Steelhead Fishing Frenzy on the Clearwater

By Sue Nass Anglers from all over the Northwest have converged on the Clearwater River near Lewiston in search of big B-run steelhead. Most will be serving delicious steelhead during their holiday parties along with tales of a great fishing adventure. "Well, the run we've had this year is really one of the best we've had since I've been around and that's 15 years. We're looking at probably 50,000 hatchery B-run steelhead that are bound back for the Clearwater that we actually have now over Lower Granite. So fishing has been really fantastic this year and it should be a good year all the way into next spring," Larry Barrett, Sr. Fisheries Technician with Idaho Fish and Game, said. An amazing parade of crafts ranges up and down the river with elated anglers anxious to show off their catches. Brian Leth drove up from Boise, taking a week off work, just to take advantage of this year's steelhead run, "It's definitely worth the trip. Big fish, they fight really well, it's a lot of fun. I'm going home with some nice steelhead! It's three right now, but we're not done." The fishing goes on night and day with some anglers on the river long before dawn and staying well past midnight. And the fishing isn't limited to those with boats. Some are casting from the shore while others are wading in with a long fly rod called a "spey rod". Spey-casting was developed on the Spey River in Scotland. The Spey River has a lot of high trees on both banks and to fish it one needs to develop a special technique called a Ôspey cast'. "It's a 13-foot rod, seven-eight weight. I primarily fly fish, but I've been watching tapes and they're saying it's a pretty good way to catch steelhead. I haven't caught any yet so I don't know how good it is. But I've done this for about a week so I'm fairly new at it," fly fisherman Sherman Fike said. It's not only anglers who are grinning. This year's great steelhead season translates into a huge economic boon to local communities. Cities like Lewiston and Orofino provide tackle, food, lodging and fuel to the hundreds of anglers who are chasing the big fish. In fact, according to Dr. Don Reading of the national consulting firm of Ben Johnson Associates, a good steelhead season like this one can generate up to $90 million in related expenditures and provide 2,700 jobs statewide. And there is no doubt that this is going to be one of the best seasons in recent memory. "If a person wants to catch a steelhead, especially a big steelhead, the Clearwater River is the home of the big B-run mostly, so we get a lot of nice fish. They average 12 to 15 pounds. There are a lot of them this year, " Barrett said. Perhaps angler Brian Leth said it best as he floated lazily in the golden autumn sun with his fellow anglers, "It's a beautiful day, good weather, good friends, great fishingÉ" What could be finer?