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Bobber Fishing Oregon Winter Steelhead
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Early Winter Steelhead Fishing Highlights
December, 2009 and January 2010 Steelheading Photographs
Nestucca (Hebo, OR), Siletz (Lincoln City, OR) and Sandy Rivers (Sandy, OR)
click to enlarge images

Early Winter brought with it a LOT of rain and mild temperatures. Over a 4-5 week period in December and January the Oregon Coast Rivers were only in shape a handful of days. If you were lucky enough to be on the water, there were plenty of early Winter Steelhead to be caught. The weather finally settled down the last week of January and we went to work, making up for lost time of the water. Steelheading was as good as the Oregon Coast gets. Guests hooked 40 fish in 5 days of fishing that week including lots of hatchery fish and a few incredible native fish.

Luckily, the season doesn't end January 31. As we enter February we're beginning to see less hatchery fish and more angry native fish, which is just fine with us. We look forward to the challenge of doing battle with this big, wild fish through the end of April. Give us a call and come experience these incredible fisheries. To book an upcoming Winter steelhead trip, call us at 503.515.3533 or email us!

Winter Stelhead from the Sandy River, Nehalem River and Nestucca River

sea-lice hen steelhead buck steelhead oregon coast steelhead nehalem steelhead
This season we've been running into lots of fish with sea-lice about a days drift above tidewater. Double digit days on steelhead are generally rare, but this season we've had a bunch. Hatchery fish began to taper on in late January to make room for the Native fish. Jesse with a sea-lice bright hatchery hen steelhead
fly caught steelhead sandy river steelhead nehalem river steelhead limit of steelhead
Dave shows off his very first Steelhead on a fly. He finished up the day 2 for 4. Good work Dave! A small Sandy River hatchery fish makes its way to the net. Paul Howarth admires his very first steelhead! Some days were like this... and better.
bright hen steelhead hatchery steelhead nestucca native steelhead nestucca steelhead
Jason shows off a chrome hatchery steelhead from our first day of the season, December. 3, 2009 A very typical Nehalem River hatchery fish, about 27" and 7 lbs. Closeup of an early Nestucca river native hen steelhead. Another December native from the Nestucca. There was a great early push of native steelhead in late December that went largely unfished.
native nehalem steelhead bobber fishing for steelhead fly fishing for steelhead north fork steelhead
Dave's 2nd fish on a fly. This wild buck was HOT! Most days we had the river to ourselves, helping us have consistent fishing all day. Nehalem River hatchery steelhead, taken on a fly. One of the first steelhead taken on our new Custom North Fork Composite Rods
paul howarth steelhead dink steelhead hen steelhead limit of 2 steelhead
Paul Howarth of REC Guides with a lovely little hen steelhead They aren't all monsters, this cute little dink came out of the Sandy. Bright hatchery hen steelhead. Jason with a limit of steelhead he caught on back to back casts.
2 angler limits of steelhead steelhead release
Happy customers with another 2 angler limit of steelhead. Jesse prepares to release a customer's native hen. This one was of the kelt variety. Spawn again little hen!