Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3804 Feb 1-15 2019 | Page 21

FRESHWATER VOL.38 • ISS. 4 WHAT’S HOT to the human eye, but a steelhead must be able to sense it. When a river is rising, steelhead seem to have migration on their minds, and they don’t bite very well. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. I’ve also had some decent, note that I used the word “decent,” days of fishing on rising rivers. For the most part, you will want to fish on a dropping river. Dropping rivers get the fish to stop their migrations. They start holding in places that offer good resting and concealment potential. Most steelhead fishermen would consider ideal conditions to be when a river goes from a muddy color to 2018 Fish Rite 20’ Performer Complete package with welded walk thru windshield, single piece .190 performance bottom, rod storage, tackle tray, 2 Elite helm seats on storage boxes, glove box, instruments, 115 hp Yamaha with offshore bracket, custom trailer and much more! CALL FOR GREAT SPRING PRICES! SUTTER MARINE, INC. 3804 19 Continued from page 1 SUTTER MARINE IS YOUR DEALER FOR We Offer A COMPLETE Service Department Featuring Factory Certified Technicians Feb 1-15, 2019 (530) 673-6250 380 Garden Hwy.• Yuba City, Calif. “steelhead green.” In other words, as the flood waters recede, the color will go from brown to a chalky green. That chalky green color is the signal When rivers are running high, you’ve got to think outside the traditional to most steelheading box to hook up! anglers Photo courtesy of MIKE MCNIELLY, Fish Sniffer Staff. to get out to their favorite stream. However, you can get a good buddy and I have a theory that goes jump on your competition by altering your as follows: make a reasonable presenta- presentation. tion to a fresh from the salt steely, and it For example, the most common and most will eat. successful offering in the steelheading A few years ago, I would have never had world is a dime sized cluster of roe fished in the confidence to throw a big obtrusive tandem with a Fish Pill or similar flotation combo like a Spin N Glo, Little Corky, device. This is the tool that allows guides yarn and bait at a steelhead. Since then to put bread on their tables. More steelhead I’ve caught a lot more steelhead, and I’ve have been duped by this combo than all caught them on a lot of different stuff. other methods combined over the last ten or I’ve caught them in Alaska, California so years. and Idaho on both hatchery and wild This presentation is ideal for clear water rivers. Here’s a fact: If they can’t see your situation where it’s both innocuous and offering, you can’t catch them. So, if the appetizing to your average steelhead. There water is dirty and visibility is limited, it comes a time where it’s completely inad- makes sense to hang something in their equate, and you may as well be fishing face and let them get a good look at it. with a bare hook. That’s when the water is There’s absolutely no way that a steelhead dirty, and the river is “pushy.” I’ve heard is going to see a dime sized cluster of roe many fisherman say, “The river is too high. or a fly when visibility is in the 1-1.5 foot It’s still a day or two out.” It’s that time range. where plunking is starting to peter out, and Those techniques are great when condi- drift fishing isn’t quite happening yet. The tions are in the classic 3-5 ft. of visibility river may have a foot of visibility at the range and the river is green to clear. When most. This is when I’ve made my hay as a the river is dirty, you’ve got to give them steelhead fisherman. something that makes a lot of vibration The biggest key is to make short casts and has a lot of profile and contrast. close to the bank. These fish are still That’s why I go with a size 10 Spin traveling close to the banks since the river N Glo and bait combo. Then I look for is a little on the high side. I’m not plunking current seams and deep pockets along the with a heavy pyramid sinker but instead bank. You can bet that steelhead will be making a very slow and methodical drift. in these kinds of spots when the water is I like to fish my stuff a little on the heavy a little on the high side. You don’t even side. If you’re a steelhead fisherman, you really need your gear to be drifting as can understand what I’m saying. When you long as the wings on the Spin N Glo are should be using an 8 shot slinky, you instead spinning in the current. The fish will do use a 10 or 12 shot slinky the rest. The bite could be the lightest little so that you are hanging “tap, tap” or it could be a very obvious bottom a little more than tug. you normally would A few seasons back I was on the Mad want to be. It’s not a very River. I had had such a good day that natural presentation, but I actually ran out of bait about an hour steelhead are dumb fish. before dark. The fish were still biting, and There, I said it. They I only had killed one fish. I had caught aren’t exactly wild brown many fish that day, but I was really hoping trout sipping size 22 for a chrome hatchery hen to replenish my mayfly spinners off the roe supply. surface of a crystal clear I had some bright pink Berkley Power spring creek. In fact, they Worms in my bag, and I decided, “why can be one of the dumber not?” I didn’t even bother re-rigging. I fish that swims. It’s just added the worm in lieu of roe. It was almost sacrilegious to call hands down the most ridiculous looking the grey ghost dumb, but presentation I’ve ever made: Spin N Glo, they certainly can be. Corky, yarn and a bright pink 4” power I would argue that when worm. steelhead get “smart” or With every cast, as the line would sail “wary” it’s due to heavy towards the opposite bank, I’d say to angling pressure. When myself, “This is dumb.” I’d time it so that steelhead haven’t been the sinker would hit the water right as pressured, they are really I’d say, “dumb” in my mind. I seriously easy fish to catch. I’ve thought I was completely never seen a fish aside wasting my time. from brown trout that are As you might have guessed, surrounded with so much I wouldn’t be writing lore and supernatural about this unless I powers as the steelhead. hooked a fish. I even In fact, they can be surprised myself when extremely aggressive and the world’s dumbest dumb fish that carry many steelhead decided of their saltwater feeding to eat that ugly habits into freshwater. A cocktail.