Mid February is prime time for winter steelhead but lack of rain has our coastal streams low and clear. Typically winter storms bring pulses of of high water to Oregon’s coastal drainage’s. Each rise and fall of river levels bringing new fish, and new hope that fish have moved into pools, riffles or runs. Given the current conditions anglers are doing best on main-stem rivers, rivers relatively close to ocean. The fact that February is half over means winter steelhead must come now, or they simply are not coming. Despite the low water fishing can be very good.
Today I was fortunate enough to be riding in the front of the boat with a highly experience oarsman and winter steelhead angler Matt Oneil. Matt operates All Star Outfitters Rafting on the Mckenzie in summer. When he is not rafting or coaching his sons basketball teams, he loves to fish for Salmon and Steelhead on Oregon Coastal streams. He knows were the fish are and is not afraid to bump and grind the drift boat down a low clear stream to get into the right position to cast. Numerous times today Matt took the skinny (shallow) route around the slot or pool so that we did not run over the fish. With water conditions low and clear the cautious approach pays.
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![IMG_0880[]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/3286210787_bf31a8af6d.jpg)
We caught fish in fast water as well as slow. The key today seemed to be about 5-8 ft of depth and steelhead green colored water. When you couldn’t see the bottom your fly was in the right spot. The rig was the usual winter nymph style set up with “lowly glowly”geting down deep to hunt the winter steelhead. I ran 4-7 feet of 14lb flourocarbon tippet off the large Thingamabobber indicator and tried to get a dead drift on anchor or while the boat was moving from spot to spot.
![IMG_0881[]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3644/3287032474_0228973a55.jpg)
![IMG_0884[]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3286215377_a89a7afa88.jpg)
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![IMG_0878[]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3547/3287027910_300670d42c.jpg)
Rain or not the next 30 days will be some of the best winter steelheading of the year. There are fish in the coastal systems and more on the way.-CD
you lucky bastards
Your killing me Chris!
You sure know how to make a guy envious, ok knock it off.
Beautiful fish. Ahhhh hurry up snow melt melt melt.
NICE fish bro!
not fair,…sniff, sniff
Chris, Your very good; you can get that dead drift. Those waders look clean. Glad you washed off Pro-Cure for photos.
Marv
Marv,
That really hurts, but all the pockets in my waders do help to hide pro cure( whatever that is) smelly jelly and mikes lunker lotion all critical ingredients to winter steelhead success!!!!
That is not a fishing report! That is fish bragging. What river are you on. Come on!!
wondering if marv cypress is the marvin cypress who used to cut redwoods with bill bisignano????
I am fascinated by the lowly glowly having fished the egg fly with great success here in England. I would love to try a selection of your fly but cannot find a supplier over here. Could you please advise or perhaps let me purchase some from you direct.
Thankyou.Adrian
The Lowly Glowly is a heck of a pattern. Just got back from the river yesterday and had an excellent day on the water with three takes and one to the net.