Steelhead time is the fall, and so many other opportunities also come with the fall. Salmon runs for the coastal rivers will start up when the rains arrive. Sea run cutts enter the coastal rivers and the inland resident trout give themselves the winter energy to survive with heavy amounts of fall consumption of aquatic insects, salmon roe, and smaller baitfish. A great time to fish for the serious angler, and fall has many rewards.
Steelhead from the McKenzie River
Steelhead fishing lately has been rather good at times, and the fish have been taking swung flies enough to make you fish with some serious confidence. Dead drifting flies has also proven to be effective in the recent outings, but swinging has been overall more productive on a day to day basis. Darker patterns have been most effective, and swinging patterns with black or purple as the main body color with highlights of pink, blue, or chartreuse have been good producers
As fall comes closer, the fish may slow down on the swung flies, and they may key in more on nymphs and egg patterns as the spring chinook will start up their spawning. Don’t stop your swinging approach though, as many anglers do, just realize that you may have to change your approach, and fish water that you know the steelhead will be in and the salmon will not. That water seems to produce better results on the swing; while the nymph style presentations seems to work better where salmon spawning is nearby. Also DO NOT HARASS THE SALMON. If you incidentally hook one, then point the rod straight at the fish and pull the flies free or break them off. Lose a fly (or a couple) instead of 1000’s of eggs that are a lot more valuable in the long run.
Dry fly caught steelhead on the McKenzie River
From now till the fall gets taken over by the winter can be the most exciting summer steelhead fly fishing the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers has to offer. Like all fishing, you have to go out the and fish it to know what your given daily results are going to be, but many days this time of the year will result in a large grin smeared across your face. From here on out the best is yet to come.
Steelhead caught on a nymph
Fishing will go strong until the water blows out in the local area rivers and conditions become more or less unsafe to fish and you would think no one in their right mind would go fishing out there since it looks unsafe to wade in (can be Novemember-sometime in December). That is when you will be able to start up your winter steelheading on the coastal rivers anyhow. The endless seasons of flyfishing in Oregon!