April 1,2009 - Steelhead
For the most part Steelhead season here on the coast has ended.
The Smith River will still be open until the end of
the month, but there are very few Steelhead if any in the river.
You have probably heard about the salmon closures? The closures will
only affect the "OCEAN FISHERY" in California
and Oregon. They do not
effect the "In-River" fishery at all except for the Sacramento
River. We should see a lot more salmon in our rivers, and
because of that a lot more hook-ups this coming fall. We have
always found that to be true with past ocean closers. With the
Jack count being up this last past Salmon season, we should see more
three and four year olds as well. I am really looking forward
to this coming fall season. With the increase of fish in the
rivers, it is going to be busy. So call or e-mail me early so
I can get you and your fishing buddies on the calendar.
go.fishing@gregnicol.com.
The three-day Rogue River Canyon trips will start up the middle of
August, and run through the first week of November.
Last season on the Rogue River was awesome. The test nets that
the Fish and Game do on the lower part of the river showed
150,000-summer steelhead. Two years ago there were only 18,000
fish. There were more fish last year than we have seen in the
last ten years. The biologists are saying the fishery is now
in an up swing. The next few years will only increase the fish
counts.
There are a few openings still on the calendar this season on the
Rogue. For those of you
who might still be thinking about taking the Rogue Canyon trip. You can learn more
about these three-day trips by going to "River
Info" on our web site.
I want to thank those of you who fished with me this past season,
and I look forward to having you in my boat again. We would
like to thank those of you who sent a donation to the Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery. It is never too late
to make a donation for a good cause. If you know of any grants
that are available, the hatchery would appreciate the information.
Please make your tax-deductible check payable to Rowdy Creek Fish
Hatchery, PO Box 328, Smith River, California
95567, and
phone (707) 487-3443. The Pacific Power Company is no longer
donating power to the hatchery.
The Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery is now having an annual
increase of expenses of thirty thousand dollars.
March 08,2009 - Steelhead
The last couple of days the Chetco River has been giving up one to
two fresh Steelhead per boat. Most of the boats are boating
four to seven fish by days end. The Smith River has not been
producing as many fish because of the clarity of the water.
The pressure on the river has been light even for a weekend.
There will be another derby held this coming
week Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
If you have a little extra money and would like to make a donation
for a good cause. If you know of any grants that are available
would be greatly appreciated. Please make your tax-deductible
check payable to Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery, PO Box 328, Smith River, California 95567, 707-487-3443.
I have
a lot of days open on my calendar so give me a call at 541-661-4141
or e-mail me at
go.fishing@gregnicol.com.
February 19, 2009 - Steelhead
Friends of Cal-Ore Fish Derby fundraising events
start this week with the Willie Derby. There will be another derby
held next week Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The derby will be helping
ODF&W with brood stock collection for their final numbers of Chetco
Steelhead, and other fishery projects. We are expected to receive some rain on Saturday and a
little next week. The fishing has been kind of up and down
this past week. One day a boat is lucky to get three to four
hook-ups, and the next day you might only get one to two chances.
February 09, 2009 - Steelhead
I celebrated to early the little rain that we were getting yesterday
did not amount to much at all. This morning when I awoke the
sky was clear and the temperature was thirty-two degrees. I
was part of a two boat party today on the Chetco River. Sure
was nice to be working close to home once again. We ended the
day with both boats landing two fresh Steelhead. In my boat we had a
twelve pound and a seven pound Steelhead. The other boat had a
fourteen pound and a seven pound Steelhead. I went out of the
house without my camera this morning so I was unable to get pictures
for you to see. Although the people I was fishing said that
they would e-mail me pictures that they had taken when they returned
home.
February 08, 2009 - Steelhead
CELEBRATE...CELEBRATE..IT IS RAINNING
February 07, 2009 - Steelhead
This
morning I meet another guide to help with his three boat party, just
like I had done on the
Umpqua
River two days ago.
After gathering everyone up we car pooled north to the coastal town
Bandon. Then driving east to the little town of
Myrtle
Point, where we fish the South Fork of the Coquille River.
With today being a Saturday the pressure was a little heavy compared
to during the week I was told. It was my first time to fish
the Coquille River.
By days end, one of the boats in our group had zero fish.
The other boat had lost one and boated one. Having been
a wild fish it was released. I end the day with one lost and
one kept because it was a hatchery fish. There is rain in the
forecast so hopefully will be able to fish a little closer to home.
February 05, 2009 - Steelhead
Today
I was helping another guide where we had met his clients up in
Reedsport Oregon. We launched
our boats on the Umpqua River just down river from the town of Reedsport.
It was a three-boat party and by days end there were seven
fish landed, one being a hatchery fish.
