Salmon, steelhead fishing on Oregon's Nestucca River, Wilson River, Kilchis River, Trask River and South Santiam River with Barnett's Guide Service

Barnett's Guide Service Fishing Report!

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Archived Reports 2006, 2005

Date: Monday 1, 2006
Current Report:

The hatchery brats are starting to show up in good numbers as well as a handful of natives. I spent the weekend on the Nestucca with a group of two on Saturday and one on Sunday in all we hooked nineteen fish for the two days. We ended up bonking eight fish as the guide got a couple himself. Most of the fish were caught drift fishing rags with eggs and the others were caught side drifting eggs with fish pills. The color of the weekend seemed to be peach or rocket red rags with a few on chartreuse. The fish pill of choice was the orange clown {big surprise that was}. The year ended on a high note with Rich Hamilton landing a twenty two pound native buck.

Tim Barnett

Date: Saturday December 23, 2006
Current Report:

I went out today to see what was around and it didn't take long to find a few early steelhead. We went three for five on a raising dirty river with a couple of missed chances as well. Chris Bugger managed a limit of hatchery fish out of the three with a nice native released. I can't wait for the water to drop after the next surge of water we are supposed to get. All the fish were hooked drift fishing with steelhead rags and eggs.

Tim Barnett

Date: Monday November 20, 2006
Current Report:

The rivers are starting to fish this last week with the Kilches starting first and then the Nestucca started coming into shape Friday and fished good Saturday through Monday we are suppose to get rain late Tuesday and I am hoping that it doesn't get that bad. I think since the runs were late this year that the run will go a little longer than usual.

Tim Barnett

Date: Thursday September 28, 2006
Current Report:

Fall season is about to really kick off here pretty quick as the lack of rain will start building the chinook numbers in tidewater. I went down to look around the evening of the 26th and saw quite a few rollers. The fish have been a couple of weeks late everywhere this year up and down the coast but I am hearing some promising reports from some reliable sources and it is starting to happen. I have held clients back because of the run timing this year but will be starting in a week or so . Keep watching the reports and see how the season progresses. I have complete confidence this river will produce above average catches as it did with winter steelhead, summer steelhead and spring chinook compared to the other rivers on the Oregon coast this year. Good fishing

Tim Barnett

Date: Friday September 22, 2006
Current Report:

The fish have been a little late this year everywhere. But they are starting to show up in good numbers now. I will start fishing in the next week or so and will be going strong in October. I have about half of my dates full through thanksgiving so if you are interested give me a call as it looks like it will be a very good season.

Good fishing

Tim Barnett

Date: Monday June 20, 2006
Current Report:

I was off the river most of the week but the bank anglers were doing real well on the summer steelhead in the mornings and evenings. The springer bite was a little more sporadic with some real weak tides and low water, with that about to change next week as we get some better tides. I took my wife out fathers day in the afternoon. As lady luck would have it she made it about 45 seconds into the trip for her first springer of the year, a nice little fin clipped hen that got the wood shampoo. It wasn't long after that she crackered a summer on a spinner. With the north west wind really picking up we headed for the ramp just looking a the wildlife and taking pictures. I have been a little reserved on booking springer trips with the projections down coast wide this year but we are getting plenty of fish and with the extended rain we have got this year I will continue to fish through early july in case you are interested in a trip give me a call. The summer steelhead are back in full production at the cedar cr. hatchery now and we are experiencing a great return which will fish through august. Good fishing

Tim Barnett

Date: Monday June 12, 2006
Current Report:

The fishing is picking up on the Nestucca for spring chinook and summer steelhead the last week with some days being real good and the next with the fish being off the bite. On last Sunday we got skunked on a rising river with Ben and Glen over from the valley. Then we caught fish on everyday the rest of the week except wends. Which I was off the river. Thursday was real good with Rich and Tom landing two of the eight fish they hooked. We ran into a batch of fish coming in on the tide and they were the hottest chinook I have ever saw with each fish cart wheeling several times each. I'm attaching the email I received from Rich the next day:

Hey Tim,
Thanks again for a great time. I do not think I have ever been so enlightened after being skunked. What a day it was. Wanted to see how ol' whitee did the next day if get a chance.

