Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for May 2025

Next Membership Meeting Scheduled for May 20th

Our May 20^th meeting will feature a program by Bernie Hoene, one of our own members, about the “Take a Veteran Fishing” organization and their annual event at Odell Lake. TAVF is a 501-C3 organization and their primary focus is interacting with veterans contemplating suicide or dealing with PTSD issues. This event is their 14^th year in operation and will be held at the Shelter Cove Resort & Marina on the weekend of July 11^th & 12^th. Bernie has proudly served as the President of TAVF for the past ten years.

Bernie Hoene fishing on Odell Lake. More information about the TAVF Program is available at: takeaveteranfishingatatodelllake.org

Dinner Party to Benefit Salem Free Clinics on April 25th a Success

Many thanks to our members who participated in the “Steelhead Party” for the benefit of Salem Free Clinics on April 25^th at the All Good Things Restaurant in Aumsville. The event was attended by 21 people including members of the Salem Steelheaders, North Santiam River Guides Association, Mid-Willamette Valley Anglers Club and the Oregon Coastal Conservation Association. Several donations including $500 in cash were raised at the event. The volunteers and staff of Salem Free Clinics are very grateful for the support which they received.

“Learn to Fish” Event Held at Keizer Rapids Park on May 10^th

The third annual “Learn to Fish” event hosted by the City of Keizer was held at Keizer Rapids Park on Saturday, May 10^th. A total of 54 kids with their family members attended and learned many new fishing related skills at six volunteer staffed stations. Volunteers from our Salem Steelheaders Chapter helped to staff the “Knot-Tying and Rigging Station” and included Bob Johnston, Larry Bond and Mike Ferris.

The “Knot-Tying and Rigging” Station at the City of Keizer’s Our River – Learn to Fish Event

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for April 2025

Next Membership Meeting Scheduled for April 15th

Plans for our April membership meeting include an overview from Jenny Ammon with the City of Keizer about the “Learn to Fish” event scheduled for May 10^th in Keizer Rapids Park. As in previous years, our Salem Chapter is planning to volunteer at our booth that day from 7:30 to 11:30 AM. Please contact Nigel Hearne or Mike Ferris if you would like to volunteer.

ANWS Tualatin Valley Chapter Fish-Along held on March 22 & 23

The Tualatin Valley Chapter hosted their annual Tillamook Area Fish-Along on March 22^nd and 23^rd. The weather was wet and most of the rivers were too high and muddy to fish but that didn’t stop Salem Chapter members Nigel Hearne, Bernie Hoene and Mike Ferris from participating in the event. The boys from Salem gave it their best shot in spite of the weather and managed to fish the Kilchis River both days. They didn’t catch much but they learned a lot.

Pictured above are Nigel Hearne, Bernie Hoene & Mike Ferris of the Salem Chapter and Darrel Barnes & Doug Yap of the Tualatin Valley Chapter fishing the Kilchis River

Dinner Party Event to Benefit Salem Free Clinics Set for April 25^th

A dinner party to celebrate Steelhead fishing and raise funds for Salem Free Clinics is scheduled for Friday, April 25^th from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at the All Good Things Restaurant (formerly Neufeldt’s) in Aumsville. All Salem Steelheader members are invited to attend along with members of the North Santiam River Guides Association, Mid-Willamette Valley Anglers Club and the Oregon Coastal Conservation Association. Please see the event flyer and invitation below for additional details and information.

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for March 2025

Next Membership Meeting Scheduled for March 18th

Plans for our March membership meeting program include a 32-minute video recently procured by member Nigel Hearne titled “Wild Broodstock – Change in the Right Direction.”

This video is part of the “Hatchery and Wild Coexist” initiative we learned about a few years ago and does a great job of covering the details and success of the Wild Broodstock Program.

https://hatchery-wild-coexist.com/

Spring Chinook Have Arrived in the Willamette

On Sunday, March 9^th, Johnny and Clay Huffman of Portland tested the waters of the Multnomah Channel on the Willamette River for Spring Chinook and landed this bright Hatchery Springer. The story here is that they forgot their landing net at home but still managed to “tail” this beautiful fish on their first attempt. Great job guys!

Salem Chapter Participating in ANWS Membership Drive

Please remember to bring a prospective member to one of our next two meetings. During the months of March and April, Salem Chapter members are encouraged to bring a fishing buddy to a meeting as a prospective recruit. In April, there will be a special raffle drawing for a fishing rod for both new members and their hosts. The ANWS is providing these rods to encourage membership growth during the drive.

ANWS Tualatin Valley Chapter Fish-Along to be held on March 22 & 23

The Tualatin Valley Chapter is hosting a Tillamook Area Fish-Along during the weekend of March 22^nd and 23^rd and Salem members are invited to participate. Please contact Nigel Hearne at: nigel.e.hearne@gmail,com for additional information.

