South Santiam River: It boasts one of the highest returns of hatchery steelhead each year, the South Santiam is a river that lends itself to most fishing methods. Which is why it's one of the most favored rivers in the Willamette Valley.

 

Dean River: World famous for a reason, the Dean serves up the hottest, most aggressive steelhead known to man. And Josh Temple sampled them on a trip of a lifetime. 

 

Seiku: After a long hiatus salmon fishing in Seiku is making a comeback, and this summer should help restore this fishery's reputation as one of the top fisheries in the state. 

 

 

 

Quick and easy to tie, the Nightmare Jig is hellish on steelhead. Canning salmon is easier than you first think. Keeping your cooler contents cool is simple. Can you say Nano? It's the newest material in graphite rods. These and other stories highlight this section of Tips & Tailouts.

 

Hover Fishing: When stealth is needed to catch salmon you'll find that hover fishing is one of the most effective techniques around. It's also one of the most difficult to master. Jason Brooks explores the topic. 

 

Because they are one of the most important accessories available to a fisherman, we implore you not to buy the cheapest pair of sunglasses off the rack at the Quickie Mart. There's plenty of reasons to spend a little coin on the best pair of sunglasses you can afford. Eric Martin delves into the subject matter with great detail. 

 

Don't be fooled into thinking that a fish lies behind every rock. If you do you'll end up wasting a lot of time fishing unproductive water. Freshwater Editor Bob Ball points out the conditions where steelhead will hold, and where they won't.

 

Saltwater Editor Terry Rudnick is a veteran of five decades of salmon fishing in the Pacific Northwest and he continues to come back to a handful of techniques that consistently catch salmon. He shares those with readers this issue.

 

When given the choice to fish in where bear prints are more common than boot prints Don Thomas doesn't take long to choose wild places. He's hopeful that generations of fishermen will be able to enjoy it long after he's gone. 

 

Josh Temple gets up close and shall we say "personal" with a Dean River steelhead. This beast of a fish inhaled a skated fly from the famed Motel Run. LANCE WATKINS PHOTO