Report Date: 2/8/14

Fishing this past week on Idaho’s Clearwater has continued to remain very good.  We did receive an arctic blast of air that slowed the fishing down some mid-week, but by Friday the river was back to fishing fantastic with numbers of fish landed reaching the double digit mark.  Our two most consistent techniques have been side drifting and backtrolling divers and bait combinations.  We have continued to have all our fishing effort on the river below Orofino as the upper river is now impacted by large amounts of ice. 

For this upcoming week we are going to see temperatures increase and the snow that has been falling should turn to rain.  As water levels come up and water temperatures warm we should see some fantastic fishing over the next few weeks.  We will continue to look to side drifting and backtrolling diver and bait to put fish in the boat for our clients.  As the water warms and fish start to make their “spring push” fly fishing with indicator rigs will also become a major fish producer.  We can have some great days in the spring fishing indicators and egg patters.  If you are looking for a spring steelhead adventure you owe it to yourself to give us a call and let our team of professional guides get you out on the river and into some Clearwater B-Run Steelhead.  

Report Date: 1/28/14

Fishing over the past week has remained very good on Idaho’s Clearwater River.  We have been experiencing one of the best January catch rates that any of us have ever seen!  We truly feel that this bodes very well for our upcoming February and March fishing.  Most of our success has come side drifting eggs and we have managed to have a few double digit days over the past few weeks.  Our second go to technique has been backtrolling diver and coon shrimp combos.  Our best producing colors of shrimp have been pink and purple.  On top of the great gear fishing we have had some stellar fly fishing over the past week as well.  We have landed fish both swinging large leach type flies on sink tips, as well as fishing egg patterns under indicators. We have also been landing some very large B-Run Steelhead in the 15-19 pound class almost every trip.  Most of our effort has continued to be on the river below Orofino, Idaho.  The upper river is currently very cold and has been impacted by some slush ice in the mornings. 

For this upcoming week and the first part of February we anticipate fishing to remain very good.  We are forecast to receive some rain in the Clearwater Valley starting Wednesday 1/29.  Some small storms moving in and out of the area should help warm the water temps in the upper river and get some fish moving.  We really think the great fishing is going to continue all the way through our season.  Gear anglers will see most of their success side drifting bait or backtrolling divers and shrimp.   Fly fishers looking to tough it out will continue to find success swinging large leach type patters on sink tips and fishing egg patterns under indicators.  Most of us really love to swing flies but we also realize just how effective a tool the indicator can be this time of year. 

We still have some opening for February and March, so if you are looking for a spring steelhead trip don’t hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email as we will most likely be able to fit you in somewhere.  

Report Date: 12/16/13

The Deep freeze is over, and fishing has picked up significantly!  Over the past week we have seen temperatures increase to highs in the upper 30’s to low 40’s, and along with that water temps have come back up to our normal winter temps in the upper 30’s.  Fishing toward the end of last week was fantastic.  On Saturday two rods hooked a total of 11 steelhead!  We expect fishing to continue to be good through the holidays as the forecast is calling for no major change in the daytime highs.  During this time of year we have the most success backtrolling plugs or diver and bait combinations.  These techniques allow us to present our gear at a slow pace and give the fish plenty of time to decide whether they want to eat it or not.  Side drifting can also be extremely productive this time of year but we find that our success increases exponentially if the water temps are reaching the magic 38 degrees mark. 

For the remainder of this week and into next week look for fishing to continue to be good, and most people don’t realize that this can be the best time of year to be on the water.  Very few boats on the water and plenty of willing fish make for some very enjoyable days.  Also, all of our boats have heaters to keep you extra toasty when it’s a little cold outside. 

Don’t forget that we are offering a 25% discount off our regular trip price if you decide to fish with us during December and January!

We did a little video to give some insite into what a typical day of sidedrifting looks like for us on the Clearwater.  Hope you enjoy it!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUPEqwrhoK0

Report Date: 3/17/13

www.clearwaterrivercompany.com

As I write this report we are winding down our 2012-2013 steelhead season.  We had some incredible fishing over the past 7 months.  Every phase of our steelhead season brought with it special challenges and many rewards.  We are truly blessed to be able to make our living fishing on one of the greatest rivers in the entire Northwest.  We also blessed to spend countless days on the water with truly great individuals who decide to spend their hard earned money to enjoy a few days on the water with us.  If it were not for the generosity of our great clients we would not be able to make our passion our living.  Thank you from all of us at Clearwater River Company because it is you that make all this possible. 

Currently we are looking forward to our next fishing opportunities on the Clearwater, both Spring Chinook and Fall Steelhead will be here before we know it!  As for spring Chinook, we are forecasted to have a substantially smaller return of these incredibly tasty fish, but we should still hopefully see some great fishing opportunities even if it means a shorter season than the past few years.  Fish and Game should have seasons set sometime in late April, but before that we really won’t know what kind of season we are looking at.  If you are interested in a spring Chinook adventure with us don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, as our available dates should book up fast. 

