Drift Boat Rowers Workshop

Do you have a new boat that you are itching to get out on the water?  

Learn to manage your new boat with safety and confidence.  Water Time Outfitters guides and Pro guide Rob Crandall has rowed drift boat for a lifetime and can teach you techniques you need to safely navigate NW waters with your boat.

Learn the basics of drift boat safety, balance and rowing technique with a special 4 hour course specifically designed just for you.  Learn about boat handling, anchoring safely, trailering, launching, loading safety and much more. 

This info packed session is held on the close to Portland, Clackamas River. Learn from our years of rowing and fishing experience.  Save yourself frustration and difficulties and learn from the pros. 

Four hour class session is only $175 for one or two people. 

Call Rob Crandall to schedule your session today: 503-704-6449

Deschutes Steelhead Spey Camp

Experience the thrill when a Steelhead takes your fly in Central Oregon's most impressive canyon!
Deschutes River fly fishing at it's finest.  See more at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com

September Steelhead Fishing the Deschutes

September has arrived and with it hints of fall.  As I drove over Mt. Hood on hwy 26 recently the thermometer readout said 34 degrees- a welcome cooling from a long hot summer.  This part of the season we are setting camp on the lower Deschutes with the jet boat in the quest for summer steelhead. These fish are incredible and are in the prime of their life; athletes of pure muscle that can swim in bursts up to 35 mph. Each day we have been connecting with these amazing fish and almost every single fish is running out all our fly line and deep into the backing.  Below is a quick glimpse of camp in the morning last week.

Todd Rettman with the morning "go" medicine

The coffee was hot and welcome after just four days in camp I was getting a bit tired already and the morning sleep was hard to pry from my eyes.  The gray of dawn welcomed our two anglers Henry and Elliot. With a quick snack and something to drink they marched to their respective segements of the amazing steelhead run that we were camped on.  Todd and I prepped for the day tidying camp and preparing breakfast and lunch.  Not far into my first cup of coffee-with way too much French Vanilla creamer in it, we distinctly heard- "FISH ON!" from Henry down below camp.  I grabbed the rubberized catch and release net and ran downstream, my favorite type of excercise while on the river.

Henry was fast into a hot fish.  It ran far into this wide section of the Deschutes and jumped three feet in the air, landing with a spectacular twisting splash.  The reel surged and sang as line peeled off the reel.  Todd and I enjoyed the show as Henry wrestled with one of the finest fish out there.  Then I faintly heard it; was that a whistle?

Henry's wild Deschutes Steelie

Elliot at 72 years young was equipted with a whistle on his waders.  Todd sprinted upriver to see what his status was while I enjoyed the show- the battle with Henry and the sprinting steelhead.  Finally, the chrome steelhead sucummed to the constant bend of the long rod and we slid a wild 10lb fish into the net.  Shouts of joy rang through the canyon.  This was Henry's first fishing trip in over a year.

With the fish released and Henry back on his way to his next steelhead encounter I headed upriver to see what was going on.  I made it to camp and saw Todd.  He was wet.  "What's going on?" I asked.   "We did hear a whistle, Elliot has a fish on too!  I did'nt have my waders on yet so I waded in anyway and helped Elliot land his fish" Todd relayed.

Elliot checks off a bucket list item- Deschutes Steelhead on the spey rod!

A double to start the morning; and that is how it goes when wild, amazing, powerful, aggressive steelhead show up on camp water.  Now all I need is a double shot of coffee!

September Fishing Report - Deschutes River

Things are going good and fall is here.  I’m loving the bit of cooler weather.  The leaves are changing color and the Deschutes canyon is calling out – “It’s Steelhead Time!”  Trout fishing has been good too with an assortment of trout tasty treats.  We are seeing good numbers of Mahogany Duns, midges, some caddis 16-20, occasional bwo’s and the October caddis are starting to show.  Trout food this time of year is mostly very small.  We found some good trout fishing mid-day in the back eddies and mid-mornings in the riffles. 

