NF Nehalem after a break...

[ChezJfrey]

After a month-long break from steelhead seeking, I got back out there this weekend, looking for some of the earlier winters on the NF Nehalem.

I first stopped by the hatchery to check things out and it was packed. There were a few guys deftly covering the water by casting over/under each other and drifting different segments. It was neat to watch, but I didn't want to bother with it. Though, one young guy already had one on the bank and had earlier released a native, so I know the fish were in there and the water, a bit off-colored, looked OK to me.

I drove OFF and found a less populated area downstream of the hatchery. While rigging up, another guy walked up and asked where I was fishing. I pointed out to a spot in front of me and he agreed that it looked like it held some good lies after he had walked around a bit. He very courteously found another spot.

After a few hours and working down river, I had only gotten the interest of some smaller fish with some spoons, spinners and a few flies...mostly the peach/flash OFFering getting the small-fish love. No steelhead...oh well.

I did snag a salmon carcass OFF the bottom with a spoon...LOL.

Will try again another day; hopefully soon.

 

[GDBrown]

I heard the were starting to show up at the hatchery already and it will be a mad house there for a while. I only go there in the middle of the week and then the worse the weather the better as it keeps others OFF the water. At best I only last a couple of hours and them I'm done for the day. I'm hoping to get a winter on a fly this year. Won't happen near the hatchery though I'm sure. :lol:

 

[fheimerd]

I was out there last weekend as well. Decided to take the pole for a walk. Fished downstream of the hatchery and managed to find some great water but no steelhead. Did manage to pull in a nice bright chinook though

 

[Drew9870]

I did snag a salmon carcass OFF the bottom with a spoon...LOL.

Should've offered it to alseaalumaweld, I hear his smoker somehow magically makes fish live and chrome again .

 

[skunk]

How crowded is crowded? I want to try that river but don't want to fish shoulder to shoulder.

 

[hcole]

How crowded is crowded? I want to try that river but don't want to fish shoulder to shoulder.

I stopped by today and there were 20 or so cars in the lot around noon. Not sure if that's "crowded" as I never fished this spot before but I moved on without finding out.

 

[skunk]

Thanks, guess I'll check it out and look for some solitude somewhere.

 

[halibuthitman]

Thanks, guess I'll check it out and look for some solitude somewhere.

fish up- stream of the hatchery...

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

Should've offered it to alseaalumaweld, I hear his smoker somehow magically makes fish live and chrome again .

You beat me to it dude, I was gettin ready to drag that photo out again!

 

[ChezJfrey]

fish up- stream of the hatchery...

Yeah, I might do that next time myself as I've heard it's good upstream for natives and even quite a few hatchery strays as well.

I just wound up downstream and while there were a handful of people, it was quite spread out and plenty of room.

As for the hatchery itself, what looked to be the prime spots were practically shoulder to shoulder of guys drifting with casts over/under each other in cooperation. Not really my scene, so I bailed after checking it out.