The Steelhead Angler

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I was finally able to make a trip down to the Salmon River Saturday November 29, 2008 and had a great time. While I have missed the main push of steelhead that migrates up the Salmon River, I did manage to catch a couple of nice Steelies.

Steelhead fishing at Riggins is always a hit and miss type of deal you never know when the wind is going to blow. Saturday was a perfect day for fishing though, overcast with high clouds and not a single breeze. The river was crystal clear, I would have like to seen some color to it but this late in the year, and with no rain, it was what I was expecting.

With the clear conditions of the river, my fishing partner Randy and I both knew that it was going to be tough to get the steelhead that are leery to hit. Therefore, we both decided to try jig fishing for them. As it turned out we made a good choice and we both had fair success with this method.

I tied on a 1/8 ounce jig with a black body and orange head and since we have fished this spot for years, I knew I needed to be about six and a half feet deep so I adjusted the bobber stop for that depth. Randy who had just come back from fishing the Clearwater a couple of days before was setup and ready to fish so he was the first to get his line wet. He was using the same type of jig but with a white head.

As I turned to walk down to the river, I hear Randy say there he is, his second cast tied him into a nice buck steelhead that was thirty inches long and may have weighed nine or ten pounds. Since it is getting so, late into the season, head did not perform any of those famous aerial acts for us but it did give him a good tussle. Well maybe this clear water is not so bad after all ten minutes into the day and we have a steelhead on the bank.

We continued to fish for the rest of the day and while fishing is not what I would call hot it was productive we were getting a hit about every hour or so and ended the day with hooking into six fish. Yes Randy did out fish me this trip he hooked four to my two, I will make it up the next time we get a chance to go though.

While as the weather continues to cool off and less and less steelhead angler brave the conditions I find that steelheading will remain fair until we get the spring rush as the steelhead again start moving into their spawning grounds. If you want to be able to have the river mainly to your self these next three month are some of the best times to head out. The Steelhead will remain in the river and as long as there is no bottom ice, you will be able to hook into them every now and then.
Until next time!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

 

Just thought I would Share the Photos I took of the few times I was able to go fishing this year.

Hope you enjoy them.

 

Chinook salmon have arrived at Riggins Idaho and along with the salmon so have the salmon anglers. As the salmon are staging at the mouth of the Little Salmon River waiting for the water temperatures to rise before beginning their migration up the Little Salmon anglers are making the most of this opportunity lining the bank and hoping to entice a chinook to their line.

 

Although the river is crowded at many of the popular fishing wholes anglers are still doing very well and many are going home with their limit of salmon for the day! The Little Salmon is still running high and the water temperature is still cold enough that many of the salmon are holding in holes just below the mouth of the river. This annual phenomenon of the staging in the Main salmon offer anglers a rare and exciting chance to hook into these majestic fish in numbers that really are not common. They normally stage for a few days however this year with the weather conditions keeping the Little Salmon from warming it is making for great fishing opportunities.

 

 

While many anglers are joining in with the crowds there are a number of spots available for the angler who is willing to search them out if you are one of those anglers who prefer to have room to fish and time to enjoy the fight against the salmon. Look for seams of water anywhere below Riggins and give them a try it seems that they are stacked in many of the wholes all along the Main Salmon River now as we found out over the last couple of days.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

With a little searching and trial and error you will be able to find a whole which is holding good numbers of fish. I expect over the next several days as the temperature rises that they will start moving up the little salmon as well and it to will be offering some great fishing this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Good friend of me and fishing buddy Randy has a young pup which enjoyed pointing out the fish as we fought to bring them under control. It seemed as though he was enjoying the excitement just as much as we were he didn’t let a fish get by that he wasn’t right there and keeping an eye on what was going on and he got very up  set if we lost the fish before we got it into the net.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see Louie was right there making sure that we were taking care of business and not letting the salmon get away before   we had it in the net.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the Salmon we were able to get into the net they were averaging 10 to 12lbs and were 30 to 32 inches long however we did get a couple that were over 15lbs my camera batteries died before I was able to get pictures of them though. I know I know another fish story I’ll get some fresh batteries before I head back so I can get you some Pictures of the larger fish just to verify this story though.

