Having grown up in Southern Idaho, I fished some of that area’s famous rivers and streams, including the Snake, Salmon, Boise and Owyhee Rivers and Tributaries. In 1992 I moved further west to Oregon’s Willamette Valley and have been chasing steelhead and salmon species ever since. My wife, Lori, 8 children and myself currently reside on the banks of the Little North Fork of the Santiam River in Western Oregon; which offers a multitude of steelhead and trout fishing opportunities.
My passion for fly fishing runs deep, so in 2008 I started Riverwood Flies , a company that proudly offers products made for people who fish, by people who fish. More than just a marketing slogan, it’s what we are all about. We strive to produce quality products that appeal to the fish first, the angler second. We pay close attention to every detail of the fly you are going to purchase.
Riverwood Flies and Jigs are made using the finest of materials and tried-and-true tying methods and techniques. These are not – superstore fly bin, mass produced by some child labor factory in a third world country – flies and jigs. These are the flies and jigs that I tie and fish with. They are flies “field tested” by hundreds of satisfied customers, guides, and my “Pro-Staff”; my 8 children.
I am fortunate enough to be part owner in Oregon Outdoor Excursions; a professional and licensed guiding service. I offer my guiding services on the Breitenbush River, North Santiam River, the Little North Santiam and the Siletz. The flies I offer are what most would call, “guide’s special”… simply put, they are productive flies. They are the same flies I use with my clients.
Thanks for stopping by!
Dave
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Hi Dave,
I kinda stumbled into your website while surfing for info on the N. Santiam conditions. I have lived in Jefferson fro the last 5 years, and have been fishing from there upstream to Green’s Bridge more or less regularly, but frankly, to no great success. I understand the trout fishery in the lower Santiam is being left alone, which is fine except that whatever is left in the river has proven more or less elusive for me. I used to fish regularly for trout from Mahama to Stayton and from Stayton to Shellburn, but mostly these last couple of years I just like to get out and get a line wet near my home here.
I’ve recently been focusing on summer steelhead and have had good luck on the McKenzie, which I also fish regularly, also. The N. Santiam continues to baffle me, which is a shame given that I live right on the river.
All the info I can find indicates that all the good steelie fishing (!) takes place *above* Green’s Bridge. Well, what about below it – say, from there to Jefferson? Do you have and opinion on both trout and steelhead for that stretch?
Anyway, great site, and I’ll be checking in regularly.
Bob Burns
Bob,
First, thanks for visiting the Riverwood Blog. I sympathize with your situation, but hopefully I can shed a little light on the matter and offer some pointers that may help. I will add the disclaimer that I seldom fish below Shellburn, so I am not familiar with that section of river specifically. I think the biggest issue is that the lower portion of the river (Stayon to Jefferson) is primarily a transient section for summer steelhead (and the other anadromous fish). Chinook, Coho, Summer and WInter steelhead are programmed to leave the ocean and head for their stream of birth (or planting). Fish entering the North Santiam are heading for the upper reaches and don’t tend to linger very long in the lower river. This leaves you with a small window of opportunity compared to the upper river – Detroit Res. to Stayton. The upper section of the river is cooler, cleaner and has the fish’s preferred bottom stucture – gravel, boulders, etc.
To improve your chances of connecting with a summer steelhead close to home, keep a close eye on the fish counts at Willamette Falls (http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/fish_counts/willamette%20falls.asp), specifically the summer steelhead counts on a daily basis. Once you see the daily passage numbers get over 100 (generally in April/May) you will have the best chance possible. But keep in mind, you are fishing for moving fish for the most part. They won’t be hanging around long. After June, most of the steelhead have moved through and are milling around in the upper reaches waiting for the following spring to spawn. In late fall, the fish begin to spread back downstream a ways, but not much below Stayton.
You also have another opportunity to get into a steelhead with the Winter run fish. They’ll be moving through the lower river in Jan/Feb of most years. However, this is a smaller run of fish.
For trout fishing, I would guess that early spring and late fall (when the water is cooler) would be the best times of year to fish in the lower section.
As far as methods go – Swinging leach, intruder, spey and hairwing fly patterns is effective. Side drifting corkies and yarn, Oakie rigs or roe is another good option. Float and jigs would also be a great option to try in the lower river because you can cover a lot of water in a few hours of fishing. Spoons and spinners work as well as anything.
FInally, one point I’d like to make is that in my opinion, fishing success on the North Santiam is controlled by the fish more so than the angler, especially the summer run steelhead. They are finicky and may ignore everything you offer them one day, then attack anything the next day! The key is putting in the time. All in all, the North Santiam is a great river if you enjoy fishing for the sake of getting out and fishing. It is not a “harvest” river, but when you do connect with a big fish, you’ll know you earned it.
Tight Lines,
Dave
Dave,
Thanks for the excellent information. Useful indeed. A fishing buddy of mine claims (He’s a fisherman! What can I say?) to have had good summer steelie success around Fisherman’s Bend upstream of the park and I have been out there with him once and fished once on my own. We’re both fly fishers so we don’t get into any of the spin/bait casting styles at all. From the looks of those waters ( very broad and shallow, with moderate to slow flow rates in summer) I can see how he would be successful.
You’re point about persistence is well taken! In all things fishing related – particularly with steelhead – it comes down to a numbers game, all other things being equal: the More casts, the more the likelihood of a hookup.
As for the trouting, my best days have always been the drifts above Shellburn.
It’s troubling to see so much of the river blocked off to migrating salmonids by the dams. The Statesmen-Journal has been publishing data on a fascinating study of the impact of Detroit dam on the N. Santiam fishery. It’s a near-total loss for any juvenile fish going over that spillway. Once again, the needs of the human and the piscine communities come into conflict, with the fish, as usual, being the losers.
But I digress! LOL
Thanks again…..
Bob