Santiam River Fly Fishing

The North Fork and South Fork of the Santiam River originate in the Cascade Mountains, running clear and cool year-round.  The fishing locations of interest on North Fork are east of Salem, while Sweet Home is the epicenter of boating and fishing on the South.  Both offer excellent trout fishing in late spring through the summer months.

When pursuing native rainbow and cutthroat trout, the riffles and runs of the Santiams are special.  Because both rivers have runs of chinook salmon and steelhead, the vast majority of anglers ignore the trout in favor of focusing on the larger species. Another plus afforded by the Santiams is that the sections I patrol have very little public access.

There is very little competition for the trout we will entice with the fly.   And the scenery is gorgeous as we float a clear water ribbon lined with deciduous and conifer trees. We are prepared to fish all three fly fishing methods during our day — dry flies, wet flies, and nymphs.  Each angler is provided with three rods to alternate throughout the day.  No fishing time lost to re-rigging and changing flies.  There’s trout to be caught!

Like the McKenzie River, the Santiams lend themselves as beautiful classrooms for beginners to learn about fly fishing casting and techniques.  And the trout here are willing teachers.  And, of course, veteran anglers, too, will catch trout to remember throughout the day.

As with all my guided fishing trips, no wading is required.  All fishing is done from the boat in order to effectively cover and comfortably access miles of fishy water in our eight hours on the river.

What will you need?

• An Oregon fishing license, available online or from various retailers.
• Comfortable clothes, including a long-sleeve shirt for sun protection.
• Glasses/sunglasses for eye protection at all times.
• A rain jacket if the weather forecast indicates it’s a good idea.
• Waders. Though all fishing is done from the boat, anglers sometimes prefer to get out of the boat to land an exceptional fish and have their photo taken kneeling in the shallows.  

What is provided?

• Three ready-to-fish fly rods for each angler, and flies.
• Snacks, beverages, and lunches.
• A good time casting to beautiful, hard-fighting trout on a scenic river.

The logistics

• We will meet on the river at a designated time and location.  Please be on time.
• Typically, we will meet on the river at 7 am sharp, to take out about 3:30 pm.
• Because there is no dependable shuttle service on the river, I will ask you to taxi me back upstream to my vehicle.‍
• Texting is always the best means of communication. (541) 207-4000

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