Our Rivers

*Note: SOA requires a 50% deposit on any trip booked. SOA Does Not Issue Cash Refunds On Any Deposit. In the event of cancellation By SOA, the full amount of your deposit will be issued in a gift certificate. This may be used at any time in the future to deposit another outing. You must cancel any booked trip before one full month of the original date booked, or SOA will retain your deposit, with no type of refund issued. If canceled before that time, you will be issued a gift certificate for the full price of your deposit. Any trip canceled with less than one week notice will be charged the full price of the outing, including any lodging balances owed.

Steelhead ~ Chinook & Coho Salmon ~ Coastal Cutthroat Native Rainbow Trout ~ Smallmouth Bass

Our Rivers And Thier Fish...

Steelhead...

Chinook Salmon...

Coho Salmon...

Rogue ~ South Umpqua ~ Applegate ~ Chetco ~ Smith

Coastal Cutthroat...

Rainbow Trout...

Smallmouth Bass...

The Rogue is arguably the most consistent Salmon and Steelhead River in the Country. From Its meager beginnings through a maze of small feeder creeks in its headwaters near Crater Lake, the Rouge flows nearly 250 miles before it reaches its mouth in Gold Beach Oregon. With unmatched beauty and incredible wild life encounters, it will only take one trip down its banks to understand why we base our operations on this magnificent river. The Rogue commonly provides anglers with a multi species experience, allowing anglers to hook combinationS of its Steelhead, Salmon, and Rainbow/Coastal Cutthroat trout.

There is virtually no month of the year when you can’t find a wild steelhead moving up its banks to feed and spawn. When fishing it at its height, its common to experience double digit days for fish that average 24-26 inches. Larger trohpy size fish are consistently hooked in the 28-34 inch range. For those who have not encountered a sea run rainbow trout, it is unlike anything you have experienced. Amazing grabs followed by huge aerial displays and blistering runs up and down the river, is what us “steelhead junkies” live for! Rouge Steelhead keep our clients coming back for more year after year.

Spring and Fall run Chinook Salmon begin to enter the river in late April though Late September. These fish are very aggressive when they first hit the river and will readily take a number of presentations from the fly angler. They hit and fight with such ferocity, that we have at least two back up rods rigged per angler, in case of rod explosion! There is nothing quite like the feeling you get when a big Chinook slams your line and begins tearing off down river. An average Rogue Chinook is between 12-16 pounds with opportunities at trophy fish in the 20-30 pound class available daily during the run and absolute monsters in in the 35-40 pound class hooked every year.

Coho Salmon begin flooding into the Rogue in Late October through December. These Autumn warriors are targeted for their amazing jumps and hard pulling runs. Having the oppertuniy to hook these fish comes right during the time when some of the highest concentrations of trophy steelhead are entering the system. There are many trips where we will have excellent chances at trophy steelhead and also hook into a huge Coho in the 28-36 (10-16 pound) inch range.

The trout fishing on the Rouge tends to be overshadowed by the tremendous anadromous fishery the river has. Anglers who explore the Main River for trout are typically rewarded quite handsomely with what can be non-stop action for very feisty fish. The “Holy Water” is a fly only section of the Upper rogue that fishes much like a big spring creek for trophy Rainbows that, (with the right presentation) are willing surface feeders. The Salmon fly Hatch (May-July) is world famous and can provide some of the best dry fly fishing anywhere. Spring caddis hatches with bugs that number in the millions for miles and miles is a truly unique Rogue experience.

The South Umpqua River is one of the most untouched trophy Salmon and Steelhead waters in the Pacific Northwest. It is also the longest running undammed river in the State of Oregon and one of the longest in the Country. With its uppermost spawning reaches completely closed off to fishing, the “South” will undoubtedly continue to produce amazing angling opportunities for generations to come. The South Umpqua can be a very big and technical white water river with constantly changing conditions and is only for those who are very experienced on the Oars.

The Winter Steelhead in the South Umpqua River are among the hardest fighting fish to be found in the world. With the ever fluctuating winter flows, Miles of rugged canyon, waterfalls, and white water rapids, these fish are thrown into a “become a very strong swimmers or die” scenario from the moment they are born. The fight these fish put up is what we use to measure the strength and beauty of fisheries all over the world. With Average fish being 30-32 inches and trophy fish hooked daily in the 34-40 inch (15-25 pound) class and fish hooked near 30 pounds every season. “You don’t have to travel to British Columbia and spend thousands of dollars to have a true trophy steelhead experience”.

The Summer months bring a very exciting time to the South. As the water begins to draw down, the South Umpqua becomes a much smaller freestone type trout stream. Hordes of hungry smallmouth migrate up river to escape warm water, poor oxygen levels and extreme angling pressure of the Main Umpqua River. While the North and main Umpqua are known to be quality smallmouth fisheries in their own right, over the past decade they have produced obnoxious numbers of smaller fish. The South on the other hand has had more and more trophy size smallies and is quickly becoming a destination for those few anglers who are in the know.

Our Coastal Waters of The Smith, Chetco, Elk, Sixes and other smaller drainages is where we spend a good portion of our winter months. The big Coastal Winter Steelhead begin to enter these rivers from late November until their closing at the end of March. This is where we go to hook the real monsters of Southern Oregon with average fish in the 12-15 pound class and fish into the high 20 pound range are very common. These fish are caught within just a few miles and at times feet, from the salt water. Experiencing the power and beauty of these coastal fish is something that all angles should do at least once. The only problem is... Then you hooked!

The Southern Oregon coast area in the winter months is about the most beautiful place anglers could ever hope to fish. While these rivers can be hard to catch at the right moment, the fishing can provide the most amazing fishing trip of a fly angler’s life!