

The winter steelhead season has been pretty classic overall thus far. It rains, rivers rise, then drop into shape, then out of shape. I've seen a steelhead exceeding 20lbs crush a swung fly, chased 1000 yards downstream around corners and through branches, and actually landed by Brady Johnstone...truly an amazing moment. I saw a my buddy Gino get my raft mega stuck between two rocks, and with some manly help from Kenny Moorish get it out somehow. The three of us professional anglers then hooked 7 steelhead, and managed to somehow lose each and every one of them....classic. Did some epic sight fishing with my clients Jeff and Gary, along with some classic local steelhead legends. No fish were hooked though, but good times were had and new friends made. Winter Steelhead, you just gotta love it.

We hosted the Veterans First Fly Fishing group at Eagle Canyon today.  We had incredible weather, a great group of veterans, some dedicated volunteers, and a lot of cooperative fish!  All of the veterans landed fish, some of them even made it into double digits both in numbers and in size!  It was a great event and I look forwarding to hosting this group again next year.

Fred with the big fish of the day

Mike landed some really nice fish

I took the Confluence Outfitters advanced scouting team to Lewiston Lake today.  Conditions are perfect right now and I spotted many pods of fish.  There isn't much of a hatch yet, but the subsurface fishing should be highly productive.  Lewiston Lake is a great place to enjoy a relaxing day on the water.  We typically have high numbers of hookups with typical fish being 12-14 and the occasional fish up to 18 or 20.  February, March and April are my favorite months on Lewiston Lake. FYI, if you want to see tons of steelhead, take a drive up to the Lewiston fish hatchery below Lewiston dam. 

Madison and Mackenzie enjoying snack time

Tons of fish in the viewing window today

We often refer to the southern Oregon Coast as the Big-Game Hunting equivalent of steelheading, and this is why.  Brady Johnstone hooked and landed this giant steelhead about four days ago on a guide trip with Dax Messett.  According to Dax, they had to chase this fish on foot for hundreds of yards before they could land it.  Dax estimates the length to be between 38 and 40 inches.  Brady caught it by swinging a fly on his spey rod.  Nice job, Brady!

Brady with a big fish and a big smile

I guided Mike and Allen from the Peninsula Fly Fishers club today.  River conditions continue to be ideal.  The river is blown out below Douglas City but nice and green above.  Soon the whole river will be steelhead green.  We found both of our fish in the afternoon.  Mike learned how to cast a spey rod today and was rewarded with his first spey rod steelhead.  Allen hooked and played a nice fish, too.

Mike with his first steelie on a spey rod

After 3 weeks of dry weather we finally got a good storm on Wednesday that put some color in the water.  Randy and I guided a group of 4 from Sacramento on Thursday - their timing was perfect.  Randy guided client Ray into a really big wild buck steelie.  Everyone in the group caught adult fish, most of them wild.  We also hooked quite a few browns.  Fish ate everything from egg patterns to big stonefly nymphs and size 14 copper johns.  Conditions should be perfect for a few more days...

RJ Miller with a huge fish

Mike and his lucky hat

JB with his big fish of the day

I just got back from fishing two Southern Oregon coastal rivers with Gino. The first day was spent on an eight mile float about an hour from our base camp. Low, clear water conditions made the fishing a bit tough but Gino did land a nice buck in the eight pound range. The last day we drifted another small coastal river a few miles further north. This river has more natural color so the fishing was a bit easier. I hooked a fish around 26, Gino hooked two nice fish. Both rivers fished good but low water made it more difficult than normal. The weather forcast calls for rain by the middle of next week. This will bring the rivers up and more fish into the system. If you can get away you have to try these coastal rivers!

The Trinity River continues to fish well.  We are hooking multiple fish per day.  There are some fresh wild fish down around Junction City and plenty of hatchery fish up around Lewiston right now.  Egg patterns and rubberlegs stones have been the most productive flies for us.  Morning temps have been around 20 degrees, but highs have been around 60 at 3pm!  Bring lots of layers!  It's probably not a coincidence that the best fishing has been in the afternoon!

Paul with a nice fish on the line