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

Salem Chapter Northwest Steelheaders

Newsletter for March 2024

March Membership Meeting includes a presentation by Oregon State Police

Plans for our Membership Meeting on March 19^th include a program presentation by Andrew Porter who is an Oregon State Police Trooper. His program on “game enforcement issues” will inform us on how we might be able to help report fish and game violations and turn in poachers. If time permits, Club Secretary Mike Ferris will cover another lesson from the ODFW’s Steelhead 101 Class on “Reading the Water” for Steelhead Habitat.

Local anglers discover a bright spot of Winter fishing success at Detroit Lake

Ray Perez with a 15-inch Rainbow and Lee Harrington with a nice Detroit Lake Kokanee

One recent bright spot on the fishing horizon this Winter has been the Kokanee and Trout fisheries at Detroit Lake. Trips to Detroit Lake between rain and snowstorms last month revealed some consistently good results. Dan Lemke of Mill City also reported catching twenty bright Kokanee Trout with two of his fishing buddies on February 23^rd.

Plans for a new park bench in honor of deceased member Jim Kitzhaber are under way

Our Salem Chapter Board of Directors has been working with Past Secretary Bob Johnston and members of Jim Kitzhaber’s family to design and install a park bench in Jim’s memory at Minto Park on Highway 22 near Gates, Oregon. Jim was an active member of our Salem Chapter for many years and regularly participated in our volunteer work at Minto Park.

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

The Tualatin Valley Chapter of the ANWS will be hosting a “Fish-A-Long” event in the Tillamook Bay area on March 23^rd and have invited other chapters to participate. Please contact Jeff Hernandez for more information at: [email protected] Phone: 971-404-5793.

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached 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 February 2024

February Membership Meeting Plans

Notwithstanding another surprise Winter ice storm, our scheduled meeting program for February 20th includes a presentation by Janine Belleque from the Oregon State Marine Board on boating access. If time allows, we will also continue with our ongoing plans to present another segment of ODFW’s Steelhead 101 Class. Robert Morton has agreed to cover the “Basic Fishing Gear” and “Rods & Reels” portion of the lesson at next Tuesday’s meeting.

Sportmen’s Shows are Scheduled for Portland and Salem

If you find yourself looking for something to do during all the rain and high water this month, you might want to check out the Sportsmen’s Shows coming to Portland and Salem. The Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show is scheduled to be at the Portland Expo Center from February 14th to 18th and the 2024 Saltwater Sportsmen’s Show will be held at the Oregon State Fair and Exposition Center on February 24^th and 25^th. A few more details are listed above.

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

The Tualatin Valley Chapter of the ANWS will be hosting a “Fish-A-Long” event in the Tillamook Bay area from March 1 – 3 and have invited other chapters to participate. Their plan is to fish some of the local waters including the Wilson and Nestucca Rivers. At last report, there were still a few spots open. The cost is $70.00 per person and includes meals and two nights of “dormitory style” lodging. Please contact Jeff Hernandez for more information at: [email protected] Phone: 971-404-5793

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached 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 January 2024

January Membership Meeting Plans

Our scheduled meeting program currently includes a presentation by Janine Belleque from the Oregon State Marine Board on boating access. If time allows, we will also continue with our ongoing plans to present another segment of ODFW’s Steelhead 101 Class. Robert Morton has graciously agreed to cover the “Basic Fishing Gear” and “Rods & Reels” portion of the lesson at next Tuesday’s meeting.

Winter Steelhead Are In the North Santiam…and Here’s the Proof!

On January 1^st, Mike and Tony Frolov launched their raft at the Lyons-Mehama Boat Ramp to test the waters of the North Santiam for Winter Steelhead and were well rewarded for their efforts. By the end of the day, they reported hooking nine and landing four big native Winter Steelhead which were promptly photographed and released. The photos below bear witness to a very successful day of fishing.

Tony and Mike Frolov enjoying a very productive New Years’ Day on the North Santiam

Jim Kitzhaber Obituary Notice

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our fellow Salem Steelheader, Jim Kitzhaber on November 14^th, 2023. Jim was a longtime member and enjoyed attending and participating in our Chapter meetings and events. A website address for his obituary has been provided below and members can view it and leave comments for his family at:

www.weddle-funeral.com/obituaries/James-Kitzhaber?obId=29953637

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached 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 December 2023

December meeting includes a Holiday Potluck Dinner and presentation by Roger Fletcher

It’s time for our December Holiday potluck dinner meeting which will include a presentation by author Roger Fletcher about is book “Drift Boats & River Dories, Their History, Design, Construction and Use. Following is a little more information about Roger and his book.

Roger Fletcher in his shop and on the oars of a “Doryak,” a boat design inspired by his book

Roger is a 60-year drift boater, drift boat historian, educator, author, craftsman, and accidental fisherman. Concerned that the early drift boats and river dories were being lost to time, he researched their origins, their uses, lines and construction detail, and the people who built and used them. The spawning grounds for these boats, which are now used world-wide, are Oregon’s McKenzie and Rogue Rivers. His resulting book, Drift Boats and River Dories (Stackpole Books, 2007), chronicles the people behind the boats, describes how they are built and presents the lines and construction detail of 10 of the 13 boats he has recovered. Since its publication, people around the globe have, and are, building these boats as fishing platforms and whitewater river runners. His program will be an overview of these unique riverboats through tales, scaled replicas of the original boats and good humor.

Roger also plans to have a few of his books available for sale at a discounted price of $35 (cash or checks accepted) which could make a great Christmas gift for the boating enthusiast in your life.

We look forward to seeing you at our December 19^th meeting. As usual, Bob Johnston is preparing a yummy holiday ham so please remember to bring a side dish, salad or dessert for our potluck dinner.

Reminder Notice for Membership Dues

If you need to pay your annual membership dues, attached 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

Please note that the payment amount for annual dues has changed to $40.00 effective February 1, 2023.

Submitted by Mike Ferris

Salem Chapter Secretary ————————————————————————————————-