LOCAL FISHING GUIDE MATT Eleazer grew up fishing the area’s waterways. As a professional guide, he takes the curious out on his boat to fish the same rivers he has explored through decades on the water. Photo courtesy of EastFork Outfitters
EASTFORK OUTFITTERS OWNER Matt Eleazer poses with a client and his catch during a fishing trip on the Columbia River. Eleazer focuses on accessibility and the experience, so clients of all skill and ability levels can join in the adventure. Photo Courtesy of EastFork Outfitters
BATTLE GROUND - Some local Sportsman Channel viewers may have been surprised last weekend to catch a program featuring a Battle Ground local.
Matt Eleazer, owner of EastFork Outfitters in Battle Ground, appeared in a recent episode of Brotherhood Outdoors where he took hosts Julie McQueen and Daniel Lee Martin out fishing on the Columbia River. Fishing the Columbia is a familiar activity for the 37-year-old Clark County native; it’s what he does at every chance both as part of his business and his passion.
“I’ve fished my whole life, ever since I was little,” Eleazer said Friday during a phone interview.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, with its winding rivers, expansive lakes and seasonal fish runs, provided Eleazer ample opportunity to learn the local fisheries and hone his skills. His mother and father both love to fish. His brother currently works with hatcheries for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
That early experience stuck with Eleazer as he grew from a small child into a full-fledged outdoorsman.
“I spend more time outdoors than indoors,” he said. “When I’m not fishing, I’m hunting … I like seeing everything the outdoors has to offer.”
Eleazer travels up and down the Columbia and its tributaries to find the best fishing spots in the area. Once he started taking friends and co-workers out and teaching people what he knew, his expertise on the water and his friendly, energetic disposition earned him a reputation with local fishing guides. It wasn’t long before they encouraged him to take on clients of his own.
At first, Eleazer was reluctant because he didn’t have the proper licenses and he already had a full-time job, but his friends kept prodding. Finally, he decided he wanted to try it out. He obtained his certification, opened his own business, and named it for the waterway closest to home. EastFork Outfitters was born.
As a professional fishing guide, he takes clients hunting for chinook, steelhead, and sturgeon at $200 per person all across the area from Astoria to The Dalles Dam. He usually keeps to groups of about four people but can take on crowds of six in the right circumstances. Together, Eleazer and his clients hit the hottest fisheries, learned over decades of experience, while taking in some of the most beautiful sights in the northwest.
“We see bald eagles all the time,” he said. “We see sea lions, seals, otter, beavers, deer, and elk. It’s just nice being out there.”
Like most fishing guides in the Pacific Northwest, Eleazer still maintains his day job – president of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, for the record – but when the topic is fishing, he likes to keep things focused on the goal. His estimate of the number of people he took fishing in 2015 was somewhere above 100. Last year, he fished every weekend from July through October.
But the experience and the passion haven’t turned Eleazer into the elitist angler some might expect. In fact, most of the clients he takes out are novices at best. He says his clients include anybody who wants to fish and experience the outdoors.
“I cater to anybody,” he said. “Every season, there’s somebody on my boat who’s never even caught a fish.”
Many have never even held a pole. The experience is easy for the client. Eleazer takes care of all the work and the technical stuff, so people can feel comfortable at any skill level. The only requirements, he said, are a fishing license and an attitude ready to reel in fish.
Eleazer takes calls at any time – even his phone number, (360) 687-FISH, proclaims his love of the sport. Over the phone, he talks about the best times to show up and coordinates fishing trips. Right now, he’s booking for the spring chinook seasons which will begin in late March. After that, the summer and fall chinook and a summer of steelhead. Sturgeon can be caught year-round.
With all the variety in skill levels comes a wider variety of client. Last year, clients who found him through the EastFork Outfitters website,www.columbiasalmonguide.com, included people from Texas, California, Alabama, Oklahoma – even Russia.
Disabilities can also be overcome. One of Eleazer’s past clients suffered from ALS; another was in hospice care at the time. With special equipment, clients don’t even have to hold the rod themselves, just crank the reel.
For Eleazer, it’s all part of the experience.
“I love seeing the look in people’s eyes when the rod buckles over and they realize they are about to catch a fish,” he said. “I like the smile on people’s face when they grab the rod for the first time and they know they have a fish on there. It’s awesome.”
To his more experienced clients, Eleazer takes on the role of teacher. He’s not secretive at all, so he isn’t shy about sharing his favorite spots with other people. Sometimes, even anglers with their own boats and setup will contact him just to ride along and log the GPS coordinates of the nicest areas.
“Mostly (the experienced) people want to learn the specific fisheries,” he explained. “If someone wants to learn and improve their skills on how to catch fish, I’m a totally open book.”