The biggest thing we are looking forward to is our 2013 Fall Steelhead season.  We are already taking quite a few bookings, so if you know when you want to come and fish with us don’t hesitate to get your preferred dates booked.  Fall is our favorite time of year to be chasing steelhead on the Clearwater and it’s not an opportunity we think any outdoors person should ever go without.  I am already dreaming about giant B-Runs smashing a fly fished near the surface on a floating line, or a plug rod getting almost ripped out of a rod holder. 

Report Date: 1/14/13

Fishing over the past week or so has remained very consistent on the Clearwater.  Currently all of our efforts have been focused on the lower river, downstream of Orofino, as the upper river is flowing large amounts of ice.  Our guides have been averaging 7-10 hookups per day.  Most of our success has come from remaining versatile and employing a few different approaches throughout the day.  Back trolling plugs/ diver and bait, and side drifting eggs have been our most productive methods.  We even have been hooking a few fish swinging with the fly rods.  Overall we have had very good fishing during the early part of January and we expect that trend to continue through the latter half of the month and into February.

For this upcoming week it looks like the weather should improve over the next few days, which will make fishing a little more enjoyable.  Overall we expect the current fishing success to continue through the rest of this month as hopefully things start to warm up a bit.  It will take a decent rain and some substantially warmer temps to break up the ice above Orofino, but when that happens the upper river should be fishing very well. 

Remember that we are still running our holiday special through the end of January 14, 2013!  If you take a trip with us this month you will receive a 25% discount off your trip.  Also for those of you looking to get out with us during February and early March we are starting to fill up a bunch of days so get in touch with us a.s.a.p. to book your preferred dates!

Report date: 12/11/12

Currently the Clearwater is fishing great. Last week we had a high water event that shut things down for a few days, but as of yesterday the river was back to fishing great! On Monday 12/10/12 Clearwater river company clients had a fantastic day with one boat going 6-6 and the other boat going 5-7. Fish were landed while back trolling plugs and side drifting bait. This is a fantastic time of year to be fishing Idaho's Clearwater River! For the rest of this week and into next week we expect fishing to remain good, and as long as we don't get any super cold temps fishing will stay good through the end of the month and into January!

Don't forget we are offering a holiday special!  Any one who takes a trip with us during December and January will recive a twenty five percent discout!!! For More information check out www.clearwaterrivercompany.com

 

Report date: 11/20/12
Fishing over the past week was overall slower than the few weeks previous. This last Saturday was the big opening of the annual Lewiston steelhead derby. Although a good time is had by many of the contestants it almost always has a negative impact on the fishing due to the major spike in fishing pressure in a short time frame. But, with that said, when our guides found fresh ...

fish they did very well. One of our boats went 7-12 on Sunday, and another of our guides landed two on the swing on Saturday. Most of our success came for from back trolling plugs and side drifting bait. The fly guys that did well were swinging leach type patterns and sink tips.
For this week expect fishing to pick up some as the fish get used to the current conditions. I'm fact this week has gotten off to a great start as one of our guides went 5-7 today. Look to find fish in the places that might not be getting fished as regularly.

 

One word of caution to anyone headed this direction over the next few day.  WATCH THE RIVER LEVELS.  Things may get a little interesting, but then again sometimes the predictions are wrong!

Report Date: 11/13/12

Steelhead fishing on the Clearwater remained very good over the past week.  The weather front that came in on Thursday not only did not put the fish off, but made fishing better.  As has been the case over the past few weeks back trolling plugs and side drifting bait have been our two most successful methods.  Even our fly clients had very good outings this last week with multiple fish landed on flies throughout the week.  It seems that lower returns over Lower Granite have not translated into slow fishing on the Clearwater. 

Look for fishing to remain very good over the next week and into the upcoming holiday week.  For gear anglers back trolling plugs and side drifting bait will remain the top techniques for hooking Big B-Run Steelhead.  For fly anglers expect the guys throwing light sink tips to start hooking a much higher percentage of fly caught fish.  Also winter type steelhead patterns will be more effective patterns compared to earlier this season.  Think black bunny leaches!

 

Report date: 11/6/12

Fishing over the past week some of the best we have seen all season.  After the high water we had early in the week the fish seemed to be very aggressive and willing to bite.  Things were a little busy on the lower river due to a fishing derby being held in Lewiston (this was not the big derby for the year but a smaller weekend derby), but even with the increase in pressure on the lower river our guides managed to do very well.  Another plus for drift boat anglers is that the upper river has been fishing well for the last few weeks, and will continue to be a good option for anglers willing to get away from the crowds.  Our gear guides were successful back trolling plugs and side drifting eggs.  This last week was also a great week for fly angers on the river.  We heard several reports of guys getting into multiple big fish swinging flies!  Both the sink tip crowd and the guys fishing dry lines seemed to be getting into fish.  The same flies that have been producing all season continued to get grabs.  With steelhead fly fishing its more about getting your fly in front of a willing fish than the particular fly used. 

