After spending almost twenty-five years exploring and fishing Montana, my retirement in Oregon poses a singular challenge. I don't have the time or energy to fish all the waters of my new adopted state. I initially purchased a couple of Oregon fishing guide books and found them helpful. Craig Schuhman's book, Moon Outdoors - Oregon Fishing, however, is my go-to-bible on Oregon fishing.
Having written a Montana fly fishing and camping guide a number of years ago, I am in awe of the expansive coverage Craig has included in his 470 page book. The content is rich in details, and he does not generalize or gloss over hard to reach watersheds. Having already explored a number of creeks and streams in southeast Oregon, I immediately went to the pages covering the upper Sprague River, the Sycan River, Thompson Reservoir, Dogg Lake and a number of other smaller fishing waters I had already covered. Two of the books I had previously purchased gave fishing information that were inflated and generalized. I tested Schuhman's information with my experience, and his credibility soared. Oregon Fishing is indeed a Complete Guide to Fishing Lakes, Rivers, Streams, and the Ocean.
Although I missed not seeing photographs in the guide book, once I began using the book, I was appreciative of the well thought out organization and keyed maps. Each featured body of water covers the species of fish, facilities, directions and contact information for tackle shops and other related businesses in the area. As a new resident in Oregon, I especially liked that I never got lost while I perused through the book. Organized by geographical sections, each body of water is given a site name and number, along with a general location of the site in relation to the nearest town or landmark. Under this information is a reference to the map with the page number. If you are serious about fishing Oregon, this book is a must have guide book!
Dave Archer