January 2024 - Brookings Fishing Reports

Poke delicious way to enjoy albacore tuna

By Capt. Andy Martin – Bursting with flavor, healthy, and easy to make, poke bowls are a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy albacore tuna. Poke has endless possibilities – there are countless ways to marinate the fish, and there are just as many options for toppings.

Poke originated in Hawaii, where it is often simply served as an appetizer. Served in a bowl of rice, poke becomes a full meal.

**Capt. Andy holds an albacore tuna caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.**

One of captains I used to work with in Alaska, Capt. Mark, spent years working at a lodge owned by a family from Hawaii. They made a simple marinade with Mama Kay’s Hawaiian Seasoning, a little sesame oil, and thinly sliced green onions.

On the Mainland, marinades often include a few more ingredients, with plenty of options for toppings. Served with sushi-style rice, poke bowls are a delicious, and filling meal. Red chili paste, or wasabi can be added to add heat and spice.

While poke can be made with freshly caught albacore tuna, or ahi tuna, frozen fish is easier to work with. Partially thawed tuna is firmer, and holds together while it is thinly sliced. While raw tuna, or salmon, is most popular, seared tuna also can be used in poke.

**A poke bowl is a flavorful way to enjoy albacore tuna.**

Toppings for poke include avocado, carrots, green or sweet white onions, mango, pineapple, cilantro, radishes, macadamia nuts, mandarin oranges, shallots, pickled ginger, cabbage, edamame, and fried wonton strips.

Quality rice is a vital part of poke bowls. Don’t just use steamed white rice. Sushi rice is more flavorful, and perfectly complements poke. A spicy mayonnaise and rice seasoning complete the meal. Nori Komi Furikake Rice Seasoning, which includes sesame seeds and dried seaweed, is the perfect poke bowl seasoning.

Sushi Rice

1 cup sushi rice or jasmine rice

1 1/4 cup water

1 tbs sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

Rinse the rice several times, until the water runs clear as it is drained.

Bring rice and water to a boil, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, and allow to sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

In a small pot, heat rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, constantly stirring, to dissolve sugar.

Fluff the rice with a fork, and slowly stir in the vinegar, sugar and salt mixture. Allow the rice to cool for 20 minutes.

**Partially thawed tuna can easily be sliced into thin pieces.**

Poke marinade

1 lb. albacore tuna loin, or ahi tuna

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tsp honey

Cut the tuna into small pieces with sharp knife on a cutting board.

In a large bowl, combine tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and honey. Gently stir, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp sriracha

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the mayonnaise and sriracha in a bowl, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the dressing in a zipper bag, and cut the corner to drizzle over the poke bowl before serving.

Toppings

1 cup sliced cucmber

1/4 cup sliced mango

1/2 cup sliced radish

1/4 cup finley chopped green onion, or sweet white onion

2 large avocado, peeled and sliced

**Place a serving of albacore in each bowl of rice, then add toppings and drizzle with spicy mayonnaise**.

Making the Poke Bowls

Divide the rice into three or four bowls

Add a scoop of marinated tuna to each bowl, and add toppings.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and dried seaweed, or Nori Komi Furikake Rice Seasoning. (There are many alternatives available at larger grocery stores).

Drizzle with the spicy mayonnaise

**Some of the albacore tuna caught last summer on the Miss Brooke.**

**Tuna caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in 2023.**

To learn more about albacore tuna charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

How to make Rockfish Jerky

Several years ago, a frequent customer on the Miss Brooke pulled out a bag of jerky and started handing out pieces to everyone on the charter boat. Delicious. Dried to perfection, nice salty and smoky taste, a texture almost identical to beef jerky. The rockfish jerky was a hit, and has become a favorite way to enjoy rockfish long after a fishing trip.