Steelhead of course are the main target this time of year and fish are spread through the system.  We have been fishing with the jet sled in the lower 22 miles of the Deschutes.  Fishing has been very good with consistent results most days.  A mix of both hatchery and wild fish are in the river now.  We have had good success swinging flies with floating lines in the morning and evening.  Our best patterns have been standard flies like green butt skunks, streetwalkers and fly dejour.  

Of important note for floaters on the upper section of the Deschutes.  Whitehorse Rapid has a log jammed into the rocks in the upper section (worst part) near “can-opener rock”.  This could be very hazardous and we highly recommend scouting this before floating.

For a great fishing adventure visit: www.watertimeoutfitters.com and see more info.  

Trout are busy finding mayflies in the eddies.

Seattle Seahawks fans ready for a great day on the river!

 Hatchery steelhead caught in full sun

Fish on!

On a sad note, the fires earlier this year have destroyed many miles of river habitat in the section from Kaskella to locked gate.  The remaining green grassy spots not burned by the fires have been destroyed by cattle in this section both on the reservation and below it.

Shad Fishing in Oregon

Flyfishing for Oregon Shad is an fly anglers dream come true!  We have a blast each year in June with American shad ranging from 1-5 pounds.  Using fly rods in the #5-6 weight range these members of the herring family fight like crazy!  Not 20 minutes from downtown Portland we find schools of the fish often referred to as the "Poor Man's Tarpon" willingly taking the fly.  This generally productive fishing is the effect of a huge run of fish often numbering 3-5 million fish over Bonneville dam on the Columbia system.

The scenic Oregon City Falls on the Willamette River is a historic area.

Fishing on the Willamette River is varied through the year with different species of fish.  During June you will find Shad, Chinook Salmon, Sturgeon, Steelhead and Small mouth bass.  Large sturgeon (6-10' long!) are often spotted as they jump or roll on the surface.  In addition Lamprey Eel are also migrating at this time.  Occasionally one of our shad anglers will hook a different species than shad.  

Small mouth bass

Spring Chinook caught on a shad fly!

A good day shad fishing is often determined by how many "doubles" you have!

Visiting Portland and want to experience some rod bending fun?  Our shad fishing trips are 4 hours long and always an adventure!  We pick you up at the dock and all you need is a fishing license.  Hop in the boat and lets fish!  Whether you are new to fly fishing or a seasoned expert, Shad are a blast! Trips are $225 for one angler, $325 for 2 anglers and $450 for 3 anglers.  Soda and waters are provided.   For more information on fly fishing fun around the Portland area with Water Time Outfitters call owner Rob Crandall at 503-704-6449.  Visit our website: www.watertimeoutfitters.com  

Clackamas Steelhead Late April

We've got a taste of summer weather this week for our spey anglers swinging flies on the Clackamas river. Temperatures in the 80's have us breaking out of the t-shirts, ditching the long underwear/winter clothing mindset and reaching for the sunscrean.   Meanwhile summer steelhead are showing up on the Clackamas River near Portland, Oregon.  Water flows have been good if not on a bit on the high side.  This weeks flows have been on the drop with water levels at 13'8" on monday and dropping to 13'3" by wednesday.

On the Clackamas we use a jet boat to move from spot to spot where we wade through great steelhead wader using the cast, swing, step approach.  Water temps are rising but still the best success has been with sinking tip lines.  Common sink tips at T-8, T-11 and T-14.  Skagit fly lines and big flies combine with these sink tips to produce an easy to cast presentation that steelhead love.

Grabs are often very aggressive and explosive takes followed by line blistering runs are common for the hatchery based summer steelhead on the Clackamas.  Some of these fish fight so hard and are so fast they are litterally unlandable!  For more information on fishing the Clackamas River on the fly contact guide Rob Crandall or visit our website at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Clackamas River Summer Steelhead

Spring Chinook caught on the swung fly

Clackamas River Report

Winter hatchery broodstock numbers are winding down with a mix of wild fish still spread through the system.  River levels have been at a spring low of 12'5" recently.  Water temperatures have been rising and are consistently 44-48 degrees.  Insect activity is picking up and hatches of new insects appear most days with a salmonfly or two in the recent mix.  Smolt are outmigrating in big numbers.  Osprey have showed up and are working them over hard.  Barbless hooks are best for this time of year!  

