May 5 - The river is flowing but the fishing is still in the salt water for any action. The weather has improved now and the days are hitting mid-40's so it shouldn't take too long for the ice to go out all the way and some salmon to hit the river. A few steelhead are being caught on the Kasilof but there is a large pile of ice to get over in order to put a boat in the river. All these conditions will continue to improve and before we know it we'll be out there everyday!
April 28 - It's getting close to Alaska season ... still a lot of ice but the river is flowing. Despite a few snow showers lately there are signs of spring. A few halibut are being caught by some die-hard fishermen in the inlet. Near Homer some winter kings are still being caught as well. Stay tuned ... we'll keep you posted and up to date.

State of the Chetco - PDF Format (Very BIG file)
May 5 - This will be the final "dualing" report as our operations have shifted to Alaska now. We still have friends fishing the Rogue though so if you would like to try your action for springers just email me and I'll give you an up-to-date report. Springer fishing continues to be consistently spotty. Not too much steelhead action left now that the Smith has closed. The upper Rogue has a bit of steelhead action still around and with the warmer weather it's beautiful on the water. We took a bit of a scenic float on the river recently and enjoyed all the coastal flowers.
April 28 - Only 2 more days left for the steelhead season on the Smith. While there were a couple days when the bite was okay for the most part the latter part of the season has been slow on the Smith. Springer season on the Rogue is okay with some fish showing sporatically. Quite a few people are anxious for it to get rolling though so day by day the pressure and effort increases. There were 9 fish caught at Elephant Rock in 2 hours on Friday but the rest of the day was slow. Some of the guys pulled anchor and ran upriver to try to get in front of the school but with little success. The percentage of hatchery fin-clipped fish is decent so quite a few fish are in the fish box and on the dinner table! We'll know any regulation changes for our region in June as ODF&W will conduct hearings and then make final decisions at that time. We'll let you know of any big changes. Shouldn't be too much for the Chetco or Smith Rivers - perhaps a few possession and daily limit changes for the southern Oregon Rivers.
April 15 - Happy Tax Day :( - Steelhead fishing is very slow right now and the Rogue Springers have been a bit spotty as well so many of the boats are headed to the Columbia where the action has been pretty good. The only caveat is that the quota may be reached this week so it could be over for now. We haven't had much in the way of weather this past week so nothing to really intice more fish into our rivers. We are hoping for a little weather soon though and the few downrunners around the Smith should be willing participants. It is a beautiful, scenic trip this time of the year on both the Smith and Chetco River with the wild Rhody's and Azalea's in full bloom. We expect to see the dogwood blooming soon as well.
Just a not about all the news on the West Coast Salmon restrictions - these restictions DO NOT apply to the rivers in our area - only the ocean. So there are still plenty of opportunities to bag that nice salmon this fall. Get some dates on the calendar now for a wonderful fall salmon fishing trip.
April 8 - Now that the steelhead season is over the pictures will be few and far between - at least until we start getting some Alaska fish! However, we do have a few trips on the Smith (if the weather and water cooperate) and on the Rogue, for springers, planned and if we are lucky enough to catch spring fish we'll certainly be showing them off. That being said, the steelhead fishing on the Smith is still slow althought there are quite a few still in the upper reaches. So if anyone didn't get their quota of steelhead fishing in during the rough weather, and would like a beautiful trip down the Smith, please let us know. We always have reduced rates this time of the year due to the sporatic fishing. The same applies to the Rogue Springer fishing - there have been a few good days where the majority of the boats landed a fish or two but the pressure is still light and the action, for the most part, spotty. Let us know if you need a more up to date report and if you'd like to try your luck at springers we can certainly accommodate you.

