NWWC BAIT LAB: Step into Duane's Domain: coon shrimp for summer steel
POSTED June 14, 2010 / 7:40 p.m.

PUYALLUP, Wash. - A key point to remember when you're preparing baits for summer steelhead (or any fish, for that matter): You have to start with good bait to end up with good bait.

Be selective where you buy your shrimp. If you can't find them, then I would suggest:  Internet, Internet, Internet. Do your homework and you might be amazed what's out there for your education. Networking  on your fishing sites and boards is another useful tool.

8CLICK HERE FOR DUANE'S COON SHRIMP RECIPE and some detailed advice on curing/brining baits for summer steelhead in the NW Wild Country Bait Lab.

STEELHEAD REPORT: L.A.'s latest steelhead solution: "fish highways"
POSTED April 28, 2010 / 8:50 p.m.

MALIBU, Calif. - The words "steelhead" and "Malibu" don't often appear in the same Associated Press paragraph, so my web surfing came to a screeching halt when the following story by AP writer Noaki Schwartz came across the Wild Country desk on Monday: "Calif's costly trout recovery effort criticized".

Trout, in this case, are endangered Southern California steelhead, and the recovery effort in question is a California Department of Transportation proposal to build a 60-foot-wide, 102-foot-long "fish freeway" across a popular beach in Santa Monica Bay. The intent: To allow the passage of adult steelhead into streams in the Santa Monica Mountains.

A little digging reveals that our SoCal brothers have spent $16.7 million building fish ladders, and tens of millions of dollars in repairs and improvements to existing facilities are scheduled for the next few years.

8STEELHEAD FISHING IN THE URBAN SPRAWL OF LOS ANGELES is not a foreign subject to longtime followers of J.D. Richey and FishWithJD.com. If, for some reason, you haven't read this story before, prepare to be blown away, bro.

-JS

SHOW PREVIEW: Steelhead Nation goes on a vision quest for 20-pounders
POSTED March 5, 2010 / 9:00 a.m.

SEATTLE - I'll never forget the first 20-pound steelhead I cradled in my hands. Bright, strong, and outlandishly beautiful.

That fish changed my life.

It sent me on a 25-year vision quest that would take me to the greatest steelhead fisheries on Planet Earth:

n It sent me to the Dean River, where I experienced steelhead transcendency with five 20-plus-pound fish in one glorious day (on a fly, no less!).

n It sent me repeatedly to the Babine River and its tributaries, a place where I someday hope my ashes are scattered.

n It sent me thousands of times to the Sol Duc, the Hoh, the Bogachiel, an area I am now more familiar with than my own back yard.

To the Great Lakes. To Northern California. To Oregon. Up and down the coast of British Columbia. Places where I spent thousands upon thousands of hours learning the habits and behaviors of big, big B-I-G steelhead, and how to catch them. My vision quest has connected me with over 220 20-pound fish, for every one of which I'm extremely, sincerely, eternally grateful.

It's now time for me to pay it forward.

Helping you along on YOUR vision quest: Over the next several weeks, I'll be sharing over two decades of big-fish knowledge here on NWWC.com, and on the air on Saturday mornings. I'll open the pages of my personal steelhead encyclopedia to Steelhead Nation and let you thumb through the information therein. I will, hopefully, help you along on YOUR personal vision quest for the steelhead of a lifetime.

It all starts tomorrow on Northwest Wild Country. Please, tune in, take notes, call in, ask questions.

nTUNE IN LIVE, 6-8 a.m. PST on SPORTSRADIO 950 KJR!

nCATCH IT STREAMING ONLINE at www.950kjr.com!

nDOWNLOAD THE PODCAST at our ON DEMAND CENTER!

SHOW PREVIEW: Put on your hunting clothes, kids, it's trophy-hunting time
POSTED March 3, 2010 / 1:50 p.m.

TILLAMOOK - While the rest of the Pacific Northwest fishing world is laser-beam focused on spring Chinook, Wild Country blogger David Johnson has been quietly pulling on the oars on the rivers of the North Coast. How's he doing?

Look at the picture above. That's one of DJ's clients, with a fish caught last week.

You tell me how he's doing.

The Wild Country Steelhead Nation starts its road trip to TrophyTown this Saturday, with check-ins from DJ, and the start of Bill Herzog's "Trophy Tips for The 20". As in 20-pounders, from the man who's caught more of 'em than any 10 of us combined.

nTUNE IN LIVE, 6-8 a.m. PST on SPORTSRADIO 950 KJR!

nCATCH IT STREAMING ONLINE at www.950kjr.com!

nDOWNLOAD THE PODCAST at our ON DEMAND CENTER!

STEELHEAD REPORT: Pautzke boys tackle snowy Lake Erie steelhead
POSTED Feb. 25, 2010 / 10:45 a.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland rocks!

And snows. And freezes. But that doesn't slow down Team Pautzke! Bill "Swanny" Swann took a little Pacific Northwest steelhead mojo to the Great Lakes this week, along with Pautzke general manager Chris Shaffer.

8THE GUYS AT STEELHEADQUARTERS.COM chronicled the whole thing.

STEELHEAD REPORT/CRASH TEST: Lightin' 'up up with Pautzke BorXOFire
POSTED Dec. 30, 2009 / 6:10 a.m.

BROOKINGS, Ore. - Talking with guide friends from Northern California to Washington State around Christmas, I heard lots of stories about good early-season steelhead fishing. All of the steelhead had one thing in common - they were caught with salmon and steelhead eggs cured with Pautzke BorxOFire and Fire Cure.

There are several quality commercial cures on the market, but many top guides are finding success right now with the hot new BorxOFire and the already-proven Fire Cure.

8CLICK HERE TO CHIME IN ON MARTIN'S THREAD on iFish about BorXOFire's early-season success.

NWWC VIDEO WALL: Val Perry's classic "Fishing the West", Part 2 of 3
POSTED Dec. 12, 2009 / 5:10 p.m.

SMITH RIVER, Calif. - Funny how timing works out.

I was sitting at the desk this afternoon, doing some work on the January issue of California Sportsman magazine. To be specific, I was poring over some information about California's Smith River.

Lo and behold, look at what appears in my Inbox: A note from Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing, and a link to this cool old episode of "Fishing the West" featuring longtime Northwest Wild Country guest Val Perry.

If you've never fished the Smith, you should. In the meantime, enjoy part 2 of the three-part video from Val's first FTW appearance.

-JS

STEELHEAD REPORT: Methow metal beat goes on, ba da dum de dum dum!
POSTED Nov. 14, 2009 / 9:10 a.m.

CARLTON, Wash. - Last time we heard from John Whitlatch of Reel Adventures, he was watching this 90-plus-pound Chinookasarus swim back into the waters of the Kenai River. Whitlatch checked in late this week with a quick report from the Methow River, where he'd been fishing with longtime F.O.W. (Friend of the Wild) Ray Gombiski.

How did they do? How about 50-plus fish on center-pins?

More photos to follow.

-JS

FEATURE: Time to fly the friendly Sky for summer steelhead, Chinook
NEW June 22, 2009 / 10:45 a.m.

SULTAN, Wash. - The whisper of a hot summer steelhead bite hits the small town of Sultan, Washington like a Grateful Dead concert.

On off weeks, the hottest thing in town is the Frisbee-sized cinnamon roll at the Sultan Bakery. But 24 hours later - after the chatter of a hot steelhead and summer Chinook bite hits the internet chat forums - the gravel launch under the Sultan River Bridge blossoms withglowing red trailer lights and aluminum sleds as the Sky above the town of Monroe turns into the biggest side-drifting party in western Washington.

