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During the course of the spring steelheading season, Alaskan anglers are bound to encounter unfavorable fishing conditions. Sudden warming temperatures and rainfall can turn a perfect fishery into a quagmire in a matter of hours due to snowmelt and runoff. The good part, however, is that many of Alaska's steelhead streams have a quick recovery rate.
The key to keep in mind this time of year is that conditions do not need to be perfect in order to catch fish. Truth is, if you wait for perfect conditions, you may not get much fishing in. What's more, fish can be caught in what many people consider to be less than ideal conditions. This is especially true in high, turbid water, proving how these anadromous fish really do depend on their sense of smell for navigation, gathering food and overall survival.
Over the years I've caught many steelhead in water carrying less than two feet of visibility, and quite a few where the estimated window of visibility was a mere 15 inches. Though these distances are on the extreme end, the point is, fish were caught.
When fishing in such unfavorable conditions, there are certain measures anglers can take to help increase success. Don't be intimidated by high-water situations. As long as the river is in a recovery stage, it's worth considering spending a day on.
A few words of caution: When fishing high water, apply common sense and do not fish a river that's dangerously high to navigate. Strong currents, logs being swept downstream and other obstacles commonly associated with high water are obstacles you do not want to deal with; they can be life-threatening. If the water you intend on fishing seems unsafe, don't go. When a river is just starting to recover from flood stage, it may take a few days before it becomes fishable. The good part about this, when it comes to Alaska steelhead fishing, oftentimes there are other streams in a neighboring drainage that may recover quicker. Remember, the goal is to simply catch more fish, not put yourself into unnecessarily dangerous situations.
The strategies discussed below are designed to increase your fishing time and get you on the water well ahead of other anglers-the ones who are sitting around waiting for the conditions to be just right. These tips are also meant to help you apply approaches you may not have thought of, techniques that have worked for me in high-water situations over the years.
1. Vary Depths of Presentations
In high-water situations, steelhead can often be found at various depths. This is particularly true in holding water. It's important to understand that as a river rises, current seams, eddies, boils and riffles can undergo changes. Often these changes are apparent on the surface, while subsurface changes are not as evident. Sometimes subsurface currents even change direction, or experience more upwelling.
Due to these changes, and the simple fact an increased volume of water can lead to more challenging currents for fish to hold in, it's important to vary the depth of your terminal gear, to seek out fish that may be suspended. This can be done by simply lengthening or shortening your leader and/or dropper. If fishing a six-inch dropper and 24-inch leader, change one or both of them. Maybe go to a 36-inch leader so it will move around more in the natural current, giving it the opportunity to seek out fish. Perhaps changing the amount of weight you use will help vary the depth at which you fish.
Another good idea is to suspend jigs or drift-bobbers below a float, with a sinker tied inline between the two. With the simple adjustment of a bobber stop, you can alter your depth accordingly. If back-trolling plugs, either from a boat or off the bank, try downsizing the diver, or going without one in water that may hold suspended fish. Being flexible is the key here, and once you find fish, make note of where the strike came and the exact conditions; it may pay off in the future.
2. Hit Relaxing Water
High water conditions can be physically demanding on fish, and to save energy, they will often seek out less taxing waters. In high-water conditions, we've targeted steelhead in less than two feet of water, tight to shore, and consistently nailed the fish. These fish will, in the right conditions, move tight to shore, so close they can be very tough casting to, especially when holding beneath overhanging willows.
One steelhead trip stands out in my mind where many anglers dismissed the poor fishing to the fact that the water was so high, fish were shooting upstream at accelerated rates, moving by anglers. A buddy and I fished hard and in two days landed over 20 steelhead. They were holding in two places: In boils where you'd most likely target salmon, and so tight to shore it was tough getting to them under the overhanging brush. But our search paid off and, not only were we rewarded with fish, but what we learned greatly expanded our fishing knowledge, which has since proven effective on various other rivers in the same conditions over the years.
Steelhead will also travel through less taxing sections of water, namely close to shore, through narrow chutes to the side of main currents, and even on the outside edge of heavy riffles. Once you find where the fish are traveling or holding, you can adapt your presentations, accordingly. Make the approach you choose to use fit the conditions. It may be that multiple approaches can be presented. If so, find what works best in that given situation and be persistent.
3. Fish Tailouts
In high-water settings, the increased volume of flow often pushes fish downstream, where they hold in more relaxed water commonly associated with tailouts. For this reason, don't overlook these areas, even for steelhead. Oftentimes, as these fish move through heavy rapids, they will hold and recuperate in the nearest, most comfortable water. This frequently comes in the form of a relaxed tailout.
