The Steelhead Angler

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Chinook salmon fishing will remain open at least through the weekend on the South Fork Salmon River.

Idaho Fish and Game fish managers say there are enough of the state’s share of hatchery-origin Chinook salmon coming up the South Fork to keep the fishery open through Monday, July 14. They will reevaluate the run size and harvest numbers Monday morning and expect to manage the fishery on a day-to-day basis after that, with closure notice as short as 24 hours.

South Fork Salmon River is open from the bridge on Forest Service Road 48 - Lick Creek/East Fork South Fork Road - where it crosses the South Fork Salmon River mainstem, just upstream from the confluence with the East Fork South Fork Salmon River, upstream about 33 river miles to a posted boundary about 100 yards downstream from the Idaho Fish and Game South Fork Salmon River weir and trap, open until further notice.

Limits for adult Chinook salmon on the South Fork Salmon River are two per day and six in possession. The statewide salmon limit is 40 per season. Anglers may keep two jacks per day and have six in possession, but they are not required to record the jacks on a salmon permit.

When the adult limit is reached, the angler must stop fishing for salmon, including catch and-release.

Fishing hours are from one half hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, local time. Anglers may use only barbless hooks no larger than five-eighths inch from the point to the shank. A single hook may have up to three points.

Anglers must have a valid fishing license and salmon permit in possession to fish for salmon. Please consult the 2008-2009 Fishing Seasons and Rules brochure, the Fish and Game Website http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish or a Fish and Game office for additional rules, license costs and other information.

Chinook salmon fishing also remains open on the Upper Salmon River from the Highway 75 Bridge over the mainstem of the Salmon River at milepost 213.5 (about nine miles west of Clayton) upstream to the posted boundary about 100 yards downstream of the weir at Sawtooth Hatchery south of Stanley, until further notice or August 2, whichever comes first.

Chinook limits and rules are the same as on the South Fork.

This information comes from Idaho Fish and Games web Site

Steelhead Gear.Com

Though salmon fishing closed July 1 on several river segments here in Idaho, two rivers are open over the Fourth of July weekend, giving salmon anglers a combined 63 miles of river open to salmon fishing.
For the first time in over 30 years, salmon anglers will be able to again fish almost 30 miles of the Upper Salmon River. This stretch of river has not been open to recreational salmon fishing since the late 1970’s.

The Upper Salmon River section open for salmon fishing runs from the Highway 75 Bridge over the Salmon River at milepost 213.5 (about nine miles west of Clayton) upstream to the posted boundary about 100 yards downstream of the weir at Sawtooth Hatchery south of Stanley. While the salmon have just started to arrive at this section I have heard of a few fish caught and things should be picking up over the coming week. This section will remain open until further notice or August 2, whichever comes first.

Another section that opened this year is 25 miles of the South Fork Salmon River that has not been open to recreational salmon fishing for 43 years. In addition, the eight miles that have been open for recreational salmon fishing during open seasons since 1997 are again open. This year you will now have 33 miles of river to find a salmon fishing hole in.

The section of the South Fork Salmon River opened for salmon fishing starts at the bridge on Forest Service Road 48 where it crosses the South Fork Salmon River. This is just upstream from the confluence with the East Fork South Fork Salmon River. You can then follow the road along the South Fork upstream about 33 river miles. There is a posted boundary about 100 yards downstream from the Idaho Fish and Game South Fork Salmon River weir and trap. The fishing reports that I have received are good as the fish arrived late last week and salmon anglers are starting to have very good success on this section. This section of river remains open until further notice.

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

It seems like it was a long time coming but the salmon have arrived at Riggins and are starting to move up the Little Salmon River. Today June 6^th 2008 is the first time since the river blew out three weeks ago that the flows have dropped below the five year mean and while the river is still high we have started to catch some salmon between Riggins and Rapid River. The river temp is still quite cold up it too is starting to come in it was 47 degrees yesterday and while we all now that 50 degrees is when things start to get exciting I expect with the dropping flows and wormer condition the river will be at the 50 degree mark within the next day or two.

Most of the salmon are currently being caught at the confluence of the main salmon as the temperature there is above fifty degrees and early in the season this is a normal hot spot for the salmon angler. For those who have a boat capable of handling the higher flows in the river fishing the Salmon River below Riggins is producing some nice numbers over the last two days. Most are either plunking eggs or using quick fish set up with anchovies.