This particular section of the Snohomish River’s biggest tributary isn’t a fishery for solitude-seekers. Everyone from Tacoma to Bellingham is well aware that the Skykomish has produced a 2,000- to 3,500-fish steelhead harvest most years since the 1980s. Add a relatively new two-hatchery-Chinook limit to the mix and you have exactly what you’d expect from a productive salmon & steelhead fishery within an hour’s drive of 3 million people.

8CLICK HERE to read Andy Martin's feature on his favorite southern Oregon steelhead creek. You still have a shot at a trophy!

FEATURE: Martin details winter-run fishing on Oregon's Chetco River
NEW March 23, 2009 / 10:30 a.m.

BROOKINGS, Ore. - Some anglers come to Oregon’s Chetco River in hopes of catching one of the storied 20-plus-pound steelhead it produces each winter. Others are attracted by its healthy run of hatchery fish, making it one of the best bets in the state at a multiple-steelhead day.

8CLICK HERE to read Andy Martin's feature on his favorite southern Oregon steelhead creek. You still have a shot at a trophy!

STEELHEAD REPORT: Buzz & the boyz smokin' 'em on the Wilson River
NEW March 9, 2009 / 3:30 p.m

TILLAMOOK, Ore. - We've been keeping a long-distance secret for Wild Country blogger David Johnson since around Christmas: steelhead fishing on certain Tillamook Bay streams has been solid bordering on sensational this season.

As Johnson wrote in his "Second Mouse Gets the Cheese" Blog a couple of weeks ago, the secret is out: traffic on the Wilson River has gone from mellow to mind-numbing on the weekend.

However, there appears to be enough fish to go around, as longtime Wild Country friend Buzz Ramsey is only too willing to point out.The photo above is the second to hit my "INBOX" today, courtesy of Mr. Ramsey. Buzz owns a cabin on the Wilson, and I suspect that he's making a morning drift, whacking 3-4 steelhead, and gleefully sending photos out on his lunch break.

Trophy time: While I haven't heard of or seen photographic evidence of any ginormous natives on the Wilson this year, it generally kicks out a fair share of trophy-sized fish in March.

The tides are favorable this month, too: I wouldn't be at all surprised if Buzz's next lunch-break e-memo said something like "Pretty good fishing today ... caught a 20-pounder ... wish you were here!"

-JS

EXCLUSIVE: Steelhead bite approaching peak on mid Columbia River
NEW Feb. 17, 2009 / 2:00 p.m.

TRI-CITIES, Wash. - The Pacific Northwest has officially caught Springeritis. But while the majority of westside Washington and Oregon anglers will be thoroughly boondoggled by the spell of upriver Chinook for the next 45 days, a dedicated squadron of plug-pullers and bait-drifters will quietly rack up some of the best steelhead numbers of the year in the mid-Columbia and lower Snake rivers.

Northwest Wild Country hooked up with veteran Tri-Cities guide Bruce Hewitt for a Q&A about the fishery.

X CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast.

WILD BLOG: Patrolling Oregon's north coast with guide David Johnson
NEW Feb. 8, 2009 / 12:30 p.m.

TILLAMOOK., Ore. - What happens in a Tillamook guide's mind in the Twilight Zone of early February, before he starts guiding for Columbia River spring Chinook?.

8CLICK HERE as David Johnson goes Unplugged

FISH WIRE FEATURE: Welcome Tri-Cities to the Hatchery Hawgs lineup!
NEW Feb. 3, 2009 / 10:50 a.m

TRI-CITIES, Wash. - I was wondering when the Tri-Cities crowd would introduce themselves to the Hatchery Hawgs lineup.

For the past two months, I've been seeing reports out of Tri-Cities of steady action on mid-teener steelhead. For those of you who aren't familiar with the wintertime drill on this part of the Columbia, it has two requirements: lots of insulation, and a well-stocked plug box.

Hawg #7: This 18-pound racing-striped Hawg followed orders perfectly above McNary Dam, going after a pink Mag Wart trolled 100 feet behind the boat in chilly 36-degree water. Pendleton angler Joel Gilliland put the wood to him, and, voila, Hawg #7!

