Lower Feather River

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Anyone fishing the lower Feather River?

The Fall steelhead should be in there now or soon.

Oct/Nov is big there for Steelies.

Are the King Salmon spawning now?

[Katz]

I was out there for salmon a week ago in the low flow. Lost one about 20lbs (dark fish). Word at the shops up there is that the Steelheading has been very slow so far.

New salmon seem to be pushing into the Delta and the Sac. Hopefully it is just going to be a late season like last year.

Kraig

[Adam Grace]

The steelheading is starting, but it is slow. I have heard of one 5lb adult caught last week with a spey rod and a leech pattern, that's about it so far. If you like to swng flies now is the time! The more fresh the steelhead the more likely to grab a swung fly.

There are plenty of salmon so watch out if you are swinging, snagging a salmon is not fun, nor good for the salmon.

[Tony Buzolich]

Hi Bill,

I just in off the water a couple of hours ago and there are plenty of salmon in the river and no, they haven't started to build redds and spawn yet though thy are getting close. We saw several that were already starting to pair and group up so spawning is close.

There is quite a mix of fish in the low flow. Some are dark and spotted as they've been there for several months, and then you'll see a bright chromer swimming right in amongst them. These are the new fish that are just now starting to show farther down the river and are the start of the fall run.

We've been getting tons of fish being brought in to Johnson's for pictures and weighing from the boat guys and those casting at Shanghai and the outlet at Thermolito. Surprizingly we've been getting quite a few striped bass being brought in as well. Some are targeting them using giant minnows and bluegills for bait and other are casting Gibbs minnows for salmon but are hooking stripers as well. Saturday we had two stripers weighed in at 16# & 24# by the same guy fishing the rock dam at Live Oak.

As for steelhead, I haven't seen many being taken but those that I've seen have been large, one at over 10#. Once the salmon get going on the redds, then the steelhead will really get going as well.

I haven't been posting as I haven't been on the water for the past two weeks and today was the first time out for a while. Leg problems prevented walking and wading much. It's tough to get old,
TONY