**Ralph Trigo, on the right, shared his Rock Cod Jerky recipe with us. Ralph has been a frequent customer of Brookings Fishing Charters.**

Ralph Trigo, a longtime member of the Middle Rogue Steelheaders in Grants Pass, Oregon, shared his tasty rockfish jerky recipe with us. It can be made from fresh or frozen rockfish. While a Little Chief or Big Chief electric smoker with wood chips is ideal for making rockfish jerky, it also can be made in a food dehydrator with a few teaspoons of liquid smoke added to the brine.

One of the keys to perfect rockfish jerky is making the long, horizontal slices of the fillets. Each fillet should yield four to eight strips, depending how thin you are able to slice them. The brine is simple and similar to other meat brines. For best results, smoke with just a couple of full pans of chips, and then leave in smoker for several more hours without additional smoke.

Rockfish Jerky

4 to 8 rockfish fillets, cut into thin strips

1 1/2 cups soy sauce

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup salt

pinch of garlic powder

(for added flavor, add paprika, red pepper flake, onion powder to taste)

Cut the rockfish into long, thin strips and place in a large bowl.

Add brine, place in refrigerator for 12 hours, stirring occasionally.

Rinse lightly, pat dry with paper towels.

Smoke for 8 hours, using two pan fulls of chips and then continue drying in smoker for remaining 8 hours. Check often.

**Rockfish Jerky can be made from fresh or frozen rockfish fillets.**

**Cut rockfish fillets into thin, long strips.**

**After brining for 12 hours, rinse lightly and pat dry.**

**The rockfish jerky midway through the smoking process.**

**The finished product – smoky, salty and delicious.**

To catch a limit of rockfish to make delicious rockfish jerky, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call our charter boat office, (541) 813-1082.

Coleslaw, tarter sauce and cocktail sauce: Fish and chips essentials

While quality fish fillets and fresh potatoes are the key ingredients to “fish and chips,” a good side of coleslaw and generous amounts of homemade tarter and cocktail sauce are essential to completing a fish dinner.

Coleslaw, a popular dish with early American settlers in New England, is a staple at fish and chip restaurants. There are two common recipes for coleslaw when served with fish, and both are delicious.

**Coleslaw, cocktail sauce and tarter sauce are fish and chips essentials.**

Capt. Mike Brouillette, who owns and operates the Papa B, has a tasty vinegar and oil-based coleslaw he perfected when he ran a barbecue catering business before he jumped full-time into the charter boat industry. Mike combines shredded cabbage with red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic salt, oregano and black pepper. Delicious with fish and chips, Mike’s recipe also goes great with barbecued chicken and tri-tip.

**Capt. Mike Brouillette’s coleslaw recipe is simple and delicious.**

Capt. Mike’s Coleslaw

2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Simply mix the ingredients and serve immediately. While some coleslaw recipes taste even better when prepared well in advance, the vinegar-based recipe is best served within minutes after it is prepared.

**Capt. Mike’s Coleslaw goes as well with fish and chips as it does with chicken or tri-tip.**

Another popular coleslaw recipe includes a combination of cabbage, carrots, onion, mayonnaise and buttermilk. The favorite coleslaw recipe of Capt. Andy’s wife, Sarah, tastes best when prepared several hours before dinner so it has time to soak up the flavors of its numerous ingredients.

**Sarah Martin’s favorite coleslaw recipe pairs perfectly with fish and chips.**

Traditional Coleslaw

4 cups finely chopped cabbage

2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot

1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

ground pepper, to taste

Mix the ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Tastes even better when refrigerated overnight. Stir a few times, if possible.

**Traditional creamy coleslaw is a staple with fish and chips.**

**Homemade tarter and cocktail sauce are much better than any store-bought sauces.**

Capt. Andy’s homemade tarter sauce is much more delicious than any store-bought sauce, and is quick and easy to make.

