Last year at around this time, we were talking about the best steelhead run in a decade. And what could be better than that? Try this. As we go to press on this issue, we are watching the fish come over Bonneville Dam right now in numbers we haven't seen for 15 years. We are talking summer steelhead that filter into the Deschutes or run up the John Day or go up to the Clearwater, the Snake River, the Salmon, and the Grande Ronde. If your old waders have holes in them or you need new boots, now is the time to take care of it. And look at the calendar. The Deschutes summer run peaks in September, while October is tops in the Snake River, the Salmon, and on the Grande Ronde.
There are nine main methods for catching steelhead, and some of them are pro-level difficult, while others are easy. Two of my favorite ways to catch steelhead are swinging big flies and casting spinners. While spinner fishing is not the easiest way to catch a steelhead, it is super effective. And it is like a jolt of lightning when a fish grabs.
SPINNER WATER
Steelhead may be found in deep pools and slow frog water, but the best water for fishing spinners tends to move at the speed of a fast walk over gravel bottoms and through boulder runs.
Steelhead tend to travel at night and when the sun is low. They hug the banks and stay tight to structure, finding the path of least resistance up through rapids. Up through the tailout, into the pool along a ledge, and often head-in to the bubbles beneath the foam lines to the head of the pool. When the sun comes up, steelhead can be very close to the bank.
Summer flows are low and clear with an occasional shower to bring the water up. And steelhead are highly aware and alert. That's why knowing anglers don't wear spikes on their boots. The sounds of scraping studs are like nails on a chalkboard to summer steelhead. And the first casts to any run should be short.
Summer steelhead are willing to chase and can move as much as 15 feet to engage a target and might follow a spinner or a fly from one bank to the other.
SPINNER SELECTION
The spinner itself? For the lower Deschutes, for the Snake River, the Salmon, and other similar-sized streams, a spinner with a heavy French blade is a great choice. We tend to talk about Blue Fox spinners when we discuss steelhead fishing, and while these are good spinners, they tend to be a compromise. Look at the options available. A purpose-built spinner for the Deschutes should sink fast (faster than a Blue Fox) and start spinning the instant it hits the water. I would opt for a short heavy body and a No. 3 or No. 4 blade. Body colors? For summer steelhead, top colors are blue, green, purple, and black. Best blade colors? They are all good: copper, silver, black, nickel, brass. Silver tends to move fish further but throws more flash and can spook fish in low, clear water. Black and tarnished brass are good bets. I like to add blood red tape on the inside of the blade. And I like blood red hooks too. And the hooks should be sharp, sharp, sharp.
SPINNER TECHNIQUE
Cast, and let the spinner sink, especially in the channeled lava runs like are found in the lower Deschutes. The turn of the blade should thump in the rod tip. Don't just cast and reel. Let the spinner tumble and flash through the boulder fields. The closer the spinner is to the bottom, the better. And if you are snagging spinners, congratulations! You're fishing right.
Make sure the drag is loose enough to allow the fish to pull out line fast.
It's going to happen. A steelhead is going to stop that spinner. Or crush it. And streak upstream or down. Let the fish run, then try to gain as much line as possible when it stops. Even if it means chasing it downriver. When the fish jumps, and it can jump up to a dozen times, let some tension off. When it comes time to slip a net under it, try to get the fish's head up. It's a rush.
It can happen a dozen times in a day. Or it can take a dozen trips to hook the first one. But when there are steelhead in the river in a good year, the odds go up. If this is your first year for steelhead, or the first season in a long time, give spinners a try.
