by Bob Johansen, December 15, 2008

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE MISERABLE TO FISH FOR WINTER STEELHEAD

Steelheaders come in all shapes, sizes and ages. They also come in all degrees of enthusiasm and skill. This short article is slanted towards the steelheader, who, on a scale of one to ten in skill level would rate somewhere below a five -- maybe, even a one or two. It is written with the hope that it may help the fellow struggling along the river bank in wet tennis shoes, lugging a heavy tackle box, a big salmon landing net, a couple of Styrofoam bait containers and a light trout spinning outfit spooled with "bargain" monofilament. It is, however, in no way intended to offend or ridicule anyone.

All you steelhead anglers who log more than 10 entries on their steelhead cards annually can turn the page and read the next story. Also, the guys with the wet cowboy boots or tennis shoes struggling through the thick salmonberry brush and black berry brambles with your arms overloaded with gear -- If you're logging a lot of entries on your steelhead card, you've got to be doing a lot of things right. You too, can go on to the next story.

For this fisherman, the "misery factor" in much of winter steelheading has a tendency to speed up the learning process. Gary Bates, a skilled angler and knowledgeable northwest outdoor writer, once described the optimum "misery factor" for winter steelhead fishing. It should be 33 degree weather, raining a third of an inch an hour with a north wind howling down the river at 33 miles an hour.

One of the first things I learned was that during those cold winter temperatures, dry, warm feet were much more comfortable than cold, wet feet. I don't care if the guys in the sopping tennis shoes do call me a wimp, I still prefer a good, dry pair of insulated hip boots. My favorite waders are the heavy duty type like the "Seafarer" made by the Servus Rubber Company. They are quite heavy, but they are tough enough to withstand the hazards of blackberry stickers and most other brush. Not only do they last longer, but they are stiff enough to stay up without the hassle of belt straps.

Insulated chest waders are also the choice of many talented steelheaders. I think these are good choices for the young and the brave, but for this old fisherman, with nearly eight decades of trying to avoid a few of the problems of living on Planet Earth, I feel that I can get into enough trouble with my hip waders.

The next best thing to dry, warm feet is "dry, warm everything else." Here in the great northwest, it occasionally gets very cold during the winter – those mornings when you must dip your rod into the river to melt the ice from the guides about every other cast. Wearing “long johns” and plenty of warm clothing is a must on those frosty mornings. A good pair of fingerless gloves also helps to keep hands a little warmer.

It also rains a lot here in the great northwest. Some good raingear helps ward off a considerable portion of the misery factor. With hip waders, a knee length parka works well. Anything shorter leaves you quite wet between the top of your waders and your raincoat. The parka hood also fits well over a ball cap and keeps rain from running down the back of your neck. Even if it isn't raining when you leave on a winter steelhead trip, pack some raingear. Chances are pretty good it will be before you are ready to quit fishing.

Another thing I learned is that I don't want to carry anything in my hands except my fishing rod and maybe a big, bright steelie. And, just in case I do end up carrying a steelie, I keep a strong cord attached to a wooden handle that makes the pack much easier. There is really no need to carry a tackle box along the river bank if you have a good vest. I like the Stearns inflatable vest. It has plenty of pockets for gear, is as comfortable as any and also provides a little margin of safety if one should slip on slimy rocks or down a slick clay bank. Cold, fast water could be mighty tough to swim in -- especially with a pair of hip waders on.

To equip your vest, you'll need a couple of small plastic tackle boxes for your Corkies, Birdies, leads, hooks, spoons and etc. Some of these little boxes, like Plano's No. 3214 micro-magnum are just the right size to fit into your fishing vest pockets. They have plenty compartments to keep your gear neat and organized. A leader wallet also fits neatly into a vest pocket. The Luhr Jensen "Leader Tote" has 12 pockets to keep your pre-tied leaders separated and handy. I even like to pre-tie the yarn into the bait loops. Cold, numb fingers sometimes make tying up terminal gear on the river band a real challenge.

Other items that are handy to carry in your fishing vest include needle nose pliers with a cutter (for releasing fish and/or cutting pencil lead), finger nail clippers, attached to the vest with string (for trimming mono) and a container of your favorite lure "Sweetener" like "Dr. Juice" or "Mike's Shrimp Oil." I also like to carry a couple plastic grocery bags with carrying loops in the back pocket of the vest. If I'm not over loaded with steelhead when I quit, (happens a lot) I'll sometimes clean up a section of river bank and carry out a bag of litter.

Another thing I observe quite often is steelheaders carrying their Styrofoam bait containers along the river bank by hand. An inexpensive bait container that can be attached to your belt frees up your hands and keeps the bait handy. I know some steel-headers that carry two of this type of containers -- one for cluster eggs and the other for shrimp, night crawlers or what ever. Flambeau's "Adventurer" Model v-661 works well for this purpose.

If you plan to buy and use live sand shrimp (considered the best steelhead bait by many steelheaders), put about a half inch of dry sawdust in the bottom of your bait container. If you don't have sawdust put a couple clean napkins on the container bottom. The idea is to keep the shrimp dry. When you buy the shrimp, they usually have a little wet sawdust -- or nothing in their Styrofoam containers. Shrimp kept cool and dry will last for several days. Besides, you can then leave the Styrofoam container in your vehicle and dispose of it properly later instead of leaving it on the river bank like so many anglers do.

I never carry a gaff or a landing net. Gaffs are illegal in some areas and I personally feel that for the rare occasions you loose a fish for the lack of a net, they are just not worth the hassle of lugging around. Besides if Mr. (or Ms.) steelhead gets away, they have probably earned their freedom. I don't mind loosing one now and then. (Choke -- sob.) I will admit, however, I've seen some pretty skilled steelheaders carrying landing nets -- And, I can remember an occasion or two that I accepted help landing a fish from a net carrying fisherman. (Thanks guys.)

A quality casting rod of eight or nine feet and a casting reel filled with quality monofilament with 12 -14 pound test is my choice when it comes to choosing winter steelhead gear. Casting rods can produce greater casting accuracy and the casting reels generally have superior drag systems. Casting reels are also easier to "thumb" which comes in handy in some battles. I like to set the drag a little light and add thumb pressure as needed. A lot of fish are lost in landing attempts when drags are set too tight.

Again, I have seen some skilled and knowledgeable steelheaders using spinning rods and reels so this is either a personal choice or, for some, the fear of a "messy backlash." If you do prefer spinning gear, select a quality reel with a good drag system and be sure to spool it with quality line. Fresh winter steelhead in fast water can really put the test to your gear -- not to mention your "strong fish expertise."

Another thing I have observed over the years is that many steelheaders fish with dull hooks. I once picked up six snagged setups during low water conditions and checked them for sharpness. One was sharp -- the other six were dull. These were hooks that anglers were fishing with. A lot of improvement has been made in hook manufacturing during the past few years. Some of the new hooks are sharp but some are not. Be sure to check and hone hooks as needed.

This article is, in no way, meant to indicate that it is more important to look like a steelheader than be one. It also doesn't mean the beginner in tennis shoes won't catch fish. Some do. However, as an example, The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Department's summaries indicate that out of over 100,000 steelhead catch record cards issued 53% of the anglers either did not fish or did not catch a fish. Steelheading is about 90% skill and 10% luck. That may help explain why about 10% of the anglers catch about 90% of the fish.

A winter chromer keeps an angler warm inside! Fish taken at the Snoqualmie River's "Big Eddy" pool.