Summer steelhead are a bit slow in arriving this year.  Hopefully strong numbers show up soon.  Reports of a few Chinook entering the Clackamas have been rumored.  

Algae is starting to grow on the rocks so bring your spikes for wading!

For more info on fishing the Clackamas River visit:  www.watertimeoutfitters.com 

Deschutes River Steelhead - August September 2013

The weather has been hot, cold and in between but the steelhead season so far has been consistently good  for summer run steelhead since early August.  Water Time Outfitters plies the cool waters of the lower 22 miles of the Deschutes river for summer steelhead in August and September not far from the central towns of the Dalles and Maupin Oregon.  Steelhead migrating from the ocean veer into the cool waters of the Deschutes for respite from warm water in the Columbia River.  Often upper Columbia basin steelhead will stray into the Deschutes (up to 100 miles) only to back out later and continue their migration up the Columbia River.  The lower part of the Deschutes River is the perfect collecting pool of the entire Columbia basin run.  Run sizes of 200,000 to 600,000 chrome steelhead migrate each season up the big river slicing through the edges of Oregon and Washington a large percentage of these fish stop in for a visit in the Deschutes Rivers cooler waters before finishing their journey to rivers like:  Salmon, Clearwater, Methow, Snake and others.

On the lower Deschutes anglers use many methods for producing results on steelies 5-20lbs.  Our favorite strategy is to swing flies.  This is an extremely effective approach to the big water of the lower D.  Here long flats and wide swaths provided the ideal current and boulder combination for perfect hangouts for steelhead. Fishing floating lines and traditional flies like: Green butt Skunks, Purpil Peril, Streetwalker, Muddlers and the like get aggressive fish in the shade of morning and evening.  During the full sun hours sinking the fly deep with sink tips is the preferred strategy.  (That or a nap in the shade waiting for evening).

Deschutes River steelhead move aggressively to the swung fly.  When they grab the fly there are often large boils or even a spray of water on the surface.  An exciting way to fish!

Customer Don L. proudly holds a strong wild steehead

Jet boating is the preferred way to access the lower 22 miles of the Deschutes

Fishing in full sun with a fly rod is the trick on the lower D. 

Fish counts at Sherars falls just 9 miles below Maupin indicate what is moving upriver and when.  The fish trap samples approximately only 1/4-1/3 of the run

Fly Fishing for Shad - the Oregon Tarpon

Millions of shad migrate in from the Pacific Ocean each year in May and June to ascend big NW rivers like the Columbia and the Willamette river. The Willamette River and the Columbia River both flow through the city of Portland, Oregon with fish running through them nearly year round. In June scenic views of Mt. Hood, the Rose Garden, Floral parade and much more await the traveling angler visiting Portland.  It has been said, "When it is sunny and warm in Portland there isn't a prettier place."  The other bit of scenery that many Oregon visitors never see and even many of the locals miss is a close up view of the Willamette Falls.  Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon in the United States.  It is the largest waterfall in the American Pacific Northwest by volume, and the seventeenth widest in the world. Horseshoe in shape, it is 1,500 feet (460 m) wide and 40 feet (12 m) high and located 26 miles upriver from the Willamette's mouth and is the upstream barrier for Shad migrating up the Willamette River is the falls.

Shad are fun fish to catch and our favorite method is to fly fish for Shad.  This is done with fly rods that are 9' long and rated for #5 or #6 fly lines.  Our best lines are sink tip lines that sink the fly down to the fish.  Our favorite flies are flies that are small and flashy.

