Winters not over yet

This winter steelhead season has been pretty predictable, if there’s water there’s fish. It seems like we are finally getting back to normal winter weather patterns. There’s a good amount of rain in the forecast and the rivers are supposed to bump up. Based on the weather forecast and what the river gauges are currently doing our local rivers are going to blow out by the time you read this.

The past week the rivers started to get back to normal flows, snow levels dropped, and water was falling out of the skies. Not to mention we were finding steelhead. I guided both Sunday and Monday, and we found some hot, chrome fish. 

On Monday one of the things that worked for us was fishing the runs that were a high probability with different flies and then switching to the RIO Pickpocket, for a little more depth and a slower swing. 

When the water drops and our local rivers become fishable, probably on Monday or Tuesday, my plan of attack will be to start with lighter, shorter sink tips that don’t fish as deep, so we can fish the soft insides edges. My first fly choice will be an unweighted plastic marabou tube fly. My second pass will be with a heavier fly like a metal detector or Crandall’s provider and deeper fishing tip, if that doesn’t work the third pass will be with the RIO Pickpocket line and a weighted fly. This route will allow us to cover the soft insides edges sides and the heavier faster water.

Also don’t forget that winter fish are always on the move, so the first person making the first pass doesn’t always catch the fish. If you skipped every run that has been fished before you, you wouldn’t have any water to fish. 

Keep watching the river gauges and when the rivers drop there will be fish around.