Russian River Steelhead

[Jeff F]

Since I'm now living in Santa Rosa, I'm gonna have to learn my local river. I understand that there are some fish (steelhead) starting to show, with a good number of hp's.

Do these fish eat bugs? or is it an egg and/or attractor/aggression strike like up on the Eel, etc?

Anyone care to share their favorite local patterns for the Russian steelies?

Thanks.

~J

[Jed Peters]

That's a tough ask!

(The first rule of fight club is....)

FWIW, I have no idea, but I assume if they're steelhead they'll eat what steelhead eat?

[aaron]

Might be worth hiring guide Carlo Bongio for a day to learn the ropes.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would go to King's Sport & Tackle in Guerneville.

http://www.kingsrussianriver.com/Kings_Sport_%26_Tackle/Home.html


I think Dec/Jan/Feb are the prime months for Steelhead in the Russian River.

You can buy a StreamTime map of the river.

Water conditions are very important there for fly fishing. It wil be to low with the mouth closed or to high and muddy most of the time. When it is in shape for some days of some years it can be good for the locals.

Much of the fishng is in tide water so it is very slow sinking lines at times, kind of like lake fishing almost. Wading, casting, stripping with very liite current.

There are a dozen or so locals over there who have it pretty much figured our.

Carlo Bongio, Doug Brutocao, Jason Leopold, Carl Blackledge, Hal Jansen, and Randy Johnson are some of the guys I know who realy know that river well. The rest of the old guys who knew the river have passed away now like..

If you live near it I would definitely try to learn how and were to fish it in the winter for Steelhead.

The places to fish are very defined pot holes at times.

It is way different that fishing our valley rivers or other long rivers.

It is prety much a waste of time for most to just drive over for the day unless they know someone who can help them figure it out.


.

[Jed Peters]

Jeff-- just wanted to add that I echo bill and Aaron. Hire a guide and then you will have some good intel--this will likely speed up a learning curve, and you will be able to do it "on your own" in the future. Few years back when I started fishing my local river for steelhead I did this same thing--and it helped tremendously!

[Darian]

Jeff,.... I agree with the advice given by others and would add some additional info.

Since you mentioned the Eel, I'm assuming you know that river. The lower Russian is influenced by tidewater and like the lower Eel River is an attractor/reaction bite. The lower Russian is a comparable fishery. It has places/holes where access is available and known holding areas. Many of those are shown on maps. Same flies work in tidewaters of both rivers. The mouth of the Russian is situated in such a way that it frequently closes after storms. When that happens, the bite shuts down. Good place to start on the Russian is at Cassini's Ranch (Austin Creek Riffle and Browns Pool). Other than that, look for the crowds. Unless the mouth is closed, the fish will be around where they are fishing. Using a pram helps from Browns Pool downstream to the legal limit (Hwy 1 bridge??). After the locals remove their summer dams, you can fish upstream, as well.

One thing about that river that hasn't been mentioned is that once the Russian River receives a medium rain, it muddies up and stays muddy for a lengthy period; plus, it reaches flood stages quickly.

Good luck and be sure to take some photo's.... :D

[shawn kempkes]

Take the money you would spend on hiring a guide and invest it in a set of shooting heads and a streamtime map for the russian river and steal a milk crate from safeway to stand on. You dont need to hire a guide to fish the Russian. The russian never really gets a big run of half pounders.I fished there for 30 years and only caught less than a handful.
There is usually a small push of fish around Halloween. But it doesnt really get going until Christmas time. If the river is low and the mouth is open the best holes to fish are in the Gurneville area. Look for guys in a line up. If the river is high and dirty (less than 1500 cfs) fish the tide changes(high outgoing) at casini ranch and watch for rolling fish. The fish dont slow down until they get above Monte Rio because the colony of harbor seals at the mouth chase them upriver. The only summer dam that affects fishing in the river is the Sonoma County Water Agency dam at Wohler Bridge. They take it out once the first big rains hit in the fall. It only goes back in if there is a prolonged dry spell. A pram or a pontoon that you could stand up in would also be a real good investment.

[Jeff F]

Thanks all. A guide was never in my plans (unless they have some secret access to a long stretch of private property that I don't know about).

I'll probably be focusing my time up higher, above Dry Creek. Yes.....less fish, but line-ups and aren't my deal.

So......what I was really trying to gather, was fly patterns. I mean, are we talking Popsicles, Pink bunny leeches, comets and Eel River type patterns? Or are we talking stuff like Assassins or Brindle bugs? I'm assuming eggs work good too since the gear guys use roe sacs. I know water conditions will dictate fly choice, but just a general idea of what folks have in their Russian flybox, or have actually consistently caught fish on, would be a great help!

Thanks all!

~J

[Loren E]

Thanks all. A guide was never in my plans (unless they have some secret access to a long stretch of private property that I don't know about).

I'll probably be focusing my time up higher, above Dry Creek. Yes.....less fish, but line-ups and aren't my deal.

So......what I was really trying to gather, was fly patterns. I mean, are we talking Popsicles, Pink bunny leeches, comets and Eel River type patterns? Or are we talking stuff like Assassins or Brindle bugs? I'm assuming eggs work good too since the gear guys use roe sacs. I know water conditions will dictate fly choice, but just a general idea of what folks have in their Russian flybox, or have actually consistently caught fish on, would be a great help!

Thanks all!

~J

As far as fly patterns, in general you won't want to fish big steelhead streamers like popsicles, bunny leeches, etc that you would swing on the Eel. Not to say they wouldn't catch fish in dirty water, but the Russian fishes best when its clear, and when its clear it seems to fish best with comets, egg sucking leeches, wooly buggers, and the likes...very small streamer patterns for steelhead standards. These are mostly hatchery fish, not big aggressive wild fish. It is best to swing it though in most runs, where that will cover the water better than nymphing eggs/bugs etc.

PS way to keep it real Shawn, refreshing ;) Hoping we can fish together on the OP this winter. -L

[Jeff F]

Thanks Loren. That's what I was lookin' for.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If you are a veteran Nor Cal tide water Steelhead fly fisher then you won't need a guide on the Russian River.......you just need to be there on the "right days" and find the spots where the fish are holding.

If you are like 99% of the rest of my customers for the past 47 years I would say get a good fly fishing guide like Carlo Bongio so at least you will be where the fish are and have the right shooting head on for that particular situation.

If you are retired and move over there, you can spend the next 10 years trying to figure it out too.

Some years there are not any good days over there......

.

[toby]

Hey Jeff
Purple Perl size 8 ,black and purple and comets and buggers. I fished / practice spey casting this morning at summer bridge and caught one sucker,that's my luck. There are some real descent 1/2 pounders caught this time of year you just got to hunt for them a lot. Best of luck to you.

[eastbayed]

Hi Jeff,
I've been fishing the Russian for the past 5 or 6 years. Follow Loren's advise, but I'd add that everything I've caught have been caught on egg patterns fished as droppers below my main fly.

[Fats]

The Russian River is a good river to fish if you can pick your days... If you can get up on and say "today will work well" you can time the runs. If you are not the flexible, it gets frustrating trying to hit the river right. Line ups are the norm and if you don't like them I'd look elsewhere.

Just my .02 cents!