Where should I hit?

[sapo]

My friend got a 7 weight fly rod and reel, and we are looking to do some steelhead fishing in the next couple of days. He wants to go to the Kalama river really bad, but I'm not sure if that's the best option. Where in southern Washington or Oregon would be the best place to try out the new rod, and hopefully hook some steel? Any locations are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ChezJfrey]

Deschutes?

There are still plenty of summers in the Clack, saw a couple just yesterday...getting them to bite is a whole 'nother issue

 

[Steel4life]

^^ i agree on the clack, still a few nice fish left in there i went 4/7 in the last four days, 2 summers and 2 jack salmon. long days and lots of hours. ive been using very light gear, 6# main with 6# flocarbon leader. drift fishing took one steel the rest were bobber and eggs or trout sized spinners and spoons.

 

[OnTheDrop]

Jack Coho?

 

[Steel4life]

no, chinook. but ive been talking regularly to the hatchery people and the license checker, and there have been 12 coho to return already, so next week i will be switching over to the lower sections in hope of an early coho. does the clack get a hatchery run of coho? or is it mostly a wild run?

 

[sapo]

Thanks guys! Looks like I'll be heading to the Clackamas. Where on the Clack r u guys hitting? McIver? Really far upstream? Thanks!

 

[Steel4life]

I fished from McIver to carver. Each day was a different spot. Lots of walking each day covering as much river as possible.

 

[Steel4life]

Rafters weren't to bad. But it was during the week. And I think school starts soon?

 

[ChezJfrey]

^^ i agree on the clack, still a few nice fish left in there i went 4/7 in the last four days, 2 summers and 2 jack salmon. long days and lots of hours. ive been using very light gear, 6# main with 6# flocarbon leader. drift fishing took one steel the rest were bobber and eggs or trout sized spinners and spoons.

Ha! I caught a tiny jack on the Clack just the other day. It was so small (maybe 13" or so), I felt obliged to snap a photo just to prove it to myself, LOL

 

[Steel4life]

Lol mine might have been 16-18in. Are they considered mini jacks?

 

[Richard W T]

Yep the Deschutes

 

[DrTheopolis]

Ha! I caught a tiny jack on the Clack just the other day. It was so small (maybe 13" or so), I felt obliged to snap a photo just to prove it to myself, LOL

Got a hunch that's a large smolt, rather than a jack, which would be showing signs of adulthood (and probably have a much larger mouth)... but I'm no fish biologist.


Stee4life -- The Clack gets both. Generally, the hatchery run shows up early, starting as early as about now, so you get to fish for them in low, clear water, even after the forst rains... which means they don't bite much (Clack is famous for lockjawed coho). The native runs start later, OFFer better biters (because they're C&R, I guess), and can last into January.

But if there's legit Chinook jacks coming, it makes me happy to see the fall runs returning to the Clack (which was the primary species there, until they built dams with no fish ladders (they were built after the fall Chinook were just about gone). Maybe it can become a viable fishery again in my lifetime. I can only imaging the idiot-show that would be.

 

[C_Run]

There is such a thing as a mini-jack. I got one of those once even smaller.

 

[ChezJfrey]

Stee4life -- The Clack gets both. Generally, the hatchery run shows up early, starting as early as about now, so you get to fish for them in low, clear water, even after the forst rains... which means they don't bite much (Clack is famous for lockjawed coho). The native runs start later, OFFer better biters (because they're C&R, I guess), and can last into January.

To further derail poor sapo's thread , I can also testify to the above. The hatchery coho in the Clack seem very inclined to ignore everything...I tried drift fishing corkies a few times for them last year on EC (in October...is that even a run anymore as the ODFW counts show a huge decline?) and I hooked one jack (interesting coincidence for this thread, hehehe).

However, the Clack's coho natives act like winter steelhead, are pretty aggressive, and I've caught a fair number of them over the last two years in steelhead holding water on spinners...and all of the them I've hooked were in the month of December.

 

[sapo]

@ChezJfrey, lol, ur not derailing my thread cuz this is good info!! Always good to be learning more information

 

[DrTheopolis]

Too add -- unless it rains hard in early September, Clack coho usually show up as black as night.

 

[Steel4life]

Chez, and DR, thank you for all the info. Is there any way to tell a wild spring jack from a wild fall jack? Cuz both jacks were very bright. See y'all on the water

 

[DrTheopolis]

Jacks usually turn color pretty quickly. Doubt you'll see a bright springer jack this time of year.