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Fishing on the Little Salmon has been spotty this year one day it seems the fish are moving and the next day you just can not buy a fish.The weather this year I believe is the biggest factor as it will start to warm up and then the next few day it turns off cold. Friday night we received 8″ of snow we should be receiving rain this time of year. Here it is almost April First and this morning when I got up it was 10 degrees below 0 this is more like winter steelhead fishing.

I know there are a lot of fish waiting to come up the river as Monday I went down on the Main Salmon below Riggins and Steelhead were rolling out in the river pretty much all day long. Although I saw maybe a hundred fish roll I was only able to hook into four fish and I fished hard four six and a half hours.

I wish I had better news to report but for now fishing is just going to be hit and miss. I plan on fishing hard this coming week and will keep you updated as to conditions. When the fish do start moving they are all going to be coming at once and it will get hot for a while when they do start moving.

I’ll let you know as you will want to be on the river when they start coming through

Ok well now as Paul Harvey would say for “the rest of the Story.”I need to tie up again; now maybe it is because I’m cold or maybe it’s because the gremlins decided to come fishing with me but I have not been able to tie a knot on the first try all day finally on the third try I have my hook tied on. I go to slip on a piece of lead and someone has stolen my rubber tubing I say stolen because I would not have forgotten to put this on I’m an experienced fisherman. I cut the hook off and slip on the rubber and corky and then tie on the hook guess what for the first time today tied on the first try.

I thought about building a fire to warm up a little but that thought quickly passes when I go to light-up a cigarette and realize that I have lost my lighter some where along the way. Now just to be safe I look around to see if I can’t see one of those pesky gremlins hiding in the trees, or some where among the rocks, I’m convinced that they are the ones messing with me today.

Well for the next hour every thing goes pretty smooth but still I have not had a hit yet, the wind is still blowing and I’m starting to really feel its bite. I decide that today just is not the day for me to be fishing and after reeling in for the last time I go to pick up my tackle box and head back to the truck. About half way back to the truck the handle on my tackle box decides that it would be a great time to break off and when the box hits the only rock in the trail for fifty yard in any direction it explodes open and it looks like the 4th of July with corkies, yarn, hooks, and beads flying every where. I must have spent the next twenty minutes gathering up my equipment and chasing down the yarn that was dancing in the wind down the trail.

I finally make it back to the truck and put what’s left of my tackle box, gear, and rod in the back and go to get the keys out of my pocket, keys in my pocket? Man I must have lost them when I took the tumble earlier so I go to where I fell and start searching after looking for what seemed like days I decide to go to the truck and get out of the wind for awhile. You know that just getting out of the wind feels much warmer and I’m starting to feel a little better. I must have sat there for twenty or thirty minutes when I look down at the steering wheel and do you know what is hanging from the ignition yep the keys. Okay I should have looked earlier but I never leave my keys in the truck.

When I arrive home my wife asks if I had any luck. Well I gave her a strange look and was to telling her about my day she just smiled and said well maybe tomorrow will be a better day. Seems like I have been saying that more and more often lately but I can now say that it was a better day. The fish are in and they are starting to hit pretty good if you can keep out of trouble.

Have you ever had one of those days while fishing where every thing just seems to go wrong? Well yesterday was one of those days for me. I decided to run down on the river for a couple hours of steelhead fishing and I should have stayed home with a good book or just took a nap.It started with the trip down when I had a choice of running over a rock that rolled down into the highway or taking on a semi that was coming the other way attempting to do the same, needless to say I decided the rock was much smaller and was not charging at me at 60 MPH, while I tried to keep from hitting it with the tires I some how managed to do so with the front but the back tire hit it square and there went a $95.00 tire. Changing the tire gave me some time to think about all those steelhead that should be in the river now and I once again feel that rush of excitement and anticipation of hooking into one of these fish.

Ok so I go on down to my fishing hole only to find that instead of being full of steelhead it is full of steelhead fishermen. Well there is another hole down stream about a half mile so I grab my rod and gear and take off. When I stepped of the edge of the road way and started down the bank my feet go out from under me like someone just pulled the Rock out from under me and of course when I look up there are six other fishermen starring at me wondering what and the h___ I was doing. Well now I’m covered in mud and my back side feels like I just stood under Niagara Falls but I keep thinking about those steelhead laying in wait just down stream so I pick up my gear and continue down to the hole.

