Just returned from my second annual october fishing trip on the deschutes river. This year we saw a lot of steelhead. I think together we hooked 15 in three days. Trout and mountian white fish always are plentiful, but the steelhead are great. We float the river between beavertail and macks canyon, with pontoon boats. Evrything was great until my uncle broke an oar the first hour after putting in, on the first day. After some deliberation we decided that what done is done and we carried on. Shortly after he landed his first steelhead ever. nice fish, and deserved. between the four of us we had lots of fish, although one family member is a spey rodder that only fishes for steelhead so needless to say he only accounted for one fish. Nymph fishing bring many fish, even steelhead. For me though the best was last. Fishing the last run, on the drive out, I hooked on a 8'6" trout rod, a 10 pound, estimated 30 inch steelhead. that fish took me 100 yards down river from were I hooked him. I about fell down when he came out of the water to reviel his true size. Huge for that river, the average size is around five pounds, although some idaho b run steelies shoot up the deschutes for a cooldown, this fish was massive. Once I landed him, right on a bed of grass that lay in the water, he was still. I took the hook out, got the camera out, gave it to my uncle, ask if he was ready, and procceded to lift the fish for proper documentation. It turns out that I didn't have the best hold, he slipped, feel right through the grass and was gone. Damn. I felt great, but still pissed that I missed the picture. Advice to anyone with a camera, take the picture then the hook out. Anyway great trip with lots of redbands and steelhead. Thanks to my brother in law and uncles for the memories. Last but not least, if any one finds them selves in the seattle area, look me up, come friday that will be my new residence. I will miss putah and the great times I had on the creek. take care and good fishing.
Thats cool that your moving to Seattle thats where I grew up. You should go salmon fishing when you get there. It is perfect right now. The rivers on the Olympic peninsula came up about 8 feet last week and tons of coho and kings are in the rivers. All the rivers are on the drop and are full of fish. My friend went out on sunday to our favorite stream and got 8 kings 15 silvers and a couple of sea run cutts. He wasnt flyfishing just casting big vibrax spinners but you can definately get them on flys. Good luck and give a report if you go. Hatchery Steelhead will start showing about a week before thanksgiving!!!!!!!
Thanks for the tip. We are moving to west seattle, and my wife is part of the quinalt tribe. I think I will have access to the resiveration. I hope to sharpen my salmon and steelhead skills this winter. Any little creeks that I could take my son to to catch some trout. He is only 3, but loves the outdoors.
bkerbs if I might suggest to you try the yakima, its one of my favorite river and if you dont mind a longer drive try rocky ford creek ( its between ephrata and moses lake). If you looking for something closer to seattle try the snoqualmie river... I believe the middle fork is open year around... but dont quote me. I recently moved from the seattle area about a year and a half ago, and the fishing up there is great. Although my personal basis is that its best on the East side of the state.
Thats crazy I grew up in West Seattle. I cant believe your wife is quinault you are a lucky man you have free access to all of the best steelhead rivers on the reservation. I have been fishing out on the quinault reservation for about 15 years and I know lots of quinaults that live out there. There are some decent trout streams near seattle but the really good ones are on the east side of the mountains. Try the middle fork of the snoqualmie river its above snoqualmie falls and its catch and release only lots of small eager trout you can have catch tons of fish up there easily. Also the cedar river which is in seattle is good it has nice big rainbows. Let me know if you need more info
Thanks for the details on rivers. Sorry about the delayed response, I just recieved internet service today. I am looking foward to fishing the reservation for steelies. I fished the green river for an hour, didn't hook anything, but watch coho spawn and must have seen a hundred fish cruse past me in that hour. I was standing in the middle of the river on a gravel bar, just watching fins cruse through the riffle. The first time I could see hundreds of fish in the water. I stop fishing and just watched. Anyway, thanks for all the information. Ian, I will defentialy let you know if I have any questions. This last week I read the fishing regs, and damn, each river has its own set of rules that changes from month to month, it's crazy. Thanks again.
what was you using for flies up there. with that many fish in one area, and with it being spawning time, i am very suprised you didnt hook up with one. so again what was u using for your set up.
__________________
Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
I lived in tacoma for a few years in the mid. 90's and the salmon fishing up there can be awesome ! All the coastal river are pretty good. Oh, and do not overlook the chum salmon they get almost as big as the kings. A little harder to get to take an offering, there not as agressive as a coho or chinook. I used to just hop in the car and drive until i found a stream for trout, every single stream i ever hit was fast action all day for small wild trout, I miss washington. When i was living up there, there was an ongoing problem of the indian tribes taking way more salmon with nets then they could possibly use, Not good.
Yes those chums are fun, mean to they fight like hell. Brian the Coho can be extremely finicky and sometimes will not touch anything. I was fishing up there once and hundred of fish were going by me and wouldnt touch anything I fished for a bout 8 hours and then in about a 1hr window I caught 6 mint bright coho and then the bite was off. They can be tough. The indians take 50% of all the salmon and steelhead that enter the river its not a good thing because they take the natives also. Can you imagine how many more fish there would be if this were not the case its a very sad thing. They made the decision in 1974 called the Boldt Decision which gives native americans 50% of all fish in the rivers in Washington State. Since then the Salmon have been declining its pretty sad.
Each year tirbes put a daily limit on steelhead that run through the reservation. My brother in law was telling me that last year is was like ten steelhead a day for native americans.
Brian, I was throwing a freight train with a floating line. That was my first time fly fishing for coho. I really have no idea what flies to use or what is a productive way to fish the green river, famous for the green river killer.
Yesterday my son and I hike around the south fork of the snoqualmie river. It run crystal clear, and looks like great trout water. although we fished, with a three year old, we didn't fish well. My son used a fly rod though, and if it wasn't for the rocks that he threw in the river before fishing, he might of had a chance. Next is the skykomish for steelhead and i think chum salmon.
edog7, what flies would you reccomend if you were to fish for chum salmon? Also should I look at a sink tip system, like poly leaders or something along those lines? I really don't know much about fly fishing for salmon, and I have some larger flies in red and black, but other than that its all steelhead flies.
