Recently in Oregon Fishing and Camping Destinations Category

Reconnoitering and Researching - August 10, 2006

Update- November 2, 2008
Scott Cook, owner of Fly and Field Shop , in Bend, Oregon recently gave a presentation to the Klamath Country Fly Casters, where he stated that great gains have been made at Crane Prairie Reservoir for the future of those famous Cranebows. The bass populations have leveled, and the average bass size has declined. One reason for this success has been the stocking of larger trout, which can escape the predatory jaws of bass. With the average size of rainbows reaching between 17 and 19-inches, stomach contents of both bass and trout show that the stickleback minnow has two predators now! So, keep this in mind as you read the following disaster story, which may indeed have a happy ending. Northwest Fly Fishing magazine has a feature article on Crane Prairie in their November/December 2008 edition.

2006
A pox on every fishing guide writer and publisher who keeps regurgitating the same old glorification of a famed fly fishing water that has devolved into an ecological disaster! A pox on every damned bucket biologist who denigrates or destroys a body of water for his own selfish fishing interest. Having departed from my usual objective, quasi-journalistic writing style, be prepared as, "I'm mad as hell, and I am not going to take it anymore!" Like most anglers, however, I am powerless. So too it would seem, short of using the poison, retenone, are the government agencies that control our waterways. This summer it has been particularly painful returning to Yellowstone Lake only to find that the lake trout have devastated the cutthroat fishery, or my sadness in returning to Rock Creek to witness the impact of Whirling Disease on one of my favorite creeks. And now, when I finally get to Crane Prairie, I am told, "You should have been here in the 70's or 80's or even the early 90's.

Although some of the anglers I chatted with said that the lake was once again gradually improving, most said that they return to the lake to fish for larger, trophy size fish. Some of the anglers that I spoke with have been fishing the lake for years and are local residents. Most anglers now are bait fisherman who anchor their boats and fish the same spot for hours hoping to catch a solitary cruiser on power bait, worms, and dragon fly nymphs. Bass fishermen work the drowned timber stands, and trollers motor up and down the channels. What is missing is the large numbers of fly anglers who plied the lake. I realize that it would seem pretentious for me to write an article based on one weekend of exploring, and yet the sadness of this story compels me to vent. Perhaps I am in need of a catharsis after witnessing so many of these ecological disasters in a short span of time. However, Crane Prairie is not all "Doom and Gloom." The reservoir consistently produces huge trophy trout for anglers dedicated enough to learn its secrets. I spoke to two such men. One of the men spoke of spending five seasons on the lake before he could consistently catch trophy size trout. Another man claimed he was still a learner after seven years. Although most of the local guides have shifted to more productive waters to satisfy their clients need to catch numbers rather than trophies, a few guides have remained on the lake. I have included the name of one guide that I met and chatted with briefly. I include his contact information at the end of this article only because I ran into a couple who have hired him a couple of times and just gushed with praise for the man's skills and knowledge. Let's start with an excerpt from the web site of Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"Home of the famous "cranebows", Crane Prairie Reservoir is one of the top producing rainbow trout fisheries in Central Oregon. Rainbow trout here average 2 inches of growth a month during the summer. The record rainbow to date weighed over 19 pounds, with abundant rainbows in the 4 to 10 pound range. Crane Prairie Reservoir is a Wildlife Management Area. Osprey, bald eagle and many waterfowl frequent the area. Crane Prairie Reservoir is located on the Deschutes National Forest and is a large, shallow impoundment on the upper Deschutes River approximately 30 miles southwest of Bend and is accessible from Century Drive (Forest Service Road 46), and Forest Roads 40, 42, and 4270. Crane Prairie was a natural meadow in which the Deschutes River, Cultus River, Cold Creek, Quinn River, Deer Creek, and Cultus Creek Converged. Crane Prairie Reservoir was first created in 1922 by rock filled dam and reconstructed by Bureau of Reclamation in 1940. The inundated trees and five square miles of shallow water coupled with cool water inlets make Crane Prairie Reservoir a very rich and productive aquatic system producing numerous trophy size rainbow trout.

ODFW Management Policies for Crane Prairie Reservoir

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife currently manages rainbow trout at Crane Prairie Reservoir for natural and hatchery production consistent with the Featured Species Fish Management Alternative for trout. Mountain Whitefish, brook trout, and kokanee are managed for natural and hatchery production consistent with the Basic Yield Management Alternative for trout. Largemouth bass shall be managed for natural production consistent with the Basic Yield Management Alternative for warm water fish."

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/recreation/fishing/lake-reservoir/craneprairie.shtml

Now, here are the facts never mentioned in fishing guide books or blurbs on promotional tourism sites. In the mid 80's some bucket biologist dumped largemouth bass into Crane Prairie. Although Crane Prairie has wild and sustaining populations of rainbows and Brook Trout, the bulk of the fish caught are planters. Once the alarm cry was sounded about the growing bass population, they were already big, bold and hungry! The 3-4 inch trout plants became bass chow. The Oregon biologists steadfastly proclaimed that few of the transplanted trout were preyed upon by the bass. Wishful thinkers theorized that the two populations would tend to gravitate to their own preferred waters. The bass population flourished, and Crane Prairie established itself as one of Oregon's premier bass lakes. Fly anglers gradually declined from their proportionately high numbers. To add insult to injury, bucket biologists struck again introducing the Three-spined stickleback minnow, which many anglers that I spoke to feel are responsible for the crash of the damsel flies and dragon flies on the lake. Here is an excerpt from an ODFW report found on-line.

