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Silvers returning to Clackamas, Eagle Creek
Oregon fishing map feature
By Pat Hoglund
Fishing and Hunting News
"It will be astronomical," said Gary Waterhouse at the Great American Tackle Shop (503-650-2662). He's being overly optimistic when he said the peak of the run could happen when the river opens for silvers (Sept. 1), but after the prediction was bumped up from 50,000 to 80,000 silvers, Waterhouse said not much will surprise him. "It could be as early as Sept. 1, opening day, but realistically I'm looking at the middle part to the latter part of September. That's when we'll see the major push of fish go through." Assuming the run prediction is accurate, don't be surprised if the daily bag limit on silvers goes up. Right now anglers can legally keep three silvers. "If the fish do come into Eagle Creek like they're expected to, I think the bag limit will increase," said Waterhouse, who reminds readers that it's legal to retain fin-clipped silvers through Nov. 30 in Eagle Creek and Oct. 31 in the Clackamas. Most of the silvers, estimated to weigh 8 pounds, are headed directly back to Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery, on the upper end of that stream.
Last year's run was marred by low water and difficult fishing conditions. When the water level in the Clackamas dropped, water temperatures raised and fish were reluctant to bite. The best fishing was early and late when the sun was off the water. "First light, last light," said Waterhouse. It's hard to say whether that will happen this year, but be prepared for the possibility. The flip side to that is high water. If we get high water, expect to see most of the fish head straight to the hatchery. Best scenario? A season with intermittent rain that raises and drops the river level every couple days would spread the run out and ensure we had good fishing conditions from September through November. Pick your bank spot Let water level dictate where you fish. If the river's low, anticipate the best fishing in the lower river (below Carver) early in the season. Over time, the run will disperse throughout the entire Clackamas River and in Eagle Creek itself. If you had to pick one bank spot where you're guaranteed a shot at catching a silver, consider fishing between the 99 Street Bridge and the trestle. But you'll be fishing shoulder to shoulder with a lot of other anglers.
That's where the greatest numbers of anglers will be banking it," said Waterhouse, noting that some conservation groups, in particular Trout Unlimited, want to close that section of river down. At first it sounds ridiculous, but as soon as you witness how many fish get snagged, you might reconsider. Hatchery workers last year reported pulling upwards of four lures out of the backs of fish that returned safely. "It's like a fish ladder, and it becomes a snag fest," said Waterhouse. At this point nothing has been decided, but if it becomes a problem area you may be looking for another spot. Farther upriver you'll find bankfishing spots at Cross Park, High Rocks, Riverside Park, the Coffee Drift, Carver Park, Grant Park, Barton Park and the mouth of Eagle Creek. Or float it Floating the river in driftboats and rafts is a good way to find pods of fish in hard to reach places. If this year is anything like last year, large schools of fish will be traveling together. It wasn't uncommon last year to see 50 or more silvers in a group. But the low water made them difficult to catch. Most boat pressure will be from Feldheimer's downriver. Feldheimer's to Barton or Barton to Carver will be the two most popular midriver drifts. Low-end river drifts can be made from Riverside Park to Clackamette Park at the mouth. Eagle Creek There are no boat ramps on Eagle Creek; however, the bank access is excellent. It's also going to be crowded. From Highway 224 turn onto Wildcat Mountain Road, then Eagle Fern Road and finally George Road. That series of roads will lead you to the creek and major access points, including the deadline below the hatchery, Eagle Fern County Park and Bonnie Lure State Park (located below Highway 224 accessed by Doty Road) — all of which hold excellent bank fishing spots, as well as well-worn trails up the creek to even better spots. Techniques You can use any number of methods; the most popular and effective is drifting roe. "Free-drifting eggs is always a real popular way to go for the silvers," Waterhouse said. "And weightless spinners, too, which include size 3 Flash Glows. And all your Sneaks, Bolos, Blue Fox — they're your top three spinners. "I think you'll see more flyfishing for silvers this year than you have in past years. With numbers in the river like that, there will be a lot of guys flyfishing for them." Spinners, meanwhile, should either be black or silver. "If we get the Indian Summer, sometimes the darker blades will do better," Waterhouse said. He likes 1/3-ounce Sneaks, size Nos. 3 or 4 Blue Fox or a 1/4 to 1/8 ounce on the Bolos. He like spinners with black blades and silver bodies. Cast those upstream and let them swing through the holding water. Be sure to give the rod a jerk to make sure the spinner blade is working properly. If you're going to fish bait, Waterhouse recommends fishing 8- to 10-pound test on your mainline and 6- to 8-pound leader. Use Slinkies or pencil lead and at least 24-inch leaders. Size 1/0 hooks are best. If you want to fish Corkies and yarn, drop down to a size 1 hook. Fish size 12 and 10 Corkies in pink, chartreuse dot, rocket red with chartreuse dot, peach luminous and blue metallic fire tiger. Quarter-cast that rig upstream and let it drift through holding water. You can also fish bait under a bobber. Using the same terminal tackle, attach a slip bobber that presents your bait on the bottom. Be careful not to drag your bait, and adjust the depth accordingly. "Jigs will also work," Waterhouse said. "The guys who fish jigs should stay with an 1/8-ounce jig in blue and white, purple and black, or just a straight blue." Waterhouse said typical holding water has a broken surface. "Not a riffle, but a broken surface, and we tend to pick them up in water less than 12 feet." At a glance What: An estimated 80,000 silvers are expected to return to the Clackamas River and Eagle Creek. When: The season runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. The peak of the run will likely be the second week of September through the first week of October. You can keep fin-clipped silvers through Nov. 30 in Eagle Creek and Oct. 31 in the Clackamas (subject to change). Who to call: Clackamas River Fly Shop (503-794-7122); BC Angling Post (503-655-4161); Fisherman's Marine & Outdoor (503-557-3313); The Great American Tackle Shop (650-2662); Barton Store in Barton (503-637-3069); Carver Store in Carver (503-658-3592); Country Sport in Portland (503-221-4545); ODFW in Clackamas (503-657-2000).
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Copyright © 2007 Last Modified 8-21-07
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