Want to try fly fishing for shad?  Come join Water Time Outfitters in our comfortable jet sled casting for hard fighting shad on the Willamette River in Oregon City, OR.  Find our contact info at:  www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Clackamas River Steelhead

Steelhead fishing on the Clackamas river for May and early June will consist mainly of the summer steelhead stocked by ODFW.  This strain of fish is a hard fighting, acrobatic steelhead identifiable by the fin clip markings they received at the hatchery before release.  The Clackamas summer steelhead markings are easily recognized by an adipose fin clip and a maxillary fin clip.

Summer steelhead first enter the Clackamas river as early as March and will continue to trickle into the river system through the summer months.

Lately the Clackamas river has been running a fairly warm 52 degrees with a flow around 12'4" at Estacada. Chrome summer steelhead are caught on swung flies this time of year and aggressive takes are the norm.
Favorite fly pattern colors are black/blue, red, black & black & cerise.  See more info at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Clackamas River ODFW Survey and Fish Run Report

Clackamas River: The Clackamas River is one of those rivers where it is possible to catch hatchery salmon and steelhead almost every month of the year. Fishing for winter steelhead will begin to slow down moving into May.
Summer run steelhead will begin to increase in numbers through spring, and based on Willamette Falls counts anglers should prepare for a good return of summer steelhead to the Clackamas. The catch rates for summers were already on the increase the first week of April. The combination of good coho returns to the Clackamas and Willamette system the past couple of years, along with good winter and summer steelhead numbers to date at Willamette Falls, bodes well for anglers fishing the Clackamas from May through November.

Reports of spring chinook in the Clackamas are limited and anglers shouldn’t expect to see these fish in greater numbers until mid to late May depending on water conditions. With chinook passage over Willamette Falls increasing these fish will begin to move in as water in the Willamette slowly warms from the late winter cool down.

Anglers should anticipate a change in how spring chinook move through the lower Clackamas now that the acclimation ponds have been operating for over three years. The Clackamas has three acclimation ponds in the lower river designed to increase sport fishing harvest, and these management tools seem to be working. These sites are located along the Clackamas River and on Eagle Creek with the intention of slowing fish migration and holding the chinook in the lower river longer. The returning Clackamas River fish can be identified by an adipose fin/left maxillary fin clip while the Eagle Creek returners can be identified by an adipose fin/right maxillary fin clip. ODFW biologists welcome any reports of anglers catching these chinook as they continue to evaluate the success of this program.

If you are out on the Clackamas River this spring you might see ODFW crews working a research project on spring chinook, mainly from Barton down to Gladstone. These crews will be doing radio telemetry research on hatchery springers from May through late June. The fish will be caught by hook and line or nets, then tagged and released unharmed. Anglers who happen to catch one of these fish will be able to identify it by the wire tag hanging out of its mouth and all tagged fish must be released unharmed. ODFW would appreciate any information about the catch or the tag; they can call the number found printed on the tag or contact District Biologist Todd Alsbury at 971-673-6011.

Clackamas River- Oregon's Steelhead Hideaway Close to Home

Want to chase steelhead but not too sure about freezing your toes off in BC?  The Clackamas River right  in Oregon is home to steelhead nearly year-round and it is minutes from the Portland airport.  Not far from the large metropolitan city of Portland, OR the Clackamas River drains an 80 plus mile system flowing off the shoulder of Mt. Hood.  The variety of species in the Clackamas make it a great destination for those who love anadromous species.  That is, spring chinook salmon, fall coho, winter, spring and summer steelhead can all be found in the Clackamas River.  So, skip the long flights to BC and other regions; come visit family, take a break and go find some fish near Portland.

The Clackamas River in Spring

The Clackamas River lends itself to a variety of fishing options and there are a handful of fishing guides who offer different strategies for chasing wily salmonids.  Our favorite is to catch steelhead on the fly rod and Rob Crandall of Water Time Outfitters has done just that for his whole life.  "I grew up on the Clackamas," says Rob.  "I have fished it my whole life, finding steelhead on the fly rod is my favorite thing!"  See more about Rob Crandall and his favorite fishing at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Fish run timing on the Clackamas provides opportunities year round.  Winter run steelhead start showing in December and run all the way through May.  Summer steelhead, a incredible tough fighter, come into the river as early as March and arrive through July; staying in the river through the winter of the following year.  Spring Chinook salmon show in the Clackamas in April and are found through June.  Fall salmon make their way into the Clackamas in September and October.  These are mainly coho headed to the Eagle Creek hatchery a tributary of the Clackamas.

Summer Run Steelhead like this one provide great fishing opportunities.

Favorite methods for catching fish in the Clackamas range from bait fishing, bobber and jig fishing, to fly fishing.  "My favorite way to catch steelhead is on the swung fly."  says Rob Crandall.  Fishing the swung fly the angler sweeps his fly across the water searching for aggressive fish to take the fly.  Here the name of the game is to cover a lot of water.  Cast, swing, step down; repeat is the mantra of these anglers.

Wild steelhead from the Clackamas are tough fish!

When a fish does take the fly with the swung fly strategy the take is unmistakable!  The solid grab on the end of the line is an electrifying and addicting way to catch fish.

Find out more about catching steelhead on the fly rod at:  www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Oregon's Clackamas River & A Steelhead for Jim

A great day on the water with Joel La Follette of Royal Treatment Fly shop and Jim Drew.  A beautiful sunny day in March, great water conditions and some feisty steelhead.  What could be better?  This trip we caught both winter/spring run stock of steelhead and the early Skamania run summer steelhead.  We were using spey rods with sink tips and some specially tied flies by Rob Crandall.

See more fishing opportunities on the Clackamas river near Portland, OR at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Amazing North Coast Steelhead

March is prime time for big wild fish on Oregon's coastal rivers.  Some incredible tough fighting fish are showing.  Here's one a client caught this last week.  Visit www.watertimeoutfitters.com for more info.

A Good Morning on the River

Deschutes steelhead fishing is full swing with fish spread through the system from the mouth to Warm Springs.  Water levels have been low on average for the first part of the month and have finally started to bump up over 4000 cfs at Warm Springs. 

October client Ken lands 4 fish before lunch.  Great morning Ken!  Way to go.

See more about fishing the Deschutes River on this blog or at our website: www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Clackamas River Steelhead - Guide's Life

Living next to the Clackamas River my whole life it has been a challenge to get things done; who wants to go mow the lawn when the river is so close?  I am blessed to have an occupation that is also my passion.  The guides life isn't all fun on the river but it sure is a great place to call my office.  Since I was 5 years old, I have plied the waters of the Clackamas River.  Now a full time fishing guide, I get to share the love and passion for the river and it's fish with those who fish with me. 

Fly fishing the Clackamas is my favorite way to catch steelhead in the winter and spring.  We fish both swung flies and indicator strategies.  To maximize our time on the water we often swing flies through the good runs and then drift with indicators through the steelhead travel routes to intercept both wild and hatchery steelhead. 

We float the Clackamas in drift boats like Clackacraft's made right here in Clackamas, Oregon.  Drift boats give us versatility and stealth that jet boats don't have.  When the water is too high or an angler cannot wade we can swing flies right out of the boat.  We also can easily choose to fish dead-drift patterns out of the boat if fishing the swung fly has been very slow virtually eliminating down time.  The other asset of the quiet boat aside from not polluting gas and oil into our precious resource is the stealth it provides.  We can sneak into quiet riffles and shallow water spots inaccessible to big boats.

On the Clackamas River you may see, otter, beaver, deer, osprey, bald eagles, canadian geese, and a variety of ducks. 

The Clackamas river is located just 1/2 hour from the Portland airport.  Many lodging options are available.  Corporate events, weddings, business travel of all kinds bring anglers to the Clackamas River.  Whether an advanced fly fisher or a beginner we can help you make the most of your time on the water. 

Come join the fun!

Rob Crandall
www.watertimeoutfitters.com or email:  wto@ccgmail.com