"Three-spined stickleback have been present in Crane Prairie Reservoir since the early 1990s. This species was an illegal introduction and likely released to provide forage for warm water species in the reservoir which were also illegal releases. Schistocephalus is a common parasite in stickleback. High productivity of the reservoir and conditions favorable for completing the tapeworm life history contribute to a high incidence of occurrence of the tapeworm in stickleback. Fish samples collected in 2000 and 2001 were provided to ODFW pathologists for analysis. No incidence of Schistocephalus infection was found in fish species other than stickleback. Schistocephalus were found in digestive tracts of trout along with three-spined stickleback parts indicating that trout had ingested stickleback with parasite infestations. Largemouth bass diet studies have also shown secondary ingestion of Schistocephalus resulting from consumption of stickleback. [Now, note this disclaimer.] There is currently no evidence linking Schistocephalus occurrence to the decline of rainbow trout in Crane Prairie Reservoir."

To butcher an old folk song, "Where have all the rainbows gone, long time passing...." One government report stated that the illegal bass introduction "disturbed" the trout populations. Disturbed - what an interesting word choice for a biologist to use. It almost sounds, well, scientific! What has been reported is a declining population of young bass and trout. Terry Schrader from ODFW states that, "the stickleback [illegally dumped into the lake to provide forage for bass] out competes the young of these species and has also changed the dominant form of zooplankter." This in turn has produced high levels of toxic cyanobacteria that is potentially fatal to pets and young children. Another factor, similar to what happened in Diamond Lake with the illegal introduction of chubs, is the increased likelihood of algal blooms. So, Mr. Bucket Biologist, what a fine mess you have got us into.

And now the good news. Bass populations are in decline both in size and in numbers. (I can not substantiate this statement, but it was a consensus.) During the last two years ODFW has been planting trout from 8 to 9 inches. These larger size plants have a greater life expectancy in escaping the jaws of large trout and bass. I fished one entire day for bass in the north end of the lake by the resort. I caught one bass. The second day I explored the southern end of the lake and finally was able to locate some fly fishermen to interview. Since I have no experience in catching trout or bass (yet), I have compiled the following information for first time anglers and campers to the lake. It would seem prudent for anyone planning to fly fish Crane Prairie to go out with a guide. As I mentioned earlier in the article, I did meet one guide who was both friendly and helpful. The next day I spoke to a couple who were heading out on the lake in a drift boat. They spoke glowingly of the same guide, Brett Dennis. He may be contacted at 541-598-0008.

Camping: For RV camping with full hook-ups, contact Crane Prairie Resort at PO Box 1171, Bend, Oregon 97709. (541) 383-3939. Located 33 miles from Bend and 20 miles from Sunriver, the resort offers full RV Hookups, boat rentals, tackle, gas, moorage, groceries, guide service and showers and laundry. It is right next to the Forest Service Crane Prairie Campground.

Forest Service Campgrounds:

Crane Prairie Campground: Offering 146 sites and a boat launch at the northern end of the lake, the campground offers trailer and RV camping and a special designated tent camping section right on the lake. The roads are paved and two boat launches are provided. Users will need to pay a $5 use fee for launching their boats if they are not camped. Premium sites cost $12 per night. (2007) Showers may be paid for at the adjoining resort.

Quinn River Campground and Rock Creek Campground: Both campgrounds are located on the southern end of the lake off the Cascade Lakes Highway #46, which may be accessed from Highway 58 or from Bend. Both of these campgrounds have boat ramps and places along the shore to moor your boat for the evening. (Take in all your valuables at night as thefts occur.)

Trout Fishing: I can't proffer any advise on fishing tactics other than what I have learned from chatting with fellow anglers over a two day period. Here is what I learned. Because the lake averages nine to eleven feet water depth, trout tend to seek sanctuary in the old river channels when water temperatures climb. At the southern end of the lake, five river channels cross the broad body of water. In the spring and fall the trout tend to disperse into cooler water. With declining numbers of fish, target the channels exclusively during the summer months. Seasoned anglers map holes and springs with GPS. The channels are easy to locate if you have a fish finder that displays depth. On my last day my step-son joined us. As we cruised around looking at the channels and marking fish, I told him of a strategy I learned from bass anglers. If you are fishing a lake arm with a river channel, use a series of buoy markers to mark the channel. I pulled one out that I had bought from Cabela's. Simply drop the weighted marking buoy overboard. When the weight hits the bottom, the buoy stops unwinding, and you can turn the boat around and anchor. Twenty minutes later I saw the splay of fly line shimmering in the skyline from an anchored boat. When I glassed the boat, I spied a familiar fluorescent orange marker buoy. Most fly fishers use large strike indicators with chironomid nymphs. Other successful patterns are dragonfly nymphs, leech patterns and Woolly Buggers. An excellent resource is Scott Richmond's book, Crane Prairie - Deschutes Headwaters, published by Frank Amato.

Bass Fishing: Although I spotted a few bass fishermen in the Cultus Channel, the majority of bass anglers worked the drowned trees on the west side of the lake above and below the Quinn Channel.
I hope to expand this article on my return trips when I begin work on a Highway 97 and High 395 companion site.

Dave Archer

August 1, 2007

Our targeted hatch, often misidentified as a Green Drake or a Pale Morning Dun, was the genus, Emphemerella, the species doddsi. Leisurely gliding down the Williamson River in south-central Oregon, the dark green waters silhouetted the unmistakable sails of mayflies, but we were on a mission to locate the doddsi and test Sid’s latest nymph pattern. Pushing on to the frog water, Sid gently rowed his drift boat while scanning the river ahead for the chameleon of Mayflies. I would learn that the doddsi posed a serious challenge to fly tiers in that within an hour of breaking through the surface and transforming to a dun, the body would take on an entirely new hue from yellow to dark, mottled green or a greenish brown. Large fish were nudging the surface and sucking down a variety of mayflies. Although the sippers and boiling trout quickened my heart rate, Sid, impervious to the obvious potential to cast to fish forty feet from the boat, kept his attention on the water. “There’s one, no two,” he exclaimed. “Up against the opposite bank just below that log. OK, let’s see how long they drift before being gulped for breakfast.”

