Steelhead: The Season So Far
The deep freeze is over and our area steelhead are becoming more active.
This year’s season got started with a bang. We saw an increase of anglers on the Methow River. From what I was able to piece together, it comes down to two reasons as to why this had occurred. The first was the closure of some of the Puget Sound River. This brought a higher influx of anglers from the west side of the state than we normally see. The other reason was that the Wenatchee River did not open. From what I was told, this was because they did not have enough fish to warrant an opening. So, those factors sent a little more pressure to the Methow.
Opening day for me was great. I had plans of staying out all day, but following the rules, once I caught two hatchery marked fish, I had to end my day. From talking to other anglers on the river, they were having similar results. As the season progressed, pressure began to have an effect on the anglers’ success. Everyone had to work just a little harder to find receptive players. Those willing to put the time in and stay mobile had no problem with a rewarding outing.
I was hearing some not so good reports, though. Some anglers were not keeping hatchery marked fish as the rules required. On top of that, they were reporting them as wild steelhead. As I have noted before, this fishery and its length is predicated on the number of wild fish impacted by catch and release. When some of the anglers that were releasing hatchery fish were asked, some were unaware of this while others just didn’t care. They stated that they don’t keep fish and, if the river closes after the first month, it won’t affect them since they don’t come over after October. It saddens me to hear such comments.
On November 22nd, the Methow River and a portion of the Columbia River were closed. A WDFW official cited that the impact number for wild steelhead for those water had been met. I was also told that a very large number of steelhead had backed down and ended up at the Wenatchee River, which resulted in the opening of that river.
High water kept the Wenatchee River a little out of shape for a while, but once it shaped up, it started fishing well. Then, we got into our deep freeze and it got a little icy. Since it cleared up, I’ve been getting reports and some of the photos that show that the fishing is doing quite well. If all goes right, February and March can offer some great fishing opportunities for the anglers. A lot of the fish that had been holding off the mouth in the Columbia River will start heading in. You will find them as you will now, holding in the mid part to tail areas of the runs. You may have to cover these area a little more thoroughly, but it will be quite rewarding. This time of year, nymphing with a bead trailer is still the ticket. If you are going to swing, small to moderate size flies will do the trick. Black and Blue combos or the pink and orange combos are good choices to try.
The opener on the Okanogan River, like most years, was lean on the number of anglers plying the waters. For those of us that know where to look, it can be very productive. Normally, the Okanogan River does not get a lot of fish that come in at the beginning of the season. You won’t catch any large numbers of fish, but you will find enough to keep you interested. A lot of your success will depend on how much time you want to put in. Like the other rivers, the Okanogan River experienced a rise in the water level from some heavy rains we had. Due to the makeup of this river, it takes a little time for it to come down into shape. About the time it got back into shape, we had a deep freeze and the river froze over. It has been ice free in most areas, with the exception of the lower area downstream. The Okanogan and the Similkameen Rivers really take off during the months of February and March. The steelhead are on the move and quite active. As with other rivers in the system this time of year, the mid and tail out of the run will be your best shot. Nymphing is also very productive on both rivers. Fly pattern wise, I think that you should go with what you feel confident using. I do know a bead trailer is a staple to think about. For those of us that like to swing a fly, I would stick with your mid-size bugs. No one pattern jumps out, but more of the color combinations seem to do the trick. Stick with your black, chartreuse, pinks, reds and oranges; these colors seem to work the best on the two rivers.
I should note, and I’ll probably catch heck from some of the local anglers for this, the Okanogan and Similkameen Rivers are what I would call under fished waters. Granted access is limited, but once you can get to the good looking waters you will find very little competition on the water. Also, there are some sections of the Okanogan that close in these two months, so make sure you check WDFW web site’s emergency rule change section for the location of these closures. And when you do go out fishing, make sure to drop by your local North 40 to stock up before you go.