Steamboat Inn perches on a bluff above some of the best fishing water on the North Umpqua River, a cold, clear Cascades Range stream with a long and storied angling tradition. The upper stretches of the North Umpqua have been fished by fly anglers for more than half a century-and many of the anglers who came to test themselves against this formidable river were among the best flyfishermen of their day.
In keeping with the wilderness fishing experience, the camp cooks at the old fishing camps along the North Umpqua outdid themselves to ensure that the angler's good fishing would be matched by the quality of the food they enjoyed. The Fisherman's Dinner served several important purposes. The anglers gathered around the dinner table each evening to exchange information on the flies and methods of presentation that had been successful on that day in luring the river's native summer steelhead to hand. In the process of rehashing the day's exploits, a camaraderie developed among these anglers that often helped forge lifelong friendships.
These traditions are carried on today by Sharon Van Loan and Patricia Lee in the kitchen at the Steamboat Inn. Guests still gather around the long sugar pine table in the dining room to exchange fishing stories and strengthen old friendships - or begin new ones. And they enjoy a distinctive dinner cuisine that heightens their enjoyment of the river experience.
But many of today's guests know little of the history of flyfishing on the North Umpqua or the important role the Steamboat Inn and its predecessor fishing camps plays in promoting that tradition. This page is an effort to gather reminiscences of an earlier generation of flyfishermen and the scattered written accounts of the pioneering days along the North Umpqua River. We hope it will help you to gain a deeper appreciation of Steamboat Inn, the Fisherman's Dinner, and the river itself.