For the brave at heart the Little Salmon is producing fish but with the high flows it is like tying into a freight train once the fish makes a move from the slack water into the main current so plan on loosing more fish then you will be able to land. I was fish with a good friend of mine yesterday who hooked into a nice salmon and once it hit the swift water and headed down stream it literally burnt up his drag system before he could do any thing with it. He tried palming the spool and all that did was burn his hand. The fish broke off when it finally came to the end of his line taking his line with it. He will be buying a new reel in the next couple of days as the heat from the drag actually melted most of the drag components to the spool.

So if you have been waiting for the run to begin its time to get your gear and get on the river fishing will be getting hot over the next few weeks so don’t miss out come on and join the excitement.

RR Smith

Salmon Steelhead and Trout Gear

Fly fishermen going after small stream trout or pan fish can use almost any reel to simply serve as device to store their line. However if you are going for powerful fish like pike, steelhead or salmon, having a reel with a smooth drag and is capable of quickly taking up line are a must have quality in your fly reel, having a reel that is well balanced and light weight is also important to the fly fishermen who spends all day on the river. Keep in mind that if you are after these qualities you are going to have to shell out more of your hard earned cash but you will be glad you did if like me you spend most of your day casting and fighting the powerful steelhead and salmon.

When looking for a trout or pan fish fly reel I look at weight and balance more then any other quality. One trick I use instead of having to take a fly rod with me to assure the reel is balanced is I will wrap pencil lead around the reel seat until the rod will balance at the grip point of the rod and then I just weigh the lead and I know how heavy of a reel I can use.

Now when it comes to picking out a fly reel that I will be using for salmon and steelhead I want to make sure the drag has a full range of adjustment, and works smooth. You’ll want a reel that can keep up with the fish should they suddenly make a run at you as well as being able to hold enough backing when they decide to head down stream on one of their powerful runs as well. Once you find a fly reel with these qualities you can start looking at the weight and keep in mind what weight fly line you will be using as well remember your fly line weight needs to match the weight your fly rod is designed for. Finding a reel with these qualities is the most important part. You can always balance the rod and reel by adding weight to you rod. Balance is the key more then weight as a light rod and reel that is not well balanced will tire you out faster then a heavier setup which is well balanced.

One thing that I have noticed is that the true diehard fly fisherman is always asking is which rod reel combination do you prefer and I have to save after using several different setups that it is one that is well balanced. I truly have no preference as to the make and model as long as it feels right.

I have listed a few of the fly reels that I have tried over the years just as a starting point for you, which one is best is something that you will decide as you determine your needs and type of fish you are after. (They are in no special order or preference.)

Pflueger 1195 Automatic

Because of its ease of use and convenience, Pflueger’s Model 1195 Automatic Reel has been a common fly reel for many trout anglers. It has an aluminum alloy frame which features a lever controlled internal coil spring. As the angler presses on the lever the reel automatically winds in the line. It’s rather heavy though weighing in at 9 ounces, but you’ll like its affordability.

Scientific Anglers Concept 2

There are four Concept 2 fly reels and they normally range in price from $35 up to $56. They are made from light, tough, composite polymer graphite and feature a quality disc drag system. Sizes range from trout/pan fish to saltwater game fish. The Model 58s built for heavy fresh and light saltwater fishing and has an exposed spool for palming strong fish into giving in. Amazingly it weighs in at just 4.3 ounces.

Cabela’s XSS

The XSS stand for “Extreme Saltwater and Spey,” These are made for the larger game fish and they too have it all from the large line capacity to their oversize paddle handle and graphite, cork and Rulon disc drag. The reel was designed for anglers who target big, fast game fish. The Size 1 is the smallest of the three, and handles 7 and 8 weight lines and 225 yards of 20-pound backing this fly reel is capable of handling most salmon and steelhead and will run you about $175.00.

Orvis Battenkill Disc Drag

Many fly anglers are familiar with the Battenkill made by Orvis’ and is one of their best-selling fly reels. It is available in three models ranging in price from $79 to $89. It is machined from cast aluminum, the reel features large disc drags and exposed rims for palming. The smallest reel handles line weights from 2 through 5 and weighs just 4 ounces. The largest in this model only weighs 5 ounces and handles 6- to 9-weight line.

G. Loomis Venture

Made with the quality you’d expect from G. Loomis, the three fly reels in the Venture

line are machined from cast aluminum to be tough, yet lightweight. These reels are a simple, classic design, but have quality features. The Model 7 selling at around $100 is the largest of the group, and weighs a mere 3.4 ounces; it handles the 7 weight line with about 150 yards of 30-pound backing.

