I don't know if any of you fish the Russian River for steelhead, but there is some good news. Someone on the Northern California Kayak forum posted some photos of the mouth open. I called Kings in Guerneville just to make sure. They confirmed that it wide open and they expect the Russian to rise to 20 feet. It won't be fishable until the rains stop for about a week. I've been waiting a long time to hear a report like this. Finally, a reason to buy my steelhead card.
That is one mean looking fish in your avatar…. I am sure you are not the only one that is happy that the Russian may fish well this year. Rob, Cole and Clay will also be trying to fish shoulder to shoulder with you chucking those old school type 6 lines… I think Cole did get into spey so watch out!! The Feather is a much more consistent fishery year to year as it doesn't get much silt. Tight lines and I hope you all can post up a nice photo of a Russian Steelie!! They are pretty rare these days… There is also the Navarro, do you fish up that way?
I thought the avatar sort of looked like a grouchy old guy. I've fished the Navarro and have to say it is one of my favorites. But for a day trip from Oakland I feel beat up by the time I get home. I caught my biggest steelhead ever in the Navarro and fought if for a good ten minutes before it made a run downstream and strengthened my hook out. I don't even remember what fly I was using but I'll never forget the fish. I hope there is good fishing for all of us this year.
Drove up Wednesday with a friend in a drizzle. Started fishing at Garberville around 8:30. Big water, but with a green tint in it. Couldn't wade far enough into the river to fish the deep undercut bank on the far side. After an hour or so we headed over to Wohler Bride. Big changes in the parking area, and lots of trailers and trucks there waiting for drift boats coming down river. Several fishermen under the bridge and both sand bars above and below the bridge. We worked our way to the island upstream. Lots of space to fish here by ourselves. Fished for an hour or so. No hits. Talked to the drift boats going by only one claimed to have caught and lost a fish.
Drove up to Dry Creek. Reports of several fish being caught. One guy said that 30 fish had been caught there on one day a week ago. Oh yeah, I love those reports. Thought we could fish the area where Dry Creek enters the Russian. Dry Creek was fairly high, but the area was loaded with bait casters. No room for a fly fisherman. We skipped the next downstream stretch after we heard there were lots of fishermen and heavy combat fishing. Wewalked the road for about a mile. The area was totally changed. Instead of a short stretch of 50 yards or so to fish from an island there was now a long stretch of 100 to 150 yards to fish with a deep run on the road side for 25 or 30 yards. Very nice. No fish.
By now it was 1:30 and we decided to head home. Except for the early fishing there was no rain until we started driving home. The water was as high as I've ever fished it. I see the weather report is calling for more rain for the coming week. That should push the water higher and set back fishing until the following week or so. But the rains should bring fresh fish into the system. It was nice to be out on the Russian with a high flow. It's been a long stretch of poor water years.
We were stopped by a warden at Wohler Bridge. She checked our steelhead report card to make sure it was filled out and our flies to make sure they were barbless. She ran into us again at Dry Creek. Glad to see that she was out checking. I did see her warn a couple of guys without writing a ticket.
Hope its ok to add a report to this thread. Ive been trying to catch a steelhead this year on the russian, fishing mostly at dry creek and riverfront in healdsburg. Got nothing but a pikeminnow today, but saw a bait fisherman catch a nice buck on wednesday; he was using roe. Ive been using olive sculpins, buggers and comets, experimenting with both bright and dark colors, trailed by either an egg fly or a #14 beadhead nymph as a dropper. The most strikes i had were on a pink glo bug below a black crystal bugger. While Ive heard good reports, I saw way more fish in the river last year, probably due to the low flows. I only hooked into 2 adult fish that I lost last season, but I saw many steelhead moving through the river until march-april. There doesnt seem to be an awful lot of fish, and I guess everybody already knows that. I wish the limit was 1 or even 0 hatchery fish. The lower american and feather would be more productive but I love the russian despite being such a troubled river, and some things appear to be improving. Way less litter in monte rio, and ive noticed some of the folks that live out there in tents picking up the trash left by families and fisherman.
