Fishing the North Coast

from North Coast Journal 12-16-2021 Edition

On the Table

Coastal Rivers Primed for Steelhead

By Kenny Priest

fishing@northcoastjournal.com

After a very wet weekend that saw all our coastal rivers receive a good soaking, fi shable rivers should begin to come into play this week — at least a few of them. Both the Smith and Chetco rivers were high and o -color Tuesday, but that will soon change. They should come down to high-but-fi shable levels in the next few days. In the Humboldt area, the South Fork Eel is probably the best bet for green water. After a bump in fl ows behind Wednesday’s rain, it’s forecast to be at a fi shable height by the weekend. Water color could be an issue, however. Same holds true for the Van Duzen. The Mad River is currently high and muddy, and will likely stay that way for the foreseeable future. A few steelhead have already been caught on the Mad, which is encouraging. The SF Eel and Van Duzen haven’t seen many boats or anglers yet, but you can bet there are steelhead around. If you’re looking to get out of the house this weekend, you should be able to fi nd a fi shable river.

Weather ahead

The next storm system is slated to begin Wednesday and will stick around through the day Thursday. “Light showers are predicted for early Wednesday, with the bulk of the rain falling overnight,” said Josh Wood of Eureka’s National Weather Service o ce. “The rain will be widespread, with 1 to 2 inches possible from the Smith to the Eel basins. The next storm will arrive on Friday, with showers arriving in the Smith basin in the afternoon. Locally, most of the rain from this system will fall Saturday. The Smith basin could see ¾ to an inch in the higher elevations. In Humboldt, we’re likely to see a quarter to a half. More rain, with the potential for another inch, is forecast for Sunday into Monday. Jeff Dillard of Brookings, Oregon, with a chrome Chetco steelhead caught last week while fishing with Mick Thomas.

Photo courtesy of Wild Rivers Fishing

Mad River Steelhead Derby Starts Dec. 18

The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association (NCGASA) is hosting its third annual Mad River Steelhead Derby from Dec. 18 through Feb. 28, 2022. Anglers must be signed up prior to Dec. 18 to be eligible to win cash and prizes. Only hatchery steelhead can be entered. The largest steelhead wins $500, second place $300 and third place $150. First place in the youth division (16 and under) will win a $175 RMI Outdoors gift card; second and third place fi nishers will win prizes to be announced. Anglers can sign up online at www.ncgasa.org or in person at RMI Outdoors. Part of the proceeds benefit the Mad River Steelhead Stewards volunteer angler›s broodstock collection program that works in concert with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit www. madriversteelheadderby.com.

Smith River

The Smith was over 12 feet on the Jed Smith gauge at the start of Tuesday, a little too big for drifting. Conditions look excellent for Wednesday before the next round of storms move through. The next rise is predicted for Thursday with the river on the drop Friday and Saturday. There should be some steelhead around as well as some late kings who will quickly make their way upriver.

Chetco

The Chetco River rose 8 feet between Saturday night and Sunday morning, giving a boost in fl ows that steelhead anglers have been waiting for. Flows jumped from 600 cubic feet per second to just under 10,000 cfs. As they drop this week, the river should be in prime shape for steelhead fi shing. “Anything under 5,000 cfs is fi shable for side-drifting, and 3,500 to 2,500 cfs are ideal,” said guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. “If the early forecast is correct, we should have good fi shing sometime this week. Steelhead were already in the river before the storm but low, clear water made fi shing tough. It was di cult to get a good drift without spooking the steelhead holding in the shallow tailouts,” Martin said. ●

Read the complete fi shing report at www.northcoastjournal.com

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fi shing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fi shingthenorthcoast. com. For up-to-date fi shing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fi shingthenorthcoast.com.