Sage 2500 Series

Sage, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of premium fly rods, also makes outstanding reels. The four in its 2500 line ranging in price from $300 to $375 are more then capable of handling any fish you will be going after. With a large-diameter spool for fast line retrieval and the offset 3:1 gear reduction disc drag it is very responsive to the tiniest adjustment and would make for a good choice for the serious fly fisherman.

Well these are a few of the reels that I have used over the last few years some I own some I have used and some I wish that I had but just how many fly reels can you use at one time anyways. I hope you have a better idea as to what you need to be looking for in your fly reel and it helps in your decision making. As always good luck and good fly fishing.

RR Smith

Affordable Fly Fishing Reels

As I mentioned yesterday that with the rivers running high and muddy salmon fishing is very tough. I also mentioned that you may want to try and do some plunking for salmon with these conditions. I received several emails asking just how you would set up to do some plunking for salmon. This technique has been around for years and I thought that every one knew what I was talking about for those of you who didn’t let me explain a little about it.

Plunking is used a lot while fishing for catfish, sturgeon and such, and is basically setting up a rig that you throw out into the river channel with a heavy enough wait to hold it in the current. The Idea behind this is that with the bait located in one spot and the scent come from the bait fish will be able to locate it and take your offering. Unlike drift fishing where your bait is always moving plunking hold your bait in one spot and allows the fish to go to the bait instead of the bait going to the fish.

Below is an example of a plunking set-up you can vary just how you tie these, use different lures and bait combinations but it should give you the general idea.

One thing to keep in mind when fishing in muddy water is you want to use scents, sound and vibrations to attract the salmon. Tuna fish which has been pack in oil and anchovies are some of the more common baits used. Some fisherman will mix tuna and roe in an egg sack we’ve been calling this a salmon cocktail just so we know what each of us are using for bait if some one is getting more hits then every one else it’s nice to know what they are using.

Try to find a spot with slow moving current throw one of these rigs out and sit back and relax while keeping and eye on your rod. Don’t worry about what a bite will look like trust me you will know when a salmon takes this. Good luck and give it a try, it works and under the current river conditions it is probably your best bet on hooking into a nice fresh Chinook salmon.

RR Smith

Salmon Fishing Gear

Just when I thought the Little Salmon River was going to come in we started to receive some rain and the river has blown out again. I did make a trip down to the river Tuesday and hooked into a fish but I fished al day and it was the only hit that I got.

The river is as high as I’ve seen it in years and the one fish I did hooked got out in the current and if you have ever fished for Chinook salmon you know what happened next.

Yep it was like trying to stop a D-8 cat from running down a frozen cliff you hold on and hope for a miracle. Even with 40lb test line I was unable to even slow it down let alone turn him. In about thirty seconds he had striped off most of my line and was headed back to the Ocean. It was exciting but the battle if you want to call holding on for everything you got a battle, did not last long and I had to admit defeat before I even got started.

With the river running as high and fast as it is fishing is really tough you use three ounces of weight to even touch the bottom and your line drifts through the hole in about ten seconds. Most of your day will be spent casting that is when you are not tying up a new rig because when you do hit bottom with that much weight it usually finds a way to crawl under some rock and you end up leaving your rig to the river gods. Yet even with conditions the way they are I can’t wait to get back on the river after all it is Chinook salmon season.

If you do not like spending your day casting and tying rigs you may want to hold off for a week or two before you head down. There is however always plunking if you don’t want to fight the current river condition. I have had some pretty good luck with this technique of fishing over the years.

For those of you that are not familiar with plunking it is setting up with a heavy weight as a drop sinker and using a spin and glow with eggs or a similar lure casting it out in a deep pool and then you just sit and wait for the fish to find it. When condition are like the are this is a very good technique plus while your waiting for a fish you have time to relax and tell some fishing stories with you buddies.

Well I’ll keep watching the river and let you know as things develop but for right now fishing is tough.

RR Smith

Steelhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing Gear

The good the bad and the uglyWell the good news for chinook salmon anglers here in Idaho is the resent cold spell is beginning to have a positive effect on the river flows as most rivers here in Idaho are starting to drop back to almost fishable levels.

The Little Salmon River which was running at 5,600 cfs as dropped back to 3,200 cfs and although the Main Salmon has not done as well has dropped from 92,000 cfs to 65,000 which is still way above the normal flow of around 40,000 cfs for this time of year. The Clearwater is dropping but it is even slower in coming down then the Main Salmon.

