Winter Steelheading in Nor Cal

Normally Dec-Feb and even March is winter Steelhead time.

The Lower American is usually good for larger winter runs in Jan/Feb after the opener on January 1st.

The Trinity River can fish all winter with insect hatches too. (4hrs)

The hottest fish are on the small coastal rivers from San Francisco north to the border and then even beyond up into Oregon.

You first have the Russian River which is usually good in Jan/Feb. It needs some time to clear up after a rain though. Carlo Bongio @ the Western Sport Shop in Santa Rosa has lots of knowledge about the Russian. (3hrs)

Next is the Gualala and the Garcia which are very small beautiful rivers. In the past few years I have heard more about the Garcia as far as having some runs of fish. (4hrs)

There are another halfdozen or more Steelhead river up to the north.

The Eureka Fly Shop would be a good palce to call for any help up their way on the Eel, Matole, Redwood Creek, Mad River, Smith and Chetco. (6hrs)

This is not the kind of fishing we recommend to anyone but the near crazy "commando" fly fisher because it is very unpredicatable and very cold.

I would love to see some of our younger more agressive types here hook a really hot 10 pound female wild Steelehad on the Garcia this winter.

One large winter fish out of 50 on the Lower American River will go like a fresh wild coastal winter run fish.

I was very lucky to have been able to fish over there with Al Perryman and other top coastal fly fishers in the '60s and '70s before the big draught in the late '70s put the hurt the the entire coast. Dewatering, dams, developemants and logging also help ruin these fine rivers.

There is still some winter Steelhead fishing going on over there but it is very timely and runs in cycles as well.

After moving from SoCal in the lates 60's, I spent every waking hour (during fall/winter) fishing in one of the coastal waters for Salmon/Steelhead from Santa County to the Oregon Border.... 8) As Bill describes, it was cold and somewhat unpredictable. :? Successful estuary fishing for Silvers and Steelhead requires a knowlwdge of tide stages/timing, etc.; just like the Delta.... 8)

In addition to some the fishing, coastal areas offer some opportunities that you don't normally find on valley rivers. :D For example, it used to be easy to get a limit of clams/scallops or abalone to supplement the fish caught. Places where you could hunt waterfowl (around Point Arena/Eureka, etc.) and the wintering home of a flock of swans on the pasture land of Stornetta Dairy next to the Garcia River. :) :)

Also, there were some very interesting/unique places to eat/stay in some of those places. In Pescadero was Duarte's Tavern where you could get all you could eat ciopinno/garlic toast for $5.00 on one night per week. :) It's still there but not as remote as at that time (if you get my drift.... :? There was the Gualala Hotel, the restaurants in Occidental (Union Hotel/Negri's), Disotelle's in Point Arena, the Benbow Inn (before it became a golf course/trailer park), The Scotia Inn.... Wow, too many to name..... :D :D

Lotsa great memories.... :) :) :)

Bill, i dont know if you are giving those American river steelies enough credit. The last two i hooked when i was home a few weeks ago took off like no other. Heck, i even saw my backing for the first time in a while on one about 5 lbs. When i finally got enough pressure on him to turn him, he came straight back upriver at me and i lost 'em. The fish in sept-nov seem to have a little more spunk than the jan-feb fish do though. All this talks got me excited again. Too bad i wont be back for another month!

Jason Hartwick

Jason,

You are right.

Some of the fish we get in August through November can be better fish.

I like really hot wild Rainbow Trout and Steelhead. I don't care what size they are as long as they run like hell and jump too.

I does help if the water is over 50 degrees.

I have seen big winter runs on the American forget themselves and fight like wild ones.

Hey Bill,
I was out on the Garcia last winter and we had a blast. Granted, we only had one day before the river blew out but what a beautiful area!
Cool seeing the coastal steelies moving up the river and saw an older guy (me being 30) land a bright 12 lb angry fish. Made my day to see how excited he was.
It should be mentioned that there is some nice perch fishing out there also. Just find a calm cove and toss on a nice red or orange surf pattern.
Definitely cool to have surf fishing and steelhead shots in one proximity!
I hope to make it out there one trip this January. We'll see what mother nature provides.

Speaking of coastal, what lines do you guys like to use out there? Floating running with a slime line tip?

-Paul

Years ago most used a shooting head system with mono running line. Most had a 9' #9 line Fenwick fiberglass fly rod with an assortment of #10 30' shooting heads.

On the tide water of the small San Lorenzo River I met a guy who used an 8.5' #7 rod there with a WF7I line (true Intermediate) which was made by Scientific Angler and was also called the 'Fisherman' line. They sank very slow. Then they just used a small black fly that was a #8 Woolly Worm.

Most use slow and medium sinking heads for the lower reaches of smaller coastal rivers. Have a true Intermediate (not clear) head, a slow sinking clear heads, a type 2 and maybe type 3 head.

Mono shooting line gives you easy distance but many like the new fly line running lines.

I hear some are using full clear lines now too.

I would always have a full floater alone.

The Garcia River is always open to the ocean so you can go over there from November on looking for fish to be coming in and out of the tide water.

I sent some people over to the Garcia one Thanksgiving about 20 years ago. One person hooked a fish over 10 pounds that made a big run and one jump to freedom. Another person hooked something small about 3 pounds that they thought was maybe a small salmon?

I would use something dark when the light level is low, early and late or overcast, like a #6 Boss or Black Woolly Bugger. When it is sunny in the daytime with clearer water I would us a smaller bright colored fly like a #8 gold Comet or orange Flame.

After you cast, if there is not much current (pull on the line) then you can strip the fly slowly across the current to make some action. It is a combination of lake and stream fishing at times.

I would use 2x to 0x FC tippet.

Early and late seems to be an important time over there plus an out going tide.

I think a 9-9.5' rod in 7-8 weight would be good for most small/medium tide water for Steelhead.

Look for fish to roll or show so you know where they are and where to cast. Sometimes people spot the fish from above on a bluff or bridge. There are usually little depressions that are slightly deeper that they stop in to rest.

If I ever retire I will be over there Dec-Feb with a trailer so I can be there when it is good and also during the weekdays when it is a little less crowded.

You don't have to hook too many wild coastal steelhead to get happy.

My first lines were shooting heads matched to a Fenwick FF85 (that rod was supposed to be for 7-8-9 weight lines.... 8) Altho it would cast all of them OK, it was best with an 8 weight line. 8)

After fishing most of the small rivers/streams between Fort Bragg and Santa Cruz for a year, I came to the conclusion that the distance cast a head provided was overkill and limited the retrieves I could use. :? :? I switched to weight forward lines; floating and full sinking.... This gave me more retrieves to use, like the hand twist.... My catch rates went up dramatically after that. 8) 8)

Used a variation of Bill's black wolly worm during low light/clear water conditions. My variation was a black body, brown saddle hackle (palmered) and a silver rib. Simple but very productive fly. Some were weighted, some weren't. 8)

Interestingly, I carried what seems like a thousand patterns but only used about six, consistently.... :roll: :roll: