One myth we hear more often than any other is that Portland-area streams aren’t any good for trout. The fish are all small, they say, and the fish counts are low.
This really couldn’t be further from the truth. Are our local streams full of a lot of small fish? Yes! So is the Lower Deschutes. So is the McKenzie. So is the Snake River in Wyoming. Countless fish start small, and only some get big. That’s how it works. Small fish make up the largest group, inherently, in any system.
The reason trout anglers struggle to find bigger fish close to Portland isn’t because they don’t exist, but because they’re hard to catch. Alpine small stream fishing is hard, specialized, and takes practice. The techniques you’ve mastered on bigger water won’t always work, and fish won’t always be quite where you expect.
Where to Find Fish in Small Streams
The first obstacle most encounter is finding fish. Where do they live when the water is so small, narrow, and fast? The answer: Anywhere they can. You aren’t looking for nice, long riffle-dotted runs with uniform current and plenty of room for a long, pretty drift.  You’re looking for six-inch seams, tiny pockets behind rocks, any place a fish can hold, safe from predators, and without expending too many calories. Is there one, tiny patch of slow water in the midst of tumbling, rowdy rapids? Guess what — there’s a fish in there, and it’s probably a big one.
How to Fish Small Streams
Once you know what kind of water you’re looking for, obstacle number two arises — how do I fish it? That answer can vary, but it all boils down to one key skill: line control. The vast majority of small stream fish we catch are plucked from pockets. Pockets are soft water between two faster currents, created by a break in the water on the downstream side of a boulder or rock. Your fly needs to land in that soft water, and remain there for at least a few seconds without the current on either side pulling it out of the strike zone. That means you need to have all of your line up and off the water, essentially high sticking or skating your fly on the surface. You don’t even want your leader touching the water if you want to avoid it.
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My favorite rod for this technique is a long, light stick – preferably a nine-foot, three- or four-weight. Eight or eight-and-a-half will work just fine, but that extra length really helps you keep your line up and off the water and allows you to fish further away from the wary trout you’re trying to catch.
The other scenario we encounter most often is a soft seam alongside a faster current or rapid. It can be difficult to stealthily approach the inside seam in skinny water, so we often have to fish the outside seam on the far side of the fast current. Again, that requires us to keep as much line as possible out of the faster current. But what if the distance is simply too great to high stick that far seam? That’s when slack becomes our best friend.
Instead of a short line presentation, we stack the excess line out behind the fly, which allows it to drift naturally in that soft current for a few seconds before your line is sucked down by the main current and your fly is whipped downstream. A few seconds doesn’t sound like a long time — but it’s more than these fish need. They have to make fast, split-second decisions in a noisy, rowdy environment. Mastering the 6-12 inch drift will increase the number and size of fish you catch exponentially.
For this technique, I prefer a rod with more backbone – one that can roll-cast a heavier rig well, and one that makes it easy for me to stack mend my line quickly and efficiently. I also like a shorter rod in this scenario, as I’m often fishing this presentation in very skinny water with trees overhanging. An eight or eight-and-a-half foot four weight is my rod of choice.
The last obstacle that people tend to stumble over is the incredible water clarity of our local streams. The water on streams like the Salmon, Clackamas, Zigzag, Collawash, and others is pristine. The fish can see you, they can see your leader, and they can see even the tiniest amount of drag impacting your fly. While you can certainly catch fish with 4x or 5x tippet, you won’t fool the smartest or biggest trout in the river. That requires lighter tackle. Extend your leader by a foot or two and use a 6x tippet.
Overcome these three obstacles, and the rest is easy. Fly selection? Don’t worry about it. All of the classics will work. In systems with limited food and short feeding seasons, the fish can’t be picky about the species of their meal. The most critical element is your presentation. Is it presented well? They’ll eat it. If not, they won’t. It’s as simple an equation as you can hope for in the complex world of fly fishing.
You’ll be able to measure your progress in literal inches. As your skill level rises and your expertise grows, you’ll catch larger fish. You’ll still wade through plenty of small ones, but the average size should start to slowly tick upwards. If you’re still not finding anything bigger than 6-8 inches, come by the shop and talk to us. Book a half day small stream trip with one of our guides and let us help you unlock the secrets of our local trout waters. You’ll spend less time in the car, less money on gas, and catch more fish.
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