Fall Steelheading is Game On!!

Happy Angler With First Steelhead Caught - Taken on Egg Pattern Dead Drifted Under Indicator

The first major fall freshet has fallen, and it has filled the rivers with new flowing water. That has caused the fish to orient themselves into a upriver migratory mode, and that in turn has caused to "bite" to be awesome. Today, I took Nikki's father Lance out, and we got into steelhead in a great way! I had 9 legitimate steelhead grabs, and hooked up with 7 fish, and I landed 4 steelhead that were all in great shape. Lance had two on and landed them both; with one taking a swung fly, and the other taking a egg pattern behind some spawning salmon. The fish were taking both swung flies and dead drifted flies off on a strike indicator; so fish can be taken with a variety of methods as of this point in the run.

This Steelhead Was Taken on a Egg Sucking Stonefly Nymph

Fish are really being influenced by spawning spring chinook, and they are totally keyed into the eggs drifting below the redds. The other thing is to make sure that people are being ethical out there; with all of the spawning fish around. Many people hook up with spawned out chinook, and it is "our" responsibility to inform people that they should break the fish off on purpose if they are incidentally hooked. It is funny because you will never hook up with these spawning fish; if you fish for steelhead properly. Always be on the lookout for the cleaned off gravel redds, and the spawning fish. They are very obvious, and stay away from them. On the flip side, look downstream of the spawning fish, and you will often see steelhead below gorging on eggs and nymphs kicked up from the fish spawning.

First Swing Caught Steelhead Taken on a Black Egg Sucking Leech

Steelhead fishing should remain good with days of stellar fishing littered around until the winter flows take over, and cause us to focus our fishing elsewhere. If you want to experience the fall summer steelhead fishing at its best part of the run call me at (541)232-6360 or email me at fish@mckenzieangler.com to set up a guided trip. The best summer steelhead fly fishing is yet to come!!