Our story
For 36 years (and counting), we’ve been putting rods in hands and bending nets on the best salmon and steelhead water the Pacific Northwest has to offer. From coastal fog to high-desert canyons, if there’s a Chinook that peels line or a chrome-bright steelhead that cartwheels across a tail out, chances are we’ve chased it—multiple times.
We live for that moment when the reel screams and someone yells the greatest words in fishing: “Fish on!”
- 2026 Prime-Time Hit List – When & Where the Reels Scream
- February – April
- Lewis River Winter Steelhead
- Chrome freight trains fresh off the ocean. Wild hens that tail-walk and hatchery bucks built like linebackers. Back trolled plugs, floated jigs, or bobber dogging.—this river hands out beatdowns all winter long.
- April (opener varies – we watch Fish & Game like hawks)
- Lewis River Spring Chinook
- The same river flips the script: big, hog springers stacking below the dams. Diver and eggs or back-trolling plugs—when these fish show, it’s game on.
- April – May
- Columbia River Spring Chinook
- The big dance. 15–30 lb missiles pouring through the Columbia. Back trolling in the slots or running herring behind Shortbus flashers chaos when the bite goes off.
- Willamette River – Lower Multnomah Channel Springers
- 20 minutes from downtown. Best-eating springers you’ll ever grill. Troll Shortbus Flashers + brined herring. Rods double over with 15–25 lb chrome missiles. Calm fishing—perfect escape from the office. Ditch the golf outing. Bring clients or the crew for a half/full day. Everyone leaves with a relaxing day on the river chasing chrome April 15–May 15 books fast.
- July – August
- Deschutes River Summer Steelhead
- The holy grail. Sunrise-to-sunset casting spinners and plugs on one of the most beautiful steelhead rivers on planet Earth. Summer Runs that rip 150-foot runs like it’s nothing, cartwheeling across the water. Best guided fishing trip that Oregon or Washington has to offer.
- September – October
- Nestucca River Fall Chinook + Crabbing Combo
- The grand finale. Trolling 360 flashers and old school Bob Toman Thumpers in the bay for bruiser fall kings, then pull crab pots bulging with Dungeness on the way home. Fill the freezer with salmon and crab in one tide—doesn’t get any more Northwest than that. Stay in our Beach house the night before and enjoy the peace and quiet of Pacific City before your big day on the river. DockHoliday click for more information.