Personally, I enjoy summer fishing. I like being out in shorts, hiking around for summer run steelhead. To be even more specific late summer early fall when summer run steelhead are cruising about the rivers and the first pulses of large salmon runs enter.

And yours?


The one, the only, the original,

Phish.

Hmmm...it's tough to beat October, when you could have a steelhead, silver, or king on any given cast...

However, I'm 90% steelhead fisherman, and 10% everything else, and nothing means steelhead to me like winter steelhead does.

I mean up early, bad weather, cold as all get out, ice in the guides, bundled like an eskimo, fog on the river, and so quiet...until...BAM! All the cold is forgotten, and the quiet is shattered by the pounding pulse of big winter steel out there in the fog. Keep in mind that this is a big, brawly winter river full of water, not the trickle remnant of itself that it was a few months back. Big fish and big water.

Yep, I like it all...but I'll take a February native once before all the rest ten times!

Fish on...

Todd.

Can't quit fishing all year round but if I had to take two months out of the year to make into one year long season it would have to be march and april and the big nate's that come with em!Ofcourse if those fish were avalable all year long they probably wouldn't be as mysterious as they are.No matter how many I catch I am in awe with there beauty and strength!
Probably has something to do with having gone for so many years without catching one of them blinkity things!!!!I was one of them guys that didn't have an internet to help me along,just the love of fishing.

October is the best month for me. It time to get
the smoking done for holiday gifts and such.

Yeah Todd, I am with you on 90% steelhead but I also enjoy catching chrome salmon on fly rods. I cant say as I agree on the cold part and such. I hate that part. I wish winter steelheading could be as warm as summer stealheading.


The REAL Phish

Both!

Late spring/early summer is absolutely my favorite time of the year, especially fishing for those chrome summeruns or springers. When the mayflowers bloom is when the summer steelhead return. I love to camp out on the river get up at 5 AM and fish until 9 PM. Maybe take a nap when the sun bakes the canyon in the afternoon. The river is lower, clearer and you can see the fish, with your Polarized glasses. Even a rain shower is welcome because the fish seem to wake up. The steelhead bite agressively and do aerials high in the air when hooked. They seem to hold higher in the hole or hide in the riffles during the hot afternoon. Nothing beats eating fresh summerun or springer for dinner, with your buddies before sleep and getting ready to do it again the next morning.

Summertime fishing. Those summer runs are "over achievers".. They'll move 15 feet to a bait, jump 6 ft high and leave some nasty burn marks on your thumb. It's usually shorts, wading boots, vest and bait boxes without all the restrictions of the raingear. Plus the day is longer, ya know, MORE TIME TO FISH!!
Keith

I agree with Cleo, March and April are tough to beat - big fish and alot less people.

Nothing like sitting in the boat on a warm, sunny weekend in the Fall. Plugging, blading, bottom bouncing, drifting, or simply still fishing and listening to a Mariners, Cougar or Huskie game on the radio with a cold beverage and some great tasting jerky along with cheese/crackers, a tasty cigar or two and catching the mighty steely or King all day long! Maybe keep a King or a hatchery metalhead... but just gettin out is as close to having sex without the real thing (save that for when ya get home-if your lucky - that really,really would make one helluva day!).
The true test is to go out the very next day and repeat all of the above.

Fish for Steel or Salmon year around and are not willing to compromise :p

FJ...out.

Fishing is my religion dammit!

There are 4 times a year when I do most of my fishing:

1 - Spring
2 - Summer
3 - Fall
4 - Winter

Me, personally, I like to fish in the winter. There is nothing like freezing you a$$ off them getting awaken by a beautiful fish.
Second, Fall then summer then spring.

For my it doesn't matter when it is as long as there are fish around and people aren't lined up next to each other (blue creek) I am there. Don't get me wrong I like the Cowlitz I just don't like the guy next to me closer than my rod length away.

Its tough to beat October. The first rains of the year drown out the summer stagnant water, trees start to turn, nights get colder... Summer steel, coho, and kings.

My second favorite time is February. Crowds die down, days start getting longer and the elusive native steel comes home. No more cookie cutter 5-7lb hatchery runts. 20+ hawgs become more of a reality.

im with 4salt!
tyler