Oregon Coast Steelhead- March

Rain is slamming the coast today… looks like we are going to be blown out tomorrow.  Perhaps later in the week will be good.  Lots of big chrome wild fish coming in.  We are getting them on our favorite N. Coast rivers when water levels cooperate.  High winds lately have put three new trees on one of our favorite floats in the last few days making navigation tricky.  Always interesting this time of year!  Good luck on the water and be safe!

Wet and Wild - Strategies for Oregon's Winter Chrome

Fishing in Oregon during the winter months is not for the faint of heart.  Wind, rain and elements conspire to make it tough and wading some nw rivers is just not for the timid- the payoff however is big chrome wild steelhead that make your heart pound and leave you breathless.

Amazing settings are the hallmark of steelhead lairs and the rivers of Oregon hold nothing back in raw rainforest beauty and awe inspiring vistas.  The veiw from the banks of the nw waters are filled with alders and fir trees, moss covered branches and dripping ferns.  Elk, blacktail deer and various ducks, hawks and bald eagles grace these waters.  Add in the most amazing of sportfish and Oregon's treasures beckon to be added to even the longest bucket list.

Here strategy is key and nothing is more addicting than the inspiring yank on the line with the swung fly approach.  Sure there are many ways to fool these fish but the most difficult and most alluring is the swung fly strategy.  Here the angler plies the water with a fly often 3" long that moves, wiggles and draws the attention of the ghostly chrome predators imitating shrimp, prawns, squid or just something that pisses them off.

The water is cold so sinking the fly during the cold winter months is of utmost importance.  Effective anglers use sinking tip lines made with tungsten to sink the fly.  Lengths of sinking lines loop onto floating fly lines making them easy to cast.  Common length tips are 10-12' long and are rated by sinking speed.  These sink tips are referred to as T-8, T-11, T-14 etc indicating they are tungsten and 8,11, or 14 grains (weight) per foot.

We use a variety of tricks to get these flies deep in the ever changing flows of winter with the cast, swing -step down approach the trademark of the approach.  Changing things up to get the fly deeper as the conditions warrent is the key to success and the intuition of a good guide and coach who can help you massage the fly to depths likely to elicite a strike.  As the water is cold - often 36-40 degrees getting the fly half the depth of the water is essential.

Rob Crandall owner of Water Time Outfitters, Inc. has teamed up with FlyfishTv and is producing a new DVD which will help anglers reach new levels of success during this tricky time of year.  The upcoming DVD - Deep Swing Secrets will be available sometime this fall.

Oregon has a multitude of amazing waters to seach with the swung fly for the elusive and amazing steelhead.  Top producing rivers are:  North Umpqua, Nehalem, Trask, Wilson, Sandy and Clackamas Rivers.  There are many many more rivers that could be added to this list.

To learn the tricks of success and have personalized coaching on your fishing strategy try the WINTER STEELHEAD TUNEUP coming up March 5.

See more about steelhead fly fishing opportunities visit: www.watertimeoutfitters.com

The Guides Choice- A Fly Pattern for Winter

One of my favorite patterns for the green waters of winter is the "Crandall's Guides Choice".  This pattern is commercially produced for me by Spirit River.  It has combines color and movement to get results during winter flows.  First, I tie this pattern with a small lead eye, I like white because it gives a spot of color that stands out.  When water clarity is low colors that really show up are key.  Some of my favorites for low visibility (low clarity) is fire orange and cerise.  These make a powerful combination and represent squid colors steelhead are used to eating out in the ocean for the last several years.  The movement of the extended rabbit fur tail is excellent combined with the flowing/swimming motion from the specially designed wing of ostrich herl.  

Try this pattern or one like it on the green waters of winter where you fish!  I think you'll like it.  Find this pattern at:  www.spiritriver.com  or Royal Treatment Fly Shop in West Linn, OR 503-850-4397

Please note: when tying this fly rotate the hook opposite of the photo above.  Spirit river has now corrected this problem but hook point riding up is best.  It reduces nasty snags and is better on the fish you hook.  Thanks!  Rob Crandall

Oregon Steelhead- Fish of a Thousand Casts- Winter Spey Addiction

Fly fishing for winter steelhead in Oregon can be a challenge whose reward is often found after a lot of hard work.  Steelhead are often known as the fish of a thousand casts.  Oregon has many rivers that offer excellent steelhead fly fishing through the winter and spring months.