Some Sad News…

We are saddened to report the passing of longtime Salem Steelheader, G.I. Wilson on February 16, 2025. G.I. was a valued member of our club and will be missed but fondly remembered by all who knew him. A memorial service has been scheduled for 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 15^th at the 50+ Center located at: 2615 Portland Road N.E. in Salem.

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for February 2025

Next Membership Meeting Scheduled for February 18th

Our next monthly membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 18^th at 7:00 PM in Keizer City Hall. Plans call for a program presentation by O.S.U. Extension Services on food preparation methods such as canning and smoking.

Winter Steelhead are Here

On January 18^th, seasoned steelheaders Mike and Tony Frolov tried their luck at fishing the North Santiam for Wild Winter Steelhead and managed to catch and release three chrome-bright fish. Efforts are now in the works to have Mike and Tony provide us with a program in the near future and tell their story of how they managed to find and land these beauties.

Mike & Tony Frolov showing how Winter Steelheading is done on the North Santiam River

Wanted: Your Photos of Salem Chapter Events

Bob Johnston is currently in the process of compiling photographs of any Salem Chapter events and activities for the ANWS and could use your help. If you have any photos to share, please contact Bob at: johnston@wvi.com Thank you!

Salem Chapter is Participating in ANWS Membership Drive

Please remember to bring a prospective member to one of our next three meetings. During the months of February, March and April, Salem Chapter members are encouraged to bring a fishing buddy to a meeting as a prospective recruit. In April, there will be a special raffle drawing for a fishing rod for both new members and their hosts. The ANWS is providing these rods to encourage membership growth during the drive.

Sandy River Chapter Steelhead 101 Class on February 22 & 23

Please be reminded that the Sandy River Chapter is offering a Steelhead 101 Class on February 22^nd and 23^rd at Glenn Otto Community Park in Troutdale, Oregon. This is a two-day event with a classroom session on day one and a hands-on learning and fishing portion on the Sandy River on day two. For further information, please contact Amanda Boyles with ODFW at:

angler.ed@odfw.oregon.gov Phone: 503-580-5102

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for January 2025

Next Membership Meeting Scheduled for January 21st

Our next monthly membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 21^st at 7:00 PM in Keizer City Hall. As of press time, there was no information available about a scheduled program speaker for the meeting.

ANWS Tualatin Valley Chapter to Host Tillamook Area Fish-a-Long Event

On the weekend of March 22 – 23, the Tualatin Valley Chapter has invited our Salem Chapter Members to attend their annual Tillamook Area Fish-a-Long. The cost is $70 or $55 if you bring a drift boat. That includes two nights’ accommodation, dinner Friday night, breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday breakfast. There will be a drawing for seats in the drift boats and others will plan to fish from the banks on the rivers of the Tillamook Bay Area. Salem Chapter Member Nigel Hearne has additional details and is available for any questions at: nigel.e.hearne@gmail.com or by phone at: 831-206-0306. You can also go to the link below for more information.

Tillamook Fish-along

A photo from last year’s Fish-a-Long event

ANWS Announces Membership Drive

The ANWS is starting a membership drive and one of the components is to encourage all members to “bring a guest” to a Steelheaders Meeting. There will be a special raffle drawing exclusively for members who bring a guest to the January meeting. Both the member and their guest will have the chance to win a new fishing rod. Please remember to invite a fishing buddy to one of our future meetings.

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for December 2024

Next Membership Meeting to Include Dinner and a Movie

Our next monthly membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 17^th at 7:00 PM in Keizer City Hall. Plans include a Holiday potluck dinner and viewing a new documentary film produced by filmmaker, Randy Dersham as our program. At last year’s Holiday Potluck, we heard from author Roger Fletcher about his book “Drift Boats and River Dories.” This year, much of the information in Roger’s book has been produced into a 35-minute documentary film about the history and evolution of the McKenzie River Drift Boat titled “Oregon’s Boat.” Filmmaker Randy Dersham will be our featured speaker with a short Q & A session after the movie. Those planning to attend are encouraged to bring a guest as well as a side dish, salad or dessert. As usual, our generous past Secretary Bob Johnston will be preparing a wonderful Holiday Ham for the main course. All utensils and beverages are being provided by Treasurer Linda Chezem and our Salem Chapter. We hope you can join us if your schedule permits.

If you would like to attend the Potluck and haven’t already signed up, please call or text Club Secretary Mike Ferris at 971-273-3422 with your information by December 15^th so we can maintain an accurate head-count for all those who plan to attend. Thank you!

Passing of James Johnson

It is with sadness that we report the passing of James (Jim) Johnson, one of our former members and a past Salem Chapter President. Jim passed away on November 17, 2024 at the age of 89. He was an artist, avid fisherman, Steelheader and former member of our Salem Chapter. A Celebration of Life event is planned in the coming New Year. Additional details from Jim’s Obituary Notice are available in the December 1^st issue of the Statesman Journal.