Contest ahoy: Been scrambling the past two days, but I'll get details posted today (for real!) about the Hatchery Hawgs Contest.

Wanna qualify? Send me your Hawg photos: joel@nwwildcountry.com

-JS

FISH WIRE FEATURE: Nooch takes the lead in Hatchery Hawgs contest
NEW Jan. 31, 2009 / 9:50 a.m

CHEHALIS, Wash. - A pattern is starting to develop here.

Nooch, Mook, Nooch, Mook.

Say that three times as fast as you can ... and then check out the lastest Wynoochee River entry into the Hatchery Hawgs lineup.

Six entries into this adventure, and Tillamook-area streams and Nooch have accounted for four Hawgs. I have one more Nooch pig scheduled to hit the page on Tuesday, and possibly another for Friday.

Unless the Orofino and Tillamook crowds start to play catch-up, the Nooch is going to run away with the Hawg crown, and I'll have no other choice but to rename this thing "Black Creek Hawgs"!

Hawg #6: The latest Hawg fell into my lap courtesy of the dudes at 3 Rivers Marine in Woodinville. That's Ian Winder, with the fifth steelhead of his fledgling career.

The photo is straight out of the Candian fly-fishing mags, with the fish-on-its-side pose. It's a little deceptive, too: the fish runs 39 inches, and is easily a Hawg qualifier.

FISH WIRE FEATURE: Oregon North Coast checks in with another Hawg
NEW Jan. 29, 2009 / 4:30 p.m

TILLAMOOK, Ore. - Need more proof that Oregon's brood stock steelhead program is a success?

Here ya go.

The big steelie at left is the second North Coast brood stock fish to be logged into our Hatchery Hawgs feature in the past 5 days, making it an even 40 percent so far.

I'm just sayin'.

This photo comes courtesy of guide Chris Nordling, who put client Loren Litke onto a fish who's taped-out particulars (39-plus length, 21-plus girth) put it well over 20 pounds on four different weight estimators.

The Big 5: I've gotten some requests for side-by-side comparisons of the Hawgs to date. Ask and ye shall receive: click on the thumbnails for full-size Hawg viewing.

FISH WIRE FEATURE: Rico representin' in Hatchery Hawgs race
NEW Jan. 28, 2009 / 9:45 a.m

ELMA, Wash. - It was only a matter of time before Eli Rico joined the battle.

So, last week, I laid down a challenge to Washington steelheaders to show their colors in the Hatchery Hawgs challenge.

I pointed out in no uncertain terms that our Oregon neighbors were handily making us all look like a bunch of clowns, thanks to photos of hatchery giants caught on the Wilson, Coquille, etc.

Here's Rico's volley: a big Bubba of a hatchery hawg caught Tuesday in the Chehalis River Basin. This fish is 18 to 19 pounds-ish, and definitely a qualifier.

The battle continues: So as we approach the end of January, the 8Hatchery Hawgs score is Washington 2, Oregon 2. Check back here tomorrow morning, though, and you'll likely see the Beaver State Boyz re-take the lead, thanks to Glenn Hall of Hawg Quest. I hear rumors of more big fish coming out of the Wynoochee this week, but, so far, NO PROOF.

Send those photos in, boys and girls: joel@nwwildcountry.com!

STEELHEAD REPORT: Johnson files Tillamook-area steelhead report
NEW Jan. 25, 2009 / 1:30 p.m

TILLAMOOK, Ore. - After the high water we had through December and early January, the rivers finally cleared, leaving a nice shot of steelhead for Oregon anglers. Fishing was fun on my local rivers, but with the melting snow pack keeping flows up, the fish soon became spread out. 

The biters also got picked off pretty good with 40 to 50 boats on the water per day.

