David Johnson
12-03-2004, 02:39 PM
For many years Thanksgiving has been the traditional kick-off of the winter steelhead season. Families hitting the river together for the morning and then off the water to get home for turkey dinner. For some it's the next morning, soaking in the sound of the moving water and the mist shrouded trees overhead as a cold turkey sandwich and hot coffee are gulped down while the pool of choice is allowed to rest.
A little more than half my life has passed since I went drift fishing with my dad the weekend before Thanksgiving. I used a dyed prawn tail on a high and muddy stream and caught my very first steelhead.
After that long awaited catch we just had to go the morning of Turkey Day. Of course Mom drilled it into our heads over and over, "Be home by two becuase dinner is at four."
Well, we were greeted by high and muddy water, even higher and muddier than the last weekend.
We gave it a go anyway but with nothing to show. We drove farther and farther up river hoping to find clearer water but to no avail.
Finally with a couple hours before we were supposed to be home, we threw in the towel and headed home for the two hour drive.
As we rounded a bend we came up on a scattering of rocks in the road from a small slide. I thought I'd make it over them but not so. BANG! I tore a hole in the transmission pan of my moms car. (we had borrowed for better gas milege)
So for what seamed like for-ever my dand and I hiked through the rain without a single car passing by to try and hitch a ride.
Eventually someone did come by and give us a lift to the nearest town were we used a pay phone to call and get picked up.
Needless to say, we were late for dinner.
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Early season steelhead fishing can be a lot like early season skiing, lots of rocks.
You can either have too high of water, or like this year, too low of water. The fish can be late.
In addition, several rivers in our area have switched from an early returning hatchery stock to a later one.
This year on my boat we caught a steelhead way back on the 4th of November but that's the only one so far (we haven't targeted steelhead yet either though)
Personally, I usually don't get too excited about steelhead until around the 10th to the 15th of December and my very favorite time for them is late January through March.
<font color="red"> December is pretty much full, and we are now filling dates for some outstanding steelhead action for the rest of the winter. DON'T MISS OUT! </font>
A little more than half my life has passed since I went drift fishing with my dad the weekend before Thanksgiving. I used a dyed prawn tail on a high and muddy stream and caught my very first steelhead.
After that long awaited catch we just had to go the morning of Turkey Day. Of course Mom drilled it into our heads over and over, "Be home by two becuase dinner is at four."
Well, we were greeted by high and muddy water, even higher and muddier than the last weekend.
We gave it a go anyway but with nothing to show. We drove farther and farther up river hoping to find clearer water but to no avail.
Finally with a couple hours before we were supposed to be home, we threw in the towel and headed home for the two hour drive.
As we rounded a bend we came up on a scattering of rocks in the road from a small slide. I thought I'd make it over them but not so. BANG! I tore a hole in the transmission pan of my moms car. (we had borrowed for better gas milege)
So for what seamed like for-ever my dand and I hiked through the rain without a single car passing by to try and hitch a ride.
Eventually someone did come by and give us a lift to the nearest town were we used a pay phone to call and get picked up.
Needless to say, we were late for dinner.
------------------------------------------------------------
Early season steelhead fishing can be a lot like early season skiing, lots of rocks.
You can either have too high of water, or like this year, too low of water. The fish can be late.
In addition, several rivers in our area have switched from an early returning hatchery stock to a later one.
This year on my boat we caught a steelhead way back on the 4th of November but that's the only one so far (we haven't targeted steelhead yet either though)
Personally, I usually don't get too excited about steelhead until around the 10th to the 15th of December and my very favorite time for them is late January through March.
<font color="red"> December is pretty much full, and we are now filling dates for some outstanding steelhead action for the rest of the winter. DON'T MISS OUT! </font>