I looked across the river straining to see the bugs that he was watching. “Yes, I see one I proudly concurred.”

“Gone! Look at that boil. That was a nice fish,” Sid said.

“Well, I saw the rise, I saw the boil, but I am confused because I still see the bug floating unmolested,” I replied.

Sid turned and looked at me. Noting that I was squinting through my glasses he asked, “How many bugs did you see floating?”

“One,” I replied.

“What you were looking at was a Hexagenia limbata, about five times the size of a doddsi.”

“No wonder I could see it,” I mumbled. Later we would catch a Hex, and it would measure a full inch from the head to the end of the abdomen. Although typically emerging at dusk and into the night, we observed numerous Hexagenia drifting along with the doddsi. I was floating on a world class trout river famous for its huge trout with a quintessential world class fly fishing guide, Sid Mathis of Free Spirit Guide Service in Klamath Falls (541-884-3222). Earlier in the year I had asked to interview Sid, and now here I was in his drift boat watching Sid catch and release Klamath Lake rainbows on a beautiful section of the Williamson River. The only floating section on the lower river stretches no more than three miles from the county boat launch just outside of Chiloquin to the Wagon Wheel Campground below. Unlike the freestone rivers of Montana that I guided on, float fishing the Williamson River is akin to stillwater fly fishing. We anchored in one small area for two hours. During that period I would estimate that I saw between forty and fifty rises. When we drifted further downstream, Sid had me hang over the bow and count the trophy size trout darting out of the shadow of the boat. In two holes, within a forty yard stretch, I counted over twenty fish, weighing two to five pounds. Awestruck, I took my seat, opened up my briefcase and took out pen and pad along with a tape recorder. Earlier I had explained that I wanted to write a good article on fishing the Williamson River and Klamath Lake. I wanted to avoid the glib generalities that I had encountered in numerous articles that I had collected, and I wanted to gather this information from an authoritative source.

Q: How long have you been a guide, and did you have a mentor to help you launch your career on this challenging water?

Sid: I started fly fishing in 1976. By 1978 I had adopted the principle of Catch-and-Release. In 1980 I learned from an inside source that they were going to shut down the mill that I worked at. I had been running shuttles for Rich Henry, a Native American and local guide on the Williamson River. Rich grew up in the Beatty area and began fly fishing and fly tying in the early 70’s. He was a great caster and an innovative tier. He asked me if I would be interested in guiding for him when he had more bookings than he could handle. I got the overflow, but I soon discovered that I had clients that would bring along a thousand bucks worth of flies and argue with me if I tried to steer them to one of my favorite patterns. Although I knew what I had was a better offering, I didn’t have the experience or knowledge to change their minds. When my clients persisted in using poor fly selections and didn’t catch any fish, I knew I had to master my craft. I went to Rich and told him that if I was going to continue as a guide, I had to do it right and master this new career.

I asked Rich if he would teach me all that he knew. Rich took a long pause before answering. He reminded me that he made his living guiding and that to take me on as a student would cut into the days he could otherwise spend on the river guiding fly fishermen. I pressed him and asked him how much he wanted. I would need $25,000 he said. That was a lot of money in 1982, and I was at a loss of words. I told him it was a lot of money for a year of tutoring. He replied that it would take maybe three years. I agreed to pay him half at the beginning and the other half when he felt I was done. I won’t describe my wife’s reaction, but after 27 years of guiding, I never spent $25,000 on anything as valuable as those three years studying under Rich Henry.

Q: Is he still alive? What was he like? What was your training like?

Sid: Yes, he is still alive. He lives in Brookings, Oregon. Although the fly fishing community doesn’t know much about Rich, the fly fishing gurus know Rich Henry. Rich is a kind-hearted man, a conservationist. He is a short, muscular man with broad shoulders, big arms and enormous hands. How in the world he could tie a fly on a miniscule #32 hook is beyond me. When he took me on he made me swear never to kill a fish intentionally and only use primary sources for my aquatic entomological research. Rich placed the most emphasis on aquatic research, learning all about fish food. We would go out on the rivers and the lake and gather specimens to bring back to Rich’s trailer and identify. I learned about environmental factors that influenced the hatches. Then I learned how to identify nymphs by their swimming actions, and where and when they hatched, and we studied the insect migrations. It was as intense as any college program, but like many students I got myself in trouble.

The intense studying and note taking and cataloguing my drawings became tedious. One day when we were in the field, I spouted off some information that I had just read in a book. Rich looked at me quizzically and told me to finish up my sampling and then he wanted to talk to me back in his trailer, which was not too far from the river. I had no idea what he would want to talk to be about back in his trailer rather than there on the river bank. When I got back to his trailer, he had a serious look on his face, and I knew that somehow I had made a mistake. He asked me if I had been reading secondary sources. I admitted that I had. If you are going to take short-cuts and read secondary sources, he said, you don’t need me to guide you. If you are going to read books on aquatic entomology and follow their recommended fly patterns, than you should be reading Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes’ book, Western Hatches and Mayflies, the Angler and the Trout by Frank L. Arbona Jr. . He slammed the books on the table. Then he reached over and dropped Needham’s Aquatic Entomology on the table and asked which it was going to be. I sheepishly picked up Needham’s book. Rich turned and left the room. When he returned he gently laid three college degrees on the table. Two of the degrees were in the field of biology.

Q: You had an apprenticeship with a master! Your Yoda was a college educated, Native American fly fishing guide! You have told me that you guide on Klamath Lake and the Williamson River, and then you guide steelhead anglers over on the Chetco. What I want to learn, and hopefully my blog readers will want to learn, is how to cut this huge lake down to size and not lose too many seasons fishing in the wrong spots. Let’s start with the best time periods for the well-known fishing spots on the lake that a new comer can find on the Graphic Press map of Upper Klamath Lake. Start with the area around Pelican Marina at the outlet to Link River.