Not far from the city of Portland, Oregon are a number of great rivers.  The Clackamas and Sandy Rivers offer miles of great spey water.  1-1/2 - 2 hours away from Portland there are dozens of rivers along the Oregon coast that offer winter steelhead fishing.  Here we look for the best water conditions on rivers like the Wilson, Trask, Nehalem, Nestucca among others.

For more information on steelhead fishing winter and spring in Oregon visit www.watertimeoutfitters.com The professional team at Water Time Outfitters will help you make the most of your time on the water!

All in a Days Work- February Steelhead on Oregon's North Coast

Guided fly fishing trips can be a blast- being the guide doing the work can also be a blast!  Great days with fun loving clients and good fishing always produces a vibe that is invogorating to a fly fishing guide.  This years winter steelhead run on Oregon's North coast has been excellent with good numbers of steelhead returning to their natal waters to spawn.

A recent trip with John and Dennis was just such a trip.  Great weather, great company and excellent fishing conditions with cooperating steelhead.  What more could a fishing guide ask for!

Dennis with the first fish of the day a mere 20 minutes after we started.  A wild fish that fought like crazy! The statement is so true-the "Tug is the Drug!"

The second fish Dennis landed...

John doing his best to keep up with a hot chrome fish that eventually won this battle!

Dennis is all smiles!

John finds one for the BBQ-a hatchery steelhead to take home.

Good water conditions and fresh arriving steelies - a great combination!

Come fish with the experienced guides of the Water Time Outfitters Team.  We have been fishing and

guiding Oregon's North coast for over 20 years.  See more at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com 

Oregon's Winter Steelhead Season 2015

Dave's Oregon Coast Steelhead

We had worked the slot very carefully and picked up one nice steelhead about 8 pounds.  We released it and Dave made a few more casts before we were going to head out.  Dave's line straightened in the sweet spot and he lifted his rod into a heavy fish.  Huge head shakes were followed by a ballistic run upriver with a cartwheel on the surface throwing spray like a broken firehose.  The bruiser was having none of what we wanted and pulled hard violently ripping line off the reel as it headed down river.  Now in the tailout it was do or die.  Dave pulled hard but this big guy was headed back to the sea.  We had no choice but to commence chase in the boat.  Downriver into the rapids below the surging steelhead muscled his way through the heavy current aiming towards a log jam.  If he get's in there he's a goner -we all knew... Fighting a fish through a rapid and bouncing down river in the boat is challenging but Dave kept the line tight and the rod bent.  Several times the fish made a mad dash under the boat.  A quick spin on the oars helped keep us from a broken rod on the gunnel.  Finally out of the rapids and into the next hole the big fish started to tire. Eventually we eased him into the catch and release net and admired a dandy steelhead by any measure.  We estimated it at 17 pounds.  A great battle and an epic fish.  Steelhead- hard to beat!

Fishing for winter steelhead has been good this season.  Oregon's north coast is home to some of the best rivers in the region for winter steelhead.  Rivers like the Wilson, Trask, Kilches, NF Nehalem and Necanicum Rivers have seen good returns of chrome steelhead.  Winter steelhead fishing has it's challenges. Water conditions and every changing weather are a big factor.  Another variable especially telling for fly anglers is the water temperatures; cold water makes fishing tough.  For a wide variety of river scenics and fishing variety Oregon's north coast has a lot to offer.