Can't wait to have an opportunity to slay'em again with you.

Rich

The following day Cliff only hooked one fish with it being the only bite we had. I'm now offering fish processing at my house with the completion of a fish cleaning station at no extra charge for non vacuum packed there will be a modest charge if you want the fish vacuum packed. I still have open dates if you are interested in the chance to fight the hardest fighting salmon around see you on the river.

Tim

Date: Tuesday May 30, 2006
Current Report:

The river came up slightly from Tuesday on through Saturday. The rains would be heavy at times and then slack off and let the river recover which kept some fish cycling in on the tides. My good buddy and local guide Jesse Zalonis and I snuck out Tues.. afternoon for a little recon. which paid off with a nice hatchery fish for Jesse and yours truly rolled a couple of others as the fish were on the move and not overly aggressive. That changed Friday and Saturday morning with most of the boats hooking a couple of fish a day. My boat was also in the catching mode on Sunday and Monday. Expect more fish to move into the river with each tide

from here into July.

Tim Barnett

Date: Thursday April 6, 2006
Current Report:

We finished the season off today with a gentleman from Montana by the name of John Gallus. John was able to go a perfect five for five today on jigs. The fish ranged in weight from seven to ten pounds with three of the five being broodstock fish of which all were released. What a enjoyable way to call it quits for the winter steelhead for the year. We will soon be starting on the Spring Chinook and summer steelhead over here at the coast.

I hope everyone enjoyed the fishing reports this winter as it was a pretty good season. I will be back on the river with clients in about a month and a half.

Tim Barnett

Date: Sunday April 2, 2006
Current Report:

Well as bad as I hate to see it steelhead season is winding down around here. The last week or so the fishing has been spotty with three to six hookups a day, which might not sound to bad but we are really having to work hard to come up with that many and catch a little luck to boot. There are still some fresh broodstock fish mixed in with the natives as we have been getting about one keeper a trip which isn't to bad for the first of April. Thursday will probably be my last trip for the season until we start on the spring Chinook. With it looking like there will be no ocean season I hope it will put more fish in the river both spring and fall Chinook as they are targeted off the mouths of the rivers by sport and commercial fisherman. Most all the fish the last week or two have been caught side drifting or drift fishing with salmon eggs and fish pills. There are a few summer steelhead starting to show up and I think one of the fish we lost on Saturday might have been a summer by the way the fish acted when it was hooked.

Tim Barnett

Date: Monday March 21, 2006
Current Report:

Last week the fishing was off and on through out each day as the river was slowly rising and peaking several times each day with the thunderstorms that were moving through the area. We had snow in the hills off and on the last part of the week that melted off Friday making for a very cold river Saturday. Russell and Chad Jackson still managed to go five for six including one native in the high teens which was a nice bonus for the day. The weather was predicted to stabilize this week but they are already calling for a storm Wednesday night so we will see.

Tim Barnett

Date: Sunday March 12, 2006
Current Report:

Today started out pretty fast with the first fish coming in the first few minutes and for the next couple of hours Ken and Mark hooked eleven fish. After the flurry we hit a lot of boat traffic so we floated to the ramp and reshuttled and went through the top drift again hooking a few more. All in all not a bad way to spend a Sunday in march with no rain and plenty of action. It will be a day they will not soon forget. Good fishing and see you on the river.

Tim Barnett

Date: Saturday March 11, 2006
Current Report:

I have been very sick for the last couple of weeks and had to stay off of the river for the most part. This was hard to do as the fishing has been really good. The rivers jumped up this week and are back in shape now and looking good. I will be back at it on Sunday. If you are looking for a honest shot at a trophy class steelhead the next three to four weeks will be your best chance. I caught several fish for the broodstock program when the water was low and clear. Most were caught on my hand tied jigs with all the components bought from Don Greene at the Fishermans Shack in Monmouth, OR.

