We are doing some traveling to visit family and ended up back in my old Northern California stomping grounds for the Thanksgiving holiday. Now is the time for fall steelhead and my local go-to Klamath River tributary was open for business. I only brought my 6 weight floating/bobber setup along with my usual Klamath River bobber patterns.
Steelhead water in this spot is unlike anything else I typically fish. Access isn't easy as one needs to bust through thigh deep tules to get to the good water. Thank goodness for my @Herkileez Riverstick wading staff. I used to cross it on occasion but the only good crossing spots are usually full of fall chinook salmon redds which I try to avoid. It never used to be like this (well, maybe a little) but for the past five years, the state has forced upstream water users to provide minimum summer flows. This has increased riparian vegetation (especially hardstem bullrush) which has led to narrowing and deepening the channel. Back when I was gainfully employed - I went to a workshop sponsered by the BLM about rIparian proper functioning condition. As I recall, the narrowing and deepening of the channel is a classic response to increased summer flows.
It was pretty frickin' cold on this morning so I figured I would bobber fish.
After flailing away for only a few smolt and a 14" halfpounder - decided a change was needed.
I dug around in my bag and found a brown polychaete imitating cutthroat streamer. It must have fallen out of my box when I was fishing Devils Lake a few weeks ago. I typically fish this stretch with size 12-14 nymphs so a fly on a size 6 streamer hook seemed ginormous. I took the bobber rig off, rigged a longer leader and started swinging with my 6 weight.
It didn't take long to connect to two nice Klamath adult steelhead (20"-22" long). Both fish were not particularly bright as a big component of the fall steelhead run comes in with the fall chinook in September. I was only able to get photos of one of them - the other one came off as I fiddled with my phone. I may sneak out one more time before heading back to our place on the Oregon Coast. I'll also add that I am very excited about the dams coming out - it's going to be amazing!
Steelhead water in this spot is unlike anything else I typically fish. Access isn't easy as one needs to bust through thigh deep tules to get to the good water. Thank goodness for my @Herkileez Riverstick wading staff. I used to cross it on occasion but the only good crossing spots are usually full of fall chinook salmon redds which I try to avoid. It never used to be like this (well, maybe a little) but for the past five years, the state has forced upstream water users to provide minimum summer flows. This has increased riparian vegetation (especially hardstem bullrush) which has led to narrowing and deepening the channel. Back when I was gainfully employed - I went to a workshop sponsered by the BLM about rIparian proper functioning condition. As I recall, the narrowing and deepening of the channel is a classic response to increased summer flows.
It was pretty frickin' cold on this morning so I figured I would bobber fish.
After flailing away for only a few smolt and a 14" halfpounder - decided a change was needed.
I dug around in my bag and found a brown polychaete imitating cutthroat streamer. It must have fallen out of my box when I was fishing Devils Lake a few weeks ago. I typically fish this stretch with size 12-14 nymphs so a fly on a size 6 streamer hook seemed ginormous. I took the bobber rig off, rigged a longer leader and started swinging with my 6 weight.
It didn't take long to connect to two nice Klamath adult steelhead (20"-22" long). Both fish were not particularly bright as a big component of the fall steelhead run comes in with the fall chinook in September. I was only able to get photos of one of them - the other one came off as I fiddled with my phone. I may sneak out one more time before heading back to our place on the Oregon Coast. I'll also add that I am very excited about the dams coming out - it's going to be amazing!