Tarter Sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickle, or dill pickle relish

1/4 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion

2 teaspoons chopped capers

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

**The simple ingredients for delicious homemade tarter sauce.**

Cocktail Sauce

Mix 1/2 cup ketchup with 1 teaspoon extra hot horseradish (ground horseradish, not creamy horseradish sauce). Add salt, pepper and several squeezes of lemon juice. Mix well. For hotter cocktail sauce, add a little more horseradish.

To catch a limit of rockfish, lingcod or halibut to go with these great coleslaw and tarter and cocktail sauce recipes, visit www.brookingsfishing.com for fishing charter information.

First ocean charter of year yields limits of lings, rockfish

BROOKINGS, Ore, (Jan. 23, 2024) – After weeks of rough, windy conditions on the Oregon Coast, conditions improved enough this week to allow Brookings Fishing Charters to run its first ocean charter of the year out of Brookings, which ended with limits of nice lingcod and rockfish. High flows from the Chetco River have made fishing slow closer to the harbor, but north, from Bird Island to House Rock, water conditions are better, and there are plenty of hungry rockfish and lingcod.

**An angler holds a nice limit of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke Jan. 23, 2024.**

January and February are productive times to catch lingcod out of Brookings, as long as the weather cooperates. Windy weather with big swells and rough bar conditions have limited the opportunity to fish on the Oregon Coast so far this year. But between storms, as the ocean settles down, rockfish and lingcod tend to be very aggressive and willing biters.

Lingcod move into shallow water to spawn during the late winter. Smaller males, from 18 to 24 inches, arrive first, staging in areas where larger females will soon migrate in to spawn. Often, there are large numbers of males for every female, and the males are extremely aggressive. They often attack anything near them that resembles another fish. With decades of experience fishing the Oregon Coast, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has dialed-in techniques to catch lingcod during the winter months in shallow water with light tackle. It is often some of the most exciting, action-packed lingcod fishing of the year!

**Capt. Andy with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**Doubles of nice rockfish were common during the first charter of the year, as the fish were aggressively feeding.**

Big schools of rockfish are feeding in shallow water, along rocky reefs and kelp beds. Many of the rockfish caught during the first charter of the year were full of surf smelt. Lots of feed in the water has resulted in healthy fish, with fat black, blue and canary rockfish quickly attacking shrimp flies and grubs lowered from the Miss Brooke. Anglers reeled in doubles and triples of nice rockfish once the schools of rockfish were located in shallow water.

**Capt. Mike with a pair of big lingcod from the first charter of the season out of Brookings.**

**Longtime customer Dave of Brookings organized the first charter of the season with a group of local friends. They all caught limits of rockfish and lingcod.**

Brookings Fishing Charters will run trips during the winter as the weather allows. Conditions often improve by late February to allow fishing several days a week, but instead of booking a specific date well in advance, anglers are encouraged to call our charter office, (541) 813-1082, to get on the winter fishing call list. As conditions allow, we will put together trips with a day or two notice when the forecast looks promising. Open seat alerts also are posted on our Facebook page.

With fast six-pack boats operating during the winter months, Brookings Fishing Charters can take smaller groups, and run trips at short notice since fewer anglers are needed to put a charter together. The six-pack boats are the fastest boats in the fleet, and can get to the fishing grounds quickly and fish in shallow water, where lingcod fishing is best during the winter.

**A nice steelhead caught on the Smith River Jan. 23 with Capt. Sam.**

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew also runs drift boat trips for steelhead on the Chetco and Smith rivers during the winter months. High water has limited the opportunity to fish so far this season, but when conditions are good, the fishing also has been decent. Capt. Rye, Andy, Travis, Mick and Sam are licensed river guides and ocean charter boat captains, and take customers down the rivers in custom drift boats, using light spinning tackle to catch steelhead in the scenic Smith along Redwood National Park, and the Upper Chetco deep inside the Siskiyou National Forest. To learn more about river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.

We have also updated our recipe section, with dozens of tasty ways to prepare rockfish, lingcod, halibut, salmon and steelhead. Check out the recipes here.

**Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta is just one of the delicious recipes in our recipe section.**

We will learn the season dates for salmon, halibut and the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse in April. Halibut season is expected to run its normal May 1-Oct. 31 season out of Brookings. The lighthouse and other California waters closed early last year, and tighter bag limits are expected this year, similar to Oregon limits that have been in place to ensure the fishery is sustainable. Typically, the lighthouse opens in May, with good fishing the entire summer. California waters are expected to have a depth restriction of 120 feet or shallower this year, but that will have minimal impact on the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet, since our crew specializes in fishing shallow water with light tackle for big fish.

The Oregon lingcod and rockfish season is open year round, with a five-fish limit for rockfish and two additional lingcod. The minimum size for lingcod is 22 inches.

To book an ocean charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.

Here are a few more photos from the first charter of the season out of Brookings.

Stormy weather, high water limits ocean, river fishing opportunities

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 21, 2024) – Stormy weather, with big swells, strong winds and rough bar conditions have kept the Southern Oregon ocean charter fleets at the docks, while steelhead fishing also has been hampered by near-flood conditions.

Lingcod and rockfish action is usually good during the winter months, when boats can get out, but ocean conditions have been rough and unfishable for most of January. More stormy weather is expected this week.

**An angler holds a steelhead on the Smith River, caught last week with Capt. Andy.**

Steelhead fishing on the Smith and Chetco rivers, meanwhile, also has been impacted by the stormy weather. January and February are peak season, but high, muddy water has limited the number of days fishing guides have been on the water. The Brookings Fishing Charters team of charter boat captains also are river guides, taking customers down the Smith and Chetco in drift boats. Light tackle is used to catch these prized, hard-fighting fish.

When conditions have been good, with dropping flows, and green water, steelhead fishing has been good. There have only been a few good days on the river so far this year. Better conditions are forecasted for next week. Catch rates generally improve quickly after high flows, as the rivers drop.

**Capt. Rye navigates his drift boat through a fishy looking spot on the Smith River.**

The Chetco reached 40,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) last week, the highest flows in four years. Minor flooding occurred on the Chetco and Smith, but flows were still well below the flood event of 2012, when flows hit 65,000 cfs. The Smith was near 100,000 cfs, or 30 feet, at the Highway 101 bridge. It rose 20 feet in 24 hours.

**Water reaches the parking lot of Loeb State Park on the Chetco River in January when flows crested at 40,000 cfs.**

**A flooded Chetco River, as seen from Second Bridge, or Ice Box, in mid January 2024.**

Flows dropped to 5,000 cfs on Saturday on the Chetco before spiking again at 10,000 cfs on Sunday. Ideal conditions are below 4,000 cfs.

Steelhead fishing continues through March on the Chetco and April on the Smith.

**Anglers admire a steelhead on the Smith River in January.**

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew will run steelhead trips through the end of the season, but will be focusing on ocean charters for lingcod and rockfish more beginning in February. Lingcod move into shallow water during the winter months, fueling good fishing in shallow water on calmer days. The commercial crab fleet reported big numbers of smaller lingcod showing up in their crab pots, a sign the males are migrating in from deep water to prepare to spawn. March often produces some of the best lingcod fishing of the year, and we will be running trips daily, as the weather allows.

Learn more about steelhead fishing at www.wildriversfishing.com. For ocean charters, book online at www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.

**Capt. Mick on the Smith River in January 2024.**

Salmon chowder easy and delicious

By Capt. Andy Martin – The thrill of catching hard-fighting king and coho salmon is a top draw to the Oregon Coast. Salmon also are highly prized because they are so delicious to eat. Whether grilled, baked or smoked, salmon are one of the most popular fish to eat. They also make great chowder.

Salmon chowder is one of my favorite ways to enjoy salmon, and was one of my daughter’s favorite seafood dishes as she was growing up. This chowder recipe was perfected by fishing guides in remote Alaska, who would prepare the tasty dish for their clients on the banks of the river after they caught their first fish of the day. The guide would cook the chowder for lunch while clients continued to fish. This chowder is a great way to enjoy salmon year round, as it can be made from fresh or frozen salmon. Canned or smoked salmon can also be substituted.

