The upper put-in gets mixed boating reviews. Some say it puts boats into the most dangerous rapid on the whole river, yet others rate the run as only a Class II-plus. They agree that the first hazard is what whitewater enthusiasts refer to as a "hole."

The second hazard is known as the Minefield, where precise boat maneuvering is required to avoid damaging a hard-sided boat. This section has the steepest gradient of the river so far. It's not a place to learn boating skills. Run it only with a boat driver who has navigated it before.

It's possible to run the couple of miles of river upstream from River Mill Dam, but only if you are a highly experienced whitewater boater able to handle Class III and IV rapids. Make sure you read the regulations, as this section has a different season and steelhead cannot be targeted above the Highway 211 bridge.

HOTSPOTS
With the caveat that rivers always change, holding areas always change and private property access always changes, here are some bank fishing spots.

McIver Park, on the river's west shore, provides some of the best bank fishing access on the river Here, the angler willing to walk can hike upstream all the way to River Mill Dam. If you enjoy the circus-like atmosphere that attends the steelhead hatchery intake, head downstream from the upper launch. Bring your own rock. (To learn more, log on to oregonstateparks.org/park_142.php.)

The areas around each of the other boat launches provide bank-fishing opportunities in one form or another. At Barton Park, for example, there are several fishable chunks of water both above and below the boat ramp. Get there early so you can get the holes before the boaters stake them out.

Or if you are willing to walk a bit -- a process that cuts way down on the competition -- park off Bakers Ferry Road on the west side of the bridge across the river and hike downstream to access another fine drift.

At Carver, bank-fishers working the mouth of Clear Creek take a few fish during high water. Further down from Carver is Stevens, a popular bank-fishing area one mile below Rock Creek, which enters the river from the north. The next bank access is Coffey's Drift, just a short riffle below Stevens. At the Riverside ramp, fishing is best for plunkers at high-water conditions.

Continuing on downstream below Riverside, bank-fishers like High Rocks, accessed from the south bank. The next good bank spot is Cross Park. Come in from the north shore below the old Park Rock Bridge. Another landmark to help locate Cross Park is the Interstate 205 bridge above this drift.

Finally, at the mouth there is Clackamette Park, where you'll have plenty of company plunking for fish.

Back upstream, Eagle Creek offers great fishing on a smaller stream, plus it clears much faster after a hard Oregon rain than does the Clack. Experts say that in fishing, as in life, timing is everything. The time to hit Eagle Creek is within 48 hours after the rain stops or slows to a drizzle.

Steelhead start to fill the creek in December. But for the best Eagle Creek fishing, mark your calendar for January and February.

Eagle Creek runs into the Clackamas at Bonnie Lure State Recreation Area, a day-use area with plenty of room for bank anglers to try for large numbers of hatchery fish nosing back to home. (To learn more, go to www.oregonstateparks.org/park_140.php.) Other fishing-catching spots on the creek include the Eagle Fern Park (co.clackamas.or.us/dtd/parks/info/eagl.htm), and the run below the Eagle Creek hatchery on Southeast Rainbow Road, east of Estacada.

Be willing to explore the paths and trails along the creek to find out-of-the-way riffles, runs and drifts.