Any Steelhead/Halfpounder reports on Lower American River?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think there might be some activity early and late?

[Jeff F.]

Hey Bill......

I've been out a few times in the last couple weeks. Picking up one or three fish per outing usually. Suprisingly, most have been around 20" or so. All coming subsurface......woolley buggers.

Strange thing is......I haven't caught one single smolt all summer. I think the high water must have flushed those little guys out! Last summer, we had lots of fun with the 2/3 weights catching the little smolts like crazy on caddis dries and soft hackles. But this year.....no sign of them. And you know me.....I'm down on that river ALOT! Wonder what this means for the future steelhead runs???

Anyway......yes, there are fish to be had all summer. But there are definitely more stripers in there now than steelhead. Been seeing some big ones up by Rossmoor.

See ya soon.

Jeff

[Jasonh]

I really miss fishing the American for half pounders and steelhead in the late summer and fall. Nothing better than a hooking a hot fish swinging a caddis or leech pattern. They are in there right no, you just have to put in the time and know where they hold. They seem to hold in different water this time of year as opposed to spring and fall. Good luck.

Jason Hartwick

[Jasonh]

Here is a picture of about a 4 lb. steelie i caught early last august on a olive fox poppah. Sorry the picture is not centered but i did not want it out of the water long. You can see the nice color of the fish and how big and fat the head of the fish is.



Jason Hartwick

[Jasonh]

I need to figure out how to resize these pictures. Sorry.

Jason Hartwick

[rrivera]

Good looking fish Jason

Catch that one on the swing..? Hope I get lucky this year..

[rrivera]

Good looking fish Jason

Catch that one on the swing..? Hope I get lucky this year..

[Jasonh]

Actually caught that one on a dead drift. i dont like to use an indicator so i will dead drift the fly for about 15 feet and then let it swing up the the end of the drift. The funny thing is about 3 casts after that fish i hooked another fish a little smaller and it tool the same fly on the swing. Hard to catch those summer fish on the swing. They like to hold in snall fast deep pockets.

Jason Hartwick