My First Oregon Steelhead

I spent two recent fishing days bushwacking, snagging everything, and catching/releasing several fish besides Steelhead (no disrespect to the cutthroats...). I was starting to feel like it would never happen..

Today was one of those days where I definitely didn't expect to catch anything. My girlfriend and I got a late start, we forgot the cooler, and when I arrived at the hole I wanted to fish, someone was in the middle of dropping anchor there.

So, I walked up to the next hole and started desperately tossing everything I had while my girlfriend tried plunking for the first time. AKA she gets warm and comfy and reads her book while she posts pictures on Instagram (see below)

I watch the 3 guys fishing "my" hole, and they don't get any fish. Meanwhile, 2 guys post up across from me and start casting at my feet. For some reason they thought there weren't any fish on the other side of the river...

Finally, the drift boat pulls anchor and leaves.  I immediately move down there to get away from the guys casting at my feet.

On my second cast in "my" hole, I get my first Oregon Steelie. It took off downstream and I ran like a Googan after it. I had to do the reach-around on one tree which was quite awkward, especially after watching clients do it to each other all summer (on a fishing boat, you perverts).

After several runs and jumps, I landed my first Oregon Steelie. I didn't have a cooler, and I have enough fish right now, so I let her go...which leads me to question #1:

Is it bad to release hatchery fish? Someone told me today that I shouldn't let them go because they are ultimately bad for the genetics of wild fish. My personal thought is that someone will probably catch that fish before it spawns anyway.

In the end, that was my only fish for the day but it made the last three days 100% worth it. This was my first real effort targeting Steelhead and I am definitely addicted.

My second question: Has anyone on here kayak fished from Whittaker Creek down? Everywhere I saw looked like water that I would feel comfortable floating in. A lot of it I would want to get out to bank fish because it would be too fast to kayak fish, but it would be nice to be able to move more quickly from hole to hole... I need to do more research on the safety aspect, but if anyone would like to do this in January, it would be a fun group trip and an easy shuttle.

Tight lines!

Nice steelie.  I am still trying to find my first steelhead also.  It's good to see they exist. 

Congratz  Tyler!! When are you heading to Dino Land?

New Yellow Hobie Outback dude

Congratz  Tyler!! When are you heading to Dino Land?

New Yellow Hobie Outback dude

Hey Phil! I will actually be there Sunday, but I think I will be on my friends bass fishing boat. He's 7' tall and says that every time hes kayaked he flips over, so I am going to show him Dino land on his boat.

Would love to see you there!

I am not familiar with your area, but I looked on line and according to the attached file, Whittaker Creek is closed to fishing   http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/Whittaker_Creek.pdf
So, it pays to research the location prior to fishing.
If the "trout" is over 20" long, it's considered a Steelhead and a hatchery fish, in many locations are the only "legal fish" to retain.....and any native Steelhead (clipped) must be released unharmed.

I am not familiar with your area, but I looked on line and according to the attached file, Whittaker Creek is closed to fishing   http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/Whittaker_Creek.pdf
So, it pays to research the location prior to fishing.
If the "trout" is over 20" long, it's considered a Steelhead and a hatchery fish, in many locations are the only "legal fish" to retain.....and any native Steelhead (clipped) must be released unharmed.

Yes, Whittaker creek is closed. It flows into the siuslaw. I would like to float from the Whittaker boat launch (which is on the siuslaw) downstream.

I'm aware that native fish need to be released. The fish I caught was over 20" and was a hatchery fish. It's fin was clipped. I could have kept it, but I released it.

My question was not about whether it was legal or not. It was whether or not it is bad to release hatchery fish, or should they be kept.

 Sorry, I misunderstood the posting.....Yes, hatchery Steelhead over 20" are meant to be kept and consumed!
Otherwise, releasing the fish is your option to live another day and/or be caught by some other lucky fisherman.
The only Steelhead I can keep out of the Hood River are hatchery and they taste very good 

outstanding, so glad that you got one, all the Siuslaw hatchery steelhead come as a result of our STEP program here in Florence, so cheers to that!

