Lately I've notices anglers pounding the same water they were hooking fish in when the water level was up. They can't figure out why there not finding fish and they assume that there just are no new fish moving upriver. While there may not be a lot of new fish moving in there are fish there, they have just moved into new holding areas waiting for the river levels to rise so they can continue their migration. To score consistently you must adjust your techniques to match the conditions. I will often have success with spoons when rivers reach the very low levels they are at now. These fish have been holding right up at the very head of the riffles, areas that have a highly broken surface and some cover such as logs or boulders. Most anglers I've seen have walked right by these spots to pound the slower water lower in the drift. They may as well be fishing in their bathtub. My question to all of you is, what are your favorite low water techniques for Steelhead?

Low water is certainly a challenge, especially ice cube cold winter low water. I agree with your description of fish holding in the heads of pools in broken riffle water. I've also found them tight to any overhead cover, in the snags, and in those difficult to fish, protected spots. Another technique is to fish small plugs or planers (from a boat or carefully wade) above such broken riffle water. An important ingrediant for success is to start the process well above the spot you think the fish hold and to be in STEALTH mode. Often the slightest bang, splash, or bonk will have negative effects on your chances to hook o.mykiss. Often these fish are "stale" and a change of pace (ie spoon,plug,etc. as you suggest) will trigger a response--no doubt about it, low water steelhead are a challenge.

B Mac
If I had only one option to fish for Steelhead in low clear water, I'd use jigs. My first choice would be red feather jigs. Most of the fish I've caught are sitting in faster water with cover, but I've also caught them at the end of riffles. Next time you're out on the river and the water is gin clear, try a red jig under a float.
Mark

B Mac,
So, if I understand you correctly then, I SHOULD be looking for the whitewater areas...like where 1/2 the river has white, active water or the waterfalls??? Are you saying to cast to the tip top of the white water run and let it drift down TO the still water, but not LINGERING in the quiet stuff???

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"Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds!" Albert Einstein

Sight fishing is often the name of the game in the low water we have. (Which is super exciting) A chunk of shrimp cast with no weight work's excellent. Small dink float's (hey I just figured out why Canadian's don't call them bobber's) with shrimp tipped jig, for real slow holding water. Tiny pink corkie with a small split shot, like your fishing for trout with a Pautzkie. If all the finese does'nt do it , try #5 Mepp's Aglia Chartruese Orange. Here come's the rain again!

Good low water bets, lots of boat traffic...seams behind bolders with some surface riffle, slots with cover over it, either logs or low lying brush, stuff boats can't run over are a couple. I like to use a slip float with a small pink grub or eggs. Drifting in ultra-clear water(bottom bouncing) work well, but you have to go to a longer leader. Too long of a leader and you can't get down quick enough in those small pockets....floats seem to work best for this. OR I have seen people use just a jig and cast it into small pocket water. good luck--mike

In low clear water like you've described I like to go small a #4 hook and a small spawn sack,drifted very natural with as little weight as possible and casting to point far above the fish to get it down into the strike zone,some times I'll put a little shrimp in with my eggs it works great.

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Tight Lines
<*)>><------FISH ON!!!

Just an extra 2 cents worth for clear water steelheading- Swinging winter steelhead flies with a sinktip line can be productive. Also, in addition to the good posts above, I suggest using 5 or 6# Maxima Chameleon about 24 to 28" for floats or drifting. I will use a pattern of floating tails pinched off of live sandshrimp, very small egg clusters, &/or small maribou jigs first. Some places, casting a float/bait upstream from below the fish to float down into them can help with stealth. Then I will take off the float & use a careful approach to do a combo of light lead drifting, swinging, & backbounce twitching in the above mentioned type holding water; from above. Sometimes tying on a few strands of pink thread "wiggly legs" on a shrimptail baithook can be helpful for this. Then I will try hardware & plugs. Proper spinner/spoons are good but batting cleanup for me is the "Green Machine"- a size 50/5 dark green metallic Hot Shot (if it's "on", I often will just start with it , rather than disturb the fish with other things they may not want). I will start from a postion well above the holding water & backreel or stripfeed the plug slowly thru holding water. Let it hover a bit near boulders or riffle seams before continuing on down. If it eddies out in a little deeper water slowly reel it upstream- I've had many hits this way. - Steve

[This message has been edited by Backbouncer1 (edited 03-05-2000).]