Steelheading Low and Cold
It’s December in Oregon and with it comes the early arriving winter steelhead and the winter weather. Often a mixed bag of anything-goes-weather one can typically count on wet and cold in December. This year it’s been surprisingly cold and the wet we’ve had has been white. When day time temperatures don’t sneak above the freezing point for some time our rivers get low, clear and COLD. This has impacts not only on our chilly toes but how steelhead respond to the fly.
When water temperatures plummet steelhead metabolism does the same; they respond accordingly by slowing down upstream migration and holding in slower water. Soft water edges and long slow pools can be favorite hangouts when the water gets icy cold like 33-36 degree water. During winter, water temps over 40 degrees are considered warm and anything over 42 degrees typically has fish on the move.
Adjusting your approach to cold conditions often means lighter sink tips in slow moving tailouts and runs. Balancing the angle of your line to the current, considering which sink tip and weight of fly to match the slower speed and opting for smaller darker flies are ways you can be more effective in the cold.
Sometimes low, clear and cold means that fish are not hanging in the shallow flats they might be when the water is warmer and green. Steelhead in clear water conditions often retreat to shady depths of deeper slots and pockets where they feel safe. Add this to a bit slower current speed and you’ve likely got a cold water hangout.
Getting your fly deep becomes much more imperative during these cold blast from the arctic. Use the five step formula for getting your fly deeper by: adjusting swing speed, change your sink tip as needed, change up to cast, step, swing; try the slip swing or lastly the slip-step-swing trick. If you’d like to learn more about how to get your fly deeper for winter steelhead success check out the new DVD by FLYFISHTV and Water Time Outfitters. Winter Spey Strategies is a 90 minute dvd devoted to covering swung fly strategies for cold water. Find it here.
Wishing you success in the low, clear and cold water of the winter months!
Rob Crandall