I have been hoping to kayak float the Siuslaw and the best stretch seems to be "Tide" to "Thompson Creek" to "Farnam Landing".  These stretches are lower in the system but that means the Lake Creek fish must pass through there, I have been trying to float those stretches in a drift boat first to make sure I will be comfortable taking the Hobie down them, hoping that float trip comes together in January...cheers, roger

outstanding, so glad that you got one, all the Siuslaw hatchery steelhead come as a result of our STEP program here in Florence, so cheers to that!

I have been hoping to kayak float the Siuslaw and the best stretch seems to be "Tide" to "Thompson Creek" to "Farnam Landing".  These stretches are lower in the system but that means the Lake Creek fish must pass through there, I have been trying to float those stretches in a drift boat first to make sure I will be comfortable taking the Hobie down them, hoping that float trip comes together in January...cheers, roger

I fished a little bit today bellow the confluence hoping that i would be fishing for lake creek fish as well as siuslaw fish. That sounds like a great plan to me. Let me know how that float goes if it happens!

outstanding, so glad that you got one, all the Siuslaw hatchery steelhead come as a result of our STEP program here in Florence, so cheers to that!

I have been hoping to kayak float the Siuslaw and the best stretch seems to be "Tide" to "Thompson Creek" to "Farnam Landing".  These stretches are lower in the system but that means the Lake Creek fish must pass through there, I have been trying to float those stretches in a drift boat first to make sure I will be comfortable taking the Hobie down them, hoping that float trip comes together in January...cheers, roger

As for the STEP program, that is awesome. Do you volunteer for that? I'll have to look into it more

outstanding, so glad that you got one, all the Siuslaw hatchery steelhead come as a result of our STEP program here in Florence, so cheers to that!

I have been hoping to kayak float the Siuslaw and the best stretch seems to be "Tide" to "Thompson Creek" to "Farnam Landing".  These stretches are lower in the system but that means the Lake Creek fish must pass through there, I have been trying to float those stretches in a drift boat first to make sure I will be comfortable taking the Hobie down them, hoping that float trip comes together in January...cheers, roger

As for the STEP program, that is awesome. Do you volunteer for that? I'll have to look into it more

yes, I live near the hatchery and this is my second year on the crew there, we get to raise 10K coho that we release in Ackerley creek above Munsel lake and we spawn steelhead from our trap on Whittaker creek, nurture the eggs at our hatchery, then ODFW takes over and raises them to smolts, and back here where 85K get released in Lake Creek and 15K at Whittaker.  Plus we do a great "eggs to fry" program (steelhead) in the elementary school classes in and near Florence.  The new covered cleaning station at Florence launch is a STEP project, more stuff coming soon.  Meetings are first Wednesday of each month at 7pm and always done by 8pm, Florence Elks, usually an interesting presentation each month...cheers, roger

outstanding, so glad that you got one, all the Siuslaw hatchery steelhead come as a result of our STEP program here in Florence, so cheers to that!

I have been hoping to kayak float the Siuslaw and the best stretch seems to be "Tide" to "Thompson Creek" to "Farnam Landing".  These stretches are lower in the system but that means the Lake Creek fish must pass through there, I have been trying to float those stretches in a drift boat first to make sure I will be comfortable taking the Hobie down them, hoping that float trip comes together in January...cheers, roger

As for the STEP program, that is awesome. Do you volunteer for that? I'll have to look into it more

yes, I live near the hatchery and this is my second year on the crew there, we get to raise 10K coho that we release in Ackerley creek above Munsel lake and we spawn steelhead from our trap on Whittaker creek, nurture the eggs at our hatchery, then ODFW takes over and raises them to smolts, and back here where 85K get released in Lake Creek and 15K at Whittaker.  Plus we do a great "eggs to fry" program (steelhead) in the elementary school classes in and near Florence.  The new covered cleaning station at Florence launch is a STEP project, more stuff coming soon.  Meetings are first Wednesday of each month at 7pm and always done by 8pm, Florence Elks, usually an interesting presentation each month...cheers, roger

That sounds like an awesome program. I wish it was closer to home in Eugene! I would definitely like to make it to a meeting if I can manage.

I will be back their tomorrow trying again!

Tyler

Great job!