Now I have been fishing and tying knots for well over forty years now but today for what ever reason it takes me forever to get a knot tied that does not break with the first tug. The river is still running a little lower then normal so I cut a small chunk of lead and slip it on and my first cast end up catching a branch that is sticking out over the river I swear some one tied it to the branch because it will not come off and I end up breaking it off and starting over.

While tying up for the second time the wind starts to blow and of course being soaked makes it that much more enjoyable. I make my second cast now and I can feel it bouncing along the bottom when it suddenly stops and I set the hook and have tied into one of the biggest rocks in the river and that is where my second rig stays.

I have to go Now so Check back tomorrow for the rest of the story my luck did not get any better.

 Steelhead fly fishing is like playing the lottery: the more casts you make in the rivers, the better chances you have of hitting the right combinations. Steelhead fly fishing is a true sportsman’s game it will encompass the full range of emotions from joy and excitement to confusion and despair. Steelhead fly fishing is only for those fishermen that are totally committed to this sport; if you are looking to catch a steelhead on a regular basis fly fishing may not be the sport for you. On the other hand if you are looking for a sport that will challenge your very being and give you the thrill of a life time when everything comes together then fly fishing for Steelhead maybe your winning ticket.

Very few of us will actually catch steelhead with flies on a semi-regular basis, when fly fishing for these great fish there is no such thing as a regular basis. When fly fishing for steelhead you need to know about the species you’re after, where they’re found, when they’re in the rivers, what techniques will work, how to read the river, which flies to use, casting techniques, and then if everything flows into place you may land a fish or two and yes I did say may.

Fly fishing with nymphs is probably the most productive technique used on these often temperamental fish. Flies that have proven effective for me are the Egg Sucking Leech (purple/orange) and (orange/black) the Silver Tear is another that has worked well along with the green butt skunk patterns. Fly fishermen consider winter steelhead fly fishing to be hardcore fly fishing and involves enduring hours of casting in cold and freezing waters, hoping for that little tug that lets you know a steelhead has finally picked up your fly. Early fall and late spring are my favorite times to fly fish for steelhead the fish are active the weather is bearable as long as the river conditions are not out of wack from heavy rains and run off.

Steelhead are mystical creatures; irreplaceable fishes, and are a true sportsmen’s fish. Fly fishing for steelhead is one technique that I’ve yet to solve. It is however one that has given me years of enjoyment, excitement, and anticipation of the years head think of what I might be able to try on these truly magnificent fish.  

By: RR Smith
Looking to save on your next purchase of Steelhead Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere on the internet. http://www.steelhead-gear.com

I just thought I would put in a quick update on the steelhead fishing at Riggins Idaho and the little Salmon River to the south.

While the river has not come up to its normal spring time flows it has come up over the last week and the steelhead are stating to move on up the river. Saturday March 22 2008 I Stopped and fished a couple of holes on my way to Riggins From New Meadows I did Hook and land two steelhead in the Bolder Creek area but fishing was still fairly slow there.

When I went on down to just above Rapid River I did do quite well and hooked another five fish in a little over two hours. With the low water condition it is still a little tough  fishing but the fish are there. They were very easy to spook as I notice several fish swim by and they were definitely  spooked either by my presentation or the fact they were able to see me moving around.

The deeper holes were still better for this reason although I did get one that was lying behind a rock in the tail of a hole. This does tell me that they are moving since they seldom stay in these types of spots when they are in a holding pattern.

So get your steelhead rod and head out fishing is only going to get better for the next couple of weeks.

By: RR Smith
Looking to save on your next purchase of Steelhead Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere on the internet. http://www.steelhead-gear.com

Steelhead trout belong to the family Salmonidae which includes all salmon, trout, and the char. Steelhead are the anadromous form of rainbow trout which migrate to the oceans during their adult life, they then return to the same steam and rivers where they migrated from as juveniles. They are a salmonid species native to western North America and the Pacific Coast of Asia.

