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View Full Version : Drifting the John Day River for Smallies



Anne Vitale
07-04-2006, 07:41 PM
This report is a week and half old but still very fresh in my mind.

If you have not yet fished the John Day River in Oregon for smallies, I highly suggest that you do it and do it in the spring when the river is relatively high. My recent three day, two night stint on the river was the closest thing to aerobic fishing I have ever done. The only rest I got (while in the boat) is when I had a fish on. Otherwise it was cast to your target about 15 feet away up against the shore ..strip...strip..fish on....get it into the boat...release it and then do it again right now because the boat has drifted to another hot spot to cast to. Without exaggeration, the nonstop, cast--strip--strip--fish on activity goes on constantly even when you are in the middle of running a class 2 rapid hangng on to the stanchion with your lower body. Of course, no one made me fish like a crazed woman but I simply can't help myself. :D

The trip covers 35 miles from Nowhere, Oregon to Nowhere, Oregon. Put-in and take-out are at bridges over the river and they are far and few between. Located in the high desert of northeastern Oregon, the John Day runs north to the Columbia River through a geological wonderland. Even though most of it happened 60 million years ago, there is “fresh” evidence of volcanic eruptions everywhere. There are giant mud flows and immense outcroppings of basalt looming right out of the water, some as high as 300 vertical feet. We camped one night at Cathedral Rock and believe me, it was aptly named. The rafting trip alone would have been worth the price of admission.

I booked the trip through Marty Sheppard and his Little Creek Outfitters. I met them in Condon, OR late Sunday afternoon, had dinner with Marty and his crew and made plans for the trip. As it turns out, the three other fisherfolk who had booked for the trip, canceled at the last minute. That left just me. Marty made it clear at the onset that the trip was still on. In the end I had three days of one-on-one fishing with my guide Ted Neely while his stepson went ahead in a loaded-to-the-gills rubber raft each day to set up camp down river at the end of the day’s run. When we got to camp I found my own tent set up with a cot and mattress and time to take a short nap before dinner which was cooked right there in their portable kitchen. It was all very sweet.

Darian
07-04-2006, 10:51 PM
Wow!!! What a great trip!!! The outfitter sounds like a very competent group. Are they on-line :?: :?: That's just the kind of trip that'd be for me and my partner, next spring. 8) 8) 8)

David Lee
07-05-2006, 12:29 AM
Smallmouth are great - the only thing better I've found are Ladyfish .

Smallies are close to home , though ...... :?

David :D

Bill Kiene semi-retired
07-05-2006, 08:44 AM
The lower Umpqua River and the John Day River, both in Oregon, are the two top Smallmouth streams in the West.

The Umpqua is much closer and I have fished that a bit. It can be fished daily but the John Day is a schedule 4 day float through trip.

I would like to do the John Day some time with Little Creek Outfitters.

http://www.littlecreekoutfitters.net/


Big K Ranch on the lower Umpqua River

http://www.big-k.com/

These would be nice family trips with swimming, ect.

Anne Vitale
07-05-2006, 08:47 AM
Darian...and anyone else interested in booking a trip, you can find out more about the group at thttp://www.littlecreekoutfitters.net/. In addition to the John Day, they offer similar float trips on the Grande Ronde, Clackamas, and Sandy Rivers. Depending on the time of year and the river you are drifting, you can be fishing for steelhead, rainbows or smallies.

Marty and his crew are mainly on-the-river types and would prefer to leave the booking and paper work to others. Although I talked to Marty first about the trip, they actually suggested that I do the actual booking through FlyWater Travel in Ashland OR. My contact there was Rachel Andras. 800-552-2729. You can also reach her via email at rachel@flywatertravel.com. Rachel was incredibly thorough. She made sure I had all the information I needed and then some; overnight accomodations in Condon, fishing gear recommendations, what the river menue would be in case there was some special dietary need and even called me a few days before the trip to make sure all was in order and to reassure me that Marty and his crew would be there in Nowhere OR. (actually Condon OR) to meet me. I hope this helps......Anne

Sturmer White
07-05-2006, 09:10 AM
Hey! That is my kind of trip.If anyone is thinking of setting one up for next year, Bill,Darian,others.Keep me in mind. :lol: