Oregon Summer Fishing 2014 – RROTRIPS.com

Hello from the Willamette,

Tina and I hope this finds you well. Since mid-January our weather patterns have been somewhat normal. My winter steelhead season was one of the best I have had in 3-4 years.

I’m just wrapping up my Columbia, Willamette, spring Chinook Salmon season. Once the water warmed to 48 degrees in the Columbia fishing was unbelievable, in the Columbia that is. It’s comforting to know that even in 2014 we can have huge fish runs (let’s just hope man does not screw it up somehow). Spring fishing in the Willamette has been fair we are catching fish everyday but not the numbers we would like to see. I have 2 weeks left then we are off to the Deschutes River!

Everything looks good for the Deschutes. I think we are going to see favorable water levels and our weather patterns appear to be normal, these are both key for good bug hatches, which relates to trout on your fly.

We always look forward to our Deschutes season. I love the river, and the fishery. Most of our guest have become friends and I always look forward to seeing them and of course my crew; Bob, Guy, Andrew ,Johnny and Harry. We have 3 prime dates available; June 4-6 (great salmon fly date). June 11-13 and June 29-July 1st (both great caddis fly dates). Don’t miss this great trout fishing opportunity. The Deschutes is Oregon’s greatest trout fishing opportunity, so come and join us on the Deschutes River.

We also have 3 Grande Ronde River trips scheduled this June and as always we look forward to fishing the Grande Ronde. When the river is right it’s some of the best trout fishing we get to experience throughout the year. It’s also a beautiful river with spectacular camp sites and views, for me and crew it is truly a joy to be able to float and fish the Grande Ronde. We do have availability for late June or early July.

Don’t forget that summer is just around the corner and if you have not done so, please check out http://www.rrotrips.com for Rogue River fishing and Rafting opportunities.

Your hosts,
Tina & Craig

For more information on any of our trips call Tina 888-767-3144

PS. If you want to see all that we do visit http://www.rrotrips.com

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Oregon Fishing Video – Rogue River Outfitters

Rogue River Outfitters new youtube video “Oregon Fishing” has been posted. The expressions on our clients faces… well that is what it is all about! 🙂

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Rogue River Outfitters Rafting Wine Tour | rrotrips.com

Rogue River Outfitters a few weeks ago finished its first annual Rogue River Wine Tour… Below is a quick video of the trip. We know that this is our fishing blog and we hate to interrupt the fishing reports. But this was such a great time we thought it was worth sharing. Enjoy…

We have just announce and locked in the 2012 Wine Tour Dates! JULY 18-21 2012, Book today it is sure to fill up fast… 🙂

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Winter Steelhead Wonderland | Rogue River Outfitter

In a word WOW !  Wow, this has been some amazing weather.  Snow, rain, more snow, cold, wow amazing fishing, some of the best fishing I have seen in years.

In a way it’s been a bit of a tough two weeks. We have had quite a few cancellations due to the special whether we have been experiencing.  We have had two weeks of snow and extreme cold for Oregon but I really want to thank those who tuffet it out.  They were rewarded with some AWESOME  steelhead fishing.   When you are in a drift boat on a  beautiful river with snow flakes filling the sky and a  winter steelhead pulling at your rod tip you some how forget that it might be cold outside and when this 10lb. hen decides to do her aerial show you suddenly feel warm inside.

I enjoy all kinds of fishing but there is something really special about steelhead, I guess it is because they are basically an over grow trout and they fight, jump, run, and do it all three or four times over and over again.  Even when you bring one to the bank to release it, after a long battle they seem to swim away with strength and power as if the fight you feel in your heart and arm never happened.  WOW, what an incredible fish steelhead are.

Everyday of  fishing is special to me and everyday creates another lasting memory.  Some days tent to stand out a little brighter than others, like my day with  Jeff and Rick we left for the river driving in snow not even sure if  it was going to be fish able by 10am we had our limit in the boat and had released quite a few other fish.