When I made this one the banks of the river in Alaska, where some fresh ingredients were not readily available, I used cans of evaporated milk, which work fine, but half and half (or even heavy cream) is better. Ingredients listed here are a good starting point, but you may want a little more salt and pepper, and vary amounts of potatoes, celery and onion (I never carried a measuring cup or measuring spoons in my gear bag during guided fishing trips!)

Alaska Guider Chowder

5-6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled, grease reserved

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup water (or chicken broth)

Pinch of flour

2 tablespoons dried dill

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic power

1-2 pounds salmon, bones and skin removed, cut into smaller chunks

2 cups half and half, or heavy cream

1 can corn, drained, or 1 1/2 cup frozen corn

**Bacon is a key ingredient in salmon chowder.**

Start by cooking several pieces of bacon. Save the greese. The bacon adds flavor to the chowder.

In a large pot, cook chopped onion and celery with butter or olive oil. One small onion and a few stalks of celery is all that is needed.

**Add potatoes, and season with salt, pepper, garlic, lemon pepper.**

Add four to six small to medium skinned, chopped up potatoes. Stir in chopped bacon, bacon grease, salt, pepper, lemon pepper and garlic. Add a pinch of flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

**Add just enough water to almost cover potatoes.**

Add enough water to almost cover the potatoes. Be careful not to add too much, especially if you like thicker chowder. Add a generous amount of dried dill weed. Cook the potatoes until almost done.

Just as potatoes are almost done, add chopped up raw salmon. Remove the skin and bones before adding to the chowder. Stir and continue to cook over medium heat.

**The salmon will crumble to small pieces as it cooks.**

As the salmon cooks, it will break apart into small pieces. Continue cooking until salmon is done.

**Add frozen or a can of corn, drained.**

Once the salmon is cooked, add a can of drained corn, or a bag of frozen corn. Stir well.

**Add one to two cups of half and half.**

The final step is adding one to two cups of half and half. Heat, stirring frequently, until chowder is hot.

**A dash of Tabasco sauce adds a little kick to the finished chowder.**

Enjoy the chowder with a dash of Tabasco sauce, or a dab of butter. Serve with warm bread or crackers.

To catch a salmon on the Oregon Coast to make this delicious salmon chowder, visit http://www.brookingsfishing.com.

Easy, delicious rockfish chowder recipe

By far, our most requested recipe has been rockfish chowder. Our customers love it, and almost everyone who tries it says it one of their favorite ways to prepare their catch. Perfect for rockfish, lingcod or halibut, this recipe will have you coming back for seconds. Here’s a look back at Capt. Andy’s rockfish chowder recipe. This is our best Rockfish Chowder Recipe.

(Originally published March 26, 2020) Rockfish chowder is great way to enjoy fresh or frozen Oregon Coast rockfish, especially on a cold, rainy or foggy day. The fillets from a couple of rockfish will yield enough chowder for your entire family, or for a feast to enjoy with friends and neighbors, double the recipe.

Here is Capt. Andy’s favorite rockfish chowder recipe, which yields 8 servings or 2 quarts. Halibut, lingcod or even salmon can be substituted for rockfish. This dish is quick and easy to prepare.

Rockfish Chowder

4 strips bacon (reserve a small portion of the bacon grease)

1 cup finely sliced carrots
1 bunch green onions, sliced (1/2 cup yellow onion may be substituted)

1 cup diced potatoes (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
1 minced garlic clove
1 package cream cheese (8 oz.), cut into small cubes
2 cans (10.5 oz. cans) cream of potato soup, condensed
1 can (10.5 oz.) cream of mushroom soup, condensed
2 cups 2% milk, half-and-half or heavy cream
1 to 2 pounds rockfish, cut into small pieces
1 cup frozen corn, or 1 can corn (drained)
Salt, pepper and lemon pepper to taste

Parsley to garnish

**In a large pot, sauté the thinly chopped carrots, onion and potatoes in butter. Cook until the onion and carrots are tender.**

Add the soup (undiluted), milk and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cream cheese is melted. (Cutting the cream cheese into small cubes will allow it to melt much faster than a whole block). Add crumbled cooked bacon and small amount of bacon grease.

**Add the raw rockfish fillets, cut into small pieces. Bring to a boil, constantly stirring, and then simmer for 10 minutes. The rockfish will quickly cook.**

**Add crumbled bacon and some of the reserved bacon grease.**

**Add the corn, stir, and prepare to serve.**

Serve with a dash of Tabasco, or cayenne pepper, and a dab of butter.

To make a seafood chowder, add cooked crab meat and/or cooked shrimp.

Rockfish chowder makes a hearty meal. Serve with warm break, and a dab of butter and few drops of Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper.

**Rockfish chowder made by Brookings Fishing Charters customer Neil Anderson.**

To catch a limit of rockfish and lingcod to enjoy with this recipe, check out www.brookingsfishing.com. Capt. Andy learned about this recipe while working on halibut charter boats in remote Southeast Alaska, where charter operators living in the bush ate fish several times a weeks.

**A few rockfish yield enough fillets for a large pot of rockfish chowder.**

Steelhead action improves on rivers near Brookings

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 11, 2024) – Steelhead fishing on the Chetco and Smith rivers dramatically improved early this week before heavy rains returned, blowing both rivers out. Another series of storms is expected this weekend, which could bring numerous local rivers to the verge of flood stage. The rivers are then expected to drop back into fishable shape next week.

**A father and son hold a bright Chetco River steelhead caught with Capt. Andy in January 2024.**

Just before the rains, steelhead fishing had improved, with catch rates jumping to three to four fish per boat. The action was short-lived, as heavy rains increased flows to 10,000 cfs on the Chetco, and 22 feet on the Smith. Flows are expected to top 30,000 cfs on the Chetco this weekend, and 50,000 cfs, or 26 feet, at the Highway 101 bridge over the Smith River. The Chetco fishes best below 4,000 cfs.

**A beautiful steelhead caught in the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco with Capt. Andy in January 2024.**

**Longtime customer Craig with a Chetco River steelhead caught with Capt. Rye in January 2024.**

The Brookings Fishing Charters team of captains are also licensed river guides in Oregon and California and have decades of experience fishing local rivers. Capt. Andy, Mick, Rye, Sam and Travis run trips from drift boats, navigating down the river with oars as customers use light spinning rods to drift tiny clusters of salmon or steelhead eggs. Pound-for-pound, steelhead are among the hardest fighting game fish, and often leap out of the water when hooked. The Smith and Chetco are among the most scenic rivers on the West Coast.

**Fish on! Fighting a steelhead on the Upper Chetco River using light spinning gear.**

Steelhead fishing was on the slow side in December and first few days of January before action accelerated late last week, as fresh schools of steelhead moved into the rivers. Fishing is expected to be good as the rivers drop back into shape next week. The peak of the steelhead season is mid-January through February. Steelhead are difficult to catch when rivers are muddy and blown out, but bite well as flows are dropping and river shifts from low visibility to what is known as “steelhead green.”

**Capt. Andy and a customer with an Upper Chetco steelhead in January 2024.**

Capt. Andy, Mick and Travis have special-use permits from the US Forest Service to fish the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco. Only a very limited number of guides have these permits, allowing customers to fish in an extremely productive, yet uncrowded section of river. All of the Brookings Fishing Charters guides also have Forest Service permits to fish the Smith River from the confluence of the Middle and South Forks, which allows them to drift through the stunning section of river through Redwood National Park.

To learn more about guided drift boat trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.