It was my first time to fish the Umpqua
River
and felt good about getting three out of the seven. We took a
picture of one of the fish of which we had landed in my boat.
You can see that photo by going to Fish Photos.
February 01, 2009 - Steelhead
Today starts a new month. With the weather that is expected to
come should start to bring in the second run of Steelhead, and the
rest of the January's run. Of which I believe have stayed out in
the ocean because of lack of water. The weathermen are calling
for rain on Thursday continuing through the weekend. With the
temperature in the low thirties and the highs reaching the low sixties. What we need
is a storm at this point. Although one really has to be
careful of what you ask for.
The month of February is usually a wet month for us. February
is also when there is a large number of Steelhead entering the
rivers.
January 31, 2009 - Steelhead
Today I had the opportunity to fish the Smith River. Another
guide called last night. Asking if I could help him with some
unexpected clients who had come into town. They were wanting
to fish the Smith River. I told him I thought there were a few
more fish on the Chetco River. He said that the Smith River
was where they wanted to go. I counted nine boats during the
day. By days end the fish count was one fish boated with one
lost. That was between all nine boats. The Smith River
is extremely low and clear as are all the coastal rivers right now.
January 27, 2009 - Steelhead
We decided to fish the Chetco River once again today ending the day
like yesterday with one fish. The river is gin clear and in
much need of rain.
Clouds came in this afternoon and we are having a little rain, but
it is only to last until around mid-night with the next seven days
clear once again. With this small amount of rain I don't look
for the rivers to change much. The run of fish this season
seem to be small or really large in size. I am hoping to see
more of the older three year old Steelhead come in on the February
run. .
January 26, 2009 - Steelhead
I had only one person in the boat today a long time client.
When you have someone coming back to your business for so many years
you really stop thinking of them as clients and more like good
friends. The trip was a birthday gift from his wife of which is his 86th
Birthday. You will probably remember seen his photo over the
years. He has had that hat and coat as long as I can remember.
We ended the day by having two strikes on a plug, and landing one
Steelhead on bait fishing the Chetco River. Tomorrow he has a
friend coming over from Grants Pass to fish with him who I have not
seen for about three years. We are still in need of rain.
January 21, 2009 - Steelhead
I
awoke this morning to a dark cloudy sky. The weatherman is
calling for showers this afternoon and continuing through tomorrow.
We can really use that rain in our local rivers right now. The
morning temperatures have warmed up to the forties and the
afternoons have lowered to the upper fifties. It has been in
the low thirties to upper seventies. The last few days have
not felt like January at all. The rivers are becoming low and
clear. The fish count has only been one to two fish per boat
with most of the fish being on the small size. The fishing
pressure on the river has been light with most people waiting for
the rivers to improve. With the rain that is coming, I am
looking for the fishing to improve.
January 17, 2009 - Steelhead
The weather is just beautiful not your typical Steelhead weather for
this time of year at all. With few fish in the river right
now, and the low clear water it has really been challenging catching
fish. I had another guide helping me out the last two days.
We ended the trip today by releasing one run back Steelhead.
January 15, 2009 - Steelhead
Today the fishing pressure was light on the Chetco River.
I heard that on the
Smith
River the boat traffic was
light also. Fish are being caught on both rivers, but I would
say that the fishing is only fair right now. The weather here
in Brookings on the
Chetco
River has had frost in the
mornings with the temperature rising into the mid-seventies.
Can this really be the month of January? As I was
drifting down the Chetco
River, I was asking the few anglers that
were fishing from the bank if they had gotten any fish or hits and
all said no. At the take out at the end of the day seemed like
most of the boats came in with one to three fish with others on but
lost. The weatherman is calling for showers possibility by
next Tuesday or Wednesday. By the beginning of next week, we
will need that rain.
January 14, 2009 - Steelhead
Over this past weekend the pressure on the Chetco River
was unbelievable so thought it best not to do a fish report only to
add to the traffic. Most boats got two to three fish, with
other hook ups but lost them. The last two days the pressure
has slowed down a lot.
There still are a fair amount of folks coming up from
California because of the lack of fish and the clarity
of the Smith
River. If you have a
guide that is going to be bringing you up into Oregon, please make sure they have an Oregon
Guide License. The fishing has slowed down a lot for the
anglers that are fishing from the bank, and has the catch ratio.
Most of the fish caught are in that six to twelve pound
class. On Monday there were two fish caught that came in at
eighteen pounds. It has been like summer the last couple of
days with the temperature in the mid 70s.
January 06, 2009 - Steelhead
There are a few fish caught on our costal rivers now as the rivers
reseed. The rivers are still a little on the high side.