Sid: Many trout spend their winters in Lake Ewauna. They move up the Link River into the bay around Pelican Marina in early March through the end of April, sometimes into the first part of May.

Q: What about the waters surrounding Eagle Ridge?

Sid: Many of the fish moving up out of Lake Ewauna eventually move up the lake to the Eagle Ridge area. Although some migrations reach the area towards the end of March and the beginning of April, most reach this stretch in May.

Q: After you round Eagle Ridge, two bays, Ball Bay and Shoal Water Bay, dominate the area. When should I target this area, and what should I use for patterns?

Sid: Ball Bay is a good bay to fish April and May. Both bays are big water so you have to search and locate the fish. Ideally, water temperatures should be 50-52. Look for evidence of caddis shucks on the water after a wind. Look for Callibaetis and PMD’s. Some years the Caddis will predominate in this area and provide good fishing.

Q: Pelican Bay with its underground springs provides a sanctuary for the trout during the summer, and its small tributaries provide spawning grounds for the trout. What should I know about this area?

Sid: During the spring the trout move up Harriman Creek, Crystal Creek and Recreation Creek. It is a critical spawning area. After they leave the spawning beds and hold up in Pelican Bay, they are not in good shape. When the lake heats up to the low sixties to the mid 60’s they move back into Pelican Bay to survive.
August is iffy?

Q: I keep hearing the locales making reference to the “fishing banks.” I can’t find a reference on the map. Where is it, and what should I know about this area?

Sid: The Fishing Banks area is the north end of Upper Klamath Lake from the entrance to Pelican Bay to the straights between Upper Klamath Lake and Agency Lake. It is a good area to fish much the same as Ball Bay. The Straight is a productive spot to fish.

Q: The recent articles that I have read on fishing Klamath Lake always tout the mouth of the Williamson River. Is it as good as they say?

Sid: Sadly it has been declining for a number of years, just as we are now seeing at the mouth of the Wood. I would favor fishing the Fish Banks or the Straight before I spent time at the mouth of the Williamson River.

Q: I am new to this area, but already I have heard some grumbling about the Wood River Restoration. I’ve heard of fewer and fewer reds on the feeder creeks going into the Wood River, and this year I saw a dramatic drop in boats lining up around the outlet of the Wood. I detected a note of despair. What are your concerns regarding the Wood River.

Sid: Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Wood River Wetlands Restoration were very beneficial. The third phase, however, was devastatingly unsuccessful. When they eliminated the numerous entrances from the lake to the Wood River, they did not anticipate that the mouth would form a delta of silt and gravel so shallow that the trout are reluctant to cross the bar. In addition to some serious fish kills, the fish have one less cool water retreat when the lake’s water temperature reaches into its seasonal deadly highs above 65 degrees. It is not just that the Wood River is no longer a sanctuary and a loss of critical spawning habitat, the loss of the Wood River is impacting the Williamson River.

We are now observing an increase of spawning fish moving up the Williamson River. Areas in the drainage that are conducive to spawning are finite. Larger fish chase the smaller fish out of critical spawning areas, and the total numbers of reds drops with a corresponding impact on the number of trout in the lake. The loss of the Wood River as a migratory river for the lake’s trout has created a secondary problem. More and more boats are now plying the Williamson River and the trout are being pounded. It’s no rocket science here. It is black and white, and the agencies involved have run and ducked for cover.

Q: I hate to ask this question, as I know how many qualifying factors go into a question like this, but what do you consider the best time period to fish the lake?

Sid: I would have to pick mid June through mid July, subject of course to all those qualifying factors that you alluded to. The surface area of the lake is huge. Once the lake temperatures heat up to critical levels, the trout locate small springs that they seek out for refuge. The algae blooms and the expanse of the lake make it tougher to locate fish.

Q: How about the fall?

Sid: Generally, late September and October the water begins to cool. But it is the first cold rain storm that triggers a good bite. I like to get out on the lake a day or two later after Crystal, Recreation and Odessa Creeks start raising and dumping cold water into the lake. Those first good rain storms trigger a movement and a feeding response.

Q: What are your go-to patterns?

Sid: In May I am looking for PMD’s and Caddis. In early June I am looking for the Callibaetis hatches, but I am fishing the nymph form. With warming water temperatures, we get a lot of PMD activity, and we also start fishing Chironomid patterns. Generally we need that first hot spell for the midges to pop, especially the blood, yellows and blacks. By late June I began switching to leeches, damselflies and dragonfly nymphs.

Q: With such a shallow lake, what is your count-down for your line and fly to reach the target zone?

Sid: Ninety percent of the time my count-down is from 3 to 5 seconds, and mostly 4 or 5 seconds.

Q: What about fly lines?

Sid: My first choice is Cortland’s Camo intermediate full sinking line. For shallow water fishing, my choice is a greased floating line rather than a sink tip. I use sink tips for steelhead fishing, but I don’t like them for stillwater fishing. They are heavier and less sensitive to feel. Plus they have that hinged effect. I much prefer a greased line for stillwaters. Basically, I just take an old dry line with cracks and add some abrasive action to the line by smearing it with silt or mud. The line sinks uniformly at about one inch per second and holds in the two to three foot target zone. It’s an old steelhead method from the 40’s that works great for shallow, stillwater nymphing. The clear advantage of the Greased Line Theory is the line does not spook fish like a floating line with a strike indicator. A strike indicator can spook fish right out of the area.