March 31 - The Chetco River closed today at sunset for steelhead fishing. However, there were a couple nice days of fishing this past weekend including the Friends of Cal-Ore Fish Women's Derby where Pat Hofstetter came fishing with Sally Tanner. While the fishing wasn't stellar they did manage to land some nice, fresh fish with Val on the Chetco. Pat is showing off her fish here. There were quite a few downrunners caught, a few cutthroat and plenty of fun for all. After a day of rain and hail (plus a little snow) on Friday - Saturday was bluebird weather and treated the ladies to a wonderul day on the water. Sunday didn't quite turn out as good for fishing but the traffic was extremely light and after the 26 degree morning burned off it was a beautiful day again. The Smith River is still open through the month of April and reports of a lot of fish still in the upper reaches means that if it rains, substantially, then the fishing in the lower river will improve. The Rogue in Grants Pass and Medford is also producing some nice steelies as well so option abound for a spring steelhead trip. Springer fishing on the lower Rogue is still rather spotty but there have been reports of multiple fish days so it will only improve. Gary is at the Minneapolis Sportshow starting Wednesday so if you are in the area go see him in booth 1105. He'll probably need a breather and would love to see friendly, familiar faces.
March 24 - As you can see from the photo we've had some sun this week - we also had some rain that kept the river flowing very well at times but it also brought more fish out of the tributaries. Kenny came with a group from North Bay Construction and landed the first fish of the day with this fresh down-runner. It was a great day with some landings and some that got away. The other rivers in the area have also been doing pretty well - the Smith has some downrunners in the system as well as a few "blue backs" showing. These fresh football shaped steelies put up a great fight. The Rogue in Grants Pass was also doing great until the rains put it up and out of shape - it should be back in and doing good again with the fish moving up the system. A few springers are being caught on the lower Rogue and the Elk and Sixes rivers are still putting out the metal heads. Plenty of places to get a "spring fix" for fishing.

March 17 - Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone and the luck of the Irish be with you! We finally had some rain last week and all of a sudden - there were fish! We had about 90% down-runners but the action was good toward the weekend even if the weather wasn't. The group from North Bay Construction timed it just right for some great action - over 50 fish caught in 2 days with 5 boats and while they endured some rain, hail and strong winds the fish were biting. Mark Sloat shows off one he released as Roger "deck hand" Thompson shows one of the released fish with Val. Everyone caught some fish and by Sunday the sun was back out. The fishing continues to be be decent with a few fresh fish, some of them the smaller blue backs, as well as some really fresh downrunners. All are full of spunk and great fun. The traffic on the river has slowed so it's peaceful fishing. There are a couple weeks left to the season so if you didn't get your time on the water let us know and we can work you into the schedule. Also many have heard the news about the ocean closure for salmon along the Oregon and California coasts. Please don't panic - it doesn't affect us for fishing in the rivers. But if you need a salmon fix sooner - think about Alaska fishing this summer and bring back some salmon for your freezer!

March 10 - It's been a tough week for water and fish. We are beyond low and clear now and the downrunners just aren't out there in any numbers to provide some action. At the Cal-Ore Derby this weekend with 20 teams there were about 75 fish caught. Some were fresh and a little pack was found on the Smith that produced a few numbers for the Smith finally - 20 fish total. But the pickings are still very thin. The good news - there isn't much pressure now that the derbies are complete and many people have left for greener waters. So it is a very peaceful day. Rain is coming this week and we could end up with some decent water conditions toward the weekend - let me know if you need more up-to-date information by sending an email.

March 3 - February left rather quietly this year with a little rain finally bringing March into the picture. Unfortunately the fishing didn't light on fire - we are still catching some fish but it's spotty at best. There aren't a lot of downrunners out there but the few around are feisty fighters - Doug came fishing with North Bay Construction last weekend and shows off an upper river down-runner. Steve Hanak was in charge of the crew and after letting everyone put some number up the first day he landed this beauty on the upper river the 2nd day. There is still quite a bit of traffic chasing the steelies but with some of the other rivers starting to produce that should change as well. The Rogue around Grants Pass took a nice upswing with a little warmer water getting the fish on a bite finally. March will probably continue along the same lines with a mix of fresh and down-runners. The Hank Westbrook Derby is this coming Friday-Saturday. We'll be working to raise some more money for the hatcheries here and support the school salmon programs.
February 24 - An interesting week just came to a close ... yes, the pictures above are from this past week. We had some rain finally hit and the fish went on the bite with some decent fishing a few of the days last week. The Friends of Cal-Ore Fish Chopper Derby started Friday and in the 2 days there were 79 steelhead caught and one GIANT salmon. Kevin Lee, fishing with Val during the derby, landed this beautiful, bright 46", 50 pound salmon on the Chetco. An unbelievable fish for this time of the year but true. The fish was the largest of the derby but didn't count in a steelhead derby! Rain hit on and off again through the weekend with the river rising and falling a little. A break should come at the beginning of this week and hopefully there will be another shot of fresh fish, as well as some downrunners, with the extra water.

