Fishing Report 11/21/19

Well, to be honest, fishing has been pretty slow overall the past week. Being thrust into winter early has never really helped our Steelhead fishing. Rumor is that lake temperatures may now exceed where the rivers are. The rain we are getting today and the melt that will come with the higher predicted weekend temperatures will not help the temperature situation in more Northern rivers. Further South where there is less snow should actually benefit from a rain event and a few days of warm up. It will be sloppy no matter where you end up fishing this weekend so plan on bringing some extra gloves and maybe even a towel. 

 STEELHEAD

Brian, Evan, and Ted have still been working the rivers nearly every day. Though it has been slow lately, this is typically one of our favorite times to be on the water. Many hunters are spending their free time in the woods leaving much of the water for those willing to put up with this early winter weather. Beads and yarn eggs are still producing fish though we've mostly moved on from the bright colors of fall and on to more subdued colors such as egg yolk, peach pearl, apricot, cream, and cotton candy. It might be time to start working nymphs into your two fly rigs. I've heard a rumor about Hex Nymphs but you cannot go wrong with stonefly, caddis, and mayfly nymphs. 

If you're really looking for something different, this can be a good time to swing some flashy flies for the more aggressive fish. Skagit rigs are the preferred method for most anglers but those with a boat can also throw a big sink tip. 

TROUT 

Though this is typically one of the best times of the year for die-hard streamer anglers, things have been slower than usual with the winter weather referenced above. This does not mean you shouldn't go fishing! Low and clear water has been the thing lately so think about downsizing your line, maybe using a longer tippet and flies that have a little less flash. Get some friends together, pack the cooler and a heater and go have some fun before we really get thrown into winter!