I went to church at the river this Sunday morning. God's country on the Little North Santiam. Beautiful, crystal-clear water, and nary a fish in sight. I fished anyway, assuming I probably see less than 5% of the fish that are there anywhere I go anyway. No strikes.
One person on this forum told me there's no winter steel on North Santiam. All the books and some counts on various boards contradict that, so I gave it a shot. But I didn't see a fish.
So... where does a fella who wants to be out on small water get started? I really like that river, but if the fish just aren't there, I will try elsewhere.
What kind of indicators are there of where the fish are? I've checked water levels, Willamette Falls fish counts, message boards--but I don't know any 'hot holes' and I don't know if I'm just going to high up the river or what.
I don't mean to ask you to reveal your favorite holes, but I'm not sure how to go about finding my own, either.