February 18 - As you can see from the pictures we did have some nicer weather this past week but the fishing wasn't stellar. We did catch fish each day but sometimes it was very sparse. The inaugural Willie Derby, put on by Friends of Cal-Ore Fish, had about 15 boats on the Smith and Chetco Rivers and the catch rate wasn't quite 1 fish per boat. Water conditions are good but the fish just don't like the cold water! Rain is in the forecast for the week so things should be looking up in a day or two for these rivers. Elsewhere, the Eel dropped into shape and some good numbers were reported there. The Rogue around Grants Pass is showing some signs of decent fishing as well but again, the bite is lethargic since the water is so cold.

February 11 - Our week started with a ton of water last week and high conditions but that quickly changed. The McBurney Party came and fished all week and saw the dramatic change in fishing while the week progressed. We went from double digit days to landing some fishing each day and lots of boats (word travels FAST!) Believe it or not we are dealing with clear conditions, spooky steelhead and still quite a bit of boat traffic. The fishing is spotty right now and with no rain in the forecast it will probably continue to be the same for a while yet. There are still some beauties around with a few fish fish in the upper teens for us this past week as well as some bigger ones reported on the river.

February 4 - We had a rough week for getting on the water with any kind of good conditions. We managed to fish some pretty marginal days and come away with some fish but other days we were just forced to say we didn't have a very good chance and tell people to stay home. It was also very difficult to get here this past week with many road passes closed due to snow and whiteout conditions. Hopefully this coming week will calm down and we'll get in another full week of fishing. As of now the rivers are dropping, clearing and seem to have fish around. We're looking forward to some time on the water!
January 28 - This past week presented some challenges as we battled low, clear conditions on a continually dropping river. Seems we are always wanting something else - more rain, less rain, less water ... the nature of winter steelhead fishing and the pursuit of perfect conditions. We had some successful days regardless. The pictues above are only a few of the fish and we worked to get the nice ones we did. At the end of the weekend we were greeted with the artic wonderland - our orchard is above as of this morning. The snow was all around and some folks couldn't get here for today due to roads. The rivers are in great shape again with rain predicted (along with snow) for the majority of the week. There should be some nice fish around and with more water the boats won't hurt quite so badly! Take some time and get on the water this winter - it's very refreshing!January 21 - Sometimes pictures will tell the entire story - the only explanation needed is about the kings! Yes, Ken and Kevin Englund landed 2 bright kings this past week - one on the Chetco and one on the Sixes river. Both fish were released but in terrific shape. The week started out with a lot of water and now we are back to low and clear but what a ride it was while it lasted!

January 14 - What a week - snow, wind, rain, we had it all. We also had plenty of water - in fact, most of the time we had too much water. The Smith was the first to come back into shape and fished a little toward the beginning of the week but quickly went out again with more rain and snow melt. We finally hit the water toward the end of the week in extreme conditions and caught some fish plunking. The Chetco stayed high but also had some color so plunking was still the game plan through the weekend.
A drift in high conditions was finally productive today. Jim Hutton shows off one of the fish caught plunking - it was his first ever steelhead. George Mathieson and his friend Dennis had better weather but a big river that was very productive for those who perservered. We have to say that the sheer distruction on the Chetco on the upper section of road, on the way to the South Fork put in, was amazing. Snow combined with wind to bring massive trees down and a few big douglas fir trees succumbed to lightening. Clean up crews were up there clearing debris and cutting some of the huge trees but residents literally had to cut their way out earlier last week or stay at home! There will probably be some new snags in the river and we'll keep track of those when the water finally starts to drop more. Should be a good week of fishing with minimal weather due.

