There is no doubt that the Pacific Northwest is an outdoor paradise. The opportunities to get outside and seek adventure are endless, from hiking around volcanoes to fishing offshore, rivers and lakes. Feelfree Team Member Dean Limb calls this area home, and took us on an adventure I would never forget. I met up with Dan from Headwaters Kayaks after our previous adventure in Florence, and we headed over the mountains to meet up with Dean.
Driving into Klamath Falls, located in Southern Oregon, the air was filled with smoke from the wildfires burning in California. My first reaction was that of a photographer, I hope this doesn’t mess with my photos! We met up with Dean at his house and got the breakdown of where and how we would be chasing his preferred fish, trout.
For a little context, I was supposed to join Dean to chase after these beautiful trout before the pandemic. The trip got canceled, so for the past 2 years Dean has regularly sent me images of the “the fish we could have gotten on video.” This had both excited me about the opportunity to finally make the trip, and had built up a bit of anxiety about whether the trip would live up to the expectations I had set for it.
Immediately, my concerns were put at ease. We drive out to the lake before sunset to meet up Dean’s buddy and see if we could get into some fish. Within 20 minutes of launching our Moken 12.5’s into the water, Dean already a 20+ inch fish in the kayak. He proceeded to school us in the proper techniques for retrieving the lures, how to identify where the fish would be hanging out, and how to work the rod once we had one on the lne. I was actually having a hard time juggling filming, photos, and fishing with all the action were having.
We retired to our cabin for the evening as Dean continued to tell us stories of the area, the variety of fish tales that bubble up when 3 men hang out in a cabin in the woods. I was finally feeling settled about whether this was going to be a solid trip for the video we were creating. Little did I know, that evening on the trip was only a fraction of the fishing action we would see the next day.
Dean wanted to take us to his favorite river in the area the following morning. It was about an hours drive from our cabin. So we packed up and hit the road about 5am. We arrived at first light to the boat ramp after setting our shuttle. Dean promptly got a line in the water and pulled 3 fish out of the river at the boat ramp! Today was going to be a good day.
As the steam rose off the water, we slipped into the river and fished the sunrise in a truly memorable morning. The river was crystal clear, with slabs of volcanic rock striking diagonally though the water. Working the kayak through the various channels, we would saddle up to a ledge, get out and fish a pool or a riffle, pull a few fish out, and continue down the river.
The river was a mixture of riffle sections with ledges and calm, flat water, allowing us to bounce back and forth from standing and sight casting to running rapids. Dean was in his element parking us in certain sections to fish, telling Dan where to cast, and almost calling when a fish would hit the lure. Hands down, the most entertaining fishing trip I have ever been on.
All told, we must have caught 20+ fish that day on the river. Dan and Dean even doubled up a few times, allowing me to enjoy their frantic attempts to net each other’s fish. It was a truly unique experience, floating through some of the most beautiful countryside in the US. Countless times I stopped to simply appreciate the blue crawdads, the unique topography, the beautiful plant life, and the quiet setting. Oregon holds a special place in my heart form my time spent there, but the opportunity to enjoy this diverse and spectacular region of Southern Oregon was a once in a lifetime.
Check out the full experience in the video below, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to stay up to date on all our future adventures.