The following week Dave Nelson brought his son in-law, Jim and nine-year old grandson Reece, this was Reece first steelhead trip.  We had clear skies but it was only 20 degrees, Reece was impressed with the three-foot icicles hanging from the rock bluffs, he was slightly more impressed however with his first winter steelhead which turned out to be a 39 inch hatchery buck, his second steelhead that he caught was a 35 inch hatchery hen.  If you follow the formula of length and girth his first fish was around  19lbs. and second 15 lbs. that is quit  a way to start out your steelhead fishing career.  Way to go Reece.

Our cold weather has moved one and now it’s just wet, our rivers are all running high but I believe as soon as they drop into shape we will have another round of very good steelhead fishing.

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Friends | A Moment to Pause | Rogue River Outfitters

We wrote a passage last year about loosing a good friend and guest, Doug Amsberry.  I guess as we age we are going to lose more and more friends.  Every guest I have had becomes a friend at least to me, that’s one wonderful thing about my job is building relationships and making friends with all my guests.  We have fun on our trips, we tell stories, we create memories and we become life long friends.

The economy has been hard on us this year, but even worse Tina and I have lost some great friends and clients. We started out the year saying good-bye to my friend and guest, we are now sadden by the passing of another great friend, Pat Furrer.

Pat was a guest of my fathers and when I bought the Deschutes business in 1995,  Pat gave me the benefit of the doubt, took me under his wing and had faith and trust in me.  Since that time  he would call and simply ask how things were going.  Pat became a good friend.

Pat introduced me to spey casting in 1990, I took it up in 2009, I guess that I am a slow learner.  I ask Pat to represent me when I was offered my father’s Rogue River company, he had never been down the Rogue and could not understand why I would want to work any where besides the Deschutes.  In 2009 Pat went with us down the Rogue for the first time, after the trip he came to me and said “You did the right thing, I now understand”

Pat will always be missed but not forgotten.  Pat started the Native Fish Society and was an avid fly fisherman, his memories will always live on.

Each and every steelhead I catch on a fly will always remind me of Pat. Thanks Pat for the friendship and all the memories.

C&T

 

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Rogue River Fishing Report | Fall Fishing 2010 | Rogue River Outfitters

Fall seems to be moving in fast this year.  We have begun to see the vine maple and alder start to fade to color.  We have even noticed the days are getting shorter… Are last three trips down the Rogue Canyon, and in the Rogue Bay,  have just been unbelievable.

We won’t get into the exact numbers, but just to give you an idea our last trip through the canyon, over 100 half pounders on flies in 3-days. We even had a double, on one rod.

The cold air is moving in, the rain is in the wind.  We know here in the northwest our days of good weather are numbered.

Every now and again in life the stars do align, the last couple of weeks were loaded with great fishing, wonderful weather, and terrific clients, this can only make a person appreciate!

Putting in tomorrow for another 3-day through the canyon. Can’t wait for this next trip… We will report back shortly… 🙂

PS. For those wondering. The salmon in the above (top) picture weighed 45 lbs.  That is not a photo shopped picture.  The Rogue River in the fall “Gotta love it!” 🙂

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Rogue Canyon Fishing Report | Rogue River Outfitters

We have just completed our first Rogue canyon fishing trip, which started September 2-4.  Due to the removal of Gold Ray Dam located up River of Medford the river at this time is running high and a little off-color.

The information that we have been able to gather tells us that the project will be complete by mid-sept. and river flow should be down to normal levels.  I was pleasantly surprised the fishing was good, even with the higher flow and not prefect water-color.  We caught quite a few adult steelhead and a good number of half pounder steelhead.

The weather was perfect with highs around 90 degree and the water temperature 62  degrees.  We fished flies in the shade and plugs in the sun, both methods worked well with flies being a little more productive than the plugs. Our next trip starts on Sept. 7th – 9th and we are look forward to another great trip.

