OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER, CLACKAMAS RIVER CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED
1 JANUARY 2008
T he Spinner
MEETINGS
JANUARY 16, 2008
Gary Kutcher
Working for the Sustainable
Forestry Project, Gary will
discuss an initiative that
encourages sustainable forestry
by restricting clear cutting and
toxic chemicals, while promoting
conservation of old growth
forests
FEBRUARY 20, 2008
Program T.B.A.
MARCH 19, 2008
Program T.B.A.
APRIL 16, 2008
Jim Martin
Global Warming
MAY 18, 2008
Annual CRTU Picnic
Join your fellow chapter
members for an afternoon of
food & fun at Eagle Fern Park on
Eagle Creek in Estacada.
All meetings are held at
the Lucky Lab Brew Pub,
915 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
in Portland, Oregon.
Social hour begins at 6pm,
meetings start at 7pm.
Door prize drawings and
outdoor premiums are
raffled at each meeting.
All meetings are open to
the public....bring a friend!
Information:
Dick Hollenbeck
503-630-4074
dick@clackamasrivertu.org
©2008 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
VOL.
Welcome To Our First Edition!
As we come to the end of 2007 and elementary schools and the Estacada
look to 2008, grateful thanks are due to all library. Our conservation work in our
those whose time and participation home watershed will continue with
brought us a successful year. Special thanks plantings, cleanups, nuisance plant removal
go to Jeff Horton for his dedicated work and some potential work with developing
on our website and publications and for and restoring side channels on the
working with Andy Andrews on our fishing Clackamas river. The chapter is also
outings; Terry Turner for tackling our undertaking a major spring fundraiser in
Treasurer duties and national reporting; partnership with the TU Oregon State
Christine Hollenbeck for our secretarial Council and will be hosting the “Bull Trout
reporting; Dave Tenney’s work as our Rendezvous” again in October.
advocacy chair; Matt Hollenbeck and Geoff
Gottfried for their work on our The success of all we do depends on
conservation and fly fishing camp, Clem the active participation of the members.
Bergevin for his work on the kids’ fishing We are trying to get the word out on
day; Paul Vitello for his endless support on events to as many of you as possible
all of our major efforts; and Tom Wolf for through email and the website. Our
his support as chair of the Oregon State regular meetings will continue through May
Council. on the third Wednesday and our board
meetings, which are open to all of you, are
Your board has laid out an exciting on the second Wednesday of the month. If
schedule for 2008! One of our primary there are things that keep you from
goals for the year will be children’s attending such as time, location, program,
education in conservation and fishing. We etc., or if you have ideas for additions
are making plans for our third fly fishing please contact us at clackamasrivertu.org,
camp for kids, the kids’ fishing day with the this is your chapter!
Clackamas Ranger District USFS and we
are moving to complete the work on a Have a great year in both conservation
grant that was put together in cooperation and fishing!
with the Tualatin Chapter to put an 85
gallon aquarium with fish from the Dick Hollenbeck, chapter president
Clackamas watershed in Estacada
Upcoming Projects and Events:
April 19, 2008: Clackamas Watershed Event, Clackamas Community College
May of 2008: CRTU Fundraiser, location and date, TBA
May 18, 2008: CRTU Picnic, Eagle Fern Park on Eagle Creek
June 7, 2008: ODF&W Kids fishing day, Promontory Park, Estacada
July 24, 25, 26, 27, 2008: Youth Fly Fishing Camp, Clackamas River, campground TBA
October 11, 12, 2008: State Project, Metolius basin, Location TBA
More information as it becomes available: http://www.clackamasrivertu.org
CONTENT USED BY PERMISSION ALL ARTICLES ARE PROPERTY OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR !
 THE SPINNER ! JANUARY 2008

Youth Fly Fishing Camp

Our 2006 and 2007 Youth Fly Fishing camp programs

were a resounding success, thanks to all of the great
kids, parents and volunteers involved. If you are
interested in becoming a volunteer, have a child, or
know of a child 10-14 years of age with a passion for
fishing, please contact Dick Hollenbeck.

dick@clackamasrivertu.org -or- 503-630-4074

2008 CAMP SUBJECTS:

• Equipment basics
Dates:
• Rod, reel, line, accessories
July 24, 25, 26, 27
• Knots, leaders, tippet

• Wading and safety equipment

Students will join T.U.
members and other volunteers • Casting, types of casts
for an over-night camping and
fishing adventure! Camp will • Presentation, accuracy skills
CAMP SPONSORS:
take place in the upper
• Introduction to fly tying
Clackamas River watershed,
! G.I. Joes
approximately 20-miles S.E. of • Aquatic insects ! Temple Fork Rods
Estacada.
! Scientific Anglers
• Trout habitat & water types ! Educational Recreational
Adventures
• River ecology & conservation ! ODF&W
! P.G.E.