Fly fishing the north coast focuses on two primary techniques; the swung fly strategy and nymph fishing approach.  Both are deadly effective at the proper time and place.  Swung flies are extremely effective when water temperatures are warmer.  Coastal rivers tend to run warmer than inland rivers because of the marine influence and generally warmer temperatures.  This plays into the favor of the swung fly angler.  The cast is generally down and across alowing the fly to sweep across the current.  Quickly covering a large area of water searching for aggressive steelhead.  To get the fly down the swung fly approach requires a sink tip for the winter timeframe.  Sink tips are often 10-12' long and have varied sink rates.  Sinking tips that drop at 6-8 inches per second are common for this time of year.  T-11 and Type 8 sink tips are a favorite among many veteran anglers but lighter and heavier tips may be required depending on the wide swing in fishing conditions.  While the take of the fly can vary when a fish grabs the swung fly an electrifying tug is often felt.  This is where the expression: "The Tug is the Drug" comes from.

Nymph fishing strategies for steelhead allow for a dead drifted presentation and fishes the water much differently than the swung fly.  With the dead drift approach getting the fly deep is the main objective. Indicators are placed on the leader allowing the angler to quickly detect a fish or rock that has stopped the fly.  Split shot or weighted flies are utilized to anchor through the fast and heavy flows of winter and get down to where the fish are.  These are varied depending on the flow of the river.

This year's return of hatchery steelhead has been excellent.  Great returns have been seen on many of our coastal rivers.  Most notably the NF Nehalem has seen as many hatchery fish return in by Jan 1 as we had return in the entire season on 2014.  Limits of fish each day for our guides have been the standard when good water conditions allowed in late December and early January.

For good bank accessible rivers, the Wilson River flowing into Tillamook and the Necanicum River flowing into the Oregon town of Seaside are favorites.  Miles of easy access are found along HWY 6 on the Wilson and on HWY 26 for the Necanicum.  The Wilson River has many great sections to float but the upper river has extreme hazards.  The Kilches river is a beautiful gem which receives early hatchery steelhead and later run wild fish.  This river has several good access points and can easily be floated in the lower river with a pontoon boat, raft or drift boat.  The NF Nehalem is a dangerous river for floaters and only expert anglers should consider this float. Three water falls in a basalt cliff canyon are the legendary hallmarks of this river.  Limited access is found along the bank near the hatchery where anglers have solid results during medium -high water conditions.  The Nestucca River is another river just south of Tillamook that sees excellent returns of both hatchery and wild steelhead from December - March.

For the best view of the river join one of the Water Time Outfitters team of guides for a day float.  Our guides are experienced oarsmen and expert anglers with a lifetime of experience on the north coast of Oregon.  See more info at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Winter Steelhead Season - December 2014

It is now early December and winter steelhead action is starting on the Oregon coast.  Fish returning this time of the season are often referred to as the early returning winter run fish.  These are typically the hatchery component of the winter steelhead run.  Most common rivers to find early returning winter steelhead in Oregon are the Nestucca, the Wilson, NF Nehalem, the Alsea, Necannicum and the Kilches rivers.  

Winter steelhead time of year the water is cold and requires the fly angler to get their fly down to the fish.  Sink tips or indicator riggings are most productive.  Common sink tips are T-11 and T-14 and at 10' long.  These tips are delivered with a shooting head fly line system called a Skagit line.  At the end of the sinking tip a short leader helps ensure the fly stays where is should- deep.  

Favorite patterns for winter steelhead are often larger than summer favorites.  Flies that have movement and swim with a life-like motion often get the best results.  A few of our favorites below are available at fly shops in the NW and at www.spiritriver.com 

Crandall's Guide Choice is a great fly when there is a lot of green coloration in the water. 

Crandall's Steelhead Nitemare is a producer under most water conditions.   

Crandall's Provider is a great fly for clear to medium clear water conditions.

For more information on winter steelhead in Oregon visit: www.watertimeoutfitters.com or check out our class/seminar schedule to get hands on help with steelhead success! 

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.

First Taste Steelhead Trip for Colorado Angler

On the second day of the trip we slid down the North Fork of the Nehalem in our guide Gil's small raft. The Nehalem was incredibly beautiful. The river bottom was a mix of bedrock and lava rock that gave beautiful contrast to the boulders and gravel that rested upon it. The side-walls were a mix of slate and lava canyon peppered with moss of various greens, the occasional waterfall, gravel banks, and rainforest. Oh yeah, the river also had fish.

