Lower American Winter Run

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Winter Steelheaders are supposed to be true Commandos.

[Lucas Dement]

I was planning on hitting the AR this week before going down to the Bay to give coastal fishing a shot. This weather is my dream right now

[Troutsource]

Winter Steelheaders are supposed to be true Commandos.

Bill, what's the worst steelhead weather you've fished in?

[Lucas Dement]

Bill, what's the worst steelhead weather you've fished in?

I fished it wednesday night until I couldnt see anymore.. Those wind gusts made it hard but I didnt have to mend since the wind did it for me

[hwchubb]

I was planning on hitting the AR this week before going down to the Bay to give coastal fishing a shot. This weather is my dream right now

I was over that direction the last couple of days. The Russian is chocolate milk, the Navarro is green mud but still only 6” visibility, and everything else is reportedly the same. This week’s storms are likely to keep it that way into 2022, but January could be good if the weather stays clear.

Honestly, I’d be willing to lose a coast season to high water if it means a break in the drought.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Bill, what's the worst steelhead weather you've fished in?

About 30 years ago in February were where on the mouth of the Matole river in the coldest weather I have experienced except goose

hunting in the snow at Tule Lake refuge........18 degrees.

Mel Jeffs and I were in his small Datsun pickup with a canopy/shell on the bed.

Galen Geller and Paul Keel had some kind of car and a couple of big tarps and sleeping bags.

That night we rough camped out there and it was below freezing.

Mel and I were OK inside the back of his pickup in the canopy/shell.

Geller and Keel were sleeping on the ground just outside between two huge canvas flat tarps.

When we got up the ground was covered with frost except for a place in the middle of their tarp where the hot steam from their

breathing made a dark wet spot.


We drove to the mouth of the Matole river that morning and saw 3 guys fishing conventional tackle.

They were wearing war surplus artic jump suits and looked like 3 Sumo wresters.


Commando fly fishing Mike McCune told me that the reason they still fish for winter Steelhead in Oregon and Washington is because it

is one of the last places you can catch big fresh run wild Steelhead.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trZJ4GZ1qqs



Personally today I mostly fish the Fall run in Set/Oct/Nov.

[Jcolin]

I was over that direction the last couple of days. The Russian is chocolate milk, the Navarro is green mud but still only 6” visibility, and everything else is reportedly the same. This week’s storms are likely to keep it that way into 2022, but January could be good if the weather stays clear.

Honestly, I’d be willing to lose a coast season to high water if it means a break in the drought.

The mendo coastal rivers south of the navarro actually looked great yesterday. Think they had just come into shape. No signs of adult steelhead for me and everyone i talked to. Hooked a lot of smolt. Today would be a great day to be out there before the rain comes. Couldnt agree more id happily trade a winter fish or two for a huge winter!!!

[Jcolin]

[QUOTE=Bill Kiene semi-retired;206172]About 30 years ago in February were where on the mouth of the Matole river in the coldest weather I have experienced except goose

hunting in the snow at Tule Lake refuge........18 degrees.

Mel Jeffs and I were in his small Datsun pickup with a canopy/shell on the bed.

Galen Geller and Paul Keel had some kind of car and a couple of big tarps and sleeping bags.

That night we rough camped out there and it was below freezing.

Mel and I were OK inside the back of his pickup in the canopy/shell.

Geller and Keel were sleeping on the ground just outside between two huge canvas flat tarps.

When we got up the ground was covered with frost except for a place in the middle of their tarp where the hot steam from their

breathing made a dark wet spot.


We drove to the mouth of the Matole river that morning and saw 3 guys fishing conventional tackle.

They were wearing war surplus artic jump suits and looked like 3 Sumo wresters.


Commando fly fishing Mike McCune told me that the reason they still fish for winter Steelhead in Oregon and Washington is because it

is one of the last places you can catch big fresh run wild Steelhead.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trZJ4GZ1qqs



Personally today I mostly fish the Fall run in Set/Oct/Nov.

Great story Bill, i love hearing about the coastal rivers and the folks that fished them back in the day. I may have already asked this on this forum, but wondering if back in the 60s/70s you guys would strip flies moreso than swinging for winter SH?

[Troutsource]

Bill, nice story.

I haven't fished steelhead enough to have a great weather story. Just plain cold and bleak on the Klamath, swinging flies endlessly. I turned around to look upstream for my brother that day. With his orange hat he was reduced to a small dot against a grey/black landscape.

For what other reason would anyone stand in the middle of a river mid-winter for hours on end?

I always feel sorry for people golfing or doing literally anything while I'm driving to a fly-fishing destination. I can imagine what they think looking at steelheaders in commando weather.

[Troutsource]

PS Fished from 6:30AM to 12:30 yesterday mid-river. Giant skunk. Nary a hit. Mostly swung, but at the end I nymphed in some perfect nymph water. Fish & Game guys in their kayaks said no one else had reported a catch either, and no one I talked to caught anything. I did see a giant ghost salmon, and more redds than usual mid-river (or maybe they were just more visible due to the lower water). Saw one half-pounder size fish jump. Virtually no hatch activity, either, and no surface risers. It was still great to be out.