Its summer time!

willierower · 03-14-2001, 02:26 PM

Floated the North Santiam yesterday, Between two people we hooked 4 fish and landed 3. 2 of those 3 were summer steelhead. The other was a wild winter fish that was released.
I think the Willamtte falls fish counts are a little off. There was under 200 summer steelhead counted. I personally know about a dozen are so summers hooked in the last week on both the Nort and South Santiam.

Artwo · 03-14-2001, 02:30 PM

Willie,
I was thinking about coming down there and floating from greens bridge to Jefferson or from Stayton down, What section did you float and how was the water level ?

JK

Bait O' Eggs · 03-14-2001, 02:49 PM

Willie - the only fish count I know to look at is on the front page of ifish on the left near the top.

I just checked and see the following counts as of 3/11/01

summer run 826
winter run 5300

willierower · 03-14-2001, 05:51 PM

Artwo,
We floated from Greens to Jefferson.
The water is low, But very floatable. The plus side to the low water is that no sleds can get up the north. The Shelburn run is nasty this year. If you dont know where to go on that drift dont do it. If you go from Greens down keep on your toes arond te island by the mouth and at the mouth itself.
I would also work the main river hard. We couldnt really fish it because the wind was kicking our butts. I bet you could get into fish.
As for fish counts I will have to check that out. maybe the oe I wa looking at wasnt updated right.

rhansme · 03-14-2001, 06:11 PM

Now that I am living here in Salem, where is a good place for bank fishing on the Santiam
system. I will not have a driftboat until later this summer.

NEUTRON · 03-15-2001, 09:15 AM

Ar2.. stick to the Mollala. I'll bet WR is
doing the shelburn drift, how nasty is it?
The usual sleepers, they need to put "the
unpassable log jam" sign back up.
Rhansme, check out
shelburn rd, stayton area. Later on...
Mehama, and all the state parks along Highway
22 above stayton. Lots of water. The counts
are looking good and I hope the water level
stays where we don't have to compete with sleds. Good fishin and thanks for the post WR I think..... How will I know ya when I see
ya....

Artwo · 03-15-2001, 09:29 AM

Willie,
Thanks for the info, I will probably pop down there in the next week or two and hit the section from greens down. I would be intersested in knowing what you hooked your fish on if your willing to share. If not here than maybe on my home e-mail (see my profile). Since I grew up in Albany I know both those stretches very well, just haven't fished the north S for awhile. Thanks again.

Neutron,
I just moved to Canby a year and a half ago and I don't know the Mo river at all. My builder fishes it from time to time but he told me there a very limited places now to drop your boat in. I have not had the time to look into it further, to busy fishing elsewhere. I also understand that since they stopped the hatchery on the Mo that the fishing has fallen way off. If you have any knowledge about the Mo you would be willing to share you can drop me a line on my home e-mail (see my profile), it would be much appriciated. Thanks

JK

NEUTRON · 03-15-2001, 10:56 AM

Artwo, you are correct since the hatchery
(ESA) program went away, the summers aren't
present anymore. There's a few "native"
winters around. You can launch at cedars,
fryer park, meadowbrook bridge, wagonwheel at
hwy 213, canby park, knights bridge and
Mollala River park. The higher launches
might not be very fun or floatable in this low water. I did meadowbrook to wagonwheel
and there is two spots to be cautious. We
did release one fish and then concentrated
our efforts on getting to the takeout. This
rain will help.

David Johnson · 03-15-2001, 12:28 PM

I've been picking up a few summer since about the 23rd of February. We've caught five, one in the Willamette, one in the Sandy and three in the Clackamas. We also lost one this week on the Clack. We have caught one on a wiggle wart, one on a jig and hooked the rest on eggs.

We should get a few more around with this little shot of rain.

David Johnson

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willierower · 03-15-2001, 01:41 PM

Artwo,
We got the first fish on a diver and sand shrimp. It was the wild fish and it took the bait deep. We cut the leader and let it go. After that we decided to not use that anmore. We hooked the summers on corkies and yarn with scent. No secret really.

Neutron.
We fished from Greens Bridge down. I have never done the Shelburn run. A guy I work with did it on tuesday. He is an experienced oarsman and he said he was spooked in spot. Plus they didnt touch a fish on that run.
If you see a blue Diamond Back boat or a Black Willie, There is a good chance Im in one of them. Say HI! if you see me. Oh yea, Im never on the water during the weekend.
How will I know you if I happen to see you?

NEUTRON · 03-15-2001, 02:57 PM

WR, thanks for your posts... good info, I've
done shelburn quite a bit in last 3 or so years.
In my opinion it gets less pressure. Last
year the river changed course so it's shorter and a couple good spots are bypassed. I've
got a tan clackacraft, sometimes with a yellow lab perched on the bow. I wish I had
weekdays to float, if you want check out
shelburn; give me a shout. The North is a pretty stream, the upper stretches have some fun chutes.

Artwo · 03-15-2001, 03:28 PM

Willie,
Thanks for the tips, I think I will come down and take my buddy from Albany down with me. Look forward to meeting you at Floatilla 2 if you are there.

Neutron,
Since I to mostly fish on the weekends I will keep an eye out for you, I have a blue/silver with white letters Fishrite DB. I have'nt floated the North S for quite awhile I do however fish the South S quite a bit in the summer.

Good luck fishing to both of you,
JK

Artwo · 03-15-2001, 11:13 PM

Thanks Neutron,
I would like to learn more about the Mo river. Sounds like it would be a fun C&R river since it's so close to home.

JK

willierower · 03-16-2001, 05:38 AM

Artwo,
I will be there for the floatilla 2. I hope to see you there...
Good luck this weekend. Give me a report.

diamondb · 03-19-2001, 08:46 AM

oops!!!!!!!! Nothing to read here. Move along.

[This message has been edited by diamondb (edited 03-19-2001).]

[This message has been edited by diamondb (edited 03-19-2001).]

diamondb · 03-19-2001, 08:53 AM

I don't remember smelling any skunk on this trip. The boat seemed to be working fine, without any of those christening tips from the last post from WR. So I guess we'll have to rule that out as a fish catching factor. What's your theory on this WR? It seems to me that the new rod got a little workout as well. Oh, since this is my first reply WR will have to figure out who this is. It shouldn't be too hard. I normally just read but since you guys were blaming that Siletz trip on my boat and didn't bring it into the equasion this time, I felt the need to interject.

[This message has been edited by diamondb (edited 03-19-2001).]

willierower · 03-19-2001, 11:04 PM

Hiya Joe!