I saw the photo of an early brat that Bob had posted. Will be heading out your way to fish puppies and Dollies 12-1 thru 12-5 on the Sky and Skagit sytems. Does it look like their might be some brats in the Sky or Skagit systems that early? I have cra@*y luck, and can't believe that I may sleeze in to such a mixed bag of fish. Will be spending the next couple od weekends dog-proofing my gear. I can't wait. Hope your rivers aren't all puked out by then.

Hawk,

Highly likely. In a year with a good run, if there's plenty of November rain, and Nov. is one of our wettest months, hatchery winter steelhead make a showing by Thanksgiving. Over the years, I've often been surprised while fishing for summer runs or silvers to hook my first winter run of the season in the last week of October.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Hawk,

Yeah, it should not be expected but there usually a few of the larger 3 salt fish that make it back to Rockport before Thanksgiving. Otherwise, chums, dollies and some late arriving coho. Nice time to be on the upper Skagit.

DaveD

Yeh, its not uncommon for the rivers in southwest washington to have winter runs show up around the first week of November. I was talking to the manager at the Lewis hatchery and last week when they recycled silvers they had 6 winter steelhead in the trap. I've caught winter fish in Salmon creek as early as the 10th of Nov., the Kalama as early as the 5th incidental fishing for silvers, and the East fork I've caught four winter runs in one day on Nov. 22 in 1996. Every year since I've caught fish by the 25th. Hope I didn't make any of them early fisherman mad in SW WA....


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I live on the peninsula and have got three so far. Two the last week of October and one a few days ago. Ive seen fish come back early like this before. From my expierience it means we should have a good year. After last year we needed it. The summer fishing this year was better than an avarege but ushually its pretty consistant. But I dont think you can predict the winter run by looking at the summer run. last year was a good example. The summer run was avarege and the winter run was one of the worst I ever seen. Im talking about brats of course. One good thing I saw this summer was a good native run on the Hoh even got a few on the Clawah reel nice fish to.

Bring 'em on, I'm waiting. While they aren't the world's biggest steelies (although the early portion of the run alway has fish into the middle teens), there's just something about them. Perhaps their arrival triggers the anticipation of what follows ... the big boys

I can't wait to go do some birthday fishing out in Forks in two weeks. I'm hoping to catch my first winter steelhead. I caught a summer run last year on my birthday. Maybe there will still be some summer steelies and silvers too. I'm hoping for a little more rain.

Can anybody offer me a little advice on what to use for winter runs? I usually drift eggs and shrimp with yarn. This works well in faster water holes in gorge areas for summer runs. Doesn't work well in the flat slow water. Should I try to use one of those water filled, clear bobbers? How about jigs? corkies? rags? spoons? spinners?

Steelheadman-
Ive had good success on just about everything this summer. guess thats one of the bennies of a great run. But due to the low watter this year most of my success has come by using light line, a clear bobber with about eight feet of leader and a small cluster of eggs (no weight). This way you get a good natural presentation. I also did pretty good in june and july by using the same setup accept instead of eggs I tore off the foam on a black or purple aerofly and used it by itself or with a small piece of raw prawn. before the first big rain when the watter is a summer flows I do pretty good on early winters doing both of the two.

Give me an E-mail and maybe we can hook up lapushpd@olypen.com

stlhdr,
Im not sure if you received my email? Was wondering if you had fished the East fork lately?