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THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



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RIVERS AND STREAMS OF OREGON 



With Some Descriptions of the Country, Fish and Fishing— Part 8 



By JOHN GILL 



THE SANTIAM RIVER 



This great branch of the Willamette with its three important 

 tributaries — North, Middle and South Santiam — is famous 

 fishing water. The North Fork is better known and more 

 fished because of the railroad which penetrates almost to its 

 source. Along this railroad are many towns at which the 

 angler will find good fare. Mehama is about the beginning 

 point for the fisherman, and at Terrell's hotel excellent accom- 

 modations. The "Little North Fork" enters here, and is a 

 lovely trout stream. The main river has yielded a good many 

 salmon to two skillful fly fishermen of Mehama — John Irvine and 

 Wm: Gordon. 



Farther eastward, toward Mount Jefferson, where the 

 North Fork heads, is the famous Breitenbush with its hot springs, 

 and other well stocked streams. The North Santiam is a big 

 water but offers ready access to the fisherman in most parts of 

 its course, and will pay for a visit to its waters. 



South Fork of Santiam is accessible only by wagon road 

 from Lebanon, and its fifty miles of main river extending to 

 the heart of the Cascades and the dozen large tributary streams, 

 are similar in character and country to the North Santiam 

 described above. There is doubtless much valuable information 

 about this branch of the Santiam that would be of value to 

 these notes on fishing, if the information were available. 



THE McKENZIE RIVER 



The next branch of the Willamette to the South is the 

 unrivaled McKenzie, also to be reached in its best fishing 

 waters only by a long tedious stage ride from Springfield. 

 An old friend and master fisherman wrote me from Walterville, 

 twelve miles above Springfield, this spring that he had had 

 "fair sport," as he put it, with the fly — fourteen fish weighing 



Pag-© seventeen 