In between watching Sid land a number of trout in the 16 to 18-inch range, and quietly mutter to himself when he missed a number of really big fish, it was time to shift the interview to the waters at hand, the Williamson River. I spent two years building my house and shop so I had only fished the river three times. Each venture I caught two or three fish from sixteen inches to nineteen inches. Sitting low in the water in my one-man raft, I had not seen the enormous fish that I had seen on this day standing in Sid’s drift boat. We glided by a rock formation that my son Brandon had fished the previous year. He had lost two or three really big fish in the run beneath the rock wall. When I pointed it out to Sid, he quietly informed me that it was a known spawning run and none of the guides ever fish it. I continued my interview.

Q: That spot will be off-limits to me as well. Let me begin with my most pressing question, when do the Klamath lake trout spawn, and when do they enter the Williamson River to escape the heat?

Sid: Spawning activity is sporadic and extends over a ten month period. Regarding when runs of new fish push up into the river, I’ve given up trying to find an answer. I’ve kept records trying to match surges with hatches, water temperatures and time periods, but I have found no corresponding factors that will predict when trout move out of the lake into the river system.

Q: I have been surprised to learn that fishing the Williamson River is similar to fishing the lake. It’s basically stillwater tactics. Give me a summary statement to help get me started fishing the Williamson River.

Sid: I use a five weight rod. I have my clients use my G-Loomis GLX rods. They are more forgiving, and they have less line shock. I use Cortland’s Intermediate Sinking line in the camouflage version. I use Orvis Mirage 6x fluorocarbon leaders. I mostly use Seaguar Brand Max fluorocarbon tippet material. Search out working fish and target them with the appropriate bugs, either nymphs or emergers. I interjected, “And be willing to spend two to three years perfecting one pattern, such as the Emphemerella doddsi.”

Most of us claim to be passionate about some aspect of our lives, but it is only when we dedicate our lives to study and make a life-time commitment to learning everything we can about the passion that drives us do we attain the status of a master. Few of us achieve that level. Sid Mathis is a master fly fisherman.
Dave Archer

Free Spirit Guide Service, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Sid Mathis
(541) 884-3222
Email: sidmathis@aol.com

Brookings, Oregon and Gold Beach (Rogue River)

July 26, 2007 “I am not Worthy!”

Creeks, streams, rivers and lakes beckon me, but of late the Pacific Ocean whispers promises of bigger water and bigger fish. My growing fascination for ocean fishing caught me by surprise. Bloody bait and endless trolling never appealed to me, but in truth, it is fishing that requires more patience than what I could have endured in my younger years. Had the label “Attention Deficit Disorder” been around during my school days, I certainly would have qualified. It is not that I elevate trout fishing or bass fishing above bottom fishing or salmon fishing, it is simply that the former both offer continuous casting and mobility. As I grow older, however, the appeal of trolling and catching a large salmon prompted me to head for the coast to investigate this logical extension of my angling experience.

Living only four and a half hours from the coast, the allure of salt water fishing began with my first crabbing excursion on the Charleston Bay last fall. Had it not been for my wife noting that many of the crabbers were out trolling for salmon in between checking on their pots, I would probably still be concentrating my efforts on bass and trout. However, like all new endeavors specialized equipment and new skills have to be learned. The learning curve for conventional bass fishing was tough enough after a life time of fly fishing for trout. Ocean fishing will be a commitment of money and time, as well as learning boating safety. With that in mind, my first stop was Brookings, Oregon where I could prowl the docks while my wife visited her sister.

My first mistake was to purchase a rod and reel from a woman in the fishing department at Bi-Low in Grants Pass. Before you howl in protest at my seemingly sexist or chauvinist leanings, let me explain. I wanted a sales person who was an old sea dog, someone with real ocean fishing experience. When a woman stepped forward to help me, I tossed out a quick “sizing up her experience” question on salt water fishing. The question went directly to my task at hand, “Do you sell salmon rods and reels?” Quick to push down any further judgmental queries, I ended up walking out the door with an 8.5 foot Ugly Stick and an Abu Garcia level wind reel. Certain that I would be gouged in the tackle shops along the coast, I choose to save money and buy from an inexperienced sales person who answered my question with, “Yes, here is a popular reel.”

“Penny saved, pound foolish” echoes in the recycle bin of my memory bank. I had purchased a popular river rig for salmon and steelhead fishing. The rod was too long for bringing a salmon to net while in a rocking boat out in the ocean, and the reel was too small for the minimum 300 feet of line required out in the ocean. My 18’ skiff was not in compliance with the Coast Guard requirements. I did not have a proper throwable PFD. I did not have a VHF marine radio, nor did I have a magnetic compass or sound producing device, not to mention a visual distress device. I was only going to venture a mile out and test the boat I reasoned. I also noted that most small boat anglers had a back-up trolling motor. I cancelled any notion of just going out past the jetty to test the sea worthiness of my boat. I was not sea worthy. I also discovered that I need to take an Oregon test on safe boating procedures. I tried to book a bottom fishing trip, but the ocean was too rough so I headed up to Gold Beach to fish the mouth of the Rogue River for the first salmon arrivals for the fall run.

