FRANK ARMENDARIZ Another one in the net for Tami Armendariz, who also tied the flies we used for our day of fly fishing for wild trout on the McKenzie. All the fish were released unharmed. It has been a wonderful spring, with mild sunny weather and little rain. In fact[Read More…]
Outdoors
Best all-around rod in Oregon? Hard to say, but keep it ‘balanced’
FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO Rods, reels and lines, the number of available options can be staggering. But if you follow the numbers printed on every rod and reel you can easily narrow it down and find a combination perfectly matched to what you want to fish for. A question I’m asked quite[Read More…]
Hatchery officials expecting plenty of pent-up demand among anglers
FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO “The tug is the drug to those eternally driven (or dammed) to catch the fish of a thousand casts.” Just to be sure, on this day I made 1,001 casts … without a single tug. On some days at Smith River Falls, above, steelhead and salmon can be[Read More…]
Offbeat Oregon History: Coos Bay shipwreck was scene of massive, drunken looting party
PHOTO: COOS HISTORY MUSEUM The steamship Santa Clara stands almost high and dry on the beach at the mouth of Coos Bay early in the day on Nov. 5, 1915, surrounded by onlookers and would-be looters. ON THE MORNING OF NOV. 5, 1915, at the back of the entrance to Coos[Read More…]
Anglers are packing parking lots; crabbing improving soon
As we head into September the fishing conditions that you will encounter in our region are generally consistent with the calendar. Which is prime for multiple angling opportunities across Lane County. Pushed east by a cold front that brought a little rain to western Lane County, last week’s sweltering heat[Read More…]
Great time for albacore tuna; McKenzie trout are flourishing
Tami Armendariz, a professional fly-tier, shows off one of 12-plus rainbow trout she “mostly” released on the McKenzie River this past Friday. As many anglers begin to cast an eye to the west and to the fisheries that are becoming increasingly productive, I’ll start this week by addressing general conditions[Read More…]
‘Dog days of summer’ drive fish to the depths
Wade Hanel of Eugene. Wade can usually be found guiding a whitewater raft or rowing drift boat with fishermen for me in my whitewater and McKenzie River fish guide service. But, in light of the pandemic, I chose to suspend my operations for at least this season, leaving all of[Read More…]
Enjoy back-road cruise to Detroit Lake and beyond
There are plenty of boating options at Detroit Lake, and the fishing offers plenty of variety.LINDA SEXTON/PHOTO Another beautiful road trip through the back roads of Linn and Marion County to Detroit Lake/reservoir. Detroit Lake is formed by Detroit Reservoir Dam. The lake has a shoreline of 32-plus miles. It[Read More…]
Sunfish species take the spotlight
My good friends Holly Lathrop and Phil Strader with a very fine smallmouth that Holly caught on a popper. If you ask several Oregon anglers what’s their favorite fish to chase in Oregon’s lakes and rivers, most will refer to a salmonid species. Trout, steelhead and salmon are found in[Read More…]
Coronavirus still making us all stop and pause
Rainbow trout and the cool, clear McKenzie River go hand in hand. This hatchery trout fell to a drifted #10 black-headed wooly booger. Traveling to distant recreation sites to fish or camp is a problem we will have to deal with for the foreseeable future. At press time Gov. Kate[Read More…]