FRANK ARMENDARIZ/CHRONICLE PHOTO – The emergence of the March brown mayfly on the McKenzie and other rivers in the Willamette valley marks the start of the fly fishing season in western Oregon. The March brown is a hardy mayfly that prefers to emerge on cool…

FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO – On Lower Winchester Bay last week the bar crossing was closed to recreational boats under 24 feet. Unless you are a commercial fisherman, sport charter captain, or possibly an avid ocean recreational angler, the Marine Resources Program is not likely to be…

FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO – Don Mike Cambra, with an Umpqua winter steelhead – one of the four that we landed last week on a morning of side drifting. This one was wild and released. At mid-winter, things are not as they should be. The dry spell…

Smith River Falls, on the Smith River, is a tributary of the Umpqua River. Still bank-to-bank with water, and carrying a fair amount of color, it had “turned over” and was falling. The Smith River and almost every other steelhead stream will fall to perfect…

Before moving on to an improving steelhead fishing report, at the end of the year there are a couple of housekeeping issues. …  Don’t forget to update your fishing license this week, and purchase a steelhead and salmon tag. And if you plan to fish…

Fishing pontoon boats are fun, and easy to row and transport. They allow access to miles of river but have safety issues consistent with any “microsized” river boat. Always wear a life jacket, share your float plan, and boat with a friend. FRANK ARMENDARIZ/CHRONICLE PHOTO…

Winter steelhead, “the gray ghost,” have arrived on north coast rivers. This is just the type of a run that will continue into spring. Tami Armendariz and good friend Phil Strader admire a wild Umpqua steelhead that was safely released. FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO For my readers…

Brandon GoodBuffalo of Florence is a sit-on-top kayak pro angler and the representative of a kayak manufacturer that specializes in SOT fishing kayaks. An SOT kayak technician, Brandon can help design and outfit an SOT to meet your angler needs. FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO With salmon season…

Siuslaw River The exceptionally high tides recorded along the Oregon coast last weekend – referred to as “King Tides” – are nothing new. The alignment of the earth to the sun and the moon that causes the abnormally high tides has happened since the beginning…