The owner of Rogue Outdoor Store in Gold Beach, Jim Carey, makes his living with repeat customers, both local and from out of the area. Like any good fly shop or tackle shop owner, Jim makes his living passing on information, providing instruction and helping people get set up properly. If he isn’t too busy, he goes out of his way to help beginners, which in my case included setting up my rod when I showed some confusion on how to set up a sliding spreader and a Rogue Bait Rig by Luhr-Jensen. Designed for a 4” to 6” anchovy, the main line attaches to a spreader rig. The spreader rig is a V-shaped springy steel contraption that separates the dropper line and sinker from the running line to the bait rig. Jim set me up with a Glide-O spreader. The simple practicality of this rig is that if you tangle while playing a fish, the main line runs free. Since the spreader has a drop leader on lighter pound test line to the weight, the weight can be broken off without the loss of the fish. Additionally, the fish do not feel the weight when they take your bait or lure. From the second tip of the V- spreader the line extends 40 to 50 inches to a swivel. Below the swivel are a rotating blade and a single hook on a slip knot. The single hook adjusts to the baitfish length and body bend for correct rolling action. The single hook is threaded up under the jaw and extrudes out of the mouth. Jim told me that a good bending angle for an anchovy is the natural bend of your leg just above the knee. Using a slender, rigid wire with a notch at the end, the wire is pushed up the anus until it exits the mouth. The wire is notched on the terminal end of a perfection loop and then pulled back out the anus. A treble hook is then attached with one of the three hooks sunk into the flank of the anchovy just above the tail. Jim may be reached at Rogue Outdoor (541-247-7142) or online at www.rogueoutdoor.com.

The next morning I headed to Lex’s Landing to launch my boat for $5 and wolf down a breakfast burrito, which was delicious. I learned a lesson pulling a camper and a boat. It was an invaluable lesson if you travel to fishing grounds with a non-angling spouse. Pay for a mooring spot so you can head out early in the morning and not disturb your wife! I trolled for three or four hours dodging boats coming at me from all directions. Standing on the levy the previous day, it looked like the boats, for the most part, were traveling in an elliptical orbit in the same direction. When I got on the water early in the morning I had a half mile between me and the next boat. By nine o’clock I counted close to forty boats. By eleven o’clock my wife and I counted close to 60 boats, and I could detect no discernable pattern. By noon the coast guard was herding the small boats back into the safer water. Although I didn’t have any action, it was a good trial run for later.

Fishing tip: Jim Carey recommends an Oregon blade, which is made locally. Information may be found at oregonblade.com.

Dave Archer

After spending almost twenty-five years exploring and fishing Montana, my retirement in Oregon poses a singular challenge. I don’t have the time or energy to fish all the waters of my new adopted state. I initially purchased a couple of Oregon fishing guide books and found them helpful. Craig Schuhman’s book, Moon Outdoors – Oregon Fishing, however, is my go-to-bible on Oregon fishing.

Having written a Montana fly fishing and camping guide a number of years ago, I am in awe of the expansive coverage Craig has included in his 470 page book. The content is rich in details, and he does not generalize or gloss over hard to reach watersheds. Having already explored a number of creeks and streams in southeast Oregon, I immediately went to the pages covering the upper Sprague River, the Sycan River, Thompson Reservoir, Dogg Lake and a number of other smaller fishing waters I had already covered. Two of the books I had previously purchased gave fishing information that were inflated and generalized. I tested Schuhman’s information with my experience, and his credibility soared. Oregon Fishing is indeed a Complete Guide to Fishing Lakes, Rivers, Streams, and the Ocean.

Although I missed not seeing photographs in the guide book, once I began using the book, I was appreciative of the well thought out organization and keyed maps. Each featured body of water covers the species of fish, facilities, directions and contact information for tackle shops and other related businesses in the area. As a new resident in Oregon, I especially liked that I never got lost while I perused through the book. Organized by geographical sections, each body of water is given a site name and number, along with a general location of the site in relation to the nearest town or landmark. Under this information is a reference to the map with the page number. If you are serious about fishing Oregon, this book is a must have guide book!

Dave Archer

South Central Oregon
Closest town: Chiloquin
Closest city: Klamath Falls
Boat Launch: County Park on the edge of town
Boat Exit: Water Wheel Campground six miles down river on Hwy. 97
Recommended guide book: Moon Outdoors Oregon Fishing

Having fished and guided in Montana for over twenty years, I wouldn’t go so far as to proclaim Oregon’s rivers on par with Montana for wild rainbows, but I am feeling less remorse regarding my move from the Bitterroot Valley to the Klamath Basin each time that I have float fished the Williamson River. Do not infer from this assertion that I have probed the depths of this river and gleamed the secrets for successful fishing. Indeed, the opposite is true. Of my two forays, last October and my most recent trip mid-July, 2006, I have managed to land only four fish. The smallest was sixteen or seventeen inches and the largest was perhaps twenty inches. The three guide books that I have read proffer the same advice, cover the same recommendations and dangle an irresistible carrot on a fly rod. Dear readers, who amongst you is not interested in targeting a wild 5 to 10 pound rainbow trout on a small river?

Fishing for these “black monsters” is akin to fishing for steelhead. Klamath Lake rainbows are arguably a strain of steelhead according to some experts. Due to the tannic, tea colored water, Klamath trout are dark, lead-colored later in the summer, and they are generally on the move. Locked in a shallow lake with an average depth under ten feet, the Klamath Lake grows lots of bugs, forage fish and algae. When the algae blooms and the shallow waters heat to potentially lethal levels for trout, they move! Underwater springs and the mouth of the Wood River and the Williamson River become staging areas for these stressed trout. From late June through October these stressed trout seek sanctuary in the Williamson River. (The Wood River has been altered by BLM management to the point that a sand bar impedes progress up river.) Cooled by Spring Creek a few miles above Chiloquin at Collier State Park, the river harbors incredible numbers of huge fish beating the heat of summer. Sounds like an angler’s dream, but in order to protect these vulnerable fish, Oregon fishing regulations require that an angler not float and fish above the Chiloquin County Park; further, anglers can not anchor and fish nor tie up their boat and fish from the boat. Since the banks are all private property, you can’t get out and fish! When you float down to the residential section and see the pods of fish all schooled up in front of homes, you are also stymied in that if you jump out of your boat to fish from the river bottom, you had better have the stature of an NBA player because it is deep. The guide books point out that by October some fish reach the Collier State Park and hold up at the confluence of Spring Creek. Floating from Collier State Park to Chiloquin is a great float for a small raft or canoe, but be sure to get out at the bridge in Chiloquin by the market because downstream is a drop-off that could easily tear up a raft or damage a boat. So, where are these famed floating sections that fishing magazines tout? They are on the upper river on private ranches, but there is one six mile section the public can float and cast while drifting.