January 7 - We were on the water from the beginning of the new year and enjoyed some great fishing for a few days until the January winter weather blew into town (literally!) Steve Geney shows off his beautiful 20 pound hatchery fish and all the Wiggins boys enjoyed catch and release for a day as well. The Wiggins boys are all fish enthusiasts and a pleasure to take fishing - they bring all the fun with them! We were catching fish through Thursday when the wind and rain hit with a vengence. South of us in Crescent City they took a big hit and many people suffered damage. The winds also took their toll on the rivers bringing the levels way up and full of color. With a few slides adding to the rivers it wasn't good fishing over the weekend. Since then the air has cooled, including snow on the beach, and that helped the rivers drop. Everything is fishable now, but with predictions of another big one to hit tonight, we're actually hoping the weatherman is wrong for a change! As soon as the rivers drop (assuming they rise again) then the fish will be there as well and the fishing should be decent. If you are headed in our direction please remember to take extra supplies in the vehicle and be careful of the winter conditions.

December 31 - Happy New Year to everyone - we hope 2008 holds lots of good wishes and plenty of fishes! This past week has been a roller coaster with weather/water. The weather was marginal most of the week with rain coming virtually every day - and with that comes the rolling river. The Smith kicked into shape first and Whiff Collins and his son were able to pluck a beautiful fish out of the water. Then the Nixon party braved the elements just after Christmas and caught some fish on the Chetco - shown by Paul who is imitating his fish and by Payton and Tim rejoicing in their catch (along with others later). Finally, we ended our year with Jan Loren and her son, Linden, fishing for a limit of beautiful steelhead - is there any better way to ring in a new year? As you can see the weather did improve today although it was frigid cold outside in the morning (reminiscent of January 2007). Our weather forecast for the week isn't wonderful but there are fish here and the weather isn't so we are plunging into 2008 with great hopes for a very successful season. 
December 24 - Happy Holidays to everyone! We feel like it's winter with plenty of rain to keep the grey skies out there. Occassionally the sun will peak through and brighten everything. Needless to say, we've been on the rock and roll river of late. The Smith and Chetco have been blessed with plenty of rain and while there are fish in both rivers, getting on the river with decent water conditions has been tough. We did get a couple of decent days on the Smith before it went out again and the plunking on the Chetco has been pretty successful too. All reports are that there are plenty of fish rolling by and hopefully things will calm down so we can hit the river with all our new toys the day after Christmas. We hope everyone has a blessed holiday, you all eat plenty, enjoy family or friends and say a little prayer for the troops!
December 18 - We had some great fishing last week for steelhead with the Smith kicking in first and then the Chetco following right away. However, without rain we were low and clear by the end of the week - still some fish around but they were spooky and spread out. Then the rain hit again (as you can see) and while the rivers are still rising right now there was a little window on Monday where there was a decent bite for a little bit. Should be good fishing when this weather quits and will roll us right into the main steelhead season. We still have a few holes here and there so if you need a last minute Christmas gift give us a call or email and we can get a gift certificate right to you! Happy Holidays and enjoy the time together.
December 10 - We had the great storm last week followed by some additional rain toward the end of the week but all the rivers fished from Wednesday on with good results. A few straggling salmon but most of the action is for steelhead. There are some big steelies out there too ... a friend caught (certified) a 20.5 pound steelhead on the Smith. We have plenty of room for fishing for the next week and a half if you'd like to get a little holiday fishing in - river conditions are good and there aren't too many crowds yet. Give us a call or email and LET'S GO FISHING!
On a side note ... Gary just returned from a very brief trip to Alaska. Surprisingly the river would have been runable as it wasn't frozen and it was perfect color. But, he didn't venture out in the boat!
December 3 - We have wind and rain and more wind. After a week of steadily dropping water conditions we now have water rising again with color. It was very cold last week but there were a few fish around and there weren't too many crowds. We are sidedrifting, more steelhead style, but are getting a few salmon as well as a few steelhead. We wouldn't call it red hot action but it's fishing! Steelhead should continue to come in with this latest shot of rain and as soon as the river starts to drop there will be more people trying their luck again. The smaller streams to the north were also putting out a few fish but toward the weekend were more of a boat dragging show. The Sixes always keeps color a bit longer so it held in there - if you are headed that way be careful of the sink hole at the put in! We are looking forward to a great December of fishing rolling right into the new year and plenty of steelhead. Hope you have some plans in your future to take time out for fishing!
