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Spring Chinook
 Oregon
rivers are home to a variety of fish but the "king"
of them all is the Chinook (or King) Salmon. These salmon
enter our rivers in the Spring and Fall. If your impression
of a salmon charter is a crowded boat using short and stout
rods you will be pleasantly surprised. We fish out of a
McKenzie style drift boat and usually limit it to two guests
and a guide (We can accommodate up to three guests). Gear
used is stout enough to handle the fish but light enough
to enjoy the fight! Do you think you’re up to the
challenge?
Spring Chinook or "springers", as they’re
locally called, begin entering the Columbia River in February,
beginning an upstream migration that will last several months
over several hundred river miles. Because of this spawning
trait, springers have a characteristically high fat and
oil content that helps to sustain them over their migration.
This high fat content makes them one of the finest eating
fish on the planet as well as an exceptionally strong fighter.
We spend most of our time fishing springers in the Clackamas
and Sandy rivers, both are Columbia basin tributaries. Beginning
in April, the numbers increase daily reaching a crescendo
in May and June. Spring Chinook range in size from 12 to
30+ lbs., with most fish tipping the scales in the middle
and upper teens. This is a genuinely special trip. The opportunity
to experience the unbridled thrill of one of these powerful
fish on the business-end of your line is like no other fishing
experience.
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