Raincoats Required

Today is the first day in a week or so that I’ve needed a raincoat, and that makes me happy. I want to see the mountains dusted in a fresh layer of snow, the rivers swell up, and for steelhead to move into the runs. And hopefully this current weather system will do all of that. 

Almost every day, I look at river levels and weather forecasts to get a picture of what my upcoming days on the river will bring, and right now, I’m seeing a great vision of steelhead dancing on my line. 

The past few weeks with the higher water have been good for fishing. I have seen quite a few steelhead coming from most river systems in our area, and I've been able to interpret a few for my guide clients. We've just had to adapt our techniques based on the water levels. The main thing is to just keep swinging that fly. Like I always say, "You can't catch'em sitting on the couch."

My hopes are high, and I say this is hoping not to jinx it, but this feels like a better return than we’ve had in a while. If the weather pattern continues to drop a little rain once in a while, with snow on the mountain, I'll be happy. 

So, if you’re thinking about going to the Clackamas or the Sandy Rivers in the next couple of days, do it, because this rain is going to freshen up the rivers and bring in a bunch of bright winter steelhead.