Low clear water??

[Jiggy]

If the water is high and dirty I'm in the steel! Once it gets low and clear I can't touch anything! Going crazy here, since we have no water to work with, and it's gin clear. I've shrunk my gear down a ways, and I'm trying everything in the box, no luck. Any ideas for low clear water? And did any one else notice the surge of coho's coming in this month at the clack hatchery? 1/4 of the fish for the year came in this month! What's up with that? Any ideas for getting one of those freak fish?

 

[OnTheDrop]

Were they hatchery Ho's? There's a wild late fall/early winter run of them that are notorious for whacking plugs and jigs.

If I were you I would be rocking a 10-12 mm bead under a float or an 8-10mm bead 12-15 inches off a 1/16oz nightmare or all black jig for the Steels right now...

Good luck,

 

[Modest_Man]

I'll be out there tomorrow, and as of tonight I've got rods ready to go with 8lb fluro leaders, smaller bobber, smaller presentations, and I plan on fishing shallow, broken water as the day moves on. Just my preliminary attack. You've got to change the way you fish with different conditions.

 

[eugene1]

Good luck MM,

Down here in CA there is no water. At least not enough to warrant a trip to to the coastal rivers to chase steel. Hope we get some rain to get the fish into their rivers at least... Drought sucks.

Jiggy, I'd look for any areas of the river that have deepER water, riffles, that you can't see bottom, and target that. Fish like to have some cover and they will hang in areas that give them that.

Good luck guys,

 

[dozer365]

I think modest has a good approach. With water being so cold I'd say shallow warmer water. Of a few hours of covering water that way don't produce then try those deep slots. I'd add to use that cover on the bank to cast from like an ambush sharpshooter. And move slow as to not cause a lot of motion or noise and watch your shadow. Even low on the clack these fish spook in water soooooo clear. Work that worm on 8 pound mono. And throw in a nightmare and don't be afraid to try a purple pink combo. Good luck jiggy.

 

[halibuthitman]

Look for the fish in the heaviest water at the head of slots and runs.. Also very tight to structure where the water has a broken turbid surface.. Modest the river your going to is VERY low and clear, but there are fish all the way up.. Good fishing right around your camping spot, I spent the afternoon there-

 

[GungasUncle]

If it helps, I was chasing fish today. Flinging unweighted #6 flies on light sink tips and short leaders in water averaging 3-4 feet. Wilson was gin clear also. I only saw two fish, and spooked them. I wasn't even fishing the run they spooked from - I was looking for a spot to cross the river safely. They were holding in front of a submerged rock in 3' of water in the middle of a long run.

The other fisherman I talked to said they hadn't had a bump, a bite, or even spotted fish either. One dude called it quits and headed home for breakfast after fishing just a couple runs. I stayed out until about 3:30 and called it quits - I had a hell of a hike and bushwack exploring a stretch I had previously not fished. It was a stretch near the narrows - and the only way to access it was either swimming (heeeeeeeeeeell no!) or bushwacking. So bushwacking it was. That's what lead me, eventually, to the spot I saw the pair of fishes. I stuck with subdued colors most of the day - except for about an hour where I was fishing an articulated pink worm imitation tied with a #6 salmon fly hook, a cut shank, and a #4 stinger hanging from the butt of the cut shank. Swimmy fly - and it wound up being donated to the river gods. I'll have to tie some more up to try out, if there's another surge of fish.

Going to be at least 2 weeks until I can make it out again - I'm hoping for rain so we'll get some fresh fish in. I'm also hoping there are fish waiting in the lower reaches, that will move up if we get rain.

Also saw a boot coho near Jordan Creek milling a tailout about by himself, and a spawned out rotting cark stuck on a rock in another tailout.

 

[Jiggy]

If it helps, I was chasing fish today. Flinging unweighted #6 flies on light sink tips and short leaders in water averaging 3-4 feet. Wilson was gin clear also. I only saw two fish, and spooked them. I wasn't even fishing the run they spooked from - I was looking for a spot to cross the river safely. They were holding in front of a submerged rock in 3' of water in the middle of a long run.

The other fisherman I talked to said they hadn't had a bump, a bite, or even spotted fish either. One dude called it quits and headed home for breakfast after fishing just a couple runs. I stayed out until about 3:30 and called it quits - I had a hell of a hike and bushwack exploring a stretch I had previously not fished. It was a stretch near the narrows - and the only way to access it was either swimming (heeeeeeeeeeell no!) or bushwacking. So bushwacking it was. That's what lead me, eventually, to the spot I saw the pair of fishes. I stuck with subdued colors most of the day - except for about an hour where I was fishing an articulated pink worm imitation tied with a #6 salmon fly hook, a cut shank, and a #4 stinger hanging from the butt of the cut shank. Swimmy fly - and it wound up being donated to the river gods. I'll have to tie some more up to try out, if there's another surge of fish.

Going to be at least 2 weeks until I can make it out again - I'm hoping for rain so we'll get some fresh fish in. I'm also hoping there are fish waiting in the lower reaches, that will move up if we get rain.

Also saw a boot coho near Jordan Creek milling a tailout about by himself, and a spawned out rotting cark stuck on a rock in another tailout.

Thats funny stuff, thanks guys, I'll try your ideas. I knew I've been just looking for a couple feet of walking speed water swinging a yarnie, various colors. I had a suspicion the bobber and jig might be the way to go,I just love the strike on the drift set up so I had to try it. I'll mix it up andtrythat different water. See ya out there.

 

[Jiggy]

They were counted as natives, but there's not even a column for hatchery fish on the count sheet, so??