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I recently became involved in the Quest for 100K, an initiative to return 100,000 spring Chinook annually to the Willamette River. The goal seems achievable but will require cooperation from many groups and organizations as well as the three million Oregonians who live in the river's watershed. The goal was initiated by the Association of Northwest Steelheaders and was launched on Tuesday, Jan. 9.  The launch featured representatives from ODFW, PGE, Oregon Guides, NWS, politicians and recreational anglers (although I expected a few more anglers at the event).   Launch of Quest for 100K It was great to hear talk of encouraging all fish and conservation groups to join forces in this effort. Historically 300K spring Chinook returned annually to this watershed, in addition to other salmon and steelhead runs. Listening to the discussion, there are complex issues and enormous challenges ahead: Predation - In the February 2018 issue of Salmon Trout and Steelhead , ...

My 2018 started on a positive note with a successful kayak fly fishing outing and the start of a the KayakFlyAngler Species Challenge 2018 - seeing how many species I can catch with a fly rod from the kayak. The idea was hatched on the way to Henry Hagg Lake, one of my favorite local fishing spots. I had spent much of the previous year fishing the ocean with Don or kayak fishing for salmon with gear. The KFA Species Challenge is a way to focus my energy on kayak fly fishing. In many ways, Hagg Lake was a perfect location to begin the challenge since it was here that I proved I could turn the Mirage drive around and pedal backwards. I even caught a fish that day under difficult water conditions. After launching from the ramp that first morning of 2018, I chose to go right and fish the Sain Creek inlet. I usually catch fewer fish there but they are typically larger than the fish in the Scoggins Creek inlet. I rigged up my two fly rods, turned the Mirage Drive around and start...

This year will be one for the books. I was reorganized out of my position in July after more than 20 years, and while taking time to determine my future career goals, I spent time on the rivers and bays fishing for salmon and surfing on my laptop. I can certainly attest to the stability of a Hobie Pro Angler. Overall, the summer and fall seasons followed a tough spring season where I caught no salmon on the kayak and only a handful while fishing the ocean on Don's boat . The late winter/early spring was great for bottom fish but this year's tuna and halibut seasons were tough. Luckily it was saved by an epic  birthday tuna trip in July. I was also able to open up some space in the freezer when I tried my hand at canning tuna for the first time - yes, canned Oregon Albacore tuna does taste that good. With climate change, the salmon seasons are also changing and the fish seem to show up later. This was best exemplified by the emergency regulation change on the Willamette a...

In mid-August, I enjoyed my first SUP fishing trip in nearly a year. The opportunity came up when MAC Executive Chef Philippe asked me to join him at his cabin near Swift Reservoir (check out the video here) Nice trout caught on the SUP. Click here for the video. Swift is always good for fly fishing, especially where the Lewis River drops into the reservoir. Of course having been stocked with 500,000 trout in late April helps. On this trip, since I was only going for a night and Philippe already had his boat in the water, I didn't want to take the trailer and the kayaks and I didn't want to put the Hobie Pro Angler on top of the Escape. As I was contemplating my need for a kayak, I decided I should get the SUP out again. It had spent many months traveling unused on the kayak trailer and it was time to put it back on the water. It was also easy to put it on top of the Escape. I loaded up and headed out shortly before noon and arrived at Swift within a couple hours....

This year's birthday was memorable for two reasons: I caught a lot of fish Everyone on the boat caught a lot of fish Tuna selfie! Like most tuna trips the day started early and ended late. In fact it was a 26 hour day with a 1:30 a.m. wake up call and a 3:30 a.m. crash in the bed.  The opportunity to catch tuna is always questionable because the fish are often miles off shore and the weather can change quickly. This day proved advantageous for us with the forecasted winds showing up late in the day. We started the day slowly with a couple singles caught while trolling. We would try a bait stop and jigs but we were rewarded with nothing. The third fish was a different story and while slowly reeling it in, we fished anchovies and jigs. There are few experiences as thrilling as reeling in a tuna and watching another rod get buried by another tuna. Multiply that and it is chaos with rods bouncing and people reeling in fish.  We picked up a few more throughout...

