Steelhead on the Rogue River

Fall fishing for steelhead on the Rogue River near Ashland is generally good, even when you don’t catch many fish. The air is crisp, the fall colors are on the leaves and the float down the river is delightful.

Steelheaders consider it a fair day if they hook a fish, even if they don’t land it. A good day is a fish or two brought to the net. A great day is three or more fish.

Anything more than that is beyond reality. It is a fly-fisher’s fantasy come to life. Steve Kyle, fishing with his granddaughter, Charlotte, on the Rogue this week, had one of those days (actually two).

Steve’s fish tale was verified by guide Jim Andras, a modest guy who works harder than any guide I’ve ever known. Jim simply stated that Steve and Charlotte caught “plenty of fish.”  Considering Jim’s usual understated manner of speaking, I translated that to one of those days most steelheaders only dream about. They are extremely rare, but having just one in a lifetime of fishing can sustain you through many other days when you don’t even get a sniff of a fish.

Here are excerpts from Steve’s account:

“Took Charlotte out with Jim Andras today … great day. Charlotte hooked six fish and landed four. She lost a hog just as we brought it to the net.

“Day two. It was another splendid day on the Rogue River with my granddaughter, Charlotte. She was a hooking machine these two days. One beautiful big male fish jumped on her fly early and made her chase it up and down through serious rapids for 15 minutes until it was in the net. 

“Here in Southern Oregon, we had it all ... rain, heavy winds, sunshine, clean water and lots of fish. When you add in the Ashland sushi bar, the play we saw, dinner at the Andras’ house on Saturday, and the great fishing, it was a perfect outing. If you want your child or grandchild to learn how to catch steelhead fish, I can’t think of a better fishing guide than Jim Andras of Andras Outfitters (andrasoutfitters@me.com) to get them started. Sharing one of my great passions with one of my grandkids and have her “hooked,” made it very special indeed. I feel pretty confident that there is another steelhead junkie now in the family. Four more granddaughters to go.” 

My neighbors, Chad Overway and Jeannie Montague, just returned from Basalt, Colorado, where they had excellent trout fishing in the local waters. They said the weather was cool and the water low and very cold. Still, the fish were biting.

Dungeness crab season opens tomorrow (Saturday) and Capt. Rick Powers, of Bodega Bay Sportfishing, is predicting an excellent opening week. He is offering crab, rock and lingcod combo trips.  Call him at 875-3344.

Striped bass fishing on San Francisco Bay near the Brothers, Sisters and Whaling Station continues to be excellent. Keith Fraser, at Loch Lomond Bait Shop in San Rafael, said Wednesday that stripers are being caught everywhere and one of his customers landed two halibut to 15 pounds near the Richmond San Rafael Bridge this week. Keith books bay fishing charter boats. Call him at 415-456-0321.

This is the time to head north for excellent fly fishing on the upper Sacramento River, McCloud River, Pit River, Fall River and Hat Creek. Steelhead are in the Trinity now, and should be in the upper Klamath soon.