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Hi guys I am new to steelhead fishing and have been trying to catch one since the winters were down on the slaw.I have fished the Mckenzie all my life for trout but want to step it up a notch and was just looking for any advice on spots for steelhead on the mac.Like where is this hatchery hole I keep hearing about?
drive through the hatchery to the gravel road and drive as far down there as permitted. park and walk down river until you see a huge boulber bluff on the left side of the river where the water splits and goes around it. walk past it to where the water shallows up and cross, then walk back to it just on the other side and bottom bounce a sand shripm from the deep water into the shallow and you will nail both nookies and steelies there. get there early before the boats make their runs through there. if you are already there the boats likly will not fish throught it. if they do then go all renegade on their asses and cast into their boat and they will leave. i have done exceptionally well in this drift. good luck fishing.
drive through the hatchery to the gravel road and drive as far down there as permitted. park and walk down river until you see a huge boulber bluff on the left side of the river where the water splits and goes around it. walk past it to where the water shallows up and cross, then walk back to it just on the other side and bottom bounce a sand shripm from the deep water into the shallow and you will nail both nookies and steelies there. get there early before the boats make their runs through there. if you are already there the boats likly will not fish throught it. if they do then go all renegade on their asses and cast into their boat and they will leave. i have done exceptionally well in this drift. good luck fishing.
dtikey, Great comment. The gravel road past the fisherman's parking lot is a private road for several homes and a ranch. I know the home owners and the ranch owner. the problem comes in when people park their rig on that dirt road and block the owners access in and out of their homes . . . not cool. If you notice, at the first house there is a red gate. Once enough people pass through the private road and screw things up the owners get pissed and close that gate. The owners like to fish as well and are cool with people fishing around there as long as they respect the private property. Bank fishing is fine, don't leave a mess, park in the parking lot only and stay off the private property and then everyone can fish. This all gets especially bad during Salmon season.
As far as where the fish are, they all have to come up that entire river. The eventually go up the creek and into the hatchery, but you are as likely to find them all over down river as right by the hatchery. You might try some of the lower pressure areas around Hendricks Bridge, Leaburg Boat Landing or Greenwood Drive. Bye the way, fish that return to the hatchery are re-released down stream again. The hatchery would prefer that you keep the fish. They are just like any other hatchery fish, non natives and there for your enjoyment. Tight lines!
This is a good thread. I just fished for steelies the 1st time this last winter and landed 11 after many hours of trying to figure out the bite. Now i'd like to get into summers but i know nothing about the Mac when it comes to steel. I've fished a couple of rivers where i had no idea where to go and hooked steelies which gave me a lot more confidence with reading water. Being a painting contractor i hardly have time in the summer but this year i'm gonna make time! I've been having a blast fly fishing for trout this spring so it's kept me happy (for now). I've heard once you hook into steel it'll ruin trout fishing for you but i disagree, i still love it and the challenge of fly fishing. Hopefully i'll get into some steel this summer but if not i can't wait till next fall/winter![/QUOT
This is my first year fishing for summers too. It seems to me that they are pretty much the same as their wintery brothers. Fish the slower seam in the pools and fish the tailouts. Same thing I would do for winters.
This is a good thread. I just fished for steelies the 1st time this last winter and landed 11 after many hours of trying to figure out the bite. Now i'd like to get into summers but i know nothing about the Mac when it comes to steel. I've fished a couple of rivers where i had no idea where to go and hooked steelies which gave me a lot more confidence with reading water. Being a painting contractor i hardly have time in the summer but this year i'm gonna make time! I've been having a blast fly fishing for trout this spring so it's kept me happy (for now). I've heard once you hook into steel it'll ruin trout fishing for you but i disagree, i still love it and the challenge of fly fishing. Hopefully i'll get into some steel this summer but if not i can't wait till next fall/winter![/QUOT
This is my first year fishing for summers too. It seems to me that they are pretty much the same as their wintery brothers. Fish the slower seam in the pools and fish the tailouts. Same thing I would do for winters.
Yeah, thats pretty much what i figured, haven't had a lot of time to get out there though. It can't be THAT much different, right? I know most people use 6 lb. leaders and they are much longer, and the corkie colors are generally darker (makes sense, the water is clearer). Maybe this week with the rain..................
As for Dexter, i've never fished there and don't really have any desire to. Combat fishing is not my style, i dont' need fish that bad. No disrespect to anyone here that fishes up there, but the stories i've heard don't make it seem like much fun. Maybe i'll try it someday just for the experience, but i'm sure more fisherman is the last thing they need up there.
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It seems to me that they are pretty much the same as their wintery brothers. Fish the slower seam in the pools and fish the tailouts. Same thing I would do for winters.
They are somewhat the same as their wintery brothers. While summer run steelheading in the beggining of the year, you can fish them like you would fish winters, closer to the bank, and fish slower seems and tailouts.
This game all changes when the river levels drop into their summer height levels. Go smaller with your "presentations" During winter, you fish bigger most of the time. When the rivers are at there lowest "flow point" fish tailouts ranging from 2-4 feet and at a "walking pace" spead. Summer steelhead will hold in 6"-2 feet of water on shady banks, go small with Presentations.
When the sun is baring down on low clear water, the steelhead will move into pools with the springers, but they will find the shallowest point in the pool, usually behind the springers. If you are getting no hook ups or bited in pools, MOVE!, go Fish faster water, Last year i fished water that was just a little bit faster then "walking pace speed" when the sun was baring down on the water. I had great success.
If fishing rapids with boulders everywhere, find the slowest seem off of boulders and fish that seam, fish every boulder, Don't leave the area till you know you have fished absolutly every "fishy" lookin ripple, eddie, fast water, slow water ect. Most of your hook ups will come on that very last cast. Cast to every spot that you think might hold a fish.
TIP: Don't leave the area until you have coved all the water that looks appealing to you. That is the most important part in this game called steelheading. One thing i leanred last year, and have continued to to this year, is fish water that most steelheaders will pass up.
dtikey, Great comment. The gravel road past the fisherman's parking lot is a private road for several homes and a ranch. I know the home owners and the ranch owner. the problem comes in when people park their rig on that dirt road and block the owners access in and out of their homes . . . not cool. If you notice, at the first house there is a red gate. Once enough people pass through the private road and screw things up the owners get pissed and close that gate. The owners like to fish as well and are cool with people fishing around there as long as they respect the private property. Bank fishing is fine, don't leave a mess, park in the parking lot only and stay off the private property and then everyone can fish. This all gets especially bad during Salmon season.
As far as where the fish are, they all have to come up that entire river. The eventually go up the creek and into the hatchery, but you are as likely to find them all over down river as right by the hatchery. You might try some of the lower pressure areas around Hendricks Bridge, Leaburg Boat Landing or Greenwood Drive. Bye the way, fish that return to the hatchery are re-released down stream again. The hatchery would prefer that you keep the fish. They are just like any other hatchery fish, non natives and there for your enjoyment. Tight lines!
and it was never posted before on the river.
Exactly radiation. It's really not hard to bring a plastic grocery bag with you in your pack to put your garbage in.They even have garbage cans out there! The farthest you have to bring your trash is back up to the road where the receptacles are... I know for a fact that not only do other anglers don't like seeing trash laying around, but I know the hatchery workers HATE seeing that laying around....
good job making it sound like that tho.