Fishing around Salem?

[rileyjellis]

I'm looking for some good fly fishing streams around Salem where I can get into some casual fish. I'm a real novice, so anything close to 10-inches would satisfy me. From my understanding, a lot of these streams around are pretty desolate.

Streams I plan to try: Silver Creek, Pudding River, Rickreal Creak, South Yamhill River, Mill Creek.

Think I'll have any luck in these? And suggestions for what I should throw?

I assume @troutdude and @brandon4455 could be helpful here.

 

[troutdude]

I've heard good things about the South Yamhill (not great, but good). With apparently mixed species available at Yahmill Locks Park.

Silver Creek--from what I have read over the years--only produces dinks I believe. But may be worth exploring anyway.

Rickreall Creek does hold some cutties, and later in the summer some SRC's (sea run cutties). You can fish above the rock quarry, but only on foot or a peddle powered NON-motorized bike. NO motorized vehicles are allowed at all (some dumb ass burnt down a big swath of their land, back in the day).

I've never really seen any stretch of Mill Creek, that doesn't run through private property. But I'll defer to others, who may have more deets.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

 

[rileyjellis]

I've heard good things about the South Yamhill (not great, but good). With apparently mixed species available at Yahmill Locks Park.

Silver Creek--from what I have read over the years--only produces dinks I believe. But may be worth exploring anyway.

Rickreall Creek does hold some cutties, and later in the summer some SRC's (sea run cutties). You can fish above the rock quarry, but only on foot or a peddle powered NON-motorized bike. NO motorized vehicles are allowed at all (some dumb ass burnt down a big swath of their land, back in the day).

I've never really seen any stretch of Mill Creek, that doesn't run through private property. But I'll defer to others, who may have more deets.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

Good to know. I actually did catch a cuttie out of Mill Creek the other day. I fished at a pullout outside of Turner. Hopefully I wasn't trespassing!

Are you a fly fisherman? Any recommendations on what I should be throwing in these creeks?

 

[troutdude]

Good to know. I actually did catch a cuttie out of Mill Creek the other day. I fished at a pullout outside of Turner. Hopefully I wasn't trespassing!

Are you a fly fisherman? Any recommendations on what I should be throwing in these creeks?

That's cool. But be careful about trespassing. I found out the hard way, some 40 years ago, that private land does NOT have to be posted as "No Trespassing".

No sir, I'm not a fly fisherman per se. Although last week I used my spinning gear, small sliding sinker, and various colors of Woolly Buggers to catch some 'bows where the North Santiam flows into Detroit. Used a muddler minnow too. Average fish was around 10", with one or two 13-14 inches. And good fighters too.

 

[rileyjellis]

That's cool. But be careful about trespassing. I found out the hard way, some 40 years ago, that private land does NOT have to be posted as "No Trespassing".

No sir, I'm not a fly fisherman per se. Although last week I used my spinning gear, small sliding sinker, and various colors of Woolly Buggers to catch some 'bows where the North Santiam flows into Detroit. Used a muddler minnow too. Average fish was around 10", with one or two 13-14 inches. And good fighters too.

Great to know. Thanks for the info!

 

[Davpot]

Good to know. I actually did catch a cuttie out of Mill Creek the other day. I fished at a pullout outside of Turner. Hopefully I wasn't trespassing!

Are you a fly fisherman? Any recommendations on what I should be throwing in these creeks?

Great to know. Thanks for the info!

Hello Reilly. Well, youre certainly covering the Bases! If I lived there, Id give some effort on the Santiams! Back in the Day they were quite the Steelie streams! You might also consider Fall City…

 

[troutdude]

Hello Reilly. Well, youre certainly covering the Bases! If I lived there, Id give some effort on the Santiams! Back in the Day they were quite the Steelie streams! You might also consider Fall City…

Great suggestions. I forgot that the Little Luckiamute flows through Falls City. Some 25 years ago, ODFW used to stock it with 'bows. Some of the holdovers (stocked but not caught), could have become naturalized and grown. Plus there's likely some native fish too.