Depending on how hard the water pushes into the rising bottom of a typical tailout will determine where the fish lay. It may be a different holding zone for every tailout you come across. A good, general rule here is to note where fish may be holding in normal conditions, and then try those spots in high-water situations. If there are no fish to be found, then progressively work tighter to shore, until you find where they may be.
It's important to realize, however, that high-water tailouts can be hit and miss. While the fish will stage in such zones, it's typically not for extended periods of time. My favorite time to hit these waters is in the morning, early in the evening and after a big freshet, when steelhead are more inclined to move. At the same time, midday can be productive in these areas, especially if the fishing pressure is intense on the upper end of the hole, forcing the fish to stay low.
The important thing when fishing tailouts is to not get hung up on pounding them to death. I'll grid the water and make a quick series of casts through there, all the while making sure to keep my lure, yarn or drift-bobber on the bottom. If fishing a float and jig, I'll run it a bit closer to the bottom than normal, say 6 inches versus a foot.
If fishing from a boat, before moving out of a tailout I like to put out the plugs and make a pass, or cast jigs through the area on the way downstream. These approaches often force steelhead to back downstream and then strike out of aggression, and can be very effective in tailouts in general, whether the water is high or not.
4. Back-bounce Edges of Seams
Back-bouncing is an approach many anglers apply to salmon, and I feel it's one of the more effective approaches for steelhead, too. Back-bouncing is a very deliberate delivery, where you're in control of the terminal gear at all times, placing it precisely where you want it to be. Though most Alaskan steelheading streams are closed to the use of bait, other terminal gear such as drift-bobbers, Smile Blades, yarn balls, rags and even small spinners can all be fished by way of back-bouncing.
Because steelhead may hold along the edges of seams in high, turbid water conditions, taking your time when fishing such habitats may be the key to success. If you're not finding fish in the main currents or close to shore, try dissecting the edges of seams, more specifically, the outside edges.
Perhaps the best way to do this is by back-bouncing. Drift-fishing does not allow the terminal gear to remain in the sweet-spot long enough, and often the water is too boiling to effectively back-troll plugs or run jigs. Back-bouncing is usually the most efficient approach here, for it allows you to use more weight in order to control the position of the terminal gear, keeping it in the strike zone.
The only things that might vary here-compared to back-bouncing in normal water conditions-are the increased amount of lead and larger hooks. Bigger hooks are necessary to fit the larger drift-bobbers or other artificial forms of terminal gear you'll be using. Larger gear makes it easier for fish to see, which is important in high, off-colored water. Increased sinker sizes allow for better control, not only when backing the presentation downstream, but also when keeping the terminal gear from being kicked out of the target water, something which routinely happens with lighter weight sinkers.
Due to the swirling nature of these waters, it's best to position yourself at the upper end of the target water, then back-bounce downstream. Back-bouncing seams is a great approach, and you'll find that not only can it be very productive in high water, but under a range of conditions. Just match the terminal gear setup to the conditions and you're set.
5. Fresh Creek Mouths
Because so many of Alaska's streams are fed from different sources, there are often multiple creeks, seeps and rills that provide clean water flow. Alaska's rugged terrain means multiple drainages may enter a stream, bringing with them, clean, oxygen-rich water. While these little streams may be too small for steelhead to migrate up and spawn, they do have something fish like, especially in high water.
Because these creeks are smaller, they have a quicker recovery time when compared to rivers, thus the influx of fresh, clean water. In the right situation, such creeks can be very productive during times of high water.
The most fertile creeks I've found to catch fish in front of are where the size of the alluvial fan is small. The stacking up of small sediments into a pile at the mouth of a creek (the alluvial fan) can actually drive fish away, especially steelhead who do not like holding on or near sand. Rather than spend time fishing directly over these fans, move out and downstream, into a position where you can still profit from the surge of fresh water. If the water is deep enough, fish will often be there.
This spring, should you find yourself facing high, turbid river conditions, rather than calling it quits, study the streams closely. Once you've identified where steelhead may be holding or traveling, make every offering that makes sense. Vary these offerings, as well as the depth and rate at which they are delivered. The result may be a productive day on a river amid conditions most anglers would consider unfishable.
Scott Haugen is a contributing editor for Fish Alaska. His latest book, 300 Tips to More Salmon & Steelhead, can be ordered by sending a check for $29.95 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. For other books by the author, including the popular Flyfisher's Guide to Alaska, and various cookbooks, visit www.scotthaugen.com.
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