            At our first stop, it wasn't a minute before I got my first opportunity at a Steelhead. The take was prompt and heavy, and if I said I was ready for it I'd be lying. I still came tight to fish and felt its weight but didn't get the deep hook set that any angler is looking for. The fish b lined for me and I struggled to take in the line necessary to combat this run. Before I knew it the fish exploded out of the water, turned a full 180, and left me with a straight rod and rapid heart beat. Well, at least I had finally hooked one and saw it in action. Not but 15 casts later, the indicator sunk like a rock, and being more prepared I set the hook like a man.  The weight and power on the end of my line was beyond what I expected and the flashing silhouette below the waters surface confirmed that I had hooked a toad.  I was tight to the fish but not on the reel, it wouldn't matter though. The girthy Steelhead flashed, bucked, and shook his head, popping the fly free from his tough, toothy jaw.  I looked at Gil and he said, "That's why they call 'em Steelhead". Pointing to the fact that it's difficult to bury the hook deep. My fishing partner Adam and I exchanged glances of disappointment to the lost fish but excitement due to the opportunities. Deutschmann would have some chances and close calls in this section of the river as well, but neither of us could capitalize on our first opportunities.  

            We continued down the river making stops in all of Gil's A water. We traded stories of fish lost and landed while we took turns making casts from the front of the raft. We stopped just after a small descending rapid and found ourselves right on top of pristine shelf. We could cast just off the edge of the shelf and maintain quality drifts with little additional line out. Deutsch was positioned in the upper part of the run and I had the center to the tail. On my second or third drift the fly got slammed sending the indicator straight down. This time there was no hesitation, I stripped in the slack and raised the rod tip lodging the hook deep in the Steelheads jaw. The fish immediately resorted to headshakes and the upward pressure forced him to the surface, where he started sucking air while maniacally trying to free the hook. I was able to keep the fish close to the surface and it wasn't able to run far. Soon enough Gil materialized with the net and carefully scooped the buck up. I heard Gil say, "You did it man, you caught a Steelhead!" and Adam shouted to congratulate me from the upper part of the run, fishing with increased focus at the sight of the netted fish. We worked our way to the bank to get a closer look at my first Steelhead. The fish was a male that already spawned, Gil referred to him as a kelt due to this fact and said he was probably 2-3 pounds lighter now than when he entered the Nehalem to spawn. It was amazing to see a Steelhead that close. His back was dark green now and his spawning pink gill plates and stripe were in full effect. You could tell he earned his hen from the scratches and scars that marked his body. He was all of 25"-26" and around 7 pounds. When I got my hand underneath his tail and turned him sideways, I could really appreciate the size and strength of this species. I couldn't help but imagine what this fish was like fresh out of the ocean. Bright chrome belly, ten solid pounds, and probably pissed off cause he'd never been laid. I lifted the kelt out of the water and Gil directed me like it was a top model photo shoot. He got an amazing shot that will serve as a memoir to the first of many Steelhead that I'll take in my life. I gently went to revive and release the fish. When I submerged him, I could tell he still had tons of energy and he kicked free of my hand within seconds. I thanked Gil and gave him and Deutschmann both formal handshakes. A time honored tradition that I wouldn't let slide on my first Steeley. After the excitement and adrenaline wore off, I couldn't help but want to get another one in the net. We fished that run for a bit longer before continuing our way down river.

            We cruised through rapids, fished the better holes, and held out hope that we'd get another shot. It seemed the further down stream we got, the fish were more spread out but we still spotted them here and there. We popped out the end of the canyon and into a flatter stretch of water to finish the day on. The banks were lined with spreads that would make any angler day dream about living in such close proximity to these fish. I could just imagine rolling out of bed and rolling a cast into this beautiful river. We made fewer stops through the lower section, but in water that looked great and was Gil approved.