Broodstock: One highlight of the season is the number of big broodstock hatchery fish that are present.  I had one guide buddy get one that was 20+ and on the same day I netted a 22-pounder for another boat who didn’t have a big enough net.

Currently the rivers are dropping into their lower levels and clearing. 

Perfect!

Low and clear rivers are my specialty. The longer they are low the better as far as I’m concerned.  The fish start to slow down and stack up and the pressure drops off.

I have more consistent and have had more double digit days under these conditions than any other.

It’s still early in the run for our broodstock fish and I look forward to several more great months to come.

-DJ

STEELHEAD REPORT: Oregon takes the lead in 2009 hatchery hawg race
NEW Jan. 22, 2009 / 8:15 p.m

MYRTLE POINT, Ore. - I've heard it said that we Evergreen Staters are a little "over the top" in our worship of steelhead.

Maybe so, but our metal-maniac brothers and sisters over on the other side of the Columbia River are ringing in with some impressive weights late in the 2008-09 hatchery-steelhead season.

The latest member of our 8Hatchery Hawgs gallery comes to us from southern Oregon's Coquille River, courtesy of Travis Howard of TH Custom Rods.

That's Howard's son Tanner and wife Dondi, and a brute of a clipped fish that Tanner wrestled out of the Coquille ... actually, it's one of a COUPLE of 15-plus-pounders that the Howard clan handled in one day. To you western Washington dudes, the Coquille is probably foreign territory, but, suffice it to say that they have pretty strong hatchery genes down south.

STEELHEAD REPORT: Beaver State checks in with broodstock bruiser
NEW Jan. 22, 2009 / 9:30 p.m

TILLAMOOK, Ore. - As waters throughout Washington and Oregon continue to fall back into shape following our recent floods, many of us have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the late hatchery fish being netted in Beaver and Evergreen State rivers.

For instance: the newest entry in our "Hatchery Hawgs" race - the beautiful buck pictured at left (photo courtesy of David Johnson) - came from Oregon's North Coast. To be more precise, that's a broodstock buck pulled out of the Wilson River.

Good luck finding a better-looking steelhead, native or broodstock.

Hawg hunting: "Transition" steelheading - when wild fish begin to replace hatchery fish - isn't rocket science. Matter of fact, most full-time steelhead guides don't fish any differently this time of year than they did in late November, when the 7-pound hatchery brats started to show up.

Free drifting is still the all-around best technique, simply because it allows you to cover more water than you will with plugs or pink worms.

"Most of our big fish come on drifted or side-drifted gear," says Wild Country blogger and Tillamook-area hotshot David Johnson. "I'd say that the best way to get into a hog is to fish a river known to hold big fish, and fish it during this (January/February) time frame."

More hawgs to come later this week!

-JS

FISH WIRE: 30-plus-pound B.C. steelhead, 8-weight flyrod ...
NEW Jan. 9, 2009 / 11:00 a.m

SEATTLE, Wash. - Every now and then I stumble across a photo of a fish that just makes me go "Wow ..."

Tell the truth: when you opened this page and saw the photo of the ginormous, beautiful Kalum River steelhead above, you said the same thing, didn't you?

The photo above was taken on the Kalum River, a tributary of the legendary Skeena River in northern British Columbia. The dude holding the fish is Antti Pirinen, from Finland. The fish: well over 30 pounds, caught on a fly and an 8-weight, single-handed rod.

Yes, you read that right: Pirinen successfully hooked, fought and defeated one of the biggest steelhead you'll ever see on a single-handed 8-weight.

"Regarding the Monster Steelhead," Pirinen says (he's allowed to use capital letters for this fish, by the way), "I'll share the story with you. You might think it's f***ing weird, but this is how it went."

8CLICK HERE to read Pirinen's story

STEELHEAD REPORT: Idaho's Clearwater Ground Zero for hot steelhead
NEW Jan. 16, 2009 / 3:30 p.m.

OROFINO, Wash. - I don't care what you're fishing for, 35 fish a day is a damn good day. When the species in question is steelhead ... well, 35 is a damn good month.

