Because of their size, fighting acrobatics, and temperamental ways, steelhead are considered by those who have caught them to be the most coveted gamefish in freshwater.  Once an angler has caught a steelhead on a fly, he or she may forgo fishing for other species to solely pursue these magnificent sea-run rainbows.

Steelhead add length and girth rapidly during the one or two --- sometimes three or four --- years they spend in saltwater, growing to weights generally ranging from 5 to 12 pounds.  Upon leaving the ocean and re-entering their stream of origin to eventually spawn, the steelhead has a minimal appetite.  Each is capable of surviving healthily for months without eating, living off the fat reserves created by the ocean's bountiful buffet.  Not having to eat, the steelhead can be difficult for an angler to coax into taking a fly.  At any given time most will not.

One of the keys to consistently successful at steelhead fly fishing is to cover a lot of fish-holding water until a "biter" is found.  A dozen prime locations or more may need to be probed in a day to find one or two willing steelhead.

Of course, good flyfishing equipment,  fly selection and and the subtleties of presentation are key, also.  A knowledgeable steelhead guide will seek out the fish in numerous likely fish-holding areas and coach the angler in the nuances of catching a steelhead with a fly rod.  For our Oregon steelhead guides this is exactly what we do: put the willing flyfisher together with a willing steelhead.

        Key Benefits of fishing with one of our Oregon steelhead fly fishing guides

• Steelhead do not need to eat during the spawning migration up the river.  We'll show you the flies and methods to catch these finicky fish, pursuing them in comfortable, stable whitewater driftboats.

• No skills or fly fishing experience?  We specialize in teaching you beginners how to be successful as you fish and learn throughout the guided fly fishing day. 

• If you wish, we provide proven, balanced fly fishing equipment for you to use to enhance your learning and effectiveness.  (The angler is responsible for flies, tippet and fishing license.)  Contact us about a guided steelhead fishing trip.

    Also try our smaller, but more numerous quarry, the Trout.

Return to Oregon Guided Fishing Trips

Contact Information

Telephone
541.207.4000

Postal address
Michael Gorman
330 NW Autumn Place, Corvallis OR 97330
Mckenzie River fly fishing guide & Fly fishing Oregon McKenzie River trout
EMail
To contact me please cut and paste the following email address to help prevent spam emails,
and please include the word "fishing" in the subject line of your email.  Many thanks.
Please cut and paste this email addressgorman_flyfishing@hotmail.comPlease include the word "fishing" somewhere in the Subject line of your email note

                        Copyright © 2004 Scarlet Ibis Fly Fishing Tours Inc

An excellent McKenzie River fishing guide is uses effective McKenzie River flies, is a skilled boatman, conversational, and shows courtesy to any other McKenzie River guide. Not all McKenzie River guide use flies initially, but may  evolve into being McKenzie River fly fishing guide.