November 26 - Hope everyone had their fill of stuffing on Thanksgiving. We are certainly thanksful for all we have! This past week started with a LOT of water in the rivers but with no rain continuing the rivers began dropping into shape on Tuesday. Wednesday it was still a Smith River show and while conditions were great the bite wasn't fabulous. Tom Passalacqua brought his friend Frank Machado for the day and showed him how to land a bright Smith River salmon. We moved to the Chetco on Thanksgiving but the action was very spotty until Saturday when we decided to try side-drifting steelhead style - the action was slightly better and a couple steelhead bit too! Gary landed one hatchery steelhead tipping the scales at 18 pounds! Quite the brute to bring in the winter season. We should continue seeing more steelhead throughout December as well. The Elk and Sixes rivers also were very good on turkey day but the crowds were there with as many as 70 boats reported on the small streams. There were a variety of salmon caught from super bright to dark. These two rivers should continue producing salmon for a few more weeks as their run is usually later than the Chetco and Smith. Be sure to get that special someone a gift certificate for fishing this holiday season. And for last minute up dates drop a line or give us a call in the evenings.
November 19 - We certainly had changing conditions this past week - finally had the much needed rain to bring the rivers up but they also went OUT! It rained an incredible 6-9" in just a couple days (depending on where you were) so the rivers are just now dropping again. Prior to that we had some great water conditions on the Smith and Chetco as well as a few of the smaller streams up north. The fish weren't always very cooperative and seemed to be a bit off the bite at times (maybe they knew the storm was coming). Tom Passalacqua and his son, Jason, came fishing for a day and saw lots and lots of fish rolling around in the holes. Jason finally had this nice 12 pounder commit suicide for us! Turkey week should be a good one for hitting the water with a mix of kings and steelhead. More steelhead are being caught now and it's almost time to side drift a bit of the time time. The Elk and Sixes had some great number of fish (and boats) when they dropped into shape last week - should be the same when they come back in after this rise as well. Have a wonderful, thankful, holiday with family or friends.
November 11 - Happy Veteran's Day and Thanks to all the Veterans who have fought for our freedom and country! I didn't post a report last week because there really wasn't anything new to report - low, clear water conditions with beautiful weather don't give a lot of opportunities for fish! However, it has started to rain a bit and the rivers are now rising. There were a few fish caught on Sunday when the river was dropping (still low) but the main part of the storm just hit today. If there are fish due to arrive then they will be here this week when the river is flowing. This could be a fast little window though depending on the accuracy of the weather reports! Give a call if you want to check on more up to date conditions or are planning to head this direction.
October 30 - It's SPOOKY low on the water right now with BOO-tiful fall colors surrounding the river. However, the goblins must have gotten to some of the fish because they are also hiding - only a few peaking out now and then. Ok, seriously, we are very low and clear, the fishing is very tough after getting a taste of good salmon fishing that seemed to end all too soon. The weather is beautiful but that's not really helping much. The salmon shot up the rivers after the rain and are now beyond the reach of our boats but a few are being caught by very adventuresome rock climbers (down the gorges). The Rogue is also slow for steelhead action with only a few half-pounders keeping the action going. We're hoping for some more rain soon and that should get the run going again.
October 23 - The rain arrived, the rivers rose (almost flooded) and some fish arrived. All the rivers in the area went sky-high after last weeks storms. There were fish moving through the system but they didn't seem to be slowing too much. Just before the blast hit early in the week Gary took Tim Smith to the Smith where they watched fish roll for a hours and then finally landed one about 20 pounds. After the rivers started receding Jim was here vacationing and took a shot on Sunday landing this beautiful 42 pound Smith River female king! He wondered how anyone landed more than one of these giants! The rivers are still dropping and there are fish around but it seems a bit spotty - maybe because it's still a little early. There have been a few numbers reported but most have been jacks which are great to see. The Rogue lit up a bit just prior to the storm and is still trying to get back under control again. Not too many steelhead showing though.
Remember, if you want some dates for winter steelhead fishing please email or give us a call as the calendar is filling. Happy Fall!