You call bulls*it if you want, but this is what I'm hearing from Idaho's Clearwater River: 15 to 35 fish a day for fully-armed guide boats.

"I have a buddy who swore they caught 35 fish the other day," Mike Kelly of Fish Reaper Guide Service reported on Friday. "I have another buddy who caught 18 that same day. Sounds to me like the Clearwater is loaded with fish."

That report was echoed by Kip at The Guide Shop in Orofino: "The river's finally levelling out, and there's a bunch of fish in the river."

Giddyup, Orofino Maniacs.

Podcast Alert!: Check back here on Sunday for a podcast of our conversation with Kelly and the crew at The Guide Shop.

-JS

STEELHEAD REPORT: Finding fish in the pre-Christmas deep freeze
NEW Dec. 10, 2008 / 4:00 p.m.

ARLINGTON, Wash. - With daytime highs in the low 20s throughout Washington this week, you might as well toss a Corky and yarn down the frozen-food aisle at your local Safeway.

As Wild Country co-host and steelhead savant Bill Herzog advised this week, pick your time and place if you want to convince a frozen metalhead to bite this week. And if you just HAVE to go fishing this week, here's what you'll find on some of our favorite steelhead streams:

nKalama River: This week's deep freeze has locked everything up tight in the Kalama drainage, so you can expect low, clear water conditions throughout the weekend. Head straight for the Canyon: fish rocketed up the Kalama on the last series of rains, and they'll be hunkered down in the chilly water from the Red Barn upstream. Fish black/red or chartreuse/white jigs and spinners. Call Prichard's Western Anglers (360-673-4690) for water-condition updates.

nBogachiel River: Sleep in, eat a hearty breakfast, fill the propane bottle and bring your plug box. The Bogie is dropping, with 5 feet of visiblity, and it's loaded with hatchery steelhead from about a quarter mile above the hatchery down to the Wilson's launch ... and none of 'em will be willing to bite a thing until past noon.

"With this cold weather plugs are going to be the best and the afternoons until dark will be the best time of day as the water will warm just a little bit," says Bob Kratzer of Angler's Guide Service. "Best plugs have been X-4 FlatFish in silver, TJ special, flame red, Dr. Death, green weenie or flounder. Both shrimp and prawns have also had good success when stretched out behind a diver with a small pink corkie in front of it."

nSkykomish River: Four feet of visibility, running at around 2,300 cfs, and hit-and-miss above the Sultan for steelhead. Still some bright(is) chums around above the Wallace, steelhead is hit-and-miss for side-drifters and bankies floating jigs & bait. Hit up Eli Rico of Hot Shot Guide Service or Jim Stahl of J & J Guide Service for guided trips on the Sky.

nCowlitz River: A little-known reality of a West Coast cold snap: more water gets dumped through the dams on the Cowlitz as Tacoma Power generates power to keep your cousing warm in California. Consequently, the Cowlitz is running at 6,750 cfs as I write this. If it warms up a few degrees, look for those flows to ratchet back to around 5,200. There are fish here, too: side-drift, fish floats & jigs/eggs or plunk sand shrimp. Give Don Glaser at Barrier Dam Campground a call for the straight scoop on water conditions.

-JS

STEELHEAD REPORT: Churned-up Cowlitz "getting greener" for steelhead
NEW Nov. 28, 2008 / 2:30 p.m.

SALKUM, Wash. - Steelhead fishing on the Cowlitz River had ground to a halt last week, thanks to massive sediment releases from Mayfield and Mossyrock dams. And while visibility below Barrier Dam is still minimal, it looks like the water is shaping up better for weekend plunkers and plug-pullers.

"The lakes (Mayfield and Riffe) are solid mud," Don Glaser at Barrier Dam Campground reported on Nov. 28. "We had mud dumping into both Riffe and Mayfield."

