Learn how to catch
Steelhead. The article below was written by Steve Smith of Steve
Smith Outdoors about catching Steelhead on the Columbia River.
Columbia River
Steelhead by Steve Smith
COLUMBIA RIVER STEELHEAD by Steve Smith
In the early '60s the decline of the Idaho run of steelhead was
really noticeable. At one time the Idaho run of summer steelhead
went all the way up into Canada, past Grand Coulee. But of course,
with the building of the Grand Coulee Dam with no ladder, that was
the end of the salmon and steelhead. runs up there. Then, they had a
lot of problems in Idaho, due to overfishing and habitat
degradation. As far back as the '50s and '60s it was real popular
for the people to go down to Sauvie's Island and the Columbia bars
and beaches and fish off the bank for summer steelhead. It was a
very exciting, viable fishery and you could go down there and plan
on catching a fish. By the late '60s that was just about over with
and the seasons became more limited or restricted.
However, the Department of Game in Idaho decided they were going to
bring back their run of steelhead, so in the late '50s and early
'60s they built the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, which was the
largest steelhead hatchery in the world. They built the hatchery and
put it on line with stock they used from the Clearwater River, a
strain of summer steelhead which entered the Columbia River in mid-
July at the Astoria area and took their time moving through the
Columbia. They really started passing Bonneville in good numbers in
August, and they go through August, September, October and November.
They stop the count in early November, I believe, but there still
are some of those fish in the Columbia in November. The neat thing
about that strain is that the steelhead run from 18 to 25 pounds and
larger, so when you hook one of those, you really have a hold of
something.
Some people would rather go fishing one to three times and catch a
25-pounder than to go out six times and catch fish weighing 3 to 6
pounds every time they go. That fishery has come back, due to the
fact they planted four million summer steelhead out of Dworshak
National Fish Hatchery in just a few years. And the fun part of it
is, the the 1986 season the expectations are that there are 400,000
fish predicted to return this year.
This run has been pushed
through the federal government primarily by the Indian tribes, so
the Indians have really become our allies in preserving this run of
steelhead. Needless to say, they are netting the fish and they are
expecting to take 100,000 fish out of a 400,000 run, but any gill
net is a very inefficient way of fishing, as there is a pool
situation at Bonneville and they have a very tough time catching
those fish with any frequency. So they will take their 25 to 30
percent of the fish, there is no doubt, but that will leave a
fishery for anglers and that fishery will be very good in two spots.
One of these is in the Priest Rapids area and the other is at
Bonneville, downstream.
In the past we have been able to catch those fish and you catch some
fall salmon at the same time. We caught those steelhead last year
but we had to release them because they were not clipped fish and
they had too large a dorsal because they were such large fish. Only
steelhead with dorsals 21/2 inches or smaller could be kept and you
are not going to find a 25-pound fish with a dorsal fin of 2 1/2
inches or smaller.
Oregon, Washington and Idaho decided a few years ago to clip all
Columbia River steelhead. This year, the anglers in Washington and
Idaho will be able to fish in the Columbia the season opened July 1
for adipose clipped fish. We expect to have 400,000 fish now, out of
a planting of 4 million fish, and by 1989 (I believe it is), Idaho
plans to produce 6'/2 million small size steelhead in its Dworshak
Hatchery system. With all of them being adipose clipped, that will
open that fishery up to sportfishermen on the Columbia River once
again, allowing a fishery that has been missed quite a bit for 25
years.
Last summer, people were aware of that fishery, but I have been to
Idaho and I have fished all those fish late in the season and the
fish are primarily dark. Weather and water conditions are miserable
then, but when the fish come through Washington and Oregon in late
July, August, and September it is gorgeous down here and great to be
out on the Columbia River and have the feel that the Columbia is
almost coming back to life and that there is a glimmer of hope for
at least one run of fish. There are a lot of people out there on the
Columbia in August and September fishing for fall Chi- nook and they
hook into these wild 25-pound Idaho steelhead and that gives them a
whole new experience when they hook one of those instead of one of
those tule Chinook that is pretty well burned out by the time he
reaches the Columbia River bar.
Deschutes/John Day Oregon fly fishing
guide service since 1979.Families are most welcome.
Gentle, patient instruction for novice or expert
anglers. Laid back or hard core anglers will find our
flexibility a great asset. Overnight or single day
trips. Gear anglers most welcome. We encourage you to
keep Hatchery fish and have required the release of all
native fish for nearly 20 years before it became law.
Big Game fishing just 30 minutes from Portland. Jet Boat
with tall canvas top ensures year round comfort.
There is always productive fishing near Portland
Oregon......year 'round Whitewater rafting trips on the
Deschutes River.
Jet Boat tours of the lower Deschutes. Wildlife,
Whitewater and splendid scenery.
So, with the decline of
the sturgeon fishing due to overfishing by the commercial
population, I think you will see more and more people participating
in this summer steelhead fishery. The runs on the Des- chutes River
the early fish have been coming for quite some time and people have
been catching a few of those, but we are not talking of a run of
400,000 fish although last year we had some 300,000 fish go over
Bonneville and that's a lot of fishy You can almost go out and
expect to get a fish. The problem is to know where to go and what to
use.
Steve Smith with a couple of nice bright Steelhead. Steve is a well
known professional guide who fishes his clients mostly on the
Columbia River for Walleye, Steel- head, Salmon and Sturgeon. He
also fishes some of the South Western Streams, including the
Deschutes River in Oregon. He also has his own TV show on Rogers
Cable System broadcasting each week, fishing reports and
interviewing special guests. Steve can be contacted at
www.SteveSmithOutdoors.com
