Whenever "trout" is mentioned, anglers immediately think of Rainbow trout, the most prevelant and famous of all trout sub-species. Perhaps it's because they are so closely related to steelhead that we love them so much, but whatever the reason, rainbows are simply great. They grow quite large in some areas, are strong, heavy, agressive, go airborne and do all the things a great sportfish should do.

At Oregon River Guides we target rainbow trout in the Willamette Valley during the late-Spring, Summer and early Fall. During most trout specific trips we fish the famous McKenzie river near Eugene, Oregon. The McKenzie hosts an excellent population of native red-band bows as well as hatchery rainbows and coastal cutthroat. The length and size of the McKenzie River makes it a great river to float in a driftboat. Angling pressure is generally light and we enjoy fishing the lower river from Deerhorn to Bellinger, but will occasionally go up and down river from those areas should the fishing require it.

In addition to the McKenzie we also guide the Clackamas River for Rainbows. The Clackamas does not have the population of native red band trout that the McKenzie has, but it is stocked with hatchery rainbows and provides great action for fly anglers just learning the sport. Since the Clackamas has excellent numbers of Summer steelhead and good numbers of Spring Chinook, our trout trips on the Clackamas are generally in combination with other larger species. We'll fish the first half of the day for Springers and/or Steelhead and then switch over to fly rods and dry flies to target trout in the afternoon. It's a great way to spend a Summer day with non-stop rainbow trout action.

We recommend light tackle for Rainbows which includes four and five weight fly rods and ultra-light spinning tackle. We like to fish a variety of fly patterns including; streamers, caddis nymphs and dries, mayfly nymphs and dries, stonefly nymphs and dries and terrestrials imitations. If a spinning outfit suits you better we'll fish small spoons and spinners, and flies under clear river floats.

To book a Trout trip call us at 503.515.3533 or contact us for free guided fishing information!

RIVERS TO CHOOSE FROM: McKenzie River, Clackamas River
SEASON: Spring, Summer, Fall