Lunching at the base of Clay Hills Rapid. There is a lot of good steelhead water in this section of the river and the largest of the rapids are now behind us;ses. FRANK ARMENDARIZ/CHRONICLE PHOTOS As you float away from…

There are plenty of out-of-the way places in Oregon and fish to catch but accommodations are difficult to secure. Also in much of western Oregon, small-town restaurants are understaffed, supply-chain disruptions are common and many eateries have limited their days…

FRANK ARMENDARIZ/CHRONICLE PHOTOLarge and smallmouth bass are abundant in western Lane and other neighboring counties. Pictured here a hefty smallmouth caught along the BigK Ranch on the Umpqua River. A “pay-to-play” fishery, call 541-584-2295 or go to [email protected] for info.…

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS Detroit Dam creates the largest lake in the Willamette Valley, completed in 1953. It is one of 13 Army Corps dams built in the Willamette basin with no passage for migrating fish.…

FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO At low water levels, portions of the McKenzie River’s main channel can become difficult to read. If possible, stop and scout – but always wear a life jacket in or out of the boat while on the river.…

FRANK ARMENDARIZ/CHRONICLE PHOTOAt low tide, a stairway leads to a sandy beach and shellfish flats. As Oregon begins to reopen I was intending to write up beat news and I will get to that in a bit. As I prepared…

FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO Bass fishing on the dune lake near Florence picked up over the Memorial Day weekend. Although no trophy fish were caught (at least not in our boat) it was a fun and productive weekend of fishing. Author’s note:…

FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO Westlake Park at Siltcoos Lake, above, is one of the two Lane County Parks that dot the shoreline. The second is at Ada Park on the east side of Siltcoos, where camping and boat moorage are offered at…