Kings and cohos — September into October
Fresh fish take. Fish that have been in the river a week are looking at you, not your bait. Move upstream as the season goes on: the mouth in the opening week, Pineville and the Trestle by the last week of September, Altmar and the fly zones in October.
FLYEgg sacs where legal, estaz eggs, glo-bugs in chartreuse and cerise, big black or blue stoneflies. Ten pound fluorocarbon minimum — a fresh king will straighten anything lighter.
SPINEgg sacs under a float, single beads, or a Kwikfish and plugs from a boat. Skein early in the run when it is legal and the water has colour.
HONESTSnagging is illegal and it is also why this river gets a bad name. Fish get hooked fairly in the mouth on a drifted egg all day long. If you cannot get a take, the fish are stale — move, do not lift.
Steelhead and browns — November to April
The best fishing on this river and the fewest people. Go lighter than salmon season on everything. Cold water means slow, deep, and a dead drift right on the bottom.
FLYEstaz eggs, sucker spawn, small pheasant tails and stoneflies under an indicator. Six to eight pound fluorocarbon, enough shot to hold the seam and no more.
SPINSingle beads, small egg sacs, pink worms under a float. Long drifts, light line, and patience.
HONESTBelow about 36°F fish stop moving to the fly. Slow it down to almost nothing and drift the same seam twenty times. December through February is a numbers-of-drifts game.