Clueless aka excited from Ireland

[freshrun]

Hello all,

I posted a few months ago to say that I was coming to the West Coast of America from Ireland, for a few months for school. The semester is now nearly at an end (I am down in California) so I am finally ready for something I have been looking forward to for many years: heading to Oregon for some fly fishing for Steel head. I am excited and looking forward to it, but not sure where to start.

I am a student, on a budget! My plan is to head up to Portland soon. I am looking for whatever advice you guys out there may have. I have brought a couple of double handed (spey) rods from Ireland, and I will be tackling them up with a skagit line so I can fish the right steelhead flies in the right way. I am a functional caster with a normal spey or scandinavian lines so I should fair ok with the skagit set up once I'm used to it. I will be able to get the right skagit set up in a tackle shop in Portaland, so maybe you guys could recommend a place to me?

The dream come true would be to meet up with some cool folk who fish rivers in the area and go fishing with them. Maybe you could show me the methods and how you target these great fish. That would be great and if any guys out there are up for that, I can promise you some friendly Irish company (plus a sneaky flask of Irish whiskey!) and the exact same treatment should you ever decide to visit Ireland. We have a lot of Salmon, Brown and Sea trout back in Ireland and I am well familiar with plenty of the rivers and lakes that hold them. I would only be too happy to return the favour to a friend.

Failing that, any information/help/advice/pointers/warnings etc are very welcome. I am very excited about seeing the beautiful landscape of Oregon and being out in the wilderness, and I hear the night life in Portland isn't bad either! Speaking of which, if anybody wants to go for a few drinks on the town while I'm up there, let me know!

All the best,

Freshrun

 

[fredaevans]

First, you can drive far short of that in Oar-E-Gon. I live about 5-10 minutes drive from the upper Rogue River. Get to my 'front door' and you're "All In" for a weeks fishing. North end of Medford, and you're about 10 minutes to bunking out. I should warn you ... I'm a damned good cook and have two old doggies who will "DEMAND" love and affection. That will take you about two minutes :>) to 'establish a relationship.'

For context (me) Google fredaevans and you'll find I'm a frequent poster on many of the UK based fly boards. Use the same log-in name everywhere.

PM me if interested or fredaevans@gmail.com

Fred

 

[TTFishon]

First, you can drive far short of that in Oar-E-Gon. I live about 5-10 minutes drive from the upper Rogue River. Get to my 'front door' and you're "All In" for a weeks fishing. North end of Medford, and you're about 10 minutes to bunking out. I should warn you ... I'm a damned good cook and have two old doggies who will "DEMAND" love and affection. That will take you about two minutes :>) to 'establish a relationship.'

For context (me) Google fredaevans and you'll find I'm a frequent poster on many of the UK based fly boards. Use the same log-in name everywhere.

PM me if interested or fredaevans@gmail.com

Fred

Forget Portland. That sounds like a great deal right there!!!

 

[fredaevans]

I should 'warn you' I'm a "Died in the Wool" Man-U fan and have two dish networks pupmping in 'Fottie Matches' into the recorder darned near every day.

Maaa Bad ... ?

 

[ChezJfrey]

Forget Portland. That sounds like a great deal right there!!!

Seriously...if you're not already set up for lodging in Portland and would rather fish than have a city night life, that 10 minute-to-upper-Rogue deal is probably a better bet! Portland is still a bit of a distance to any decent steelhead fishing and the Rogue is usually a good producer judging from the reports I've seen here on this forum.

Of course that's only if you can tolerate a ManU fan for awhile...LOL

 

[Coastaldweller]

Probably a Yankee fan too, aren't you?!

 

[lilsalmon]

Wherever you end up, good luck. You need to take some good stories back to Ireland. Sounds like you may have a perfect offer of some adventure here with fred......

 

[freshrun]

Well guys, thanks for the replies.

Fred, that sounds like a fantastic fishing opporunity and I'd be mad if I wasn't interested. I'm really grateful. As for being a fan of Man U, I supported them for years when I was growing up although not as much these days. The Roy Keane days were the best! So no objections about that then I will send you an email then about it. When do you think the main runs will be? God I'm excited! I can't wait to see these beautiful fish and the rivers they run!!!

 

[fredaevans]

of course that's only if you can tolerate a manu fan for awhile...lol

i heard that!

 

[18406ej]

Congratulations- the Rogue River is beautiful. If you should decide to go to Portland for some reason, I hope you would consider a three-minute detour off of I-5 into Keizer for tea or a beer.

Sincerely,

Eamon

 

[fredaevans]

Long e-mail to (assume here) 'Young Friend' on how to find the 'front door.' Actually easy, but if you haven't been this way (and find the get your stuff here on the way - just a turn off from Hwy 62 off of I-5. It's the get back on "62" up to White City that fluffs things up .. Gurrrrrrrrrrr!

Anyway, long here's how to get here (acutally damned easy if you don't need the side trip) and he's all in-good to go. Morning temps are dropping to just below 'freezing,' which is no big deal ... if you're a hell of a lot younger than me. The 'I can do with out' is the dew point (this time of year) of the air temp vs river temp kicks off 'fog' like you can't believe .. unless you see same. Bone chilling to put it mildly.
Antway, waiting for e-mail back with travel plans as I'm totally open on my end.

Two Doggies flopped out in the office; dance card empty. And by the way, I really am a damned good cook. No interest (professionally) but did take Coard-On-Bue 'instructional' in Nord-Kalifornia. Facinating to say the least. Amazing what you can turn out if you 'scrach your head' and wonder "where can we go from that?"

Which reminds me .. shxt! Need to tend to the slow cooker.
fae

 

[Kevinb5688]

The rouge river is nuch more beautiful than the portland area. I'd go there