We have a few seats open for the 2010 Rogue Canyon fishing.  Give us a call and lets see if we can get you booked.  Check the website for dates www.rrotrips.com

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Grand Ronde | Oregon Flyfishing | Rogue River Outfitters

It’s a 50 mile float beginning at Minim, which is approximately 30 miles from LaGrande, Oregon and ending in Troy, Oregon approximately 8 miles from the Oregon and Washington border.

Our trip begins in the mountains at the confluence of the Minim and Wallowa Rivers at the very small town of Minim. The Grand Ronde is a beautiful free flowing river cutting it’s way through a deep canyon where it eventually flows into the Snake River. The canyon is timbered in fir and ponderosa pines enter spurts with large grassy meadows and flat benches that become our camp site’s. Here is a quick video sharing some of the campsites and fishing experiences of 2010.  Enjoy…

The fishing day on the Grand Ronde begins as we launch our drift boats and ready our rods at 9:00 am, as we drift the river your guide will steady the boat while you cast into the riffles and rocky shore lines where the trout lay and wait. At noon we’ll find a beautiful bench where we will stop and prepare a deluxe shore lunch, we remain here for about 2 hours, allowing your guide to rest his arms and you to do some shore fishing or simply sit back, relax and take in the beauty and serenity that the Grand Ronde has to offer. After lunch we are back in the drift boat’s fishing our way down to our evenings camp site, Where our camp will have been preset and awaiting our arrival, we provide large spacious tents, cot’s, shower, comfortable lounge chair’s and a bond fir where we all can exchange our stories from the days fishing.

There are only a few days on our calendar open to flyfish the Grand Ronde.  If you are interested in fishing one of Oregon’s forgotten rivers give us a call.  Booking for 2011 has already began. 🙂

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Deschutes River Report | Steelhead Fishing | Rogue River Outfitters

Another Steelhead season is wrapping up for us on the Deschutes.  Although the season has been terrific we have definitely seen a slow down in the number of fish being caught… The high light of the season was a 30 count, caught on a two-day trip between 4 guys.  Pretty awesome.

Mid month we had winds on the river that did not stop.  From early in the morning (before the sun was up), until late at night.  This can create some of the most challenging conditions to a flyfisherman on the deschutes.  As you cast the fly with the target dead on,  and the wind pushes your fly 25 feet up river or in your face.  You realize that there is some truth to what has been said about the deschutes “Its Pure Hell, With a River Running Through It Full of Fish!” As frustrating as it can be, the Deschutes River is Oregon’s finest.

Another quick note about the Deschutes that we noticed this year is the number of fisherman on the water.  We fish the Deschutes upper and lower for nearly 4 months straight, and have done so for over 25 years.  This year will go down as having the most pressure from other flyfisherman ever.  Even before sun light the fisherman were lining the banks.  There was more times than not, we would be boating into a fishing hole and a flashlight would go on.  A signal to us to move on, this spot is taken.  I think next year we will not write about the Deschutes,  but maybe a small river in Idaho in hopes that people will move on! 🙂

We still have a opened slot on the Upper Deschutes, OCT 3rd-5th (with a possible 4-day if requested).  This trip is a fall float for trout and steelhead, on the upper section, from trout creek to Maupin. This trip has always been special not only because of the terrific fishing, but also because of the climate on the river.  Fall colors will be out and we usually do not see another boat for the full 3 day trip.  The Deschutes River in the fall, Book today!

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Rogue River Bay Fishing | Rogue River Oufitters

A few weeks back we wrote a quick post about Denny Hughson (aka Dad).  We have had a number of calls since then, clients asking what we expect the fishing to be like this year in the Rogue Canyon. According to Denny the Salmon are starting to stack up in the bay and have been for the last few weeks.  All of this tells us there are going to be a lot of fish moving up river this fall.  The Rogue River is still full, and the water temps are looking good for another great Salmon Season in the bay and up the canyon.

If you want some of the best Salmon, Steelhead fishing in the Northwest give us a call or book online at rrotrips.com. Let’s get you booked for Rogue River Canyon Fishing.  It is the Scenic Trip and Fishing Trip of a Lifetime. 🙂

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