Monday, Nov. 8

I got some great reports on the steelhead fishing from a couple of guides that have been fishing the lower Okanogan River, the lower Methow River and the main stem Columbia River out of Pateros. Craig Tomlinson, from Tonasket chose not to fish the Similkameen, which just opened to steelhead fishing, due to very low and clear water conditions. He opted to try the lower Okanogan and lower Methow. He and his clients had a blast. They hooked a total of 17 steelhead on their floats of these two rivers. The lower Okanogan was a bit dirty, but there were fish stacked up in some of the holes. The recent rain storm did bring the water up at bit and gave the water some color and there were leaves and other debris to deal with, too. The positive was that it also pulled some fish from the Columbia up the tributaries and fishing will do nothing but improve. Fishing on the main stem Columbia is also improving following the recent storm. Jerrod Riggan tells me he hooked nine fish on a recent outing, fishing out of Pateros. I can't wait to get the new JetCraft out on the Columbia, and it should arrive at Bob Feil's today!