October 17 - It's raining, it's pouring ... and the wind is blowing too! But a couple of beautiful fall days on the Rogue in Grants Pass produced some beautiful steelhead. KC & Linda Carpenter fished with Val out of Morrison's Lodge before heading down the canyon. While the action wasn't hot and heavy there were some beautiful fish and as you can see from the photos the fall colors were the most spectacular. Fishing on the lower Rogue did improve somewhat with a few days of kings (they must have been late!) and silvers around. The rain also brought up the Chetco and Smith River and while the action isn't too hot yet when the rivers start to drop there should be some fish in the holes. All the leaves are clearing the trees and the rivers are flushing a bit which always helps to get the salmon in the mood to bite! The Klamath River is still putting out some salmon and steelhead as well so there are opportunities around.
October 8 - We took a few days off last week and went hunting in Eastern Oregon - fortunately we didn't miss much from the fishing end of things and had a successful hunt as well! Fishing has been up and down - again! The Rogue has been disappointing with its lackluster run this fall and while there have been some good days they aren't very consistent. Silvers have been moving through the system and it seems to be about a 50% clipped rate so there are some fish to catch. A few straggler kings are also showing but they are few and far between. Thus far the steelhead have not been in great numbers although more half-pounders are starting to show on the riffles now. The Klamath mouth broke open after being sanded in last week. The fishing was phenomenol for a few days and steadily dropped off. The fish are bright and average about 8 pounds. Steelhead action continues to be fair. The ocean trophy season opened outside the mouth of the Chetco on October 1st with rough ocean conditions. There have been some fair days out there with a fish fish in the mid-30's topping the charts right now. Sunday was flat out there and the catch rate went up a bit. Prior to the opening there were a couple good days in the estuary which bodes well for the run when the rivers start flowing. Fall is definitely here with the color change in full season and a bite in the air most mornings. We've also had some good rains but not enough to keep the rivers up at any time. The Smith is now at low flow closure stage which means when the river is below 400 CFS it is closed to all fishing above Rowdy Creek. There are a few fish showing in the lower reaches, around the sand hole and cattle crossing, but not much effort as yet. Fish should really start to show well in the tide water areas of the Chetco and Smith this next week and with a bit of rain we'll see some action up river shortly.
September 25 - Fishing is certainly a challenge at time and this seems to be one of those times! The Rogue hasn't even been consistent at all ... one day decent and then it is followed by 3 tough days and then a fair day and back to tough. The fish could be there but they aren't showing and they are just really hard to play with! The weather has been beautiful, the drift on the Rogue beautiful, and a few fish to keep things alive but very tough fishing. The Rogue Bay has been better at times and about the same. Last Saturday there was a decent bite and some big fish, as well as several silvers, were caught. The Klamath is in a similar situation although improvement is expected with the closing of the Native Commercial Fishery. The bright spot now is the Chetco - fish have been caught (just in the past few days) in the mouth of the river and the Trophy Ocean Season opens on October 1st. We are hoping for a good run on the Chetco and Smith with a few of the big guys to liven things up. The drift fishing on those rivers should start in earnest toward the end of October so if you want to get some end of the year salmon give us a call and we'll get some dates on the calendar.

(Sorry for the delay - didn't know the ISP had changed my upload! Thanks to those who let me know "where's the report?")
September 18 - The weather is beautiful here but the fishing is still not fabulous. However, there are glimmers of greatness like the double that childhood friends and college alumni rivals Pat & Bob discovered after landing this double. Light tackle and fun fish combined to make a memorable experience for all involved! Kings are still being caught in the estuary as well but the action doesn't seem to be very consistent. A few silvers are starting to show up which seems a bit early - maybe they will be a strong run! The Klamath is still producing some fish with spotty reports there for salmon and steelhead as well. The fish getting through the Rogue canyon seem a bit scattered with action being just fair in the Grants Pass area. We anticipate some cooler weather later this week and that should certainly give the fish a push to head up the river. Still very slow in the Chetco estuary but there is more effort (and angler hours) going into it waiting for the ocean "trophy" season to open in a couple weeks.September 10 - Fishing has begun on the coastal rivers here in Oregon. Gary fished the Rogue and the Klamath so far and with fair results. There are steelhead and salmon in the Klamath but the action is spotty - the Rogue Bay has had a few decent days with a few big fish caught but there is a lot of angler effort going into that. Upriver has been very warm and the fish seem lethargic at best.