Trolling for kings on the Willamette. What a wet winter it has been. This is an obvious statement to anyone living in Portland this past winter. Record rains, snow and cloudy days are actually normal for Oregon and since the past couple winters and summers were relatively dry I suppose we are experiencing the swings that create the "average." What seems to be missing in all this water are fish, especially spring chinook. The counts have been low on the Willamette and Columbia and the fishing tough. At least for me. I have plied the Willamette for several days with not a single bite. The only solace in my efforts is that I haven't seen anyone around me catch a fish either. In fact, I have yet to see a single salmon caught this year. That's not to say they aren't being caught. Several of my fellow kayakers have posted happy selfies with big fish. I have not lost hope. In fact I expect the high water is causing the run to be late and by May and June, my lu...

I consider fly fishing for winter steelhead an optimist's sport. During my many years of chasing these fish from sleds, drift boats, on the bank and more recently from the kayak, expectations of catching one on a fly are low. Of course, if catching fish were a requirement for fishing trips, they would be called "catching" trips. With this in mind, I was looking forward to my first winter steelhead trip of 2017 more for the company and as a way of scouting a section of river in a drift boat before taking the Pro Angler. Steve and I arrived at the launch as the faint light of winter morning was fast pushing the darkness aside. Pulling away from the shore, we could barely see the water - and the obstacles in front of us. We talked as we drifted through the long run towards the first rapid. Steve rowed into position and we dropped through the rapid. It was short and we floated a minute before Steve slowly guided the boat to our first stop. We rigged up the rods as the su...

Spring Chinook are nearly as mythical as steelhead. Persistence, skill, tools and a really lucky day are key to success. My recent trip to the Willamette River was heavily weighted on the last one. Work had consumed me for the past month and I needed a day in the kayak. I woke up Sunday morning torn between fishing for trout or salmon. Based on my previous salmon trips, I was leaning more towards trout. But, I also wasn't interested in driving two hours in hopes of catching a couple large trout that had recently been stocked in Timothy Lake. Besides, it was cold on the mountain. I spent an hour getting ready and as I pulled out of the driveway with the trailer and kayaks I decided I would mull it over on my way to get coffee. I had two fly rods, a sturgeon rod and a salmon rod and gear so no matter what choice I made, I was prepared. I walked into Safeway, grabbed three nearly expired yogurts that were 50 percent off, and stepped up to the Starbucks coffee stand. I ordered ...

SUPin' New Ok, that's a cringe but accurate. I recently bought my first SUP and I am onto a new experience and project. The goal is fly fishing on the SUP in a variety of situations ranging from small lakes to large rivers. Ultimately I want to catch a steelhead or sturgeon from it. The board, a Lifetime Amped, cost only $240 with a paddle - an excellent deal from Dick's Sporting Goods. It has a some scratches and the foam decking has bubbled in a few places but overall, it's a cheap intro to a SUP. It is 11 feet long, weighs less than 50 pounds and includes a small drop-down rudder or fin. It's hollow and seems to have a well designed hull. My first trip was to Benson Lake, really a pond, in the Columbia Gorge. A few days before the trip, I read it had been stocked with trout. If true, the lake offered me a chance to catch something on my first SUP trip. Safety First Since in was early April, I put on my dry suit and PFD for safety. After gearing...

So far this winter has set records for warm temps and little snow in the Oregon Cascades. Drought is not in the picture so far since there has been no shortage of moisture. However, instead of snow, we have seen a lot of rain and rivers that flow high and muddy or low and clear. Monty, a new kayaker, joined me on a couple trips this winter. the first on the Willamette during one one of the high and muddy flows. The second on the lower Sandy River during a break between the rains. Both were learning experiences. The Willamette provided me a chance to secure two boats on one anchor. I chose this idea because anchoring a kayak in a big, cold river in winter is one of the most dangerous parts of kayak fishing. Since Monty was a rookie kayak angler, I wanted to be as safe as possible which meant anchoring my kayak and then having him bring his kayak alongside mine and lashing onto it. The idea proved effective, although it took a couple tries to get the anchor to stick. When it fin...