If you’re an angler who likes clear, cold streams in which you can catch trout, you will have to travel even farther than usual to find that kind of water this drought year.
The closest this summer may be the Yuba River, as well as the waters near Mt. Shasta, including the upper Sacramento, McCloud, Fall, and Pit. But even they are already at mid-summer levels. The quality of the water will diminish as the days get hotter.
Accepting that, I’m looking to Oregon, Idaho and Montana as the most likely states to have normal flows this year.
My first choice is always Montana, and my favorite place to stay in fish is Hidden Canyon Lodge on the Missouri River near the small village of Cascade, about a half hour drive south of Great Falls.
Lodge owners Peter and Patricia Woodbridge, and chef/manager Madeleine Cantoni have created a very special place where the after-fishing experience matches the outstanding fly-fishing on the Missouri. They work with Jason Orzechowski, guide and owner of Wolf Creek Anglers, to offer a complete package.
Most places of this quality are in hard to reach remote spots, but not Hidden Canyon Lodge. Dottie and I can catch a flight out of Sacramento with an easy connection from Seattle to Great Falls. The lodge picks us up for the short drive to Cascade.
If you’ve been vaccinated and want to get away for a few days of great fly-fishing and willing to get on an airplane, I highly recommend Hidden Canyon Lodge (hiddencanyonlodge.com). If you prefer not to get on a plane, you can drive there in about 16 hours.
A drive less than half that long will take you to the McKenzie River east of Eugene, Oregon, where the water flows and trout fishing are excellent.
Dottie and I stay at the Eagle Rock Lodge on a beautifully green and wooded part of the River near Vida, Oregon, eaglerocklodge.com. The McKenzie is a river for which you need a guide and a boat. We use Caddis Fly Shop in Eugene, caddisflyshop.com.
The float down the McKenzie makes you feel like you’re in a dense, unspoiled wilderness. The trout are not big, but they are feisty and we always have plenty of action. The forest comes right down to the river’s edge and some folks claim to have spotted “Bigfoot,” as they floated along.
In fact, there is a restaurant there, Ike’s Pizza, which is considered Bigfoot headquarters for the region. The pizza is good, and there are lots of interesting Bigfoot-related items on display.
If you are looking for a longer fishing adventure further away, then I suggest you contact my friend Rachel Andras, andrasoutfitters.com, who can arrange fly-fishing travel experiences from Alaska to South America. Rachel and her guide/husband Jim spent several summers in Sonoma Valley teaching fly-fishing at the Leland Fly-Fishing Ranch, and are headquartered in Talent, Oregon, near Ashland.
Jim is a fantastic guide and specializes in steelhead fishing on the Rogue River, which is best fished from September through March. I highly recommend them both. Call them at (800) 488-5794.
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