Water Time Outfitters 2013 Highlights of the Year

It has been a great year with fantastic clients like you!  We just wanted to thank you for your participation in our 2013 season with Water Time Outfitters.  It has been busy with some amazing highlights.  We are glad that you could be a part of it.  We look forward to spending time on the water with you in 2014.  Here are a few of the many highlights from the year.

The first one of the day.

The BIG ONE!

Clive Furrows of San Diego with several amazing wild fish from one exceptional day on the N. Oregon coast.  After many years fishing BC and around the world Clive landed his biggest steelhead ever on a #7 weight spey rod.  By the measurements this fish         easily went 23.3lbs. Congrats Clive!

Congrats to Adam Straw who landed his first steelhead on the fly rod this year on the Clackamas River.  He was swinging a marabou spey pattern with a sink tip and hooked two in one morning.  Adam had that smile on his face for at least a week!

Jim Drew (photo to right) snuck this dandy chromer out of the run right behind a fly fishing legend.  He did it so non-chalantly that I had to give him mega credit.  His friend and fly fishing guru wanted Jim’s fly after the dust settled from the camera shutters. 

New guide in training- my son Tanner at the tiller on the jet sled.  Oh yeah, he landed a steelhead that day too!

Happy New Year!

 Fly fishing for shad in June was a definite highlight- what a blast!  We did ½ day trips morning and evening for shad and averaged 40 hook ups each 4 hours.  We had many doubles, saw huge sturgeon jump right in front of us and even caught some dandy smallmouth bass. 

 Tanner Crandall got in on the action and hauled in this whopper shad. (Left)




Jon Hill worked over the shad pretty good but was surprised when he brought in this red eyed devil- a      hard fighting Smallmouth Bass.

Deschutes River Trout fishing was good this year.  We had so much fun!  A favorite trip was hanging out in one camp for three days.  There were so many caddis in July- the word blizzard comes close to describing it!

Don Lewis and Henry M. had a productive trip on the lower D. this year in early September.  Don commented: “What is wrong, I can’t get this one in”… that’s because it’s a big strong steelie in it’s prime Don!

Jeff Evershed hit it just right this fall on the lower Deschutes; one of those rare days when it is overcast and a bit rainy.  We stopped counting after he had 10 hookups on steelhead.  Fish were rolling everywhere! 

  

An epic morning on the Deschutes(right), we watched 30 bighorn sheep across the river, had deer 15 yards away and landed this dandy steelhead and lost one the first stop of the day!

Thanks again for all the wonderful days on the water this year.  There are so many, many more stories and pics that are also highlights.  

All the very best to you and yours for 2014!

From the Crew at Water Time Outfitters: Rob Crandall, Gil Muhleman, Marty Smith and Kenny Kiley  

Good News for Oregon Salmon

Record Runs of Fall salmon surge up the Columbia River.  Nearly 1,000,000 fish in the run!

Check out the related story at:  http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/09/fall_chinook_salmon_run_on_col.html

Fishing Report - end of March

Lots going on with this time of year for Steelhead fishing.  It's that crazy time of year where the weather can't make up it's mind if it is going to be winter or spring.  Just yesterday we saw snow on the morning drive, sun, rain, hail, wind, sun and more snow on the drive home.  Ok, dress up in the gortex, thermals and let's got there is so much to do!  Trout fishing is just around the corner and people are already starting to talk about salmon flies.  While fishing the coast we have been seeing March Browns and actually a large stone flapping on the water before us yesterday.

Coastal steelhead:  It's been a bit slower than last year in most cases but consistent fishing since January.  We've seen a lot of low water this year and have finally received a few blasts of rain.  Each blast of rain we see some new fish arrive and breath a sigh of relief as we row the boat through more "normal" water levels for this time of year.  (Earlier in the season backs were sore as we wrestled the boats with  more "rock rowing" than anyone should have to do in a "rain forest").  Wild fish are the norm in most of our Oregon North Coast spots with hatchery fish showing on the Wilson and Nestucca.  We have a few more weeks on the Wilson, Trask and Nestucca before thing drop off.  The NF will close at the end of March.

What we've missed in a lack of numbers of fish has sure been offset by the massive size of steelhead returning this year.  I have personally seen 5 fish in the 20 plus pound range in the last 2 months and saw one swim under my boat the was truly the largest I have ever seen in real life- way over 20!!.

Clackamas River:  Rain has definitely helped encourage fish to sneak up the Clack and fishing has been improving.  We have a mix of wild, broodstock hatchery fish and some early summer runs showing in the Clackamas.  These fish will spread out through the system from the mouth of the river to Rivermill dam.  This season is just hitting stride and I will be out there most every day in the sled or drift boat plying the waters.
Here is a fish that was caught by author Don Roberts on tuesday.

Deschutes:  Trout fishing will be full swing by May with the salmon fly hatch expected perhaps a bit early than the early arrival of the last few years if we are lack luster on our snow pack.  We'll see how the remainder of spring goes.  At this point it looks like we will sneak around a big run off and have more agreeable water levels for the famous salmon fly hatch.  Look for things to break loose the second week of May around Maupin and then work upriver from there.  For right now, expect a few BWO's mid-day and some March browns to be popping.

See more fishing info on our website or other blog entries: www.watertimeoutfitters.com