As the Fall rains arrive and Oregon's coastal rivers begin to swell, I turn my attention to gearing up for the winter steelhead season. Though salmon fishing is hard to beat in October and November, I still anticipate the first report of an early winter steelhead being caught. During the Chum runs on the Miami and Kilchis Rivers in November there are anglers that do catch a chrome bright steelhead while fishing . The traditional steelhead opener for most anglers is after Thanksgiving. From mid November to January, most of the fish returning to the rivers are hatchery stocks. They are followed by the big native stocks returning in February and March. You will find the rivers crowded when the hatchery fish are in but when the wild fish start returning, the crowds will thin down as this is a catch and release fishery. My favorite time is February and March as for the most part you are fishing alone for fish up to 20 lbs. This is not a bad situation to be in.

Winter steelhead fishing requires time, patience and confidence on the water. You have to go out and believe that your going to catch this magnificent fish every time you put on your waders and hit the water. If you're new to the game of steelhead fishing, I recommend starting with a good book or video on the subject. Watch other anglers, especially the ones that are catching fish!

My personal choice is a 10ft 8wt rod with a medium-fast progressive action. This action will cast both floating and sinking tip lines accurately . Casting ease is critical as steelhead anglers make hundreds of casts each day. A ten foot rod allows better roll casting and line mending which is more important in steelhead fishing than other types of fishing. Extra length helps steer the fly down and across after mending the line. Extra rod length and strong midsections help lift the line and set the hook solidly on upstream takes when fishing small stream pocket water situations.

Fly lines for winter steelhead are important with good line selection a key factor to success. Since water levels are always fluctuating in the winter, a good selection of lines or a shooting head system is critical. Different water depths and flow rates cause the best of steelheaders to pull their hair out if they don't have the right line with them. I recommend the following lines for most winter steelhead fishing: 15' Sink Tip Type 3 (3-4ips.), 15' Sink Tip Type 6 (6-7ips.), 24' Sink Tip 150 grain (4.75ips.), 24' Sink Tip 200 grain (5.25ips.), 24' Sink Tip 300 grain (5.75ips.), 24' Sink Tip 400 grain (7.25ips.). I would carry a long belly floating line. Shooting head systems are also a great choice because they simplify your fishing vest, (no need to pack a bunch of extra spools or reels). I like to keep things simple so I tend to rely on shooting heads. I only need to pack one rod and reel, a box of flies, leaders and tippets and a shooting head wallet.

Another important element for winter steelhead fishing is your leader. I prefer a hand tied leader as I feel it is superior to a knotless leader and allows better control. With a hand tied leader you can control the taper to the exact length and use different materials. I suggest a 9ft-12ft leader when fishing a floating line and a 3-6ft leader when fishing with sink-tip lines. Depending on water conditions, fly size, and the size of fish I'm after, my tippets will run from twelve to eight-pounds.

When choosing a fly reel for steelhead, select one with a good disc drag that will hold at least 100 yds of backing. If you're into a good challenge, you can try a single action reel. Just remember to keep your knuckles out of the way when you're connected to a hot fish.

There are so many flies available to flyfishers that it can be difficult to choose which patterns to attract Northwest steelies. I love tying and admire all the steelhead flies. I think most of the flies attract fisherman's eyes more than the steelhead. So, try to keep fly selections simple. When the river is on the high or colored side, use bigger brighter flies like the Pink Krystal Bugger or a General Practitioner. When water is on the low and clear side, use a smaller more subtle shade of Pink such as a Cotton Candy or maybe a drab shade of Orange such as a Steelhead Volcano.

Finally, I will share with you a few of my favorite streams and some peak times to fish them. Mid-November through January, fish the Kilchis, (best fished by drift boat or pontoon boat), Three Rivers ( bring your own rock to stand on but fishing can be worth it), Nestucca River (this is best fished by drift boat), and finally a little forgotten stream, the Salmon River (fishes best from mid-December through mid-January). By February and March you will find big wild steelhead showing up in the Nestucca River. The fishing pressure is almost non-existent. Go figure!

Tight Lines, Rich Youngers