Since the end of December, the rivers I fish on the central coast have enjoyed good water conditions, with good numbers of steelhead holding and willing to take a fly in the likely spots.
On the tail end of the last high water event, all the fish I was encountering were two-toned chromers, fresh in from the salt. In the last week, some of the fish have started to show some color, particularly the bucks, but there have still been a lot of nice bright ones in the mix.
This strong early run is a great indicator of things to come. With a lot of fish around this early, chances are fishing will remain good throughout winter steelhead season (now through the end of March) as long as river conditions remain fishable.
I have enjoyed consistently great fishing over the last couple of weeks with some truly spectacular days. For anyone who is interested in seeing some of what the rivers draining Oregon’s coast range have to offer, please call or email. I have a lot of days available throughout late January, February, and March.
Ethan Nickel Outfitters 