Any words of advice/encouragement?

[sherretb]

Hey all,
I have been hittin the S Santiam as hard as I can this spring/summer (about 10 trips) both from the bank (waterloo -blue foxes in the large tailout) and from the boat (four drifts from the dam to pleasant valley) and have no steel to show for it.

I had a fish on two days ago just for a second on a black jig in the lower church camp hole and a buddy caught one out of my boat on a bright orange spoon back (about 2 miles down from the dam) when the water was high but other than that nothing.

I like to through spinners but the last couple times out I have drifted corkie/yarn/eggs and have also bobber fished jigs/eggs.

I am getting kind of discourage and could really use someone who has caught fish in this river to tell me "they are there" or that they aren't. whatever the case.

Anyway, any PM's/phone calls/ posts would be appreciated greatly!
Thanks a bunch!

-Ben
541-480-6805

 

[waco]

Just don't give up i was on the same situation 1 month ago but know im so exited about fishing!!! there is fish just dont give up and keep trying!! :dance:

 

[Chedster]

I finally had a chance to float it this last weekend and it seems to be slow. Sounds like it was good weeks ago. I floated to pleasant valley twice and had no luck besides trout. Saw lots of fish but they were pretty beat up. Keep trying and changing tactics to see what works.

 

[SantiamDrifter]

I know old timers who stop fishing it after the water gets low. The fish I see caught in the mid to late summer are all stacked up in the first couple holes or the recyled ones at PV and waterloo. With no fish being caught in the middle strecthes. With that being said the fish often take a few weeks to get use to the low water. Continue to use low water tactics and you should start seeing fish.

 

[sherretb]

Just don't give up i was on the same situation 1 month ago but know im so exited about fishing!!! there is fish just dont give up and keep trying!! :dance:

Dare I ask what happened? Catching a few lately?


Thanks all for the replies.

 

[waco]

Dare I ask what happened? Catching a few lately?


Thanks all for the replies.

ok sorry then!!!!!! SO WONT CATCH ANYTHING THERE IS NO FISH THERE!!!!! DONT EVEN GIVE IT A TRY!!!!!

 

[sherretb]

didn't mean to offend. I am glad you are stoked on fishing! just wondering what happened? Has it got better in the last month?

 

[Combat Chuck]

I started fishing this river last year and had a hookup almost every trip (bank and boat). I have tried all year and have only hooked up once. I dont understand it because there are a ton of fish this year. Its odd this year, I think they are just stacking up at the top were the bank guys get em. The boats I talk to never get any fish either. Strange is all I can say. Ive been using my drift boat because a knee injury prevents me from wading this summer. The drift boat guys I work with have given up and just bank it at Wiley creek now.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Yeahhh I've done the drift from wiley creek down a couple times this summer, and did pleasant valley to waterloo a couple weeks ago...NADA. Wait. That's a lie. We did have one good day for Chinook below pleasant valley, between two of us, hooked around 5 i think, murdered two....but the steelhead are MIA. Saw fish stacked at wiley creek, with a thousand guys on the bank...and then not much action the rest of the drifts. There were a FEW fish in tailouts downriver, but not really anything to write home about. I didn't get out to fish it much 'cause of my car wreck injuries, but, it really sounds like I didn't miss much. Seems like they just shoot back upriver as soon as they're recycled to repeat the process.

Wiley creek isn't my cup of tea though. I fished it a couple times, and, yeah, it's likely to produce...but the locals are special. That's all I got to say about that.

I still gotta say, I prefer the santiams over the McKenzie zoo, as far as fishing from a drift boat goes. WAY less boats. It's a nice change.

 

[Combat Chuck]

I couldnt believe the amount of steelies at wiley cr last time I drifted. The amount of fish doubled the amount of people at the zoo!

 

[JeannaJigs]

Haha I can only imagine. That place is nuts! I havent fished from the bank up there since before my wreck and that was in June. Water was still really high, had to wade out waist deep to get out of the bushes. There were quite a few people...but then I did a drift towards the end of July and the numbe of people had multiplied by at least ten lol totally crazy! I'm not into shoulder to shoulder combat.

 

[autofisher]

I haven't caught any fish on the South (mostly because I rarely fish it).....I've heard about some here and there, but mostly on corkie and yarn and some spoons. I've heard dozens of theories about what's going on. All I can really tell you is what has worked for me, and that's to not give a crap about whether or not you catch fish but rather enjoy being out on the water and be thankful you're not somewhere that you'd hate. Every time I do that, I seem to start having better luck with catching fish. Sounds stupid..... I know.... but Jigs has seen the results.... twice.

 

[JeannaJigs]

I haven't caught any fish on the South (mostly because I rarely fish it).....I've heard about some here and there, but mostly on corkie and yarn and some spoons. I've heard dozens of theories about what's going on. All I can really tell you is what has worked for me, and that's to not give a crap about whether or not you catch fish but rather enjoy being out on the water and be thankful you're not somewhere that you'd hate. Every time I do that, I seem to start having better luck with catching fish. Sounds stupid..... I know.... but Jigs has seen the results.... twice.

lol it's true! Weekday fishing for me is heaven. I could catch nothin and still be content. I'd rather be on the river with sunscreen burning my eyeballs than working. Fish are a nice very exciting bonus.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Keep at it. 6 lb leader, 16th oz jig, white head, black body. Tiniest white corky with black yarn#1 hook, 6lb. leader.....Game on!

Yeah I sold some jigs to a few guys up there and they've been doing alright. Haven't heard anything in the last few weeks but the white head black body was at some point money. I think though changing it up might be key. Give em something they haven't seen fly by their faces a million times. I'd suggest white head with a flesh colored body, personally.

 

[sherretb]

Hey all, Thanks again for the help.

in a related update, I fished below the leaburg dam friday night for about 1.5 hours and got two trout like bumps swinging leach pattern flies. didn't see any steel caught