The fall Steelhead season is off to a good start. It is much better than last year and looks to be very good as encouraging numbers  are showing at the Willow Creek weer. There is a lull in the run currently with fish tanking up. We need some rain  to get the fish moving up once more, we are supposed to get some weather next week. There is also a  lot of boat and foot traffic, so be prepaired.The water temp in Junction City was at 50 degrees yesterday. We are having good success skating mudler minnows and leaches in the deeper riffles and tail outs.  This is one of the few times a year you can get a Steelhead on a waking or skating fly. IT IS A BLAST!!

Here are some recent photos

I made very few  posts over the summer as they were starting to sound redundant, also I was fishing a lot of water out of the area.

The good new is the Steelhead are finally arriving. The lower river has quite a few holding in the canyons, with some good reports of half pounders.  I saw a few in the upper river yesterday, but did not hook any. I have been catching some nice browns over the summer, and we have caught some large Salmon lately. Things will get going soon with Steelhead with the cooling weather. The fly water closed the 15th and the river is dropping from 450 cfs to 300 cfs on the 1st. I have springers spawning in my back yard and the water temp is 58-60 degrees. Here ars some shots of late.

Sorry for so long between posts. I have been Helping the shop up on the Yuba for the last 6 weeks at Shad camp. Shad fishing was incredible this year, it was a lot of fun. The Salmon are showing well in the lower river and will be in my back yard in days. I have seen a couple go by the house, and it’s supposed to be a great run. Lewiston Lake is fishig well with the usual leach patterns and soft hackles, when fish are near the surface.

Here are a few Shad shots from  the Yuba.

The Trinity River is currently running at 2800 cfs. It will be back to wadable levels around the first week in June, where it will be in the low teens. We should have our spring run kings showing at that time. We will also have our resident browns happening.

Lewiston Lake is fishing good, we have been averaging a dozen fish a day up to three pounds, mostly on #10 olive leaches. The lake is clearing and has a nice current running through it with the increased flows.

Here are a couple photo’s from this week.

The fly-water opener was pretty crazy with shoulder to shoulder fishermen. They started showing up about 3 hrs before the sun even came up. Most of the fish headed down river after the first day in fear of being stepped on. We managed a few nice fish on the surface and emerger patterns. I spent some time on Lewiston lake, Having mixed success. The fish we have caught this year have been quality. They are averaging 12-16 inches and are little footballs. The hatches have tapered off with the mixed weather patterns and we have caught most fish on #10 olive Leach patterns . Here are some photo’s from this week.

The Steelhead season is slowly comming to a close. We are still getting one here and there, But most of the fish are on their beds or downrunning. we are getting some nice browns on dries, and Lewiston Lake is starting to turn on. We hooked 3 yesterday on dries and Leaches.

Here are some recient shots.  

We are finally getting some weather. The river is running brown at the moment. I may have to cancel trips on the river for the next couple of days and go up to Lewiston Lake, which is fishing good. We landed four fish on dries yesterday, it was great!!!  We are getting most of our fish swinging golden stones. Here are a couple of shots from this last week.

I am back and we are finally getting some weather. There is six inches on the deck. It was was warmer here  than Hawaii while I was gone. I have been out a couple times since I have returned and the fishing is about the same as when I left, a fish or two a day swinging golden stones and leach patterns. I hope this current series of stormes moves some fish around. Here are some current photos.

We are finally catching some fresh fish. The storms we received two weeks ago moved some fish up. We have been getting mast of our fish swinging stones and crystal woolly buggers. We are also hooking some fish on dries in the afternoons, on may fly patterns. I am heading to Hawaii  for a couple of weeks for some warm weather, be back first week in Feb. We will be fishing for those winter fish when I get back.

I have not made a post in a while, due to there is really nothing different to report. The fishing is  back to a pretty normal Steelheading year. I have been hearing  a lot of grumbling up and down the river for the last  2  months about crappy steelheading. What we all need to remember is the years prior  to the last 3 and get over it. If you hook a fish or two a day you are doing good , it is not always about the numbers anyway.The days have been beautiful and we have been having a blast, even getting a few on dries last week with the warm afternoons. It is finally getting cold again and our guides are back to freezing till about 9 or 10 in the morning. We have been getting  most of our fish on golden stones, copper johns, and olive and black leaches.

Here are a few photo’s of late.