Today I went out and had a very good day with the two biggest fish in the teens the biggest weighed in at 19.66lbs pictured below.

Good Luck!

Tim

Date: Monday February 20, 2006
Current Report:

The fishing was fairly slow this weekend with high east winds for a couple of days and extremely cold temperatures for several days. It was cold enough my camera wouldn't work until the afternoon Saturday. Chris and Brad Bugger went three for four with several missed chances. Monday with the weather change that was suppose to happen mid morning I expected things to pick up in the afternoon. And pick up it did with most of the nine fish Mike and Jeff Burton caught were from noon on. A few fish were hooked on fish pills and eggs but most were on a bobber and jig which part were fished plain and the rest with action tail steelhead worms or trout worms from Mad River Manufacturing www.fishpills.com as a trailer. This is shaping up to be a great steelhead season when the weather will let us fish.

Good Luck, Tim Barnett

Date: Monday February 13, 2006
Current Report:

Well, the fishing was pretty good this last week with the exception of a lot of pressure from people with cabin fever. The broodstock our in and it's our second year of returns and they appear to be a huge success. We caught quite a few this week with the highest day being five to go along with a bunch of natives.

The East wind blew very hard for a couple of days which makes for some hard casting with very light weights and even harder to control the boat {that's the excuse I am using} we managed to catch a lot of fish in and around the boats and bankies with the afternoons exhibiting a lot less pressure. On Friday afternoon I had a twelve year old boy by the name of Zack and his dad Richard went on an absolute tear with fish on constantly for the last two and a half hours. It was the fastest action of the week. The fish ran from six to fourteen pounds with most averaging about twelve pounds. We also got a surprise as Richard caught a chum salmon that was three months late or nine months early and in the wrong river.

Thursday Russell and Casey caught the most brooders with a couple in the teens. Things slowed down some by Sunday as Shawn and Will only caught three brooders and a native with two others lost. All the fish were caught side drifting fish pills or drift fishing steelhead rags with eggs.

Tim

Date: Monday February 6, 2006
Current Report:

With the last of the storms gone the rivers are dropping into shape fast. I will be on the Nestucca starting Thursday and the water will be about perfect and I expect the fishing to be great to go along with some nice weather. Watch the fishing report next week to see how we did. Good luck!

Tim

Date: Monday January 23, 2006
Current Report:

With the rains subsiding for a while the rivers are starting to come in. So with the Nestucca on the very high side of fishable I decided to go today for a afternoon of fun fishing with a friend, it turned out to be a good choice as I was the only boat and ended up hooking eight fish with one being a brood stock return as indicated by a right maxillary clip to go along with a adipose clip. The river will probably be real busy over the next couple of days as everyone has had cabin fever for awhile. I will not be on the river till the end of the week as I have made prior arrangements. The fish today were all hooked drift fishing with steelhead rags and a couple on drift bobbers both with eggs. Look for it to be really good anytime the river is in shape to fish as there is plenty of fish this year to go along with the water.

Tim

Date: Monday January 16, 2006
Current Report:

The Oregon coast rivers have been experiencing an onslaught of weather for the last month. I was able to catch a break in the weather and took out some clients who wanted to go despite the the imminent bad weather. I decided to take Scott Read and Kent Crozier down the coast to the north fork of the Alsea river. The day started off a little slow and mid morning they moved up the river a mile and found a few fish. We had three chances and Scott ended up catching a nice native and a beautiful Alsea brood stock return. We gave the Kilches a chance to come in for Sunday. At the park the water was perfect except there was no fish which was unexpected so we fished hard working are way down the river hoping to hit a fresh batch of natives coming in on the tide. At 12 o'clock Kent hooked up with what turned out to be a huge fresh chinook {which he will not forget for a long time} after landing the beast we revived and released the fish to continue his journey up river to spawn. We pulled out and got anchored up and on the next cast Scott hooks and lands a nice hatchery steelhead and that would be the last bite of the day. I was really surprised at how slow the Kilches was today as the other rivers all had a good number of fish before the rains started, if we can get some dry weather I believe the fishing should be really good.

Tim