September is a great month for Steelhead in many rivers.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think many of our Valley rivers get a fall run of Half-pounder Steelhead in September. Some get summer-run and fall-run adults too.

The Lower Klamath, Lower Trinity, Lower Rogue, North Umpqua and Deschutes should all have some fish in them by then.

For traditional methods, swinging flies with a floating line, you need to be headed out to the runs in the dark in September if you are going to be very successful. Those first 2-3 hours are key to getting the fish when they are happy in low light levels with cooler water temps.

Late afternoons till dark are good too.

If you have overcast, fog or even smoke to keep the bright sun off the water you can have better fishing mid-day too.

We always try to find shade on the water from the way the mountains run to keep the sun off those riffles.

I have been standing in the sun on the north side of the Klamath River casting into a run that was at the base of a southern bluff that shaded the riffle completely mid-day.

It is easier to find this situation in the upper reaches with the deeper canons while drifting the rivers too.

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Many years back we used the Fenwick FF856, FF857 and FF858 two piece fiberglass fly rods with either Pflueger 'Medalist' or Hardy fly reels.

I've used a weight forward 'long belly' floating line with a 9' leader ending in 2X. Actually we hand tied our own tapered leaders with the "new" German Maxima 'Chameleon' mono in those days.


Veteran Steelheader Al Perryman told me to not use less than 2X tippet for swinging flies for Steelhead. He says it's hard to hold a really big hot fish with less than 2X.

Klamath expert Mike Kuczynski says he uses 1X tippet on the Klamath River now days. He use to use 2x some years back but feel safer now with heavier tippet because of the larger fish that can be hooked.

I like larger dark unweighted traditional flies early and late in the day so the fish get a good silhouette as they look up into the sky above.

I was converted to 100% barbless fly fishing in the 1970s by my partner in 'The Fly Hutch', Neil Bohannon, and one of my other mentors Bob Giannoni, so that what I do. It's easier on the fly, easier on the fish and easier on your skin.

I learned how to fly fish the traditional way for Steelhead a long time ago (1960's) by Joe Shirshac, Al Perryman and others.

Back then indicator fishing did not exist yet.

I am promoting the traditional methods because if you fish that way you will get the big grabs that run like electricity through your hands and up your arms.

If I was really concerned with catching a lot of Steelhead every time I go I would have stayed with drifting night crawlers which are so, so effective.

Today I only like to fish in the nicer weather of Fall (Sept/Oct) and fish for those nice hot wild fish in perfect water temps (55-60 degrees) so they run and jump downstream like they should.

Oh yes, I have to be using a properly patina-ed old English fly reel with a ratchet drag (click-n-pawl) so the reel can make that nice buzzing sound as the wild chrome hen Steelhead cartwheels down the run.

THE END

PS: I fished two days, daylight till dark, on the Lower Eel River once with Al Perryman (1977) for winter Steelhead held up in the lower river.

While riding home, sleeping in the back of Al's Ford Econoline van, I got a big grab that felt like I got hit by lightning in my right hand. I woke up setting the hook..........

[JT]

I fished two days, daylight till dark, on the Lower Eel River once with Al Perryman (~1977) for winter Steelhead held up in the lower river.

While riding home, sleeping in the back of Al's Ford Econoline van, I got a big grab that felt like I got hit by lightning in my right hand. I woke up setting the hook..........

I did something like that in English class once. I knocked myself right out of my chair.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Actually I had that same thing happen a recently on the Klamath River as I slept at Ravenwood Motel after a few long days of swinging for Steelhead.

I think it's a muscle reflex thing?