The term anadromous refers to fish species born in the stream that migrate to the ocean for their adult phase. Steelheads have a life cycle similar to the Pacific salmon and require the same ecological requirements. They are born in fresh water streams, where they can spend their first 1-3 years of life depending on migration conditions. They will then migrate to the ocean where their real growth occurs. They will spend from one to four years in the ocean. The steelhead then will return to the same fresh water stream to spawn. Unlike Pacific salmon, some steelhead do not necessarily die after spawning and are able to spawn more than once These steelhead are normally located along the coastal streams, longer migration such as here in Idaho takes it toll on these great fish as they do not feed once the return to the fresh water streams.

Here in Idaho, most steelhead spawn from March through June in small streams and tributaries where cool, well oxygenated water is available year round, have this cool clean water is key to their spawning success. The female selects a site with gravel beds that have an abundance of rocks in the 1/2″ to 6″ in size where there is good flow of the current through the gravel. She will then digs a nest using her tail, these nest are called redds, a male will come up along side of her and coax her into depositing her eggs, which the male will then fertilizes. These eggs are then covered by gravels and small stones when the female makes another redd just upstream.

The length of time it takes for eggs to hatch depends on water temperature. In hatcheries with carefully controlled conditions, steelhead eggs hatch after 30 days at a temperature of 51° F. “The optimal temperature for egg incubation is between 44 and 50° F (7-10° C).” Eggs will hatch sooner in warmer water, however the young fish are normally smaller and they have lower survival rates. If the water temperature gets too high, eggs will not hatch at all. After these eggs hatch, the developing steelhead will remain in the gravel for another four to six weeks. During this time, they are called alevins and they obtain their nutrients from a yolk sack attached to their body. Once they have used all the nutrients from their yolk sack they emerge from the gravel, they are now called fry, and are capable of finding and catching their own food.

The fry will move to shallow, protected areas of the stream, rock downed trees and the under cuts in the stream banks now play an important role. The fry and as they develop, the smolt as they are now called will establish feeding areas which they defend. They will remain in these steams and tributaries until they are ready to start their migration to the Ocean; there they spend the next 1 to 4 years of their lives grow and maturing until they are ready to start their migration back to the same streams which they were raised in and the process will start over again.

Thankfully for steelhead anglers many states have a very aggressive stacking plan in place to keep these magnificent fish returning. The loss of spawning habitat and dams impeding their migration routes have taken its toll on the natural runs, but with the stocking of streams and assistance in their migration we still have the opportunity to fish for these fish in some of our rivers and steams. I just want to give a big thank you to all agencies involved in keeping these might fish available to us.

Thank you all!!

By: RR Smith
Looking to save on your next purchase of Steelhead Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere on the internet. http://www.steelhead-gear.com

Steelhead fishing on the Salmon River has been excellent reports are good up and down on the Salmon River. Currently the North Fork of the Salmon River is the hot spot. Last weekend according to the Idaho Fish and Game there were over 1000 fish caught and over half of those were released back into the river.

The lower section of river seems to be more of a hit and miss stage right now it just depends on who you talk to. On Monday March 17th  I went down to Riggins and was able to hook into four Steelhead, three of them were in the 5 to 6 lb. range however I did get one that would have gone 12 to 13 lbs. I did talk with several other fisherman and they said that between the four of them they had only hooked into two steelhead so I guess I must have hit a hole where there were several fish holding.

Steelhead trout caught by anglers in the streams typically average 25″ long and weigh 5-6 pounds on occasion you will pick up some nice B-Run fish which are 10-20 lbs.  Of course you can always go and fish the Clearwater which is known for it’s big fish where the average size there is in the 10 lb range with several caught each year that will go over 20 lbs.

Steelhead trout are silver sided chrome bullets that can be caught here in Idaho from September through early may.  Steelheads are really just sea-run rainbow trout; Think of them as rainbow trout on steroids.  Steelhead do not feed once they enter the river systems, they just react they; can see color and are easily spooked keep this in mind when fishing.  Steelhead are without a doubt the most sought after fish in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest and one of the top fighting fish you can hook into.

Steelhead fishing on the Salmon River remains productive and while only improve over the next several weeks as the rivers start to rise.  Steelhead fishing will remain good through mid April and you can pick up some steelhead through the middle of May.

