Well it’s finally here, Winter Season. If you grew up here or just moved into town recently you will quickly learn that if you want to get out and fish during the winter months your closest option would be our anadromous friends west of the Cascades. There is no shortage of beautiful places to chase these fish, from the Coastal area, to nearby Washington, and of course our home waters like Hood, Sandy, and the Clackamas.
This morning I am going to briefly touch on a few key elements to having success when the temps drop.
1: Watch The Weather Patterns.
This cannot be overstated and I rarely hear people talk about it. It’s always, cover water, present your fly correctly, target holding water etc. Yes, these are all important factors but I have seen many a clients with with far less experience/skill hook their fare share of fish when the water is high and dirty.
Why is this? Because when we get weather moving in and the rain starts to dump it does a few things. First off and most obvious is that it brings in fresh fish that have been waiting for the rivers to rise. Secondly, it warms the rivers, not by much but every degree counts. Anything above 41 degrees and I feel pretty confident fish are going to be active. Thirdly, it puts color in the water, and this is the biggest factor for me. Steelhead become much more aggressive when they cant see very far. They also feel more comfortable moving out of their holding spot, or place of cover, because essentially the whole river is cover during these times. And lastly, they’re gonna be close to shore. Real close. The less visibility and higher the water, the closer to shore they will be holding. These are the days when “Just The Tip” can get them. This is because there is less holding water. At extremely high levels there may only be a few good holding spots in many miles of river. Find these places and you will most likely find fish.
2: Cover Water. (As mentioned prior)
Targeting a fish that has no interest in eating, is sexually mature and ready to do it’s thing, and is essentially a salt water species in very cold water is highly challenging. Getting them to chase down a ball of feathers, unscented and without any vibration can sometimes be an exercise in futility. This is why covering water is also extremely important. I push back against the “take two steps” approach. It’s all about visibility. How far can you see into the water? That’s how far you should be moving between swings. Oh you can see 20ft? You should be at home tying flies and using your time more wisely. In my opinion I am looking for that fish that has a serious attitude problem, a fish that will move a few feet at the least to smash my offering which is annoying the absolute crap out of them.
3: Don’t Cast Above Your Pay Grade.
This drives me nuts. I get it, but it still drives me up the wall. Casts that don’t turn over are not fishing. Re-read that sentence another 10 times please and thank you. You need to keep that in mind. You need to live by that. I can guarantee over the last 14 years of chasing these fish, myself as well as plenty of others have worked a run well only to have a cast flop out there, followed by us trying to mend it out. That’s the cast where the fish was. That’s the swing they were looking for. And you and I just shit the bed. If you can only cast 50’ then fish it all day. I promise you will get more hookups. Quit trying to win the Spey_O-Rama. Consistency is key, and these fish love predictability. How do we know this? Ask any Guide who has watched their client work down a run towards a holding fish they can see. As that fly makes its way closer to that fish with each sequential presentation that fish will start to get “fidgety.” Their tail may start to speed up a bit, or it makes small movements left to right. This fish is becoming active, a player. I imagine this fish thinking, “ If that f*@king thing comes 1 foot closer I am going to absolutely detonate on it” And if we keep everything tight and consistent like our previous swings, it happens.
I hope some of this info increases your odds out there this Winter. If you’d like to learn more, or work on your overall skills give me a shout or the shop (NWFFO) and let’s get you on the books. Good luck ya’ll. Because no matter what anyone says, there is definitely a little involved in this sport.
My Contact: (503) 784-4623
Northwest Fly Fishing Outfitters: (503) 252-1529