Opening day on the Lower American River Steelhead story #21A

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Maybe 40 years ago, a regular customer came in a few days after the opener with a good story.


He had gone to college with a guy up at Humbolt State and they became good friends.

My customer had only done some trout fly fishing around Nor Cal and some Shad fishing in the American.

He said his friend lived up in Oregon and was a serious Steel header.

His friend came down to Sacramento to visit him and fish the opener.

On the Opener, they both went to the river around the Sailor Bar area to try to catch some Steelhead.

He said he hooked a huge wild Steelhead that ran and jumped all over the place.

He told me that almost everyone around him backed out of the water and just watched.

After some time and a wild battle, he finally beached the fish.

Local veteran Steelheaders guessed it to be around 18 pounds and wild.


He said he released it because it was his first and only Steelhead on a fly.

[mogaru]

Hellooooooo anybody there. Not a single post for the opening says it all. Fished last Friday for a couple of hours and even the gear guys were being skunked.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hellooooooo anybody there. Not a single post for the opening says it all. Fished last Friday for a couple of hours and even the gear guys were being skunked.

Well, an old friend who guides the Lower American River told me Jeff Ching was the only person he saw catch a Steelhead on opening day.

It is pretty sad

[The Cal Fisher]

I heard the opening was tough (I was out of town then) but the fishing has certainly picked up since then. Lots of chromes being caught. It took me a while to land a steelie, but a bead color change was all the difference. 5 hookups a day is pretty average nymphing right now. I saw a guy swinging who caught a fat chromer on a little black leech with a chartreuse bead. Seems like the early morning and sunset bite are the best. I’ll get a couple bites in the afternoon but once the sun hits the trees it’s almost every other cast.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

One fact is, that on average, February and March can be better than January.

Jeff Ching and his fishing partner Earle drifted the river recently and caught two nice Steelhead with photos posted on Facebook.



Back in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, I cannot remember going to the American River, before and/or after work, swinging flies with a

shooting head or floating line, and being skunked.


Thanks to the rise of Spey/Two-handed fishing, many are using classic methods again.


Without indicators, there would be no Steelhead fly-fishing guides on the Lower American River today.

Let me know if this is not factual.


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In the 1970s, in the Fall, when the Half-pounders were in the American River, we had a group of friends who fished it in the AM and PM,

7 days a week. We were all fishing with lighter 5-6 weight outfits, swinging wet flies and drifting dry flies. Our group consisted of young

guys at the time like Al Perryman, Galen Geller, Mike McCune, Bob Giannoni, Don Rotsma, Cal Guinn, Al Fong, Jimmy Potter, and others.

Upper Watt Avenue was one of the most popular meeting places, but there were many others. I think the average was about 16 inches

but fish to 5# were caught too. Late August was the time we started looking for them, in the early mornings. We started looking for

them from Watt down to lower Paradise.

[The Cal Fisher]

That’s what I’ve heard too. My friend who absolutely crushes steelhead on the AR says that come February the steelhead completely switch over to eating bugs instead of eggs. It’s a great way to out fish the spin guys ��

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

That’s what I’ve heard too. My friend who absolutely crushes steelhead on the AR says that come February the steelhead completely switch over to eating bugs instead of eggs. It’s a great way to out fish the spin guys ��

That sounds good.

In February and March, we usually get some wild Spring run Steelhead or Bluebacks.

I remember runs of smaller ~13" Half-pounders in the Spring too.