Fishing equipment will be Children should come

provided, or students may prepared to be in the outdoor
bring their own. environment for three days.

All food will be provided. Although not required, some

Students bring sleeping bags,
clothes, a warm coat, hat,
toothbrush, etc.
Camp may be re-scheduled
due to adverse weather
conditions.
prior fishing, camping and
outdoor experience will be
helpful.
More information is available
on our website:
www.clackamasrivertu.org

©2008 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENT USED BY PERMISSION ALL ARTICLES ARE PROPERTY OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR !
 THE SPINNER ! JANUARY 2008

- The Vise - By
Matt Hollenbeck

Though it is often cold and wet or just plan cold in our area
this time of year, the fishing is still worth the effort and in some
cases the best time to go. Here are a few tips to help insure a
successful trip.

JANUARY
Lower Deschutes!
You may be able to get into the tail end of the summer
steelhead run this time of year. Nymphing is your best bet; use
large stone fly patterns with orange bead heads. Also on the
lower Deschutes, you can practice your nymphing technique
while fishing for white fish. Use small bead head patterns such
as prince and pheasant tail nymphs. Caddis patterns also work
well here.
ORANGE STRING LEECH
by Matt Hollenbeck JANUARY & FEBRUARY
The winter steelhead run is on and the fishing in the Sandy and
Clackamas rivers can be something worth writing home about.
For success, try using a swinging technique with a large bunny
Stinger hook: leach and marabou patterns in purple, red, black, orange and
Owner or Gamagatsu octopus bait hook in size 4 pink.

Front hook: MARCH

Any large straight-eyed hook. Cut the hook at the Lower Deschutes
Trout fishing begins and we recommend nymphing with a two
bend when the fly is complete. nymph system; a large nymph with a smaller dropper nymph.

String: 30lb backing Check these web-sites for more tips and local information;
www.westfly.com www.about-flyfishing.com
Body: rabbit strip, black, red, orange, purple or pink www.flyfishusa.com

Hackle: shlapin in the same color as the rabbit
Beard: crystal flash in a variety of colors
Eyes: dumbell or chain
Thread: florescent red or pink
Other options: Coastal Rivers
Much more susceptible to rain and weather conditions, the
coastal rivers can be very good at times and un-fishable other
times. Our suggestion is to choose a stream that is close to
home, check the regs, learn the timing of the runs and how the
river reacts to rainfall. Some rivers clear quickly, others are slow
to clear after a heavy rain. Most river levels are available on the
internet, including westfly.com & the National Weather Service
website. Here are a few of our favorites:
• Nehalem River
• Nestucca River system, including Three Rivers
• Necanicum River
These systems should have good numbers of winter steelhead
by January and continuing through the spring.