 

 

 

 Grab your Gear and come on down to Riggins and join in the excitement this year is turning out to be a very good year as we hooked over forty salmon between the four of us fishing over to days and this is when the weather was cold and wet now that the weather has straightened up it should only improve.

 

 RR Smith

Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout Gear

This article is a must read for any one who plans on making a trip to fish for Chinook Salmon on the Little Salmon River near Riggins Idaho. There have been some major changes from the past as to access on the Little Salmon and fishing is going to be even more crowded on the Little Salmon as we have been denied access to the East side of the River.

Idaho Outdoor News | Fishing the Little Salmon - 2008

Well it appears that again just when are hopes of an excellent Chinook salmon fishing season we get the final news and are now wondering if we will ever see these magnificent fish return in any kind of respectable numbers. I guess we can always hope that at some point they will but for now all I can say is maybe next year. Or maybe I was just one of the fortunate ones who still remember the time when the fish were still plentiful and the fishing pressure was nearly none existent.

Steelhead-Gear.Com

Salmon fishing to close on parts of Snake, Columbia rivers

This is a great story that was posted on the Internet and it started to get my hopes up for the anticipated spring Chinook salmon season here in Idaho this year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did enjoy!

RR Smith: Salmon, Steelhead and Trout  Fishing Gear 

Columbia River Spring Chinook Salmon Fishing Can Get You Hooked - Science - redOrbit

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

By Edward Linton 

Salmon – The fish that have hunted in the sea, some for just one winter, some for as long as five years, return to the rivers where they were born. Some salmon, including the sockeye, die after spawning. These fish make their ascent to the spawning grounds once only. Others, including the Atlantic salmon, do not necessarily die at the spawning grounds but may live to migrate three or four times in their lives.

For many years mankind has marveled at how, after journeying far across the ocean, a salmon can return to the river in which it was hatched. Does this remarkable power of orientation have something to do with magnetic fields, the sense of smell, an instinct, or something else as yet a mystery?

In the Yukon River of Alaska and Canada, king salmon that were tagged and tracked travelled 3,200km (2,000 miles) in 60 days. A leap performed by Altlantic Salmon at Orrin Falls, Scotland, measured 4m (12ft).

From entering the rivers, salmon cease to feed and live on the fat built up when feasting in the ocean. Others benefit from this stored energy - bears, eagles, mink, otters, martens, wolves, and many more hunters await the salmon’s arrival with all the enthusiasm of human anglers.

One of the many wonderful things about salmon is the different number of ways in which you can catch them, despite the fact that they are supposed not to eat anything once they have left the sea!

However to many an angler there is little to beat the excitement of seeing a salmon turning in the water as it takes a fly fished in the surface layers and the quick tightening of lightweight line is an electrifying sensation.

So let us agree that salmon fishing with the fly represents the art in its purest form, even if we never lose sight of the other strategies for catching this magnificent fish.

For more on fly fishing, equipment and strategies visit Fly Fishing
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Linton
Posted By: RR Smith 
Steelhead Gear.Com

By Tommy Thompson 

Fundamental Principles

There is a right way and a wrong way to cast a fly and there is little use in taking up space or time with the wrong methods. In order to become a proficient fly caster there are certain fundamental principles and rules to follow and maintain at all times.

1. Proper balance of equipment.
2. Proper grip of the rod to insure free wrist action.
3. Freedom from all tension and strain.
4. A smooth stroke.
5. Proper timing on both the backcast and forward cast.
6. Proper position of the rod at all times.
7. Proper position or plane of the line at all times.
8. Patience and practice.