The bad thing about this is that the cooler temperatures which help to drop the rivers has also dropped the river temperatures which is slowing the migration of the salmon and this is through out the entire river system from Bonneville Dam too the hatcheries. I’m hoping that when the temps stabilize or start to rise back up we will see a surge in their migration.

Now for the ugly part while the rivers have started to drop they are still very brown in color and this makes things even more difficult for the angler as salmon seem to strike out of a natural instinct and not because the are feeding, if they are not able to see your hook then you do not trigger their instinct to strike.

There are some tricks you can use to help in these conditions like using scents, or a lure set up that will make some type of noise or vibration. They help but when the salmon go into a holding pattern there is no sure fire way of hooking into one except for being persistent and keeping something out in the river and hope that one will swim into your offering.

Don’t despair things will pick up and when they do we should have some pretty fair fishing at least it will be better then we have had in the last couple of years.

Steelhead Gear.Com   http://www.steelhead-gear.com/

Just thought I do a quick update on the salmon fishing conditions for some of the rivers here in Idaho. Salmon fishing along the lower sections of the Clearwater were fair last week before the heat-wave hit and blew the river out. Fishermen were have some pretty good success from the Railroad bridge to the bridge at highway 95 which is a very popular spot for salmon anglers.The upper sections up to the Orofino Bridge were starting to produce some fish as well but anglers were having to but in some time to hook into one. The North Fork was producing as well and it is probably the only section that remains fishable as the high muddy conditions are found through out the rest of the state with the rivers at or just below flood stage.

The Salmon River from Hammer Creek to the Time Zone Bridge had fish in it but was not being fish hard as the number of salmon in the river system remained low making catching one of these great fish difficult. Fishermen were having some success from the Time Zone Bridge to Shorts Bar as the salmon normally stack up in this section waiting to move up to the Little Salmon.

The Little Salmon was high and muddy even before the heat from last week blew the river out and fishing was extremely difficult there. I do know of one Salmon caught on this section though and it weighed in at an amazing 28lbs that is huge for this section of the river although not totally unheard of.

Right now the salmon fishing is going to depend totally on the weather we need to have the rivers drop and clear some before salmon fishing will be any good if the cooler weather holds without dropping an abundant amount of rain they should start to become fishable by mid to late next week.

If you really can’t wait to get on the river and try your luck this weekend I would suggest that you make the trip up to the North Fork of the Clearwater and fish that section for right now the river is extremely high but fishable. Good luck and let’s hope the weather holds.

For a complete update on fishing conditions visit Idaho Chinook Salmon Fishing Report      http://www.steelhead-gear.com/Idaho-Salmon

Steelhead Gear.Com for all your fishing needs

While I was sitting here today hoping that the weather will cool off some so that the Salmon and Little Salmon Rivers will at least return back into their banks and hopefully clean up a little so I can go try my luck salmon fishing. I realized that Saturday is the opener for many of the states lakes and rivers.

Now with the spring runoff in full swing river fishing will diffidently be a challenge for the next few weeks if they are even fishable at all. The high land lakes well they are still frozen and it is just as well because the snow is making them all but inaccessible anyways.

I’ve been thinking about trying my luck at some of the lower laying lakes around Cascade Reservoir, Horse Thief Reservoir, and even Little Lake have been some nice producers for me early in the year. I think that with the run off coming so late this year that the feeder steams into these reservoirs will make for some pretty good fishing this weekend.

I have always had good luck fishing these local reservoirs in the spring as the trout are heading up them to start there spawning cycle. My favorite way to fish for these trout this time of year is with my fly rod while it is hard sometimes to get them to take a dry fly pattern I have done very well using small egg patterns with a sinking line. I wish I paid more attention to their names but I expect that most fly fishermen have their special pattern anyways, anything that looks like and egg, ( I do mean fish egg) or even the leach patterns work well for me. I like to fish them right at the head of a deep pole just off the ripples and making sure that they are getting close to the bottom.

I made that special note about being fish egg just for an old time friend of mine but that’s a whole other story that I should write about sometime now that I think about it.

If you have ever wanted to get into fly fishing there is no better time then now and I have a free Download to a great e-book that will get you started out on the right foot. If you are just beginning and it even has some nice pointers for those of you that have been fly fishing for awhile too. All I ask in return is that you sign up to receive an occasional promotional email from my Site at Steelhead Gear.Com you can get the free download here.