matt@clackamasrivertu.org

©2008 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENT USED BY PERMISSION ALL ARTICLES ARE PROPERTY OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR !
 THE SPINNER!
THE CLACKAMAS RIVER WATERSHED
An Overview
By Christine Hollenbeck
The Clackamas River Chapter of Trout Unlimited is
committed to the protection, restoration and conservation
of all waterways. Members of our chapter proudly
volunteer countless hours throughout the state of
Oregon, taking part in restoration projects, water way
clean ups and public education.
The Clackamas River is the name sake of our chapter
and we feel it would be nice to share some information
about this unique and beautiful river with our members.
The Clackamas River begins on the slopes of Olallie
Butte, a high cascade volcano. The river flows 82.7 miles
from its headwaters (elevation 6,000 ft) to its confluence
with the Willamette River near Gladstone and Oregon City
(elevation 12 ft). Along the way the river is made up of 16
sub-watersheds.
The watershed drains more than 940 sq miles, or
600,700 acres. More than half of its length runs through
forested areas over rugged terrain. The watershed crosses
two counties which include federal land administered by
two agencies, state land, and private land. The lower
reaches flow through agricultural and densely populated
areas.
Unlike the Bull Run Water shed, the Clackamas River
watershed is not a fully protected watershed. About 72%
of the watershed is publicly owned, 3% is tribally owned
and 25% is privately owned. The Clackamas watershed can
roughly be divided in half, with nearly the entire upper
watershed in the Mt. Hood National Forest and managed
by the USFS. In contrast, most of the lower watershed is
privately owned. The area in between the national forest
and the lower watershed include parcels of land owned by
private timber companies and the BLM. In 1998 the
estimated population within the watershed was 127,097.
The Clackamas River watershed supports naturally
spawning anadromous fish including steelhead, Chinook and
Coho salmon, as well as steelhead trout. It also provides
important habitat for many wildlife species, both game and
non game, along with supporting recreational activities
such as fishing, hiking, camping, white water rafting, kayaking
and hunting.
Ours is a unique and precious waterway. We are proud
to be the Clackamas River Chapter 677 of the national
organization known as Trout Unlimited.
chris@clackamasrivertu.org
©2008 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENT USED BY PERMISSION
JANUARY 2008
FISHING TRIPS
By Jeff Horton
Since this is the first issue of our newsletter, I’m going
to put together a quick overview of what our fishing trips
are all about, what to expect if you go and a little history,
which may or may not be true......this is fishing after all.
Our trips are held in conjunction with the Tualatin
Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, a great bunch of guys
and gals. We do this March through October and the full
schedule is usually available on both chapters websites by
February. The trips are open to everyone, TU membership
is not a requirement. Most events are weekend camping
trips, with a few day-trips closer to home also thrown into
the mix, which can be a good excuse to get out of mowing
the lawn on weekends.
Some of our trips are so darn good, we do them year
after year, like South Twin Lake & Wickiup Reservoir in late
April, a four-day camp at Timothy Lake in June and a week-
long camp on the upper Fall River in September. Past
fishing expeditions have included East Lake, Gold Lake,
Deschutes, Metolius & Crooked rivers, plus many other
well known and lesser known fisheries in Oregon.
A few highlights of the 2007 season included a 22-inch
brown trout landed on Wickiup last spring by Andy
Andrews and a spooky 17” rainbow fooled by our newest
member Matt, on his first trip to the Fall river. Another
first was our trip to the upper Klamath Lake area in July,
which yielded fish in the 25” to 28” class and a one-day
run down to Lost Lake on the coast in early spring. Three
brown trout and two very large acrobatic rainbows were
released on the Metolius one beautiful Sunday afternoon in
October and Timothy lake held lots of brook trout in
June, including a monster 30-inch fish that broke off. Along
the way, we had a wolf, or possible wolf-hybrid sighting
about 30-yards behind our camp in April, plus wild mink
sightings and a determined Osprey that snatched a fish
right out of the boat at South Twin.
So, although these little fishing expeditions are about
catching fish and exploring new territory, they are also a
great way to enjoy the outdoors, the wildlife and maybe
learn a few new tricks and make a few new friends along
the way.
Our trips are very informal, with a group-camp set-up
and a potluck dinner on Saturday nights. Andy always has
his “road-kill-grill” fired-up and ready to go, plus he brings
more food than we can ever eat. Some people camp at
the group site, others set their own camps nearby.
We hope you can join us around the campfire
sometime, where the best fishing always involves the
stories, good friends and tall-tales told.
jeff@clackamasrivertu.org
ALL ARTICLES ARE PROPERTY OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR !
 THE SPINNER!
A Winter Day on the
Deschutes
By Terry Turner
Tom, one of my coworkers that
lives in New York and I talk often
about flyfishing, the places we’ve
been and what we enjoy. He’s made
several trips to Montana and Idaho,
but has never had the chance to fish
in Oregon. He’s heard of the