Mud in, mud out: with an ever-increasing amount of sediment in both reservoirs, the only choice for dam managers has been to release water from both Mayfield and Mossyrock dams, which has pushed a plume of brown good right down the Cowlitz's gullet.

Visibility, consequently, has been poor to non-existent.

"I fished it (early Thansgiving week) and wish I hadn't," said guide Bill "Swanny" Swann. "There was zero visibility, and we didn't catch hardly anything. That thing was dirty, dirty.

Visibility hadn't improved significantly by Black Friday (Glaser reported it at 6 to 8 inches), but there are signs that the river might be steelhead green again within a week.

"In the last three days, I've seen a difference in color," Glaser says. "I can see a little bit of glacier green on top of the Cowlitz, and Riffe has some green streaks on top."

In the meantime: Plunkers and plug-pullers will do the best while the Cowlitz is stull mucky. Glaser reports that fresh steelhead and coho are being caught from Barrier Dam and Blue Creek by bank anglers plunking sand shrimp on short leaders (18 to 24 inches) and boaters backtrolling plugs close to the bank.

-JS

FISH WIRE FLASH: They're heeeeeeeeeeeeeere ...
NEW Nov. 23, 2008 / 4:40 p.m.

ARLINGTON, Wash. - I wrote in the November issue of Northwest Sportsman that the traditional Thanksgiving kickoff to winter steelhead season had become a thing of the past. It has, for the most part, thanks to brood stock hatchery projects and truncated runs that fade into December more often than they get cranking in November.

I also wrote that you'd be insane to ignore early-arriving steelhead in the Skykomish, Cowlitz, Snoqualmie and Chehalis system.

Heads up, people: they're heeeeeeeeeere.

Mark my words, the winter 2008-09 is going to be one of the best in recent memory. Early fish have been arriving in the Cowlitz for nearly three weeks, we're already seeing reports on fishing forums of steelhead at Reiter Ponds, guys like Bill "Swanny" Swann (above) are whispering about good numbers of early fish in the Chehalis system, the Calawah is - in the words of Wild Country co-host Bill Herzog "stuffed with fish" - and the Snoqualmie is starting to percolate.

Now, if we can luck into some cooperative weather (i.e. good water conditions), it'll be game-on for Thanksgiving weekend.

Check back on Wednesday as I file our first Steelhead Report of the season. This will be a regular mid-week anchorpoint here at NWWC.com, with the latest info on metalhead fisheries throughout the West.

See you on Wednesday.

-JS

FISH WIRE: Brace yourself for October, November to remember on Snake
Oct. 13, 2008 / 9:00 p.m.

CLARKSTON, Wash. - Brace yourself for the hottest 60 days of steelhead fishing on Planet Earth.

As I write this, a gigantic biomass of Onchyrancus mykiss is flooding over the dams of the Snake River system, on a collision course with an eager angling public humming with excitement from Clarkston to the bowels of Hells Canyon.

Army Corps of Engineers fish passage counts for Little Goose and Lower Granite dams - the two dams just below the Lewiston/Clarkston nexus on the middle Snake - reveal figures that'll give any self-respecting steelhead angler a chubbie: 151,080 hatchery metalheads over Little Goose, 144,916 more over Lower Granite.

Those figures are both about 25 percent higher than the 10-year average, and among the highest early-October counts in years.

Translation: the Snake River between Lewiston/Clarkston and Heller Bar is about to go off the chain. Mark my words: the next two months will see some of the best steelhead fishing the Snake River has ever seen, and that's saying something for a fishery that routinely produces several thousand blushy-cheeked sea-run rainbows every year in October and November.

About the only thing holding this bite back right now is water temperature. As Mike Kelly of Fish Reaper Guide Service told us on the air last Saturday, water flows pouring past Heller Bar will be just about perfect until early December, and one more slight dip in those water temps will turn the Snake into Ground Zero for North American steelhead.

More on this later this week on the Fish Wire.

-JS

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