Quote:
Originally Posted by C-lice
New personal record yesterday for the North Umpqua--I caught a summer steelhead in 44.4 degree water. That's colder than the water on the North is in March and April when the winters are in a lot of the time.
The fishing is still good. The fish are really keying on egg patterns fished below spawning chinook. Scent doesn't seem to be a factor--I hooked 3 yesterday without any.
There seems to be about a 60/40 mix of fish with some color and fresh fish. The fish I landed yesterday and at least one of those that I lost were both very fresh. 4 out of 5 that a buddy caught on Friday were red-striped bucks starting to kype a little bit.
|
Sounds like the Ump is still fishing pretty good.
If fish have a while to aclimate to temp changes they'll go back on the bite. On two separate occasions I've hooked summer fish on swung flies with the water barely above freezing. As a matter of fact on one occasion (on the John Day) there was ice floating down the river and I was hooking fish on a dry line and hairwing patterns.
It does seem like in colder temps, however, that you'd have a big advantage nymphing/using egg patterns as the fish don't have to move as far for the fly. But they will take swung flies as well in the temps you're fishing.
CS
Brrrrr....
Linear Mode