Fly casting is a close coordination of the mind, objective, muscle, and operation of the mechanical equipment. It is very important to remember that you are going to cast a line, leader, and fly-which are lightweight objects-with a lightweight rod which is somewhat heavier than the line, leader, and fly. if you have developed or have a tendency to develop a choppy or jerky stroke, then you may expect to have some difficulties. A smooth, snappy stroke is required but not as snappy as when snapping a whip. This type of stroke will cause the loss of many flies.

Another important factor to remember: it is not necessary to cast great distances in order to enjoy the pleasures of fly casting, whether casting for pleasure or to catch fish. Accuracy is far more important than distance. In the majority of cases, casts from twenty-five to thirty-five feet are sufficient distances for any fisherman to catch fish. Distance casting has its place when necessary, but first you should master the short casts to know where your fly will be cast.

Another very essential thing to know is that it is the line that is cast, not the fly. The fly is but a passenger which is attached to the leader. Both are propelled forward, following the line, by the momentum from the power of the caster added to the natural power of the rod. The fly itself is very delicate and of little or no weight and cannot of itself be cast. The same is true of the leaders. Of course there are larger flies which are somewhat heavier; however, this added weight does not make them easier to cast but more difficult because of the wind resistance of the heavier or bulkier lures.
Tommy Thompson is an avid fisherman who loves to share his Fly Fishing Secrets with other Fisherman. He has also wrote and published many of his stories on http://flyfishingguy.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tommy_Thompson 

Posted By: RR Smith

By: trycmcw

This winter, when everyone else is headed for cover in their homes, the adventurous fly fisherman is headed out into the crisp rushing waters to take advantage of some of the most exciting fly fishing of the year. If you’re the type who doesn’t let winter get between you and fishing, then pack your tackle box with an assortment of fishing flies and try out one of these choice winter locations.

Whistler, Canada:
Get your recipes out for wild steelhead, salmon, rainbow trout, and char, because that’s what you’ll be coming home with after a fly fishing trip to Whistler, Canada. Temperatures here in the winter months range between 35 degrees and 46 degrees Fahrenheit so pack your thermals! As for packing your tackle box, some good bets for fishing flies are green highlander, the Green Butt Skunk, and the Thunder and Lightning.

Eureka, California:
Needs something a little warmer? Winter temperatures in Eureka rarely dip below 45 degrees. There are 6 fly fishing rivers in this little Northern California town: The Smith River, The Klamath River, The Trinity River, The Mad River, The Eel River, and the Van Duzen River. Each has its own unique qualities, but each is rich with steelhead. In these rivers, you’ll want to pack plenty of fishing flies that appeal to these hungry fish including the Black Bear Green Butt, Black Dose, and the Orange Body Bomber.

Lake Creek, Alaska:
If you’re dreaming of reeling in some of the biggest, most beautiful salmon in the US, you’ve got to get out to Lake Creek Alaska. In these lakes you’ll have the opportunity to catch huge King Salmon, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Rainbow Trout, and Northern Pikes. Pack lots of different fishing flies but be sure to include sinking flies like nymphs and dry flies.

Taupo Region, New Zealand:
If you’re going to take a fishing trip during the winter, you may as well go big! New Zealand is an outdoor lover’s paradise, with some of the most amazing scenery anywhere in the world. Wintertime fishing in New Zealand is best in the Taupo region. This area is believe to be where the largest number of rainbow trouts in the world spawn. For fishing flies, you’ll want to pack lots of nymphs, particularly pheasant tail nymph, hare and copper nymph, and various forms of caddis.

Sure, it’s cold and there are fewer hatches and therefore fewer fish in the winter. But those that are there are out are practically begging to take hold of a juicy-looking fishing fly. So start dreaming, find your ideal spot, load up on fishing flies and set out on an adventure to break up those long winter months. If nothing else, you’ll come back with some great fishing stories.

About The Author– Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on quality fishing flies and accessories, visit http://www.BlueFlyCafe.com

Article Source: Articles island - Free article submission and free reprint articles

 Posted 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!

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