Drake Radditz got hooked on fishing and guiding at a young age. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, he spent his free time fishing, hunting and exploring the outdoors. Drake went to college at the University of Montana for 2 years befroe finishing at Portland State University with a BS in Geography and Environmental Studies. He now lives on the Oregon Coast in Warrenton, Oregon taking advantage of the fabulous steelhead, razor clam and dungeness crab opportunities the region has to offer. Drake’s parents helped to instill a love of the great outdoors in him by introducing Drake to fishing a hunting when he was young. When Drake was 9 years old he accompanied his parent on a trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho. Even at a young age, the magic of the Middle Fork imprinted on him and inspired him to become a guide.

Drake’s first job as a river guide began in 2001 with the Imperial River Company in Maupin, Oregon where he ran paddle raft trips down the Milk Run day stretch of the Deschutes River. The next year, in 2002, he completed his first training trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon for Ken Helfrich before he was offered a job as a full time member of the Middle Fork crew. Drake also guides the Rogue and Lower Main Salmon rivers for Helfrich River Outfitters.
Drake Radditz

When not working for Helfrich, Drake owns and operates Radditz/Sipler Outfitters (RSO) with Robb Sipler; guiding spring and fall trips down the Deschutes River for trout and steelhead, as well as scenic trips on the Owyhee River. When Drake is not on the Middle Fork or Deschutes he is most likely fishing for salmon or steelhead Oregon’s North Coast Rivers: the Trask, Wilson, Kilchis, Nehalem, North Fork Nehalem and Necanicum.

When not busy rowing his guts out, Captain Radditz runs his power boat on the Columbia and Willamette rivers looking for a wide variety of seasonal fish. As for the off season, “There is no off season, but if there was I would probably be fishing or hunting.”

“My family took me on a Middle Fork Salmon trip with Dave Helfrich when I was 9 years old, and I got hooked. Ten years later I was guiding for them. Thanks to Ken for the invite to come back. I feel very lucky to be part of the Helfrich Crew and privileged to have learned from the longest standing outfitter in the business!!!”