By: RR Smith
Steelhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing has been a passion of mine since I was a young boy. Most of my free time was spent on lakes and streams here in the northwest, and I have picked up on some interesting facts about fishing for these species over the last 45 years. I would like to share them with you through articles and at my websites I hope you find them helpful and enjoyable. So please stop by check out some information or just stock up on your fishing gear. Hope to see you on the river!
RR Smith
Steelhead Gear.Com for all your fishing needs!
http://www.steelhead-gear.com

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Cahill Fly Tying Bench

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Well this weekend proved to be quite a disappointment for many on the river. It seems the cards were stacked against us the rain we were suppose to have gotten never materialized and the colder temperatures lowered the rivers again. It must have seemed like there were no steelhead in the river for many, as I watch many fisherman this weekend spend hours of casting and drifting without any success.

With the high pressure setting up again and the rivers coming up the steelhead were holding on the bottom and were very inactive I heard a lot of fisherman saying that the fish just had not made it up the river yet. I assure you there are quite a few fish in the river but they are very sensitive to the weather changes even more so during this time of year then any other.

We again are waiting on some storms this week and if we get some rain as expected you will see a sudden increase in the action. The main Salmon River flows drop significantly from Wednesday and the pressure rising the way it was put the steelhead in a holding pattern which many of us have seen before, fishing will pick up and will do so suddenly if we do get some rain to bring the river flows up.

For those of you that were on the river this weekend I’m sure you are a little frustrated with the condition but it is just steelheading and until we have some rain or warmer temps to bring up the river you can anticipate condition to continue to be slow. Until then present your baits slow and in deep holes as these are where the fish are holding now. Or you can wait for the condition to change if you do not enjoy fishing all day for two or three hits.

If conditions change as I am hoping they will this week I will keep you informed I’m waiting to see what happens this week. 

Steelhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing has been a passion of mine since I was a young boy. Most of my free time was spent on lakes and streams here in the northwest, and I have picked up on some interesting facts about fishing for these species over the last 45 years. I would like to share them with you through articles and at my websites I hope you find them helpful and enjoyable. So please stop by check out some information or just stock up on your fishing gear. Hope to see you on the river!

RR Smith
http://www.steelhead-gear.com for all your fishing needs

I was able to make another quick trip down to Riggins Idaho Wednesday I knew before I left that fishing would be tough but I just needed to get out for awhile. With high pressure setting up and the cold nights we have been having expecting any more would have been total optimism on my part.

The drive down from New Meadows was relaxing and I was glad to see how much the snow has been receding on my way down. There were a number of deer and elk out and it is always nice to see them. If you have some good binoculars or a spotting scope and want to see a real nice bull stop at the rest area just this side of Rapid River and look to the west, there is a real nice bull hanging out up there and he is well worth stopping and looking for if you enjoy watching Elk. He has not yet dropped his antlers put that will be happening some time soon.

Any way back to steelhead fishing I only fished two holes Shorts bar and at the Park in Riggins. I notice quite a few steelhead roll in each of the holes but getting a hit proved to be another story you know how steelhead are they are either hitting or they are not. Well as I suspected with the weather they weren’t. It was a nice day on the river though the wind was very light and the sun was shining and it actually got quite warm. I tried all my tricks hoping to get lucky and when I got the first hit I was watching some deer up on the hill steelhead one fisher 0 (#1- Rule be ready! opps!!)

I fished for about another hour and half before I switch to a small Crappie jig some times using these small jigs will produce fish. After fishing with this for about thirty minutes I got a hit and hooked into a steelhead well I knew that this small jig meant that I needed to be careful after fighting the fish for several minutes I was sure I was going to win the battle and then it was like some one was throwing rocks at it, any he turned and headed back to the Ocean and it didn’t matter what I tried he was going. Well it didn’t take long for the light hook on this jig to straighten and now the score is steelhead 2 fishermen 0.

I fished for about another hour but I never got another hit I hope to make it back this weekend with a rain storm coming in it should be better fishing as long as the wind will stay down.

Until next time

By: RR Smith

Looking to save on your next purchase of Steelhead Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere on the internet. http://www.steelhead-gear.com