Mark Bachmann Oregon Fly Fishing Outfitter/Guide and Fly Fishing Instructor since 1981

Mark Bachmann holds a 35" wild steelhead caught during a fly fishing school by student, Dale Richards.

Mark Bachmann
Oregon Fly Fishing Outfitter/Guide
and Fly Fishing Instructor since 1981
"Wild steelhead and wild steelhead rivers are my passion. I have been catching steelhead with flies since 1963. There is no substitute for experience. Nothing teaches more about fishing than catching fish. My goal as a fly fishing guide and instructor is to impart my experience so that you can be successful ."
Here is my story:

Mark Bachmann grew up fishing for Kamloops & Bull Trout in the
Lake Pend'Oreille drainage in Northern Idaho. In 1955 he caught his first trout with a fly at the age of 11 from Grouse Creek. This fish was a 15" native cutthroat. Grouse Creek crossed the familie's cattle ranch. At times it was home to migrating Kamloops and Bull Trout which fed on Kokenee salmon and grew to huge sizes. This private water was the class room for Mark's formative years. Largest Kamloops landed 27 3/4 lbs. Largest Bull Trout landed 22 lbs.

Mark Bachmann with winter steelhead caught with a bamboo rod, winter 1967.

Having grown up catching large trout from rivers, it was natural that when Mark moved to Oregon in 1963, he would fall in love with steelhead and salmon. In 1963 he landed his first steelhead from Oregon's North Umpqua River. In 1965 he caught his first winter steelhead with a fly from the Sandy River. He became one of the steelhead fly fishing pioneers on this river, having fished it for 37 years . His best fly rod season on the Sandy was the winter of 1969-70 when he landed 64

This late winter native fell for Mark's Orange Steelheader Bucktail, 1974.

steelhead, the largest 42". In the years between 1965 and 1980 steelhead were caught with both fly fishing equipment, drift gear and pulling plug from a boat. Every approach was grist for the mill. Hundreds of steelhead were landed during this period. Mark was the store manager at Larry's Sport Center's Gresham, Oregon store from 1974 - 1979. This position put him in contact with hundreds of other steelhead fishermen. In 1981 mark decided he liked fly fishing best and quit using other types of gear. The same year he started The Fly Fishing Shop with partners Patty Barnes, Houston Fuller and Mark Stensland. Mark and Patty now own the shop to themselves.

The Sandy River is Mark's home water where he fishes 35-40 winter days a year. He spends even more time guiding and fishing summer steelhead on the Deschutes River. Mark started fishing the Deschutes River for steelhead in 1967. He became a fly fishing guide there in 1981. Floating camp-out trips are the specialty. Both single and two-handed fly rods are employed with both floating and sinking tip fly lines. All methods are employed including waking, damp, wet and deep sunk flies.

Mark with 1990's era spey rod caught Deschutes steelhead.

Best guide/client/fish year was 1986 with 195 steelhead landed by 83 clients. Best guide day 09/26/86 = 18 steelhead landed for 2 clients. 2001 record: 139 steelhead landed by 71 clients.
Best 2001 client day = 7 steelhead landed.

Mark on the home page of www.flyfishUSA.com, 2001.

Mark is a FFF Certified Casting Instructor.
Holds current Oregon State Marine Board Outfitter/Guide License since 1981. Has up-to-date American Red Cross First Aid and CPR card, BLM Permit. Is fully insured.
Mark has a full stock of specialized guide boats, camping and instructional fly fishing equipment to make your experience with him productive, comfortable and safe.
In addition to producing The Fly Fishing Shop's internationally acclaimed web site Mark is a respected writer of fly fishing articles for Trout, Fly Fishing and Fly Fisherman magazines.

"We acquired a new, much larger facility for our store in 2001. The move and the reorganization took a lot of time. That part of our operation is now very solid.
In 2002 I have rededicated myself to guiding and instructing. I am continuing to read, to practice and study every day. Like every other dedicated fly fisher, I am still learning too. The best part is I'm learning to take better pictures of fresh caught, live game fish because I'm around where a lot are being caught. I hope I get to take a picture of one or several of yours.
This is my promise: "I will work hard for you!"

Mark during a winter steelhead school holding a wild steelhead caught by Terry Turner.

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