Last weekend Chromefinder and I decided to go fly fishing for steelhead. We decided to focus on some of the smaller steelhead tribs. On Thursday and Friday we fished a few different creeks and because of run-off and high water most of the creeks were colored up and made conditions tough. On Saturday everything changed, for the better. We hit a creek that had been off color but was now starting to clear up. We caught it just right and the timing was so perfect that there were no other fisherman were in sight. So, the dropping and clearing water and the lack of other fisherman made for a unbelievable day. We hooked so many steelhead it was insane. We were in that zone where every run, ever pool and seam was holding fish. After one of the best days of fly fishing ever we got back to the hotel and started preparing for another day of a steelhead bonanza. Unknown to us it rained quite a bit overnight and our clear creek once again became chocolate milk and unfishable. We salavaged the Sunday on another creek with some steelhead hookups and then made the long drive home. Not a bad price to pay for one of the best days of winter steelheading a fly fisherman can have.
hey twocan and chromefinder! good to see you online …. i usually bump into you on the water … actually, its almost kind of strange … every time i go steelheading, i bump into you guys and not in the typical places … i wish i had bumped into you guys on this trip!!!! i liked your story … i have found that it is often the case that steelhead ecstacy is soon followed by heart wrenching dissapointment … i remember a similar day this season where a particular trib was on fire … hot chrome everywhere …we went to the lodge that night and made plans of who would get first drifts and how we would land the fish in the morning etc… only to show up and too much water had dropped out and ALL THE FISH DROPPED OUT TOO! … so we went from hero’s to zero’s in less than a day … seems like timing is everything and there are those little windows of opportunity and when we are in the right place at the right time with the right flies … it is a steelhead bonanza! hope you have many more days like that in your future … i’m sure i will bump into you guys next trip .. whenever and wherever that is …. see ya
It is funny how much we have seen each other over the last few weeks. Yes, the timing plays such a big part of the success and getting accurate reports from some of those western tribs is tough. I get one of three answers when I call fly shops.
1 low and clear, but fishable
2 high and muddy, but fishable
3 clearing up, but fishable
Next time we are heading up, I’ll pm you or have chromefinder call. I think he has your mobile. It’s been a week since I have gone, so the fever is rising. Since we are having such warm weather I would like to get up there a few more times.