Good "WADING" flyfishing trout rivers?

[uintaangler]

To be perfectly honest, if I were retiring somewhere with the specific intention of trout fishing I wouldn’t give Oregon the time of day. Are there plenty of trout streams here that you can wade? Sure. Are there many that are easy to wade? No sir. This is one of the most brutally difficult and physical places to catch trout in the western states. I think it’s the hardest, bar none. The wading is really tough, back casting room is limited almost everywhere and conflicting currents make it really hard to get a nice, long drift. We don’t have many of those meandering little meadow trout streams that are easy to sidle up to and pull out a few fish in the 16-18 inch range. More likely, it’ll involve battling your way up densely forested, rocky creek beds where a foot long fish is a trophy.

The Lower Deschutes is the best trout river in the state and it’s a huge, dangerous river. You can wade it, but you certainly can’t cross it. The McKenzie barely has any wadeable water. The Klamath area is pretty much a boat only game for trout. The small streams west of the cascades will just beat you up. The Crooked is the river of choice for most retirees, and it’s always busy.

In my opinion, the best and most tranquil trout fishing opportunities west of the Rockies are found in Colorado, Idaho and Utah. If you think Montana and Wyoming are tough places to fish, oh boy - Oregon isn’t the spot.

Hey there olshifty,
I sent you a PM.

 

[kmartin1st]

Thank you shifty, but what is a PM?

 

[troutdude]

Thank you shifty, but what is a PM?

Click on their username and then select “start a conversation”. PM = Private Message

 

[Spoonplugger1]

Surprised no one mentioned the Metolius R. near Sisters, I've caught a lot of browns, rainbows and a few bulls out of their over the years.

 

[Ohawas]

Hey great, thank you.
Any others?

Oh man, you're in great luck. Oregon has both excellent rivers for bank fishing as well as floating. In addition to the rivers mentioned: Metolius, Fall River (Central), Alsea, Upper Siletz, Upper Nehalem, (Central coast), Wallowa, Upper Imnaha, sections of the Grande Ronde (East).

This is only a small sample of bank fishable rivers. Oregon is replete with great bank fishing. There are tons of little streams and creeks that aren't going to show up on any searching. Small, local water is generally available in most zones.

Coming from NM myself (ABQ), the water in Oregon can look intimidating and the regs are a little more complicated. Still, don't be wary of going to your local fly shop and asking tons of questions (buy a few flies, too). Oregon water changes quite a bit when it moves into summer. Also, there are a lot of seasonal regs up here, so you need to check. There are opportunities for different types of fish up here, salmon and steelhead being the big two other than trout. I just started going after these fish within the past year and I'm addicted to it.

So, while Oregon can be incredibly different than the southwestern/Rocky Mountain water you're used to, it doesn't take long to figure out your place if you put in minimal effort and a dash of extroversion at your local shop. Also, summer turns OR into a fishery much like the ones I fished in the southern rockies/4 corners area.

Congrats on your retirement.

 

[kmartin1st]

Thank you. How do the Oregon rivers you mentioned compare to the San Juan (my favorite WADING river) ? And do you flyfish?

 

[elkling]

I am loving this thread. But, I have to ask: I love eating trout and with the cost of Trout at the supermarket in the vicinity of 4 for $20, I can aford to go fishing. What are some reccomendations for trout wading streams. They don't need to be native trout. The planted ones all taste the same. I just like putting on a pair of old tennis shoes and wading right down the middle of the stream. I am 72 and don't swim.

 

[TheKnigit]

I didn't see these rivers listed, but if you are still considering Klamath County there is the Williamson and the Sprague Rivers that both have some good wade-able sections.

 

[olshiftybiscuits]

I am loving this thread. But, I have to ask: I love eating trout and with the cost of Trout at the supermarket in the vicinity of 4 for $20, I can aford to go fishing. What are some reccomendations for trout wading streams. They don't need to be native trout. The planted ones all taste the same. I just like putting on a pair of old tennis shoes and wading right down the middle of the stream. I am 72 and don't swim.

Not to be glib, but if you put on a pair of old tennis shoes and try to wade into an Oregon river it may well be your last act. Wear wading boots with felt and spikes. As for places you can keep trout, check the stocking schedule and hit the lakes. Leave the stream trout be.

Thank you. How do the Oregon rivers you mentioned compare to the San Juan (my favorite WADING river) ? And do you flyfish?

They are essentially the polar opposite.