Wanting to get into Halfpounders

[Sheepdog8404]

Hey everyone,

I understand the Halfpounder season is coming up on the Lower American. I've never fished the lower AR for anything and just moved back to the area after leaving for 5 years due to Military Service. So I really want to get into fishing for the Steelhead that will be coming up the river very soon! I've been fly fishing for about 12 years but it has been predominantly fishing tiny creeks for little, spooky, wild trout with a little Stillwater, Saltwater and some other random stuff thrown in three... so this steelhead game is a bit foreign to me. Next week I will be starting school full time and I'll have a few days off a week, plus early mornings and late evenings to fish. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of extra money so a guide is pretty much out of the question for me right now... Hopefully I can get one of you seasoned vet's to be willing to meet me out on the water sometime and just give me a few basic lessons and principles for targeting these fish. I'll be happy to buy lunch and beer for your time!!!

If no one can get out on the water with me, then I am more than happy to receive some advice on here about how to fish for these tough guys! Thanks for your time!

Tight lines,
Gary

[Mark Kranhold]

Hi Gary, I could show you around a bit and what water to look for. Early morning and evenings will be perfect for you. PM sent.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Wonderful news Gary.

Mark is one of our best local Steelheaders so you will be in good hands.

[Sheepdog8404]

Thanks Bill! I spoke with Mark on the phone and we are going to try and hook up in the next week or so, so he can show me the ropes. Looking forward to getting into some of these fish!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Don't you just love this message board........

[Sheepdog8404]

So, I have a gap in my classes from 0830 to 1300 and school is only 20 min from multiple access points on the lower AR. I know that right now the best Times to go fish for the halfpounders is early morning and late evening. But would it be worth a shot to blast down there and fish for a couple hours? I know that the opportunity for fishing is worth it but is there any chance that I could hook into something during that time frame? It seems like the beginning of my fishing time, around 0915, would be right around the time everyone else is calling it for the morning.

[TaylerW]

Paradise off of Carlson offers a ton of water to fish.

[JMKiernan]

Ive been out 3 times in the last week and caught 1 little 10". Its been tough. I dont think they have entered the system in good numbers yet, but there are some scattered.

[Sheepdog8404]

Thanks for the tips! I know the season is just now getting going so the numbers of fish in the system are pretty low right now. But hopefully in a month or so, it'll pick up!

[Larry S]

Sheepdog-
Sent you a PM.
Larry S

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Late August to early September is usually when they show up and average 16 inches.

Look for them early and late in the day.

Be swinging a #12 caddis pupa on 3x tippet with a trout outfit and a floating line.

Somewhere from Goethe Park down stream to Paradise Beach is where we first find them.

I have fished them for over 50 years on the American River.

[Sheepdog8404]

Sheepdog-
Sent you a PM.
Larry S

PM inbound, Larry


Late August to early September is usually when they show up and average 16 inches.

Look for them early and late in the day.

Be swinging a #12 caddis pupa on 3x tippet with a trout outfit and a floating line.

Somewhere from Goethe Park down stream to Paradise Beach is where we first find them.

I have fished them for over 50 years on the American River.

Thanks for the info Bill! Any specific Caddis pupas I should aim for? I've got a few different patterns I've tied up that I haven't had the chance to try yet. Maybe I'll give those a shot!