Sam Sickles | Steelhead Outfitters

Born and raised in Oregon where I've spent most of my life in the outdoors, hunting and fishing. I've been all over the Northwest and it’s shaped who I am and, to some degree, the way I think; but my path was not the normal path for a guide. I grew up in Springfield Oregon, home of the driftboat and home of the world-famous McKenzie River, where I caught my first steelhead. After high school I went to Oregon State where I graduated in 1994. I quickly joined the workforce and climbed the corporate ladder, got married, bought a house…later in life I decided to follow my passion. In 2008 I bought into a Deschutes River outfitter business. I bought the Jet Boat portion of that business in 2011 and Steelhead Outfitters was born. 

Today my wife, Marni, and I own and operate Steelhead Outfitters - one of two fly fishing guide businesses that specialize in lower river jet boat trips on the Deschutes. I am the only guide offering jet boat trips initiating at the mouth as well as drift boat trips on the upper river where I spend my spring chasing the world famous Deschutes "redside”. Winter steelhead are my passion and I chase them on the Sandy and the Clackamas, the Olympic Peninsula, the Oregon Coast, and the list keeps growing.