Family and friends are invited to gather in Doug’s memory at St. Henry Catholic Church in Gresham, Oregon on October 23, 2026. Mass, which is open to the public, will begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception at 12:00 p.m. to remember Doug, share stories, and celebrate his life.
Douglas “Doug” Stewart, a lifelong Oregonian, teacher, athlete, fly shop owner, author, fly fisherman, husband, father, grandfather, and gifted storyteller, passed away at the age of 87.
Doug was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1939. He attended Central Catholic High School and later the University of Portland, where he played basketball and baseball. Sports remained an important part of his life, along with the teammates, friendships, and stories that came from those years.
Doug went on to become a teacher at Orient Grade School, where he spent his career working with young people. Teaching was a big part of who Doug was, and it extended far beyond the classroom.
Fly fishing became one of the places where that ability to teach had its greatest impact.
Doug began fishing Oregon’s Deschutes River in the early 1950s and developed a connection with the river that lasted more than seven decades. Over the years, he became a Deschutes River guide, fly shop owner, fly-fishing instructor, and author of books and DVD’s on fly fishing. He spent a lifetime sharing what he knew with other anglers, whether that happened in a fly shop, on the river, through his writing, or simply in a conversation with someone who wanted to learn.
He was the creator of the Max Canyon Steelhead fly, a style of fly that made an impact for steelhead anglers and is part of a long history of steelhead fishing, friendships, and stories from the Deschutes.
Doug was a natural storyteller. He could tell stories about sports, fishing, family, old friends, students, and adventures from decades earlier and make you feel like you had been there with him. His family heard some of those stories more than once, but that was part of Doug. Today, many of those stories are the ones they will miss hearing most.
Above everything else, Doug was a family man. He is survived by his wife, Marsha Stewart; his four sons, Chris, Jeff, Mike, and David; his grandchildren, John, Paige, Juna, and Leila; along with extended family and many longtime friends.
Here is a link to Doug’s website that he worked on for a number of years: Fly Fishing with Doug Stewart
Doug leaves behind more than a list of accomplishments. He leaves behind people he taught and stories they will continue to tell.
Some are stories from Central Catholic and the University of Portland. Some are from his years at Orient Grade School. Others come from the fly shop or from long days chasing trout and steelhead on the Deschutes.
And then there are the stories his family will tell about him.
For someone who spent so much of his life teaching and telling stories, that seems like a fitting legacy. What Doug knew, he shared. What he loved, he passed along. And the stories he spent 87 years collecting will continue to be told by the people who knew and loved him.
Doug will be deeply missed by Marsha, his sons, grandchildren, extended family, former students, teammates, fishing partners, customers, fellow anglers, and the many friends whose lives crossed his over the years.
Wet Fly Swing Podcast with Doug Stewart
You can listen to the full podcast with Doug on the Wet Fly Swing Podcast here!