We are receiving rain today, turning to showers tomorrow, and they
are calling for it to end Friday. The weatherman is calling
for a ridge of high pressure to set in after Friday. They are
saying the ridge could last as long as ten days. I hope it
does not last that long, but the first five to seven days should be
some of the best fishing of the season. Next week all the rivers
should be in prime shape.
January 04, 2009 - Steelhead
From all the rain we received last week, the snow that was in our
local mountain is now gone.
It is on its way out to the ocean. The
Smith River and the Chetco River
both hit their warning stages, but are well bellow that today.
The bank anglers on both rivers are doing fair at these higher
stages. There were a few people fishing from boats yesterday
on both rivers. The boats on the Smith had three fish caught,
and of the two boats on the Chetco River,
the score was zero. My wife and I helped a friend with his
shuttle today on the
Chetco River. We noticed that there were
about six boats. The river is still a little high with that
emerald green color.
Because of the frost warnings, we have been getting at night the
rivers are dropping fast. As we were parking my friend’s truck
at Social Security Bar, there was a seventeen-pound Steelhead landed
by a person fishing from the bank. We cannot catch Steelhead
from our couches, and I have a lot of days open on my calendar so
give me a call at 541-661-4141 or e-mail me at
go.fishing@gregnicol.com.
December 23, 2008 - Steelhead
With low water conditions, and folks staying home for the holidays,
I have not been on the river. With the melting of the snow in
our local mountains, and rain, the rivers are back up and the
steelhead are entering in the rivers.
November 13, 2008 - Fall Salmon
Today my bride Kymmy and I took one of our grandsons fishing on the Chetco River.
The river was a little high, but we were able to hook into three
salmon. Yesterday I had clients, and with all the rain, we
have been having the Chetco
River
turned muddy. We went down to the Smith River
where the river was the color of tea with many leaves, which made it
hard to keep your gear clean and running. We had a couple of
grabs, but nothing stuck. We did see a couple of fish rolling
in front of us during our drift. After returning home, I did
have a chance to talk to four other people who were on the
Smith
River and their luck was
the same as ours. The rains and clouds have left. The
jet stream is north of us.
The weatherman is calling for next five days to be clear with
a warming trend. The fishing should really improve with the
rivers dropping.
November 04, 2008 - Fall Salmon
With all the rain we have been getting the rivers have all come up.
The Smith
River
opened up this past Sunday. Most of the fish that have been
caught the last couple of days have all been small and very dark in
color. These fish held up in the lower portion of the river
are now able to move up in the system. I called the Oregon
Fish and Game this morning.
They were telling me the Chetco River
could open up to fishing by Thursday or Friday. It would sure
to be open to fishing by the weekend. As of this report and
because of all the rain we have been getting both rivers have a lot
of color. It is always
that way with the first rains of the season, not to mention all the
leaves falling into the river. With the rain, tapering off to
showers and clearing by Thursday, both rivers should be in great
shape by the weekend.
October 29, 2008 - Fall Salmon
We just finished up with our three-day
Rogue River
Canyon trips. We had
an awesome season. I hope someday you all can treat yourself
to a trip through the Wild and Scenic section of the
Rogue River. The water, rock formations
vegetation, and all the wildlife are spectacular.
Right now, there are three major storms lined
up out on the ocean. The first storm is to hit this Friday.
Both the Smith and the Chetco rivers now have low water closers.
Oregon has just imposed a closure on the
Chetco River until November 30th, or until the
river comes up to get the fish in the lower end to move up.
The fish are stacked up in the lower holes by the hundreds right
now, and it would be easy to snag fish.
With the storms that are due to hit Friday, and looking at
the river heights forecast these closures will not hold for very
long.
October 7, 2008 - Fall Salmon
I have been working in the
Rogue
Canyon doing the two night
three-day fishing trips. This season on the Rogue River has
been awesome. The test nets that the Fish and Game do on the
lower part of the river showed 150,000-summer steelhead. Last
year there were only 18,000 fish. There are more fish this
year than we have seen in the last ten years. The biologists
are saying the fishery is now in an up swing. The next few
years will only increase the fish counts.
With the little rain, we had the Smith River
opened. Fishing was spotty as it is still early. With
the low water closure, I do not look for the
Smith
River to stay open above
the confluence of Rowdy Creek to long. The weatherman is
calling for a warming trend. The
Chetco
River will not be opening
until November 1st (first). There is an Ocean Fishery going on
right now, but it will close on October 11th. When the ocean
quits being so ruff, and the boats have been able to get out, the
fishing has been great. I saw in the paper a picture of a 49lb
chrome bright King Salmon. I also heard of a 54lb King Salmon
that was brought in. From all the studies and the lack of a
commercial fishery in the ocean, it is expected to be an awesome
in-river salmon season. The sizes of the fish are also
proposed to be larger.
