Steelhead Time?

[Calvin Loney]

Hey, I did some looking around the web and found that it looks like steelhead should start to come up the rivers by mid-October. I have been on an east Trib almost everyday for the past week and a half and have yet to see a single steelhead. When can I expect to see some? Lots of Chinook spawning but no steelhead

 

[Paul1913]

They are there. Just not as easy to spot as salmon.

 

[balt0]

Are you upstream?

 

[bigugly]

I hit 5 tribs from Friday to Monday and only one was holding fish in any numbers and leg work was required to find them. Fished from mouth of creeks up and fish where mainly close to lake but ones that where willing to play where farther up away from the crowds and tucked deep in pools on in undercuts. Was hard fishing but we managed to put a few on the bank.

 

[Calvin Loney]

Are you upstream?

Yes I am upstream quite a bit, have they maybe not had time to make it up this far?

I hit 5 tribs from Friday to Monday and only one was holding fish in any numbers and leg work was required to find them. Fished from mouth of creeks up and fish where mainly close to lake but ones that where willing to play where farther up away from the crowds and tucked deep in pools on in undercuts. Was hard fishing but we managed to put a few on the bank.

Hmm okay maybe I will try and hit up some big pools. Will throwing crankbaits and spinners into still pools draw some out?

 

[tossing iron]

WATER WE NEED FRIGGING WATER
Makes it all so much easier and lots more enjoyable when you do hookup.
Good solid week or two of rain would be awesome.

 

[bigugly]

Crankbaits and spinners can work, I have yet to use them but see guys hook up with them. If you go to a pool with lots of guys drifting you won't be well liked but hey no one owns the creek.

 

[Calvin Loney]

I never really wished for rain until I got into this fishing thing😂. Well at least Wednesday and Thursday is looking promising for rain around me. Up to 30mm. Better then nothing

 

[Calvin Loney]

Crankbaits and spinners can work, I have yet to use them but see guys hook up with them. If you go to a pool with lots of guys drifting you won't be well liked but hey no one owns the creek.

Thankfully where i fish there is very few people around. And the area is large enough that everyone has their own stretch of river to them selves . Will never look back at Erindale. hahah. I think I will try some spinners and see if I get any action, if not will try drifting roe or maybe beads

 

[salmotrutta]

Thankfully where i fish there is very few people around. And the area is large enough that everyone has their own stretch of river to them selves . Will never look back at Erindale. hahah. I think I will try some spinners and see if I get any action, if not will try drifting roe or maybe beads

Spinners will work excellent in clear and stained water.

After or during the rain, when the water is very stained (but not completely blown out), drift large roe bags anywhere in slack water, or let the current take it into calmer pools. The trout will be running, so you'll even get hookups in the rapids. If you don't have your own eggs to tie into bags, then whatever size bags you can buy will work fine.

Late October big rain, makes double digit days happen. You'll get a mix of browns and maybe some cohos as well.

 

[Fisherman Dave]

There's for sure steel around, they just can't make it very far where I am fishing. There is one pool close to the mouth of the river where they all stack up because they can't go much further, and everyones been pulling them out of there. This time I am praying for the rain not so I can fish, but for at least a few of these guys to make it to their spawning grounds this year before being pulled out of that one hole.

 

[getin]

A few fish enter each day and they are caught before you know it. Have seen it in the past two weeks or so that the pools get fished out rather quickly. A major run is yet to happen but even with that we may have fish in the pools for a few days with the amount of pressure. unbelievable.

 

[instapump416]

We need rain to wash out the salmon and bring in the steel

 

[Calvin Loney]

Spinners will work excellent in clear and stained water.

After or during the rain, when the water is very stained (but not completely blown out), drift large roe bags anywhere in slack water, or let the current take it into calmer pools. The trout will be running, so you'll even get hookups in the rapids. If you don't have your own eggs to tie into bags, then whatever size bags you can buy will work fine.

Late October big rain, makes double digit days happen. You'll get a mix of browns and maybe some cohos as well.

I don't have eggs except for one little jar from the store. Wheres the best place to buy them? Other then fish heads as they are sold out. Or should I go catch a salmon for some roe??

 

[staffman]

Centerpinangling carries all sorts of eggs.

 

[tossing iron]

Jar eggs will work.
Grab some mesh squares , spider thread set to go.
Chartreuse , red , white mesh.

 

[Calvin Loney]

Jar eggs will work.
Grab some mesh squares , spider thread set to go.
Chartreuse , red , white mesh.

No spider thread so improvising my melting it with a soldering iron. Works quite well :mrgreen:

 

[fishermandan420]

Sorry guys but I heard the run has been canceled for this year. Better luck next time.
(I gotta try that soldering iron trick)

 

[rick james]

A few fish enter each day and they are caught before you know it. Have seen it in the past two weeks or so that the pools get fished out rather quickly. A major run is yet to happen but even with that we may have fish in the pools for a few days with the amount of pressure. unbelievable.

I switched my fishing day to Monday from Wednesday this year due to work and family commitments but it seems there's a lot more pressure.

I don't know if it's the day of the week or just the fact that there's more guys out this year. Just yesterday I fished a popular GB hole in gin clear water it was elbow to elbow on both sides even guys waiting on the bank for a chance to fish. In 2 hours I only saw 1 fish caught and 4 other hook-ups. I happened to hook one but before I knew it I already had a guy wrapped around my main line, must've frayed the line, snap fish and float gone.

Lots of guys hero drifting and some surprising lack of etiquette for this time year vis a vis guys whipping back their float salmon snag style. I left and drove 1 hour west hoping for some relative solitude but same story, all good runs had multiple anglers and in about 3 hours saw only 1 fish hooked amongst about 30 guys.

I think we need more open water and catch and release or slot limits, fishery is great and we're very lucky but it can be much better, it's getting a bit ridiculous.

 

[wlatyn]

WATER WE NEED FRIGGING WATER
Makes it all so much easier and lots more enjoyable when you do hookup.
Good solid week or two of rain would be awesome.

Amen! Higher water alleviates most of the crowding issues. The fish get a chance to move upriver and spread out, giving the anglers a chance to spread out. Also gets rid of some of those anglers who only fish when they know there are fish stacked in front of them.
In my opinion, we should do what they do in eastern Canada ...close the rivers when water levels get so low the fish basically become stuck in the lower pools.