Exiting Highway 97 for the town of Chiloquin, the rodeo grounds are on the left and the county park with access to the river is on the right. Because the bank is so steep, the county has a wood boat slide to the river, although drift boats are generally dropped down the steep bank with four-wheel drive trucks. Most of the guides launch and then row up stream 200 yards to where the Sprague River joins the Williamson River. This confluence, the “Blue Hole” can also be reached by driving behind the Chiloquin High School where it is easy to launch a small raft or kick boat a hundred yards from the confluence. The best waters on this five to six mile float are the first two miles. Like the Big Horn River in Montana, guides scurry to the best holes, anchor and spend upwards to two hours in a hole. If you can afford a guide, do so. It can be a challenging fishery. Take your time fishing the upper river slowly and methodically. Remember, this is a stream that you are fishing for a trophy trout, not a slew of dinks.

During the run-off in May, I swung by the boat launch to check out the water conditions on my way to the hardware store. When I pulled up a boy was on the wooden launch tying on a Crocodile Lure. About a foot up from the lure, he attached a big chunk of lead. He made a quarter cast upstream and reeled it in way too fast in my estimation. On his fourth cast he nailed a six or seven pounder. He wasted no time horsing it in only to have it flip off in the weeds next to his feet. I could see he was ready to jump in after it as it flailed in the weed mat. I yelled to him not to jump. The water was over his head, cold and swift. He nonchalantly turned to me and said, “It’s all right. I’ve caught bigger ones than that on this river.” He then turned to me and graciously said, “Would you like to make some casts, mister?”

“No, thanks,” I said stupidly. It was a sincere offer. He wasn’t in any hurry to catch another fish. He was alone and saw how excited I was with his catch. I am still puzzling over why I didn’t accept this 10-year old’s offer. What kept me from saying ‘Hell, yes!” and bailing out of the truck. It honestly wasn’t pride. I think I was afraid I wouldn’t give him back his outfit.

With such a limited knowledge of this world-class stream, it is not prudent to provide tips and tactics. However, if you are like me and can not afford a guide, let me share with you my experience and what I have learned from the guide books and anglers that I have met. First of all, this is not a classic dry fly fishery. Yes, the river has prolific hatches, especially the Hexagenia hatch in late June and early July, but unless you hit it just right and the fish are wont to feed on top, you need to provide them food that they are more accustomed, which corresponds to their feeding regimen in the lake. In other words, streamers, wet flies and nymphs are the preferred flies for these monsters. Last October I caught both fish on a size 8 Yuk bug. My son broke off at least four large fish in a nice side channel with a riffle at the top dumping into a run. A few nights later he went back and landed a 20-incher with a Denny Rickards Seal Bugger. He used an intermediate sinking line and allowed the fly to sink before he retrieved it with short, hand retrieves punctuated by a pause after three quick, short retrieves. On my second trip to the river recently, I decided to experiment.

I know the river produces a good supply of crawdads so in addition to my fly rod I brought a bait casting reel. I tied a 2-inch red tube bait and ran it through a fast run. I honestly don't know if these lake trout will take a crawdad, but I kept getting light hits until I hooked up a nice fish. For the next couple of hours I was constantly hanging up on the bottom, and I had no hits. Later in the day a guide floated by me in the slow frog water. He asked me how the fishing had been and I said slow. He laughed and said, “Well, you’re not going to catch anything with that monstrosity.”
“Well, I caught my first fish on that monstrosity,” I replied.
“There’s always a few dumb ones around,” he countererd.

Having been a fly fishing guide, I know how familiar and knowledgeable a guide can become on his home waters, but I also know guides who become arrogant and close-minded. I had just caught an 18+ inch rainbow using a tube bait and a PMD nymph as a dropper on a fly rod! I know I am going to catch some big fish on small tube baits. Here are what the experts advise. If you have had success on this stretch and are willing to share with others, I would really like to hear from you, especially on fishing the frog water.

1. Big Streamers
2. Wooly Buggers, Yuk Bugs
3. Leeches and Seal Buggers
4. Standard nymphs with strike indicators.

Guest Contributor:

The following is an excerpt from Craig Schuhmann’s web site on the Williamson River and Wood River. Craig is an Oregon licensed fishing guide and may be contacted at 541-778-1194, or he may be reached at his email at crsscs@hotmail.com. His newly published book, Moon Outdoors: Oregon Fishing is a comprehensive fishing guide to the entire state of Oregon including coastal areas. It is now my first choice for Oregon fishng guides.

The Williamson River is a blue-ribbon, trophy trout spring creek located in Southern Oregon, 30 miles north of Klamath Falls. This is the river made famous by E.H. Polly Rosborough in his book, Tying and Fishing the Fuzzy Nymphs. "Polly" was a West Coast pioneer in fly design and matching the hatch, and dedicated most of his life and writings to understanding this complicated fishery. Dick Winter, a former tyer of Polly's, still fishes the river today and has developed his own great series of flies for taking trout such as his Black Drake Spinner and Hexagenia patterns.

The river originates in the Winema National Forest and is divided into two sections: the upper river above Klamath Marsh and the lower river flowing through Chiloquin and into Upper Klamath Lake. These two distinct river sections, are quite different as fisheries.

Lower River: Most of our guiding occurs on the lower river and is concentrated on catching large migratory Upper Klamath Lake Redband Trout which have genetic links to steelhead. Average catches range from 4-7 pounds with 10 pound (30 inch) fish not uncommon. Highlights include the emergence of Hexagenia (large yellow mayfly) and PMD's in June and July, Tricos in August, and Mahogany Duns and BWO's into fall. Streamer fishing is by far the most productive method for catching these large predators. We use full sinking lines much of the year and our best streamers are seal buggers, various leech patterns. Soft hackles and nymphs are also productive.

Upper Williamson: The upper river is equally exciting with abundant hatches of Hexagenia (July) and Black Drakes (June) for slightly smaller redbands and brook trout. This is a walk-in fishery, quaint in size and character. The drive to this location is about an hour- and- a half from Chiloquin. This is a great way to spend a day stalking spooky trout feeding in tight bends and small channels, examining hatches and eating lunch under the giant Ponderosa Pines.

"The Wood River will find its nitch in the heart of every spring creek angler."
Originating at a large spring in Kimball State Park northeast of Fort Klamath, the Wood is a spring creek that will test every angler's ability. Fish for large resident browns up to ten pounds in the spring and summer and migratory rainbows in the fall. A day on the Wood is a visual splendor and solitary retreat. Owls, hawks, eagles, foxes, otters, mustkrats, beavers, wildflowers, and mountain views will be your companions as we float in search of feeding trout on the gentle gin-clear waters.

Fishing on the Wood occurs from May 1 - October 31. Highlights include early season hatches of PMD's in May, June and July, followed by an assortment of green drakes, BWO's and other mayflies and caddis. In August, it's grasshopper season and time to throw large grasshopper patterns against the banks. Fall brings out a hatch of BWO's and Mahogany Duns that rival the early season PMD hatch in size. One can always bring bigger browns to hand with streamers and sinking lines.

Craig Schuhmann

Oregon: Southeastern: Brookies and Rainbows
Upper Sycan River and North Fork of the Sprague
Nearest town: Beatty and Bly
Nearest City or Large Town: Klamath Falls
Reference Map: Fremont National Forest

After more than fifty years of trout fishing, I never grow tired of exploring and fishing small trout waters. Chalk it up to therapy or just re-living my youth, but the allure of a clear mountain creek or stream connects me to the Over soul, the ethereal side of fly fishing. The headwaters of the Sycan River and the North Fork of the Sprague River provide two pleasant, mountain retreats for a family with young campers or an old piscatorial prowler like me. Make no mistake, these small waters provide good fishing for 7 to 10-inch rainbows and brook trout with the occasional brown trout. Both waters offer slow gradient and very shallow water with cobblestone bottoms. You have to hike up each creek thirty to forty yards before locating a hole, but every hole harbors at least one 10-inch trout. Besides excellent camping spots, each of these waters has protected wilderness corridors.

As an author of a Montana fishing and camping guide, I am always intrigued with the accuracy and reliance of other guide books. My primary sources were Fishing Central Oregon and Beyond and Flyfisher’s Guide to Oregon by John Huber. Of the two, Fishing Central Oregon is my favorite, but I believe their description of the Sycan is misleading. Their cover shot shows a woman angler holding a large rainbow taken on the Sycan. I checked the spot they touted during run-off after a wet winter. The river was huge, perhaps thirty yards across in the meadow section below the Sycan Marsh. When I returned July 2, the river was a trickle through marshy grass. (Hwy 140 East past Beatty, left on Road 30 to Camp Six, left on Road 27 to the bridge crossing). The authors’ advise searching out logging roads that lead to the river below and finding springs that hold concentrations of trout. Give me a break! The river, emptying out of the expansive Sycan Marsh, is both warm and a mosquito torture test for the most resolved and dedicated of anglers. However, this area would be a fun float in the spring. By mid-summer it is a trickle. From here I headed for Pike’s Crossing Campground.

To reach Pike’s Crossing, continue on Road 30 past Camp Six to the bridge crossing. The campground is just before the bridge on the right. From the bridge the Sycan River runs down trough a wilderness canyon to the Sycan Marsh. Road 019 runs west paralleling the canyon for a number of miles before it veers southwesterly to intersect with Road 3239, which runs north and after a few miles runs close to the canyon, perhaps a mile in some places. I had hoped for more holding water in the canyon just below Pike’s Crossing, but again it was a gentle gradient with few holes or pocket water. The water is ankle to mid-calf deep so traveling upstream is easy. Every hole held a nice pan-size rainbow. I can not report on any other section of the canyon – another time. The water above the campground gets pretty skinny, but there is a nice stretch of a half-mile from the campground to the bridge. In spite of the low flows, the trout are abundant and the canyon is picturesque.

The North Fork of the Sprague River is in close proximity to the Sycan drainage bordering the Gearhart Mountain Wilderness. From Pike’s Crossing continue north on Road 30 until it intersects with Road 28, which leads in a south easterly direction to Ingram and then to the turn-off for Campbell Lake. Take Road 3411 west to the headwaters of the North Fork. This is beautiful meadow country, and the Sprague River is really no more than a willow-lined creek. Two campgrounds, Lee Thomas Campground and Sandhill Crossing Campground, offer great camping spots right on the “river” with plenty of Brook trout hiding along the undercut banks and in the small pools. I left the Sandhill Crossing Campground and traveled a few miles west on Road 3411 and then hiked down into the wilderness canyon. I found the good holding water in the canyon and caught at least 15 trout from 7 to 10 inches in an hour and a half. The entire drainage is scenic, and I never ran into another angler. I have yet to walk into the headwaters from the trailhead.

The North Fork of the Sprague is most easily reached from Bly taking Road 34, which leads past Campbell Reservoir and heads to Dairy Creek. I did not have time to fish Dairy Creek, but it too is beautiful and promising. Both of these waters would be great waters to introduce children to fishing and camping.

Look for more articles on fishing and camping along Highway 395 and Highway 97 in the summer of 2008.