WILD BLOG: Finding fall/summer steelhead on Oregon's Rogue River system
POSTED Nov. 2, 2009 / 8:40 p.m.

Large salmon, some easily in the mid-40s, where everywhere, splashing in the eddies near the bank, resting in the shallow tailouts and holding up in the deeper pools. It would be easy to catch them - a sardine-wrapped FlatFish or a big gob of roe and a green Corky would probably trigger an immediate strike.

But on the middle section of the Rogue River, just downstream from Grants Pass, salmon fish has been closed for a month. The fish are dark anyway, as the spawn is in full swing.

As we quietly floated past their newly dug redds, the anglers in the front of the drift boat waited for the signal.

 “Over there,” I instructed.

They flung their small roe clusters toward the spawning salmon, quickly took out the slack, and then waited for the strike.

Salmon spawn = summer steelhead: The spunky summer steelhead feasting on eggs from the spawning salmon were our target. When you can trick them into biting - small hooks, light line and natural-looking baits must be used - the sea-run rainbows put up an impressive fight, often jumping and testing the lighter tackle needed to catch them.

Catching steelhead is always fun, but there is something even more special about pursuing them during the fall. On the Middle Rogue, the hillsides lining the river are brilliantly colored in shades of red, yellow and brown. Deer, ducks and other wildlife share the scenic river with a handful of drift boaters.

The air is cool, but not really cold, a welcome break from the heat waves of summer as Southern Oregon slowly transitions into the winter season.

The summer-run steelhead will continue to bite in the Middle Rogue through the end of November. By Thanksgiving, the first winter steelhead of the season will be showing up near Gold Beach. The summer fish will become few and far between.

Trout baits spur the bite: Until then, anglers drifting single Pautzke salmon eggs, especially those yellow and orange ones, will score while seeking one of the West’s most fabled fish. Also effective are tiny roe clusters cured in Pautzke’s new BorxOFire cure, sweetened with a little extra sugar. Small hooks are necessary. I use size 4 Eagle Claw black octopus hooks. Light leader, like 6-pound-test fluorocarbon, will prevent the fish from just watching your bait float by and instead inhale it.

Summer steelhead fishing is a rite of fall on the Rogue. It’s one of the “must do” Northwest fisheries. Right now, it’s at its peak.
-AM

Andy Martin is an Oregon and Alaska fishing guide. While he catches plenty of trophy halibut and some of the biggest salmon outside of Alaska, Rogue River summer steelhead are one of his favorite species. His Web site is www.wildriversfishing.com