Portland in March: Where to Fish for Steelhead

[NedZeppelin]

I think I will be in the Portland OR area for a few days in March, and wondering if I could get any info on where to go, shops to talk to, guides to hire for steelhead? Any advice or info appreciated and feel free to PM me.

[mlarocco]

The closest steelheading to Portland would probably be the Sandy River which is a tributary to the Columbia just east of the PDX airport. The next closest would be the Clackamas River which is a tributary to the Willamette River just south of the city. March will see fish throughout the systems with many fish already spawning in the upper reaches. Any of the Portland Fly Fishing shops can offer guides/advice, The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches Oregon is close proximity to the upper Sandy

[mlarocco]

https://flyfishusa.com/sandy-river-fly- ... guide.aspx

[NedZeppelin]

Thanks the Clackamas River looks of interest, I can drive a distance from Portland, as I am dropping off family member to visit friend for a few days (assuming Portland has calmed down a riot wise by then!) and I spot a reason the check "steelhead fishing" in life's box of choices.

[old and retired]

Jeff Hickman still guides the Clackamas. You can't do better.

[troybuz]

Contact Royal Treatment Fly Shop royaltreatmentflyfishing.com they are well connected and provide great information and services.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[roycestearns]

Know one knows the Clackamas better than Rob Crandall https://watertimeoutfitters.com/

[mlarocco]

assuming Portland has calmed down a riot wise by then!

If you stay out of downtown after dark you should not have any problems. The changing rules around the pandemic would be a concern, hopefully that is better known by march.

The upper Clack is pleasing on the eyes. A portion of the run diverts into Eagle Creek (Hatchery) before the scenery opens up. If you plan to bring your own gear talk to your guide, you may be doing indicator fishing or swinging flies (which may require sink tips depending on flows). The water will still be cold in March. Run off flows and slick and cobbled bottom can make for challenging wading conditions. Recommend a wading staff if you aren't in peak physical shape.

[mlarocco]

PGE Link shows which sections have damn on them and which are free flowing. Once again, taalk with your guide about wading risks. When I first moved west I almost ended up in a 'strainer' on the Clack

https://www.portlandgeneral.com/corpora ... o-projects

[DonT]

FWIW, Rob Crandall will likely not be fishing the Clack in March. If you can get on his schedule for the NF Nehalem, that would be a really good thing. Water Time Outfitters is his company. Royal Treatment Fly Shop will not steer you wrong, highly recommend them for info and guide recommendations. Hickman is really good, you can't go wrong there. Also, Brian Silvey is the go-to guide on the Sandy, and the guys who work out of The Fly SHop in Welches are very good too.

I fish the Clack all the time, you can PM me if you have questions. Rainfall/water conditions might well dictate what's available, you need to keep track of that as well as the time gets closer. The rivers blow out when the big storms come through.

Best,
Don

[wctc1]

I second on the guides mentioned that I know.

Also, I live three miles from Royal Treatment Fly Shop, so really like stopping in there. Talked to Joel about it before the shop opened. Joel's was long experienced at Kaufman's, his father was noted, and so on. The Fly Shop in Welches is very good.

Think of a guide as a great investment. DonT is right, be prepared to go west if an early spring storm comes through. Mlarocco is right on about a wading staff; I strongly suggest bringing one, especially for that time of year.

If worst comes to worst, send me a PM. At the least I'll give you a guided tour though the Bigfoot territory above Estacada, but beware, the Riverside Fire destroyed much fine timber up there. We are still unsure what the silt runoff will do to our fishing. Joe here

Ps: Click is Mt. Hood from the high Clackamas by me, 2013. Bring your camera.

[CDCdun]

One thing to keep in mind is what type of fly fishing you want to do for steelhead. Jeff Hickmans group is awesome. His business name is “Fish the Swing”. So if you go with those guys...you’ll be swinging flies, preferably with a spey rod. Other fly fishing guides may be “swingers” exclusively as well. You can nymph fish for steelhead with beads and egg patterns, but it’s not as exciting as when you get a tight line grab on a spey rod (at least not to me). If you know how to spey cast, or are down to learn it, I’d get a swing/spey guide. If you’re more interested in nymph fishing, make sure they know that and can do that for you.