            The sun started to set on our day and we paced quickly to get to the ramp before dark. It dawned on me that this experience was just that, an experience. We lost more fish then we landed, and found out that catching Steelhead on a fly rod ain't easy. Which is exactly why I want to do it again. The challenge of chasing fish that come and go with the tide and rain, aren't feeding, and have jaws like cast iron clamps is bad ass. It's bad ass because it's hard and you have to work for your fish. The gear is heavy, the fish are heavy, and the places they live aren't easy to get to. But when it all comes together and you're rewarded with one in the net, it's truly gratifying.

Ben Silver

Ben was fishing with Water Time Outfitters- see more at: www.watertimeoutfitters.com 

Oregon's North Coast Steelhead - January

It's prime time on many of Oregon's north coast rivers and Water Time Outfitters has been busy getting clients into fish.  Our last week on the coast was truly exceptional fishing as our group from Arizona can attest.  We enjoyed excellent fishing despite low and clear water conditions.  With the water low and cold the key was to get deep. 

Expect January to be a good month and rivers like the Kilches, North Fork Nehalem, Neccanicum to yeild good numbers of chrome fish. 

We have been catching both wild and hatchery fish.  Many of the hatchery fish have been 8-10lbs or larger and look very healthy.  See decent numbers of wild fish this early is usually a good sign for prime time of the wild run later in the season.

Fishing from Tillamook, Oregon or Seaside, Oregon offer you many fishing options with Portland, Oregon less than 2 hour drive away.  See more about our fishing options at:  www.watertimeoutfitters.com  

Oregon's North Coast Rivers - mid December Report

Rivers on the North Coast of Oregon have had a big shot of rain over the last week and are finally starting to drop into shape.  As these rivers fall, chrome bright winter steelhead are charging up to their natal homes.  Rivers like the Kilches, Neccanicum and NF Nehalem are fast to drop and clear.  The Nestucca, Wilson, and Trask are soon to warrant effort as well. 

 Notice how clear the fins are in these early arriving fish. 

 

Get more info on fishing Oregon's North Coast at:  www.watertimeoutfitters.com

Winter Steelhead Boot Camp - Learn to Catch Steelhead

Brought to you by Water Time Outfitters is the "Boot Camp" of Winter Steelhead Fly Fishing. Get started fly fishing for winter steelhead with the right tools and instruction for success. Great for beginners or advanced anglers who want to fine-tune their skills; or the summer steelhead angler who wants to learn what winter fishing is all about. This course covers spey casting, specific approaches to fishing techniques, rigging, reading water, fly selection and much more!

This action packed special provides all your meals, lodging, equipment as needed, instruction and guided fishing. We'll have over 20 fly lines for you to fine tune your set-up or use ours. Waders and boots are available as well.

Our on river lodging gives us the prefect launching point for an itinerary packed with learning. Conveniently located right on the river we have the option of fishing five different rivers.

This action packed adventure is provided by Water Time Outfitter's full time guides Rob Crandall and Gil Muhleman, our years of instruction and guiding experience will be a breath of fresh air for those confused or intimidated by the complexities of fly fishing. We'll be eating, sleeping and breathing steelhead fly fishing giving you plenty of time to unravel the confusion and mystery of fly gear and techniques. Learn what the expression means when you hear "The Tug is the Drug" of steelhead fly fishing.

This boot camp timing is set for the peak of the winter run steelhead on the Oregon coast. Both wild and hatchery steelhead are available at this time of year. Learn what it takes to catch and land steelhead on the fly rod with this excellent class format.

Winter Steelhead Boot Camp 2013  cost is only $925

March 8,9,10

Space is very limited - reserve your spot now: 503-704-6449
www.watertimeoutfitters.com

NF Nehalem Report

A few steelhead are showing on the NF Nehalem river.  Nov 26 the water flow was 46" and dropping.  Nice green tint to the water.  We hooked one crazy chrome fish that went nuts, saw 3 Bald Eagles cruising the river looking for dead salmon and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day on an amazingly beautiful river. 

Prime time is coming soon and by mid-December fishing should be full swing.