Help me pick a rod for SRC and Steelhead

Shad · Oct 14, 2023

Chinookie said:
What weight do you think I need for winter steelhead? I’ll mostly be in the smaller sections of rivers/streams. I don’t have a boat and bank access is hard/private on the bigger/open sections.

Oh... you were talking winter steelhead. The small water won't be as small in winter, and the flies/fish will typically be bigger, too.

Yeah... that's two different rods. Use your 5 for the cutts and get a 7 or 8-wt. something for the steelhead. Spey fishing and smaller water don't go together for me, but a switch could give you that option should you want to go there....

DimeBrite · Oct 14, 2023

Chinookie said:
What weight do you think I need for winter steelhead? I’ll mostly be in the smaller sections of rivers/streams. I don’t have a boat and bank access is hard/private on the bigger/open sections.

A 7 or 8 weight 9'6" or 10" single hand will work for fall salmon and winter steelhead in small to medium sized streams/rivers.

Salmo_g · Oct 14, 2023

IMO, an 8 wt single hand rod will serve you best for winter steelhead fishing. When you can afford it, a 7 wt Spey rod will serve you even better. Just to give you an idea of gear that works well for steelhead, I have an old 8 1/2' 8 wt fiberglass fly rod that has caught more steelhead (summer and winter) than all my more expensive Spey rods combined. At least I think so, cuz I don't keep count. But there were a lot more steelhead around back when I used that rod, of course.

Your 5 wt should be fine for SRC in freshwater. That's what I usually use. But a 6 wt for saltwater SRC fishing.

SurfnFish · Oct 14, 2023

up stream steelhead water on the OR north coast rivers is predominently narrow and tree lined, with far more opportunities for floating an indicator through a narrow seam than finding good swing water, so hard hard to beat the simple utility of a 9' 8 wt floating a tied roe egg.

TicTokCroc · Oct 14, 2023

I just looked at the NW zone regs, since when did steelhead not open till December 1st??? There are a few streams open for catch and release trout year round, but I only count 2 in the NW zone. So basically we can only fish for salmon the month of November.
That makes its tough for November but there's no reason you can't be fishing for cutthroat the same time your steelheading, especially with nymphs. Just don't say it out loud. I have caught numerous cutthroat while drift fishing cookies and yarn for steelhead. It's been a good 8 to 10 years since I targeted steelhead on the coast, the regs have changed a lot. Check the Willamette zone border with NW zone for year round catch and release trout.

Pink Nighty · Oct 15, 2023

Since you're starting out and not wanting to blow the bank, I'd get a 9-10ft 8wt. Yes, you'll be over gunned for the SRC, but that's what you have the 5wt for. The 8 will toss the bigger junk you'll want to throw, and have enough stick for most steelhead and salmon. Itll give you greater coverage for fishing situations than getting a 6 would.

Once you're truly and completely sick with this disease, start filling it out from 1-16, with somewhere around a billion 9ft 5s and 6s.

Stonedfish · Oct 15, 2023

As others have mentioned, I’d continue to use your 5wt for SRC and get a 8 wt single hander for steelhead.
Lots of good options out there for the 8wt without breaking the bank. Echo, TFO, Redington and Fenwick.
SF

Merle · Oct 15, 2023

Another vote for an 8 weight. Either a 10’ SH, (which you can roll and single hand Spey cast) or get a 10.5 / 11’switch rod. The extra foot of a 10’ over a 9’ makes a huge difference in mending ability when fishing moving water.

I have an 11’ 8 weight (single hand rating not Spey scale) switch and have found it to be the most versatile tool for rivers, summer or winter, large or small water.

But yeah Pink Nighty is right, you’ll end up getting a couple dozen rods eventually to cover every imaginable situation!

Good luck and have fun

Andy

DerekWhipple · Oct 16, 2023

TicTokCroc said:
I just looked at the NW zone regs, since when did steelhead not open till December 1st??? There are a few streams open for catch and release trout year round, but I only count 2 in the NW zone. So basically we can only fish for salmon the month of November.
That makes its tough for November but there's no reason you can't be fishing for cutthroat the same time your steelheading, especially with nymphs. Just don't say it out loud. I have caught numerous cutthroat while drift fishing cookies and yarn for steelhead. It's been a good 8 to 10 years since I targeted steelhead on the coast, the regs have changed a lot. Check the Willamette zone border with NW zone for year round catch and release trout.

I'm not sure where you are reading a blanket closure until December 1st. In the exceptions it varies from river to river. Some rivers are only open for steelhead starting in December, but other's are not so restricted. Wilson is open for steelhead year round, so are a few others.

Every zone seems to have a couple of streams that are open for trout year round. Throwing anglers a bone, I guess.

TicTokCroc · Oct 16, 2023

DerekWhipple said:
I'm not sure where you are reading a blanket closure until December 1st. In the exceptions it varies from river to river. Some rivers are only open for steelhead starting in December, but other's are not so restricted. Wilson is open for steelhead year round, so are a few others.

Every zone seems to have a couple of streams that are open for trout year round. Throwing anglers a bone, I guess.

Yea, I missed the mainstream Wilson to South fork, I was looking at smaller waters and headwaters for what op was describing where they were fishing. What surprised me is the salmonberry is year round. Gales Creek you would think was in the NW zone, but actually the Willamette zone and its open year round for trout. Like all oregon regs I have to read them 5 times and I still am second guessing myself.

Zak · Oct 16, 2023

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FS - Sage XP 697-4

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www.pnwflyfishing.com

Zak

Little Fork · Oct 16, 2023

TicTokCroc said:
Yea, I missed the mainstream Wilson to South fork, I was looking at smaller waters and headwaters for what op was describing where they were fishing. What surprised me is the salmonberry is year round. Gales Creek you would think was in the NW zone, but actually the Willamette zone and its open year round for trout. Like all oregon regs I have to read them 5 times and I still am second guessing myself.

Sorry to hijack the thread but the Salmonberry is closed to trout 11/1-5/21 and closed to steelhead 4/1-11/30.