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Check out these pics from my fishing trip on August 11 ... click "here"
email: fishin-musician@centurytel.net Phone - 541-895-2708
/ Meet Tom / Some Photos / Updates - What to Bring - Links / Drift boat Lessons / Fly Fishing Lessons
Detailed Anadromous Fish Runs in Western Oregon / Fishing the Cottage Grove Area / Rates - Specials - Contact /
The Mckenzie, Willamette, and Umpqua Rivers are famous in the Northwest for trout, salmon, and steelhead. I fly-fish these rivers in my Mckenzie River Driftboat with Western Oregon's spectacular scenery in the background. Oregon fly fishing guides float these and other Oregon rivers while fly casting over rainbow and cutthroat trout. If you live in the Willamette Valley near the Eugene - Springfield area or are visiting our great state be sure to float and fish one of our Western Oregon rivers. The experienced fly fisherman can have his chance to hook a summer steelhead and enjoy Oregon fishing at its finest .... A novice fly caster will be able to address questions and have hands on instruction during the fishing trip. I am Tom Waters - an Oregon fly fishing guide and I invite you to fish Oregon.
  The experienced fly caster The novice fly caster!
Some information on Oregon fishing:
I live in a small town named Creswell and I am 5 miles south of Eugene and Springfield Oregon. The best known resource in Eugene would be the University of Oregon. This area of the state is the south Willamette Valley and I think it is the best place on earth to live and work. The Pacific Ocean is near and the snow capped Cascades can be seen to the East. The Mckenzie, Middle Fork of the Willamette, and the Willamette Rivers are our main source for water. These are also the rivers many Oregon fly fishing guides use for their fishing clients.
Here are the fish in Oregon I guide people to catch:
Many anglers hope to catch a Salmon or Steelhead when visiting Oregon...and rightfully so. Oregon is famous for these fish. Fishermen should know that when these anadromous fish enter our freshwater rivers to spawn they do not feed. With the exception of the Summer Steelhead which will eat occasionally, it can be very difficult to entice a Salmon or Winter Steelhead to strike. I believe the biggest factor in catching these fish is the size of the run in a given year. With more fish in the river the odds get better that a fish might bite. I guide for Salmon and Steelhead with conventional gear and guide for trout with our fly fishing outfits. If an angler is truly skilled I will guide him for Summer Steelhead with fly fishing gear.
We have two runs of Chinook Salmon...one in the Spring and the other in the Fall. In the Eugene - Springfield area of the Willamette Valley I guide for the Spring run in May and continue fishing for them into the first week of July. I guide the Mckenzie and the Middle Fork of the Willamette River for Spring Chinook. You will note that the Willamette Valley is part of the Columbia River drainage and our Spring and Summer fish are coming all the way from the mouth of the Columbia River. For the Fall run of Chinook we have to visit a different drainage since these fish spawn closer to the sea. My drive to the Umpqua, Siuslaw, Smith, or the Alsea River is from an hour to two hours. I guide for the Fall run of Chinook from September into October. There is a later run of Chinook on our southern coastal river such as the Elk, Sixes, and the Chetco. I have caught Fall Chinook into Christmas on the Elk. After the peak of the Fall Chinook run our Silver Salmon enter our coastal rivers. I guide the Umpqua near Elkton for them in October and November.
The Summer Steelhead arrives in the Willamette Valley in late April and they can be caught into November. Again I guide the Mckenzie and the Middle Fork of the Willamette for these fish. During the dog days of summer these fish are very difficult to catch in our valley. I can usually catch them in the morning if I drive to a different drainage ... up to the North Umpqua near Glide.
The last run is our Winter Steelhead. They follow the Silver Salmon on our coast rivers and I guide for them beginning in late November and continue into March on our coastal rivers.
Oregon trout fishing also gets attention and a day on the river with fly rod or spinning gear can bring good results. I believe that trout fishing is "fun" fishing and Salmon and Steelhead fishing is "serious." The trout in the Willamette drainage are the native coastal Cutthroat and the Rainbow. Although the Mckenzie, Middle Fork of the Willamette, and the Willamette are the biggest draw for trout there are smaller tributaries off these rivers that offer very good trout fishing. You can get away from the crowds on smaller streams when you are wade fishing. Fly fishing is the best way to fish for trout but conventional fishing can be arranged.
When the water in the lower Umpqua warms up (late May or June) the Smallmouth Bass begin to bite. This is another "fun" fishery and many Bass can be caught in a day. I guide for them into September around the town of Elkton, Oregon. We catch them up to 4 pounds. There are thousands of small fish and they are hard to keep off the hook. I believe the state regulations should be changed to take out more small fish from the river.
I guide the Shad run from mid-May into July on the Umpqua near Elkton. Another "fun" fishery and many fish can be caught if the run is strong. They average 1 to 2 pounds. In this fishery there is no limit to how many you can keep. I believe this is a mistake and any run of fish can be harmed if too many are taken and killed.
Driftboats are the method of transportation on our fast flowing rivers in Western Oregon. These boats are also referred to as "Mckenzie River Driftboats" since they were developed on our Mckenzie and the Rogue Rivers. I also give driftboat lessons and more information is available on the "driftboat lessons" page of this web site.
If you don't tie your own flies it can get expensive. Here is the place to get your flies at a very reasonable price ... click on the banner below:
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/ Meet Tom / Some Photos / Updates - What to Bring - Links / Driftboat Lessons / Fly Fishing Lessons
Detailed Anadromous Fish Runs in Western Oregon / Fishing the Cottage Grove Area / Rates - Specials - Contact /
Updated August 26, 2008
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