Deschutes, but with work travel the
way it is, has never had any extra
time to stay and fish.
He’d planned a work visit to
Oregon with a stay over the
weekend so we put together a day
trip for Sunday to fish the Deschutes
below Maupin. Mid December is
one of my favorite times there. The
crowds are gone, the trout can be
cooperative and there are often still
fishable numbers of steelhead in the
river then. It is, as most know, not
for the faint of heart. Temperatures
can be pretty brisk with snow or
rain kicking up at any time.
I warned him of all this, but he’s an
avid outdoor type and seemed to
look forward to the adventure.
We start off about 6:30am with the
usual stop at the Fly Fishing Shop in
Welches. As usual, Patty is minding
the store on the early shift. We
trade easy conversation and I buy
some flies, tippet and direct Tom to
some things that have worked in the
past. Patty gives us a raised eyebrow
when we tell her where we’re off to.
“Pretty snowy up there”, she says.
“Got chains and a rookie to push”, I
return with a grin at Tom.
We leave the rain in Welches and
head up the hill over Mt. Hood. Lot’s
of skiers on the road and we wind
up the hill as the rain slowly turns to
snow, and more snow and lot’s of
snow that sticks nicely on the road.
All the “chains required” signs are up
and I wait until the last spot at the
Tom, Dick and Harry trailhead to put
mine on. Just a few minutes later,
we’re on our way again.
Lot’s of thick heavy snow on the
road and as we pass the Highway 35
©2008 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENT USED BY PERMISSION
turnoff, all the skiers peel right and
we have the road to ourselves. We
make the turn to Maupin in a white-
out, but the truck doesn’t care and
the snow gets thinner on the other
side and as expected, is pretty much
gone by the time we hit Pine Grove.
A short conversation with an
anxious guy looking to travel to
Portland confirmed there was lot’s
of snow in his way.
Tom’s anxious now. I tell him we’re
close and with the weather on the
front end of a big storm, I expected
little competition on the river. Sure
enough, we get to Maupin and turn
downstream, there are no cars on
the road and no one pulled off
fishing anywhere.
I like to fish the first good water just
below town on days like this. There
are some great spots there that
usually produce nice fish when it’s
not getting hammered. We would be
the first fisherman this stretch had
probably seen for a number of days.
Tom and I string up and walk up to
the first run. I’ve never fished with
him, but you can tell when someone
is a decent angler. Anxious but not
intimidated, Tom is eager to learn
some new water.
The lesson begins with the
Deschutes mantra. “Stay out of the
water and fish everything close
first”. You will be amazed how many
fish hold close to shore. I’m not a
great angler, but I’ve had this
hammered in my head over the years
and it’s true. I also like to fish
nymphs over dries so this day looks
like a great fit for me. I just hope
Tom can conquer enough of the
puzzle to hook a fish or two.
We split up after I watch Tom fish a
bit. I suggested a list of flies to try
and ensure he knows to fish close to
the bottom. The water is 42 degrees
and nothing is moving far to grab any
of our stuff.
I set up my two-fly rig I like to use
on the Deschutes; a stonefly with a
methodical list of droppers to cycle
through until I get some action.
Finally I get a fish on with the third
dropper try but lose it. The take was
ALL ARTICLES ARE PROPERTY OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR !
JANUARY 2008
subtle, but the feisty redsides cleared
the water twice and politely flipped
me off on the way down and was
gone. “Outstanding”, I think to
myself. If nothing else happens
today, I’m a happy boy. River to
ourselves, fooled one fish on a mild
winter day on the Deschutes.
Working another current seam
farther downstream, I set the hook
on a quick indicator move and am
greeted with my rod bent in a C and
some big head shakes. Not sure if
it’s a steelhead or not, I get Tom on
the walkie-talkie and let him know
I’ve got something worth measuring
on. I land the 20” redside just as
Tom arrives at my spot and he’s
more pumped than I am. I don’t
think he thought the fish would be
that big. To be honest, I don’t catch
many that size either on this river,
but it’s nice when they come.
So Tom watched, I hooked and
landed more fish and he didn’t. We
traded flies, discussed presentations
and reading the water and he finally
broke the ice with a Deschutes River
bonefish. I was wishing hard for a
Blue Winged Olive hatch as Tom is a
much better dry fly angler and
probably would have been more at
home, but no mayfly activity this day.
By this time, the sun was sinking
over the canyon wall, and another
fabulous day on the water spent.
Always wanting a little more, but
satisfied with what was given. I think
this is what always brings us back.
Tom, I know, had a good day as well.
Happy to learn a new place but
determined to return and solve the
puzzle a different day. I explain the
Deschutes is often unkind to
newbies in the off-season. Only after
I committed several sets of tires to
the road over Mt. Hood have I been
able to have successful days in the
canyon. But, as we drive home and
talk about the day, I can see that
success or failure is never measured
in the number of fish caught. The
freedom of the day, being in a
beautiful place and spending leisure
time with a friend is plenty of
success for us. Tom will catch
Redsides on the Deschutes when he
returns. I hope I’m there with the
camera when he does.