Englishman moving to Sherwood area

[mataylor1977]

All

I learned to Fly Fish as a young lad back in the UK(an old Yorkshireman took me under his wing and effectively mentored me for years) and I spent pretty much all my free time stalking the rivers lakes and reservoirs in my area for Rainbows, Browns and Sea Trout, and evenings tying flys. Even used to compete. But I've barely been since moving to the US (Southern California) and I miss it dearly.

However I'm moving to the Sherwood Oregon area next week and am dying to get back into it.
My gear is a little scrappy but I've a nice 9' 6weight orvis and a couple of reels that require no more than new line and a good clean\lube however I really dont know how to start again. Where to go.. what the attitudes of landowners over here are to people clambering along fishing banks etc.

I'm definitely going to need to get my casting skills back up to snuff so are there any decent reservoirs\lakes in the area I can hit (I'm used to fishing from the bank so ideally somewhere with clearish\low gradient access to start at least so I'm not inadvertently snagging groundhogs on my back cast

Any resources you can direct me to\advise you can offer would be most gratefully received. I'm dead excited to be moving to the area and renew what was a passion of mine back in England and look forward to sharing tall tales of the one that got away over a tall beer with some of you at some point!

Best Regards
Matt Taylor

 

[hydropsyche]

My first suggestion is to go to the odfw website and look over the regulations. After moving home back to the Willamette valley from central Oregon (aka trout central) for 6 months I quickly realized I should find a new quarry I found that fishing the Willamette with streamers for small mouth bass and tossing dries to blue Gill and large mouth bass in the Willamette Greenway ponds and other warm stillwaters can be just as rewarding as any trout endeavor. My suggestions for trout would be to check out the coastal rivers like the Wilson, nestucca, and siletz. They are probly the closest coastal rivers to Sherwood. There you will find cutthroat trout residential and sea run starting in September. They will take a swung soft hackle better than any trout I know and can easily be searched for with an elk hair caddis. Folks are generally nice and open so don't be afraid to ask questions. Bank access can be limited on some rivers but our state laws allow public use below high water marks its still a good idea to use your best judgment and respect posted property. You could also target carp in a lot of the mentioned warm waters mentioned check out carponthefly.com or any posts here by john Montana or igquick. Get the book fishing in Oregon that has helped me direct my search many times. Good luck I think you will like Oregon.

 

[troutdude]

My suggestions for trout would be to check out the coastal rivers like the Wilson, nestucca, and siletz. They are probly the closest coastal rivers to Sherwood. There you will find cutthroat trout residential and sea run starting in September. They will take a swung soft hackle better than any trout I know and can easily be searched for with an elk hair caddis.

Get the book fishing in Oregon that has helped me direct my search many times. Good luck I think you will like Oregon.

Agreed; getting a copy of "Fishing in Oregon" (any sporting goods store, fly shop, etc) will help you kick-start your Oregon fishing adventures. I also rely heavily upon, "A Complete Angler's Guide to Oregon" as well. Both top-notch books. You can also order a river map, and lake map, book from Amato Publications in Portland (or look for them in stores). The Nehalem river, and its branches, is also relatively close too you. So is Henry Hagg Lake, which is more of a trolling show as the trout are down deep in the heat of summer. However, it's a great fall fishery. And I've personally witnessed an 11-pound hold-over 'bow, that was caught 2 years ago. It's also produced state record smallmouth bass!

BTW, the Sea-Run Cutthroat are now beginning to trickle into the bay's & tidewater areas (very low end of the coastal streams). I highly recommend the "Borden Special", pictured below. It was developed--decades ago--by an Alsea River fisherman targeting SRC's. It is the BOMBDIGGITY for those trout!

Good luck and welcome to Oregon.

Pic of Borden Special:

 

[DrTheopolis]

I'm up the road in Tigard, and the actual city of Sherwood, as far as fishing goes is... well, bleak. BUT, there's places nearby (and I think Sapo has fished most of them already). For a quick trip, you can hit up the Tualatin (small smallmouth bass), or head to the Willamette (mostly smallmouth), or drive a few more minutes to the Clackamas, where steelhead are available.

 

[troutmasta]

My first suggestion is to go to the odfw website and look over the regulations. After moving home back to the Willamette valley from central Oregon (aka trout central) for 6 months I quickly realized I should find a new quarry I found that fishing the Willamette with streamers for small mouth bass and tossing dries to blue Gill and large mouth bass in the Willamette Greenway ponds and other warm stillwaters can be just as rewarding as any trout endeavor. My suggestions for trout would be to check out the coastal rivers like the Wilson, nestucca, and siletz. They are probly the closest coastal rivers to Sherwood. There you will find cutthroat trout residential and sea run starting in September. They will take a swung soft hackle better than any trout I know and can easily be searched for with an elk hair caddis. Folks are generally nice and open so don't be afraid to ask questions. Bank access can be limited on some rivers but our state laws allow public use below high water marks its still a good idea to use your best judgment and respect posted property. You could also target carp in a lot of the mentioned warm waters mentioned check out carponthefly.com or any posts here by john Montana or igquick. Get the book fishing in Oregon that has helped me direct my search many times. Good luck I think you will like Oregon.

Great response!!

 

[mataylor1977]

Thank you all for the detailed and informative answers, the information will, I am sure, prove invaluable.
can't wait to get my feet wet!
Best regards