Hi. My name is Phish. I have a serious problem. I am addicted to steelhead fishing. This habit has lead me to lost time at work, college and with other people (not that all of the above mentioned are worth spending alot time with or at). Why cant there be more time in a day or week? Or maybe more daylight during the winter? I need more time so I can feed my addiction.

On to my real comment/question.....

Reading steelhead water. High water conditions and low, clear water conditions. Tips and such.

I have heard tons of opinions on where and why steelhead lay in certain spots. I believe that reading water is what seperates the REAL steelhead fisherman from just plain ol' fisherman. Since I mainly drift fish, I will tell of my experiances relating to drift gear fishing.

My favorite spots during high water conditions are shallow, slower areas around seams (current seams are just plain fishy anyways). In low water conditions I move toward the shallow waters along the deep pools. However, this DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL RIVERS! I find it a pain trying to read rivers that I am not familiar with. The seams and pockets that I would fish on one river end up being duds on other rivers.

My question, some general guidlines for reading drift fishing water. Do some people just have a knack for dissecting a river into pieces where steelhead lay? On a river that I know how to read and know where fish lay, I catch a large number of steelhead but on an unfamiliar river I usually end up with lost gear and a skunk.

Phish, be comforted to know that you are not alone in your addiction, besides who needs those non fishing fools around anyhow As far as work goes....lets hang the ones who made it necessary

FJ...out.

I'm addicted too even though i've only beached one. As far as more day time fish during the night. Thats when i beached my first. Ask FJ it works.
Tyler

Night fishing is the [Bleeeeep!] except when you have to work the next day


FJ...out.

Phish,

It's pretty hard to 'show' people where steelhead hold in rivers via a post. I suggest getting the new video called "Drift Fishing for Steelhead" by Herzog and Amato. It shows many different types of holding water in actually river film footage; along with good verbal education in it. ...

You can get one thru STS magazine, or access the website in my signature below.

Thanks. Good sales pitch RT.

I was wondering what others opinions are on reading water. I myself have some rivers fine tuned to where I know that if the water conditions are fishable, I can get a fish but like I mentioned on other rivers, I get a big fat skunk. Can one make a general rule for reading water or is it a river by river scenario?

Work pays for fishing...

I've only been serious about steelheading for a year (25yrs for trout), so here's what little I think I know right now:

1) if you want to know a river, you have to spend time with it. Aside from that,
2) steelhead take the path of least resistance (especially the bigger ones) - ideally, 'walking speed' water for winter runs.
3) they hold/rest in tailouts after moving up some rapids
4) they'll stack up in deeper pools in the smaller rivers and will wait there for rain
5) they like to be safe - deep water near by, structure near by, fast/broken water nearby.
6) On a bright sunny day, if I look into some clear water and find that line where you can no longer see the bottom - i think the fish know this is a safer spot and will be holding here (as opposed to hangin out in the middle where the current is usually at it's strongest)
7) if there are large rocks and boulders on the bottom, they will use them to break the current
8) directly in front or staggered out behind an obstruction (big boulder) in the water
9) they know you are not a local, so they ignore your 'cracker' offering (:
10) current seems and the inside corner of the river bends

Well, take that as my 2 cents worth.

-Chad

I agree ChadK. I have observed the same things. I fish these areas on smaller streams but once I hit a river like the Skagit, well lets just say my fishing senses are fubar. My favorite steelhead water on well defined streams is tail-outs. Most tail outs make a really good drift for drift gear.


One thing that I have noticed also is that on rivers and streams its like the fish are all in a train but move at different times. They all take the same path to some degree. So basically when you figure certain rivers out, you are finding the tracks that these fish follow. Certain spots along the trail just always hold fish. They remind me of game or cow trails.

As far as the cracker issue on new streams, well I think that may be a little true. The fish must smell my "crackerhead scent" on the lures.

Oh yeah, I do catch my fair share of steelhead but when I hit a new stream or even a large river like the Skagit, well my numbers plummet.

Phish,
The nice thing about the smaller rivers is they are more defined, and typically you can fish every run from one side.. The bigger rivers get a bit tougher because you typically have limited access, fish can be anywhere from just off the shore to current seams to tailout's, etc. Likely your best success in larger rivers is close to the hatcheries, basically there destination point because larger rivers usually have moving fish and they move all day long.

If you can read small creeks and rivers then fish them the same as any other. A steelhead is a steelhead and they always act the same.. The only difference in two seperate streams is the elements ie., temp, color, gradient, how far up the rivers your fishing, structure, how many fish there were planted for that years return, access, pressure... It can go on and on but if you find good looking water, likely you'll find steelhead and reality is you should be confident no matter where you go and fish the techniques that you know work for you.. With me I always fish eggs or bait and know that any river I show up to fish, that if there is a steelhead out there then I will hook it...
Keith

I think the above descriptions are omitting a couple of very useful indicators. While it's good to look at the current lanes and all, I also pay attention to:

1) foot prints. Like it or not, on the well known rivers, most of the good spots are known, and trails and litter will indicate the general area of where people have caught fish. Please do not add to either. Drive around on a saturday afternoon at the peak of the run, and look for the cars. Then, if you really want to calibrate this, drive around on a tuesday after that, and look for cars then. Then you really see where the best spots are.

2) The OFI. What is the OFI, you might ask? It's the Old F*rt Indicator. Basically when you see of bunch of guys in the range of 40 to 60 years old heading for a spot, you can bet it isn't 'cuz they think Brittany Spears is going to make a guest appearence. Look for those guys, and watch what they do.

The OFI is calculated by the average age of the fishermen about a spot. You want an OFI of about 40 - 56. Much higher, and the guys are too feeble to bust brush to the good spots. Much lower, and the guys are using effort rather than cunning.

This is not to say that there aren't plenty of younger individuals that catch lots of fish. They are, however exceptional (yes, all of you here may take a bow). On average, in most fisheries, it's the old guys that know what they are doing, and know where the easy fish are. So look for them.

Then, Phish (a good band, i must say), I have to say that over the years, I at least have developed a sense for water that seems to translate between rivers pretty well. I think you just need to fish more of them, and the sense starts to come. Many of the folks I fish with and I have come to a piece of strange wtaer, and have had our fish alarms go off simultaneously as we look at a new drift. You just need more data points

Just my two cents.

Silver Hilton thanks for the label...jk. Tell the truth you nailed it #1 and #2 as to learning a river. The rest just takes years of learning.

Gooose

Good words Hilton. Those two points would have never occured to me. I usually tend to stray from other people and signs of others when on rivers. I do have a fairly good sense of reading water but like I said, those large rivers throw a monkey wrench into my system o' water readings. I was just trying to find a universal sytem if it existed.

Those two points that you mentioned are good (although I wonder about the old timers with memory loss and all :p ) , obvious points that I would have over looked. Thanks again.

Stlhdr1 - Thanks for the advice too. The thing I love about steelheading is all the variables. There is always a new challenge.