Quick Video Clip - Trophy Winter Steelhead

This is a quick clip from the other day when I had my client Bob rope into a nice native winter steelhead on a north coast river. The cool thing to think about was that Charlie (Bob's friend) got a chrome bright hen that was blatantly larger than this fish, but the tippet popped when the fish was in the landing mode before I had a chance to put the hoop of the rubber "catch and release" net under that big beauty. We saw it so close and personal though, and it was a dandy specimen of native Oregon wild winter steelhead to see. Watching Charlie battle with it through 500+ yards of treacherous water (stair-step waterfall included) was one of the most awesome angling feats I have ever witnessed! Too bad we did not have that one on film!

Enjoy the video clip, and sorry we have no close up pics of the fish. It was released right after what you see in this clip after a few quick shots and measurements taken with the fish in the water. It never spent more than a few seconds out of the water, and you see it in slow motion on here. Please take care of our wild native fish!!!! They are treasures we need in our future!

Winter Steelhead Fishing Has Been Hot For the Start of the Season

Steelhead fishing has been hot on many Portland area rivers, and it has been more about what river to be at when. During the higher water, the smaller rivers were pumping out numbers of fish, and as the levels have fallen out, the larger rivers have come into shape and fishing has been good. Just about every coastal river has decent to good numbers of winter steelhead, and things should only improve with the next series of storms; so we'll see what the next water events bring in.

Beautiful Mint Chrome Winter Steelhead Taken on a Fox's Fertilizer

 Enjoy the pictures of the last few times out on the North Coast Rivers! I will be posting more, and I have plenty of video footage I need to edit and get online for your viewing pleasure. Stay tuned.....

Probing a Tailout To A Holding Fish Above a Heavy "Falls" Type Rapid

Fishing A Small Creek After A Large Dosage of Rain When Everything is Blown Out

About to Lose the "Big One" Through A Heavy Set of Rapids

Fishing Below A Serious Obstacle For Steelhead To Hurdle

On Tight With A Trophy Steelhead That Gave One Serious Battle

On Tight To A Chrome Bright Steelhead When Everyone Said We Needed Rain

Not Bad Hooking Up On Your Third Cast Of The Morning

Added Bonus While You're Out Fishing

Beautiful Rose Colored Cheeks on this Handsome Male Steelhead

Appreciating A Gorgeous Chrome Bright Ocean Fresh Steelhead

On Tight With A LargeWinter Steelhead

Chromer Taken on Pink Marabou Leech

First Confirmed Winter Steelhead Catches - Time To Go Coastal

This time of the year is when you are itching for some fresh new steelhead to come into the systems. Yes, you can go to the John Day, Deschutes, McKenzie, Willamette, etc to catch some old summer runs that look like rainbow trout, or you can go coastal for a fish like this.......

Wilson River Chrome Bright Steelhead Caught Last Winter

Typically the first winter run steelhead come into the systems about the time of Thanksgiving, and that is right around the corner. It turns out that I have heard of confirmed steelhead caught from three different coastal rivers west of Portland; so it is time to put your angling efforts towards winter steelhead now. With three systems having put out 2011 early winter steelhead, you can bet that fish are present in many more of them. Typically the early winter steelhead hatchery runs are what dominates the rivers, and places like the Nestucca River, North Fork of the Nehalem River, Necanicum River, Gnat Creek, Big Creek, and the Wilson are all great bets. The biggest hurdle is to fish where the steelhead are, and to get the flies into their zone. Otherwise, they will take your flies if your presentation is in their zone. There are some wild fish to be caught also; so always make sure what the fish is that you are landing in order to make sure that the wild fish remain as unharmed as possible.

Early Wild Winter Steelhead Caught on North Fork Nehalem River Caught In 2010

The hottest early season winter steelhead fishing is starting up; so get yourself out there. If you are interested in a guided trip to show you how to get into winter steelhead, then email me at fish@mckenzieangler.com or call me at (541)-232-6360.