We need rain for winter Steelehading.....
We need the winter rains to come to raise the water levels and in some cases blow open the bars at the Pacific ocean on some rivers.
Dec/Jan/Feb are the top months for winter run Steelhead.
This fishing, especially with flies, is very dependant on the weather/rain.
Some years we have little rain and then many of these rivers don't open legally to sport fishing to protect the fish.
Some years it can rain so much that it is "blown out" for the entire winter.
With some rain, at the right timing through the winter, it can be like magic. Enough water, but not too much and the fish come in and conditions can be prefect for fly fishing. These are special years and don't always happen.
On any good winter river Steelheading can be measured in good weeks, good days or even parts of days.
After it rains it takes rivers a while to come down and clear up a little. This varies with all the rivers dending on the type and condition of the drainage. Some rivers like the Van Duzen, Mad and Russian take a while to clear. The Smith River is the most noted for clearing fast, and in cases is always too clear.
This special time after the rain, as it is clearing, is the key to success. After some time with no rain the rivers will clear up and get lower and that is not usually good. It is that magic time as the river is coming back down and clearing and it is "green" that the fish are moving and happy and fishing can be very good...if you are there.
The people who really chase the winter Steelhead are in touch with the river conditions through river flow sites on the web and through a network of other winter Steelheaders who are friends.
It is a little like "Day Trading" on the stock market.....you really have to get the right info then you have to go for it.....
You are looking for that magic window where the river is not low and clear and it is not high and muddy.
Fly fishing for winter steelhead has always been a tough deal and not for most fly fishers.
Fishing with conventional tackle for winter fish is more effective because they can fish in different water conditions than fly fishers.
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Winter Steelheading can be different depending on the weather and where you are fishing. In milder winters the fish can end up staying in the "Tide Water" which is closer to the ocean. They have come into the river and are holding in the deeper slow moving pools right up to where the tide comes in and out daily. This fishing reminds me of lake fishing with single hand fly rods and a selection of different sink-rate shooting heads behind mono shooting line. Some of this is wading and some is from anchored small boats. When the rivers are too low the Fish & Game has low flow closures now to protect these fish.
If the flow gets too high from rain these fish leave the tide water and head upriver. So having good tide water fly fishing is a special thing that is not that common now.
Catching the fish as they move up river with a nice flow is what we are looking for with sinktip lines, shorter heavier, leaders and larger flies with movement. Timing for this is key....
After the fish have been in the river and have moved way upstream for a while they become stail and closer to spawning. This is not the situation we are looking for because the fish are not still in their prime fighting condition. It is a good time to stay away for these areas and these fish so they can spawn in piece and not have anglers walking on the spawning beds.
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Veteran fly fisher Walt Bennett, now 93, was one of the top North Coast Steelheaders.
He was interveiwed in the movie, "Rivers of a Lost Coast". I would highly recommend that you buy and watch that movie.
He told me some things he learned about Steelhead on the coast in the winter from decades of chasing them.
Walt said that if the guys with fresh roe are not catching fish, then it is time to go home.
He also told me that when ever it is really good, you will see fish rolling or showing on the surface.
**Another advantage would be to go with a good fly fishing guide to be sure you are in the right place and doing the right things. You will also learn a lots of good techneque with a good guide/instructor.
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Ah well. One day I'll move closer to a river.
Originally Posted by Charlie S
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