Jake

[BigTJ]

Thanks the Clackamas River looks of interest, I can drive a distance from Portland, as I am dropping off family member to visit friend for a few days (assuming Portland has calmed down a riot wise by then!) and I spot a reason the check "steelhead fishing" in life's box of choices.

Having lived in Portland for many years and also having multiple friends who live downtown I can say that the riot situation is totally overblown. Complete non factor for your visit.

If it were me I’d hit the coast. 2 hour drive. Get a guide.

Good luck,

John

[mlarocco]

If it were me I’d hit the coast. 2 hour drive

I'd be careful heading to the coast early in the morning to meetup with a guide. 2 hours means getting up real early for that drive. Risks would be

1. Hitting a large animal (elk) in the dark
2. Still possible to have black ice on the coast passes early in the March mornings

When I first moved to the Portland area from the east coast many years ago, I rolled a SUV heading to the coast 1 morning. Conditions had been above freezing and dry just west of Portland (Beaverton/Hillsboro). ice in the coast range. Almost lost my thumb on my right hand.

Live in SW Washington now, Lewis and Kalama are the local waters

[BigTJ]

If it were me I’d hit the coast. 2 hour drive

I'd be careful heading to the coast early in the morning to meetup with a guide. 2 hours means getting up real early for that drive. Risks would be

1. Hitting a large animal (elk) in the dark
2. Still possible to have black ice on the coast passes early in the March mornings

When I first moved to the Portland area from the east coast many years ago, I rolled a SUV heading to the coast 1 morning. Conditions had been above freezing and dry just west of Portland (Beaverton/Hillsboro). ice in the coast range. Almost lost my thumb on my right hand.

Live in SW Washington now, Lewis and Kalama are the local waters

You can hit an animal in the dark or spin out on ice anywhere in Oregon in the winter. You can also get hit by a meteorite or abducted by aliens. By March it’s pretty rare ( ice and aliens) but hey yeah let’s tell other adults don’t go to the coast it’s too dangerous.

I always worry about drunk drivers more than anything in the early AM hours and the bulk of those are in the metro areas. But this is a seriously off topic discussion for a guy that is just looking for ideas on where to fish. The Oregon Coast in my opinion is a place everybody should experience at least once in their lifetime.

[mlarocco]

The Oregon Coast in my opinion is a place everybody should experience at least once in their lifetime.

I agree. Make it a multiple day trip and avoid driving the coast range at night.

People that live in Portland have the advantage of monitoring the weather conditions and making adjustments. Somebody who is flying in from out of town and has booked a $500 guide trip is different. Elk and Black tail are more active early and late, anybody who drives out and about where they live would confirm. New a restaurant/bar owner that lived in Naselle WA but operated a place in Woodland WA. Multiple accidents with Black Tail driving after dark. I have hit mule deer and elk in Montana after dark.

As far as black ice, I almost lost my thumb is a rollover in March going to the coast. Snarky response not appreciated. For someone from out of town who has catching a Pacific Steelhead on his bucket list on a 1 day trip the Sandy and Clack in March should have plenty of fish. For somebody more interested in catching a fish that sight seeing the Cowlitz in SW WA has plenty of guides and plenty of fish.

[BigTJ]

Leave Portland at 6, fish 9-3, home by 6. Done it many many times. Don’t get why am overnighter is needed but hey it’s all good. It’s a bummer you crashed but you could just have easily done it in PDX in fact the bad ice storms come out of the gorge - cold air blowing west - I’ve seen way worse ice on the Sandy than on the coast. Consider getting some snow tires, I ski 60 days a year, snow and ice all the time.

[mlarocco]

Leave Portland at 6, fish 9-3, home by 6

Good for a local. Guide usually would want to put in early meaning 4 am departure out of PDX. Could always ask 1/2 day from guide.

One thing that took me awhile to get used to when I lived in PDX and headed back and forth to the coast was the inevitable 'tailgater' who apparently knew every twist and turn on a windy highway that I didn't. Nerve wracking for a visitor.

If you ever talk to the EMT's up at Eagle Cliff in Gifford Pinchot lots of stories about scraping motor cyclists off the pavement after they come around a bend to see an elk in their path. Than it's a life flight out.

Been in Portland/SW Wa for ~ 30 years. 1st Steelie was a 33" hen on the Eagle Creek tributary to the Clack. Portland has changed allot in that time, much more crowded. The coast between Canon Beach and Astoria is very crowded now also.