Southern Oregon steelhead

[chappy]

Anyone know of a good winter steelhead guide in southern Oregon for mid-late February?

[Langenbeck]

Steve Bonner who can be reached at speyman@gmail.com

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Confluence Outfitters has a web site

[chappy]

Thanks,

I will look into both of them. Have either of you hired them before?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Gino Bernero and John Hazlett of Confluence Outfitters are two Steelhead guides who fish in the winter up in southern Oregon for years.

We have lots of customers who use them.

[Blane]

Contact Kenny Morrish at Fly Water travel. He knows the area and guides as well as anyone. They are based in Ashland OR. He has set me several times with good results and can recommend specific guides for the rivers your interested in. As we all know some guides have a knack for certain waters while others fish them but not as often or as successfully.

[jayclarkflyfishing]

Geno and Jon of Confluence Outfitters are superb guides,great fishermen and all around great human beings!They know their craft and the waters they guide on.

Jay

[bubzilla]

Contacting Kenny Morrish is the best advice you've gotten, as he will be able to set you up with someone that will meet your specific needs and interests. That is, whether you want to swing flies, work on your spey casting, or if your primary focus is getting into some fish and therefore you are up for nymphing, etc.

Kenny started out in Oregon managing the fly shop at the Ashland Outdoor Store back in the early 90s--about ten years before either Gino or Jon (who also managed the fly shop for a while around 2003) started guiding--and he is easly the best steelhead fly fisherman whose last name isn't Waller (not an exaggeration). I have fished with both Gino and Jon a few times over the years, and they are both firstclass fishermen and good guys to spend a day with. Steve Bonner is a very experienced fisherman as well, and has been fishing and guiding in Southern Oregon for a very long time (20 years that I know of since I first met him on a river). You really couldn't go wrong with any of the guys mentioned, but I would suggest giving Fly Water Travel a call and having them set up your trip. I belive Rachael handles all there more local bookings at this point, but she knows her stuff too.

The only thing I would warn against is booking with or through Trophy Waters in Medford.

[chappy]

Thanks for all of the advice it will be very helpful. How about guides for the Smith? Does it fish well in mid-late February or is it over with before then?

[bubzilla]

Last I knew Gino was guiding some on the Smith. Your best bet is to be flexible on watershed, though. The coast is entirely weather dependent. There are definitely fish around that time of year--particularly in some of the Oregon rivers in that area. And, some of the better fishing that time of year can be found more inland.