11-24-2016, 05:19 AM
It's worth a try. Don't expect spring numbers of fish but there are certainly some to be had (and way more than people tend to think for this time of year). There is a myth that all the steelhead wait below deadwater until the ice dam breaks, and that then they all come up in one shot. This is not the case. The reason the fishing turns on then has more to do with water temperature and in turn fish activity. There are steelhead all the way to and even above challis by thanksgiving every year. Some years more than others... I haven't been this year because I've been chasing trout, so I can't speak to specifics though. Whenever you fish high in the run, you have the advantage of fishing unpressured fish. So the most successful tactic is to cover LOTS of water very quickly. If you go and fish one or two holes all day long you're not going to be successful; but if you cover a dozen spots throughout the day you'll probably hook a couple. And there aren't many other anglers to compete with. I love that water up there. It's a beautiful spot. Hope you get into them!
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