Galesville Reservoir Outing – May 1

On Saturday May 1, the Southern Oregon Fly Fishers will have an outing to Galesville Reservoir.  The reservoir sits a short distance east of the Azalea exit off I-5.  We will meet at 9:00 AM in Chief Miwaleta Park at the lake’s main boat ramp.

Galesville Reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout and has good populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth  bass, black crappie, and other warm  water species.  While there are places to fish from the bank, having a floating device will improve your chances of finding fish.  You can use anything from a float tube to a large motorboat.  The typical still-water techniques will work here for the trout.  Casting wooly buggers toward the banks or the flooded trees is a productive technique for the warm water species.   Since you could catch anything from a small bluegill to a big bass,  five or six-weight outfits are a good compromise.  Bring your floating, intermediate, and faster sinking lines.  Bring an assortment of flies (wooly buggers, nymphs, balanced leeches, streamers, poppers), your usual fishing accessories, a hat, sun screen, food, and water.  Also bring some small bills to pay the day-use fee at the park.

Galesville Reservoir offers a good spring fishery close to home.  Another big plus is that, unlike some of the other reservoirs in southwest Oregon, it does have enough water to fish.

David Haight, Outings Chair