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

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Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for November 2024

Next Membership Meeting Scheduled for November 19th

Our next monthly membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 19^th at 7:00 PM in Keizer City Hall. Plans for our program include a presentation from our newly elected ANWS President, Jeff Hernandez. Jeff was formerly the President of the Tualatin Valley Chapter and we are looking forward to hearing about plans for the ANWS under his leadership.

This News Just in from ANWS (Please see their email sent on 11/10/24)

Oregon hatcheries are at risk of closure! Please make your voice heard at the ODFW Hatchery Assessment Meeting!

The meeting will be held this Wednesday, November 13 from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.

A number of possible plans for the future of Oregon’s hatcheries are being considered, most of which involve the closure of multiple hatcheries and expansion of select others. We believe that it is in our interest and the interest of future generations to preserve and improve all of our hatcheries, not just some of them. If you agree, we ask that you let ODFW know this Wednesday.

Where:

In person:             At the ODFW headquarters’ commission room – street address below.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE
Salem, OR 97302
Main Office Phone: (503) 947-6000

Online (Teams):    Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 243 427 000 204
Passcode: RuHuxk

By phone:              +1 503-446-4951,,945316395# United States, Portland

Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 945 316 395#

For more information, please see ODFW’s webpage below:

The above email message was sent to all members of the ANWS on November 10^th. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend in person or online if you can. As mentioned in the email, this is a rare opportunity to have our voices heard by ODFW concerning their future plans for hatchery fish programs.

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

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Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for October 2024

Next Membership Meeting Scheduled for October 15th

Our next monthly membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 15^th at 7:00 PM in Keizer City Hall. As of press time, there was no information available about a scheduled program speaker for the meeting.

ANWS Hall of Fame Banquet & Auction to be Held on November 9th

If you would like to donate any “like new” auction items to the ANWS Hall of Fame Banquet and Auction, please bring them with you to our next meeting. Also, Salem Chapter Treasurer, Linda Chezem still has four seats available for Salem Chapter Members at the event which is scheduled to be held on Saturday, November 9^th at The Gray Gables Estate located at: 3309 Chestnut Street in Portland, Oregon. If you would like to attend, please let Linda know by or before our next membership meeting on October 15^th. These seats are currently available at a discounted price of $35 per person if you sign up by October 15th. The dinner menu includes a choice of braised short ribs or vegan soup. The event is scheduled to run from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

The Estate’s entryway, where the silent auction will take place

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

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Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for September 2024

Next Membership Meeting Scheduled for September 17th

Our next monthly membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 17^th at 7:00 PM in Keizer City Hall. The latest word about a program for our meeting was to have President Jay Wylie present a chapter from the Steelhead 101 Class on “Fishing Ethics & Advice.”

“How I Spent My Summer Vacation” by Glenn Tadina, Nigel Hearne and Mike Ferris

I hope you all had an enjoyable two months off since our last meeting in June. At least three of our Salem Chapter members were able to travel to Coffman Cove on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska in search of more productive fishing waters during their vacations in July and August. The following photos bear witness to their success and they all returned with multiple boxes of salmon and halibut for their freezers at home.

Salem Chapter Members Glenn Tadina, Nigel Hearne and Mike Ferris with proof of their fishing success in Coffman Cove, Alaska

Save the Date Reminder Notice

Please be reminded to save the date for the annual ANWS Hall of Fame Banquet which is scheduled to be held on Saturday, November 9^th at The Gray Gables Estate in Portland, Oregon. More details about this event will follow later.

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary

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Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for June 2024

June 18th Membership Meeting Plans

Plans for our next meeting include a program presentation from “Shuttle Bob” Lusk, one of our own longtime members, about “Fishing the North Santiam River.” With over 50 years of experience doing just that, Bob has a wealth of knowledge and information to share with us on that subject. Please plan to join us and learn from his many experiences of living and fishing on the North Santiam.

Fishing has been pretty good this year and here’s the proof

If you haven’t been fishing lately, you may want to give it a try. On June 8^th, Mill City resident Howard Kim had the good fortune to land two beautiful, Hatchery Summer Steelhead on the South Santiam River fishing with Guide, Mitchell Brooks. On June 10^th, Club Secretary Mike Ferris guided David Kocaj and his son Zach on the North Santiam which resulted in Zach tagging his very first Steelhead.

Howard Kim with two Summer Steelhead on the South Santiam and Zach Kocaj and Dad, David on North Santiam with his very first Steelhead

Save the date for the Salem Steelheaders Picnic in July

Plans are still in the works to hold our Summer Picnic on Saturday, July 13^th at Mike Ferris’ home on the North Santiam River in Mill City. There will be a sign-up sheet available at our meeting on June 18^th for those wishing to attend.

Please be reminded there will be no monthly membership meetings in July or August

Future meetings and newsletters will resume in September. Have a great Summer!

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached below is a Membership Form for your convenience. Please return your completed form and dues payment to:

Linda Chezem – Treasurer

663 Rockwood St. SE

Salem, OR. 97306

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary