During fishable time periods

BY BILL KARR

WON Staff Writer

BROOKINGS, Ore. - While water levels on the Chetco River have been high most of December, anglers have enjoyed some of the best early season steelhead action in the past five years during the fishable times.

Plunkers fishing the gravel bars on the lower Chetco began reporting good catches in mid-December, with big numbers of hatchery fish.

"Fish travel in is less than 4 feet of water as they make their way upriver," said WON Field Reporter David Pitts. "Areas to look for Christmas success are the lower end of the Social Security Bar where the river tapers and pinches.  Steelhead will shoot up this funnel in shallow water. Also check out Freeman Hole, the North Fork water tower, the Piling Hole and Loeb State Park eight miles up river on the North bank road. Use Spin N Glo’s , zip line rigs and roe." He said.

Plunkers have been using medium-size Spin-N-Glos with roe clusters. When side-drifting, combinations of yarn, Puff Balls, roe and even small Spin-N-Glos are producing. "We've been using 10- and 12-shot slinkies to get down quickly in the higher water," said WON Field Reporter and guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing.

"The river dropped below 7,000 cfs on Dec. 16 and the plunkers at the Gate Hole above Tide Rock caught around 15 steelhead," Martin said. "The next day I hard of a couple dozen caught at Social Security Bar. Most of them have been hatchery fish."

Driftboaters found fishable water only a few times in the middle of the month, but reported decent catches.

"It's been high, but we've been able to get a fish or two each time," Martin said. "The fish have been fairly low in the system, from Moffit Rock to the North Fork. Above that, there have been a few fish caught, but so far the best fishing is from Loeb down."

During the high water, Martin said he has been finding fish tight to the bank, especially along the willows. "The water has been high and pretty-colored, so the fish have been holding in the slower, shallower water right next to shore," Martin said. "Sometimes we are catching them in just 2 feet of water."

Drift boaters even in higher water can connect on a good day of chromers by targeting the sides and soft seams of tailouts.  Long straight stretches side drift roe or pink worms.

A series of storms the week before Christmas was expected to bring more high water, although the Chetco was rising slower than expected on Dec. 18. The Chetco steelhead fishing typically peaks in January and February. "Judging by December's action, I think we may be in for a treat in January," Martin said. "The run is off to a great start, and it should keep building for the next several weeks."