I found them >=D

[tacklejunkie]

Today I went for a drive over near my new job and found a huge (by SoCal terms) river running through town. I went driving around looking for spots to fish it. Found a park... $5 fee... Nah keep going! Found a boat ramp, $5 fee... And dog leash law. Nahhh, keep going!

Found a nice creepy old rickety wobbly bridge crossing the river hiding down some back roads in some wooded remote residential areas outside Portland in the foothills of Hood forest.
Parked the car and released the hound.

Stumbled down the 200' embankment to the huge river before me. Found crawdads right off shore in one inch of water. Talked to some fishermen who hadn't caught, but saw some salmon off the bridge.
Walked up out of the creepy high bridge that was shaking from cars going by and peered out into the huge river with my polarized eyeball calibration devices. There, low and behold, were the telltale flashes of very large fish meandering about the huge river, minding their own business, ignoring the minuscule baits the fishermen were throwing at them.

"Crawdads!" I said to myself, as the hound and I walked back up the 200' drop of a bank through spiderwebs from 3" diameter eight legged nightmares. Hopped in the truck did we, armed with the knowledge of where to return with what gear and ideas of what wasn't working for anyone else. I didn't see anyone throwing any jerks or swims, either.

Its only a matter of time now.
This is definitely big country, too. No little Cali back road creek in the hills. Spiders, currents and jungle to contend with up here and rivers several hundred feet wide. I'm out of my element for sure. Need major fine tuning... And maybe a drift boat. I even saw bluegills and some sort of baitfish.., maybe baby trout.. And trout angling signs. So there is trout, salmon, panfish, dads.... The whole ecosystem.

They also just opened up a Cabellas here in town. there went the rest of my damn money. :(

[tomar19]

Go get'em! If those $5 parking fee spots look good to you, the state parks have annual parking for $30. The metro parks have a separate annual pass for $30 as well. Both are available at REI. Not too bad if you were going to access the river on a regular basis. Good luck up there.

Tony

[tacklejunkie]

Yes I keep seeing signs about some sort of pass. Like the one for the hills around IE/LA.
Will have to get that.

I brought the 5'3wt rod and left the waders in storage today. It's was quickly apparent I was under geared when I saw the width, current and drift boats on the river. This might be the place for some of those felt boots, considering the river rock bottom and crawdad style territory. A wading life vest too.
Wasn't even able to fish off the bank with my tiny rod in my work shoes.

I can't believe the salmon are that close to my work though. In that moving water, I bet they are a hell of a fight on light line. I'll have to do so,e after work missions here pretty soon after I go get my waders and bigger rods out of storage.

Maybe be next weekend, if this Oregonian type chick flakes on me.
or rather, if I flake on her in search of river tail.

[tacklejunkie]

Got a hot tip from a guy at work with pics of big silver salmon on what to use to catch the fish I saw in the river.
Gonna have to go see if it works here pretty soon.

I think I may be under geared. Those fish were huge.. I don't think 4lb line is gonna cut it. I'm thinking more like 10lb.. I don't even know what to use gear wise.

Definitely gonna need waders and I'm pretty sure my measure-net is way too small. This is gonna be an interesting learning experience. Lol

[tacklejunkie]

Went back today with the 5' fly rod. Again was some more salmon swimming around the bridge. There were a few places I could cast out far enough to the fish but I think the only bite I got was from a tiny fish, not sure what kind, and it didn't stay hooked. The salmon look to be about 5-10lbs upon closer inspection.
Need to go back again with waders and the 9' fly rod next time. Should help quite a bit.

Saw big fish jumping around but not sure what they were. Likely salmon. Also saw some small baitfish jumping around.

Ill have to try again soon. At least the fish are still there. I don't know how long the salmon will be here. Don't know much about them. Many other anglers there fishing for them with drift boats and spinning gear and big lures etc. so I'm sure I'm legal with my tiny fly rod lol. That would be sick to hook one of these huge fishes but it's going to be hell trying to land it in all this current with no gear if I do..

I can imagine myself running down river falling all over trying to avoid being spooled by one of these things.

I also saw saw a dead one. It was pretty big. I wanna catch one so bad!

As a side note, I found a way past all the bushes and can walk a good ways up and down the river so I found much more shoreline to fish at my free spot. I just have to keep going back and learn what all needs to take place to hook up. All these other fishermen around, surely somebody catches something here.

[TUNAVIC]

Keep at it stay determined,keep asking around for tips,can't wait to see you with a picture of one of those fish!

Cya Tuna Vic

[HawgZWylde]

Get that heavy gear out and go for it dude. Can't wait to see the ones you are about to stick...

[City Dad]

befriend an old-timer local - they know the spots and their advice won't be clouded by youthful pride.

go at least 8lb dude, and make sure that drag is working smoooooooth.

and watch out on those rivers, dude. they'll make ya crawdad food in the blink of an eye.

better yet, wrangle yourself an invite on one of those drift boats - so you don't look like a Californian standing on the bank ;)

[CrouchingNinjaHiddenFish]

very very very cool find. hope u post pics when u get 1

[DarkShadow]

befriend an old-timer local - they know the spots and their advice won't be clouded by youthful pride.

Just make sure it isn't clouded by a Celebrex haze and, I'll let you know now, their knee will smell like Bengay! I had an old timer telling me he fought in the Revolutionary War next to Washington the other day at the subway station.

;-)

Just make sure you don't hear banjos.

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Question, how do you load up a 5 foot 3 weight rod? Do you over line it to like, a 9 weight line?