Okay, this is weird, and I really, really don't want to have this thread take off in a negative direction, but I'm having a hard time determining which year has been my worst year steelheading our Californian rivers, and unless things change quickly soon, I'm thinking it's this year beating last year barely beating out the year before!
In years past I've always been able to scramble out a few fish no matter the conditions just by putting in the time. Tough, few and far between, but always that tug, that fight, that fish that keeps you coming back for more.
But I just spent another twenty hours this week on the Amercian, mostly in the morning, some evenings and some twice a day morning and evening fishing with intensity swinging flies that have always produced in the past. The hatchery staff say this year was a good return, both numbers and size. Huh? I'm not seeing it. Maybe they all booked home already?
Personally, I love fishing big water. The American around 7500cfs rocks for me. Water conditions have been ideal, not too cold, a little color, stretches of stable levels for the most part and I'm fishing some awesome lairs. It's the type of water steelhead love to hang out in! If there are fish in the river, I'm swinging over their couches. I have no complaints. Weather has varied from rain, overcast, low clouds, sun, little wind. Again, ideal.
But two takes, one landed fishing awesome water/weather conditions?
Got desperate, broke down and swung my Little Cleo from a spinning rod through the same water. That's my "are they there" barometer. Nothing!
I'm always willing to travel a bit if it was better elsewhere, but I'm not sure it's worth traveling to the Trinity/Klamath/Eel/Mad/Van Duzen/Russian/Smith? Seems only the Chetco is having a decent return... of hatchery fish, but that's an eight hour drive to catch a farm animal!
What's a steelheader to do? Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
Optimism anyone?
Bookmarks