Salmon Steelhead

[SteelFan]

Have been hitting the Salmon River the past couple of weekends and have yet to hook up. I have heard of a few steelies being caught, but it has been mighty slow. The next few weeks will be picking up I'm sure. Hope to post some pics for y'all soon.
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[psanders71]

Thanks so much for the info! Been itching to get up there and chase some steelies but does not make sense unless some fish are being caught. Too far to run up for a day or two and not at least have a decent chance. Good luck to you and hope to see some pics in the near future.

Paul
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[ChrisTheFish]

+1 to psanders.

Really appreciate the update. Thanks.
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[mikkfin80]

Thanks for the info Steelfan. I hope the fish show up this year. I'm dying to hook into some steelies. Hope you have some luck soon.
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[STEELHEADKID]

I've been fishing daily for the past couple of weeks. Fishing around town is still slow to dead...... Lots of "B" county license plates rolling trough town with drifters and campers in tow despite the slow fishing. Few fish being caught by those who are diligently pounding the water below north fork but far from red hot, more like finding a needle in a haystack..........
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[FindFish]

Thanks SteelFan,
Let us know if it picks up. Plenty of fish in the Lewiston/Clarkston area ready to head that direction if the water cools down a bit.
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[SteelFan]

Well I fished Friday after noon, all day Saturday, and again Sunday until about 1:00. Fished Fourth of July Friday and nothing. Saturday I went down river and started by the Orchard and fished back to Shoup and had one solid pull down, but no hook-ups. Sunday I decided to go up river between Salmon and Ellis and nothing at all. They are here, but very few of them. I talked to some people down river that had fished all week and only caught 2 fish during the week. It is going to be a long season if it keeps up like this. I have a 4 day weekend coming and will be fishing all 4 days, so I hope to have a better report after this weekend.
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[psanders71]

SteelFan,

Thanks for the update! Again, not nearly enough positive news to make me get excited about making the trip up there. But would still be much better than being at work though![]

Hopefully things will change here in the near future with some cooler tems and a little moisture. I hope that your 4 day weekend coming up will get you into some fish. Good luck... Let us know how you do!

Paul
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[STEELHEADKID]

I've been out daily......... This past Saturday was my best day yet landing 3 of 3 and taking home a nice hatchery hen. All three fish were taken during a one hour window and then the pod moved on. Tried to find the pod up river on sunday and it never happened. I've been fishing below colson creek....... They are there but few and far between unless you happen to find a pod of fish.
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[Huntsman]

I know how it is to itch to set the hook, however, you guys are plenty early for chasing fish in our neck of the river. I've been throwing at these fish since the '60s and we've found that trips prior to Halloween should be for the sighs, sounds, and smells. Don't get me wrong as I've caught fish below Salmon in August, but if you're looking for those multiple-fish days, wait until November.

Good luck to all, and may everyone rip s lip, or four, per day....
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[STEELHEADKID]

Agreed. Steelfan and myself live in Salmon so we will continue to get after it plenty early....... Those that don't live close by might want to take note of huntsmans advice and wait however sometimes you gotta scratch that itch and take a chance and you might be rewarded..............
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[JoyRide]

I have a trip planned with my two good friends for the first weekend in November. I'm still trying to talk them into waiting for the Tuesday thru Thursday so we can get on the bank with a little elbow room. It will probably be crowded through the weekend. Had a hard time finding reservations at the places I like to stay.

Don
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[STEELHEADKID]

Rivers got a bit of murk to it as of 5:30 this evening. TONS of campers and drifters heading down river........ My buddy at Riggins says theres good numbers of fish moving up river and if you can get on top of a pod of moving fish its lights out.........
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[chrome_junky]

clearwater came up a little and had some color to it today also. tons of people fishing.
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[germanbrowns]

Fished below Riggins yesterday river was blown out with about only six inches of visibility. Swung flies, nymphed and pulled plugs with no success. A few fish were caught with bouncing bait according to fish and game. They only check two natives that were released. Talked to several guides all with a 0 fish day, when it clears a touch and the temp drops a few degrees its going to be good!
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[tob04002]

Does anyone know why the river gets blown out and off color? I know in the spring its because of runoff but why now?

Josh
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[chrome_junky]

rain.
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[ChrisTheFish]

To my understanding there is no dam above that section to regulate the flows, so when it rains it rises. We just don't see it on most rivers around here because of dams and reservoirs.

I was camping on the canyon section of the Teton River once and it had been raining up in the mountains the day before. We watched the water level rise rapidly the next day where we were camping, taking our water jug with it and almost our poles too. Pretty scary stuff. I think we forget how things tend to function naturally.
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[germanbrowns]

Its all about rain on the Salmon river in the fall. It probably doesnt help with the fires this summer. Nothing to soak it up and ash and mud just flowing into the river. It must have rained hard before we went as there were waterfalls all over the place headin down the canyon from new meadows. Thats never a good sign in the fall. Its been a while since I've seen the river as bad as it was Saturday.
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[JoyRide]

Hopefully it will be better by the 3rd when I head up there. I don't even know what tackle to bring, so hopefully my two good buddies will. A friend took us in his boat up by Orofino and acted as guide when we caught a couple a few years ago. He had egg sacks made up.
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