Steelhead/Ellis

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I decided to check out the Salmon Tues and Wed below North Fork and fished nearly all of my usual holes below Cove Creek to Kramer. Water was definitely higher than I had seen it even though it had dropped 500cfs at the station just above Owl Creek in a week. As reported by a several of my friends the five fish I was able to catch were all in the 30" range. Fishing pressure was fairly light with only about ten rigs fishing the lower section each day. I saw only one fish caught by other anglers other than my partner. Hitting fifteen or more holes with only one lost fish by my friend before finding a fish above Pine Creek I was very fortunate to get one late Tuesday. Weather was perfect both days until the front hit yesterday about 2:30 and finished up at dusk at Ellis. Hitting 85% virgin water all in specific spots I had caught fish previously for two days was a sign there were not a lot of fish in the river. Only 30% of those spots would have not had fishing pressure on that day a week or two ago although the fish would have been moving. then. With the above 45 degree water temperature till last Wednesday there are ample fish at or above Ellis in the entire system to Challis as is generally the case. To me other than a quick paint on the way home which much of the time will produce a fish in ten minutes if they are there would never be a destination this time of year. I catch fish if they are there in 80% of the holes I fish within 3 casts as was the case on all five fish I caught this trip.
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