For this week expect fishing to stay good.  We have a large cold front predicted to hit the Clearwater area on Thursday so we will just have to see how that affects fishing for the weekend but there will be fish available throughout the entire river.

Report date: 10/30/12

Fishing over the past week has remained decent with last Friday being one of the best days of catching that the river has experienced since the opening of the steelhead retention season. All of our guides had multiple fish in the box at the end of the day along with plenty stories about the ones that didn't make it to the net. Gear anglers had the most consistent success side drifting eggs and back trolling plugs. Fly anglers also saw some success with most fish coming to wet flies near the surface.

The big news for this week is that just as the fishing was getting good Mother Nature decided to throw us a curve ball. Due to a very wet few days the river has become unfishable for a few days. The good news is that as I write this report the tribs seem to have peaked and flows are receding. We feel the river will be fishing well by Friday as long as flows continue dropping.

Report Date: 10/16/12

Fishing over the past week continued to be decent with gear anglers back trolling plugs having the highest rate of success.  On the water success for fly anglers seems to be as diverse as the anglers themselves.  Some guys are struggling to hook fish while others are consistently hooking up daily.  The biggest key to consistent success with the fly seems to be finding fish that want to move to the fly.  The guys out there covering the most water and fishing hard are the ones finding success.  It also seems that people willing to fish with a light sink tip are out fishing the floating line guys by a large margin. 

As most people know yesterday was the opening day of Steelhead Harvest season on most of the Clearwater River.  Some of our guides did very well getting their clients into a bunch of big B-Run steelhead.  If you are looking at getting into a few fish to keep now is the time to hit the Clearwater.  Our boats caught fish back trolling plugs and side drifting eggs.  Both of these methods can be extremely effective this time of year, and it seems that a combination of the two methods used throughout the day seems to give guys the best chance at success. 

Report Date 10/9/12

Fishing continued to be decent over the past week but the prolonged dry spell that we are in has the Clearwater running very, very, low and clear.  This has made things a little bit more difficult than normal for this time of year.  Even with the slightly more difficult conditions fly anglers continued to have a decent opportunity at hooking a few fish.  Most success has come to anglers that know the river well and are fishing hard.  Steelhead fly fishing is not easy and guys fishing lots fishy water are getting hookups.  Most of the normal dry line stuff has been producing, but the most success seems to be coming from guys willing to throw tips and larger flies.  For some reason the larger presentation is getting fish to move a little better. 

Gear anglers continue to have good success pulling plugs through productive steelhead water.  The biggest issue for gear anglers is the large numbers of fall Chinook in the system.  If you are able to get your gear into fishy water without a big nook grabbing it then we seem to end up hooking a steelhead. 

I feel overall that fishing has been fairly decent and if we can get some good rain we will see some fantastic steelhead fishing.  Pray for rain and keep fishing hard and the fish will come!

Report Date:  10/1/12

Fishing continued to be decent over the past week and we have started to see some very large B Run Steelhead enter the system.  Fly anglers continued to have moderate success as the river was fairly busy during the latter part of the week and into the weekend.  Anglers that seemed to find some untouched water and fish seemed to have decent success.  Most of our fish were caught fishing small hair wing type patterns near the surface while the sun was off the water, and on small leach type stuff in black or purple on a light sink tip during the mid-day period.  Once again it seems that the anglers covering the most water tend to be the ones rewarded with a fish or two also don’t forget to switch thing up a little when there are lots of other guys stepping through runs.  The crowds should calm down a little over last week as Poppy, from The Red Shed in Peck, Idaho was having his yearly spey gathering on the Clearwater.  After the clave things seem to calm down quite a bit. 

Gear anglers continued to have good success back trolling metallic finished plugs.  Guys who fish gear this time of year often have really good success catching big B Run Steelhead.  Other methods that consistently produce fish this time of year are spoons and float and jig presentations. 

All anglers need to remember that above Memorial Bridge in Lewiston the Clearwater River is Catch and Release for all steelhead fishing, and these fish need to be treated with the upmost respect.

On another note guys need to realize that the water is very low at this point in time and if you are running a power boat you need to be especially careful!  One of our guides actually got a drift boat stuck the other day!  Just be cautious and watch out for each other and things will be groovy.

Report Date: 9/24/12

Over the past week our guides have continued to have decent success swinging flies on the Lower Clearwater.  The fishing has not been gangbuster but the fish are here and anglers willing to fish hard have been having decent success.  The biggest key to success has been covering lots of water.  Anglers who fish hard over good water are having success.  Other major keys to successful fishing have been fishing good water (not just water that is easy to fish), not being afraid to try new water, and switching to light sink tips during periods of high sun and heavy fishing pressure.   Sometimes all it takes to get a grab is to present your fly a little lower in the water column.  Small, buggy, spey type patters and small leach type stuff have been our go to offerings.

Gear anglers continue to have good success back trolling plugs.  Metallic finishes have been the best producers.  Wiggle Wart and Hot Shot type plugs have been consistent producers.  I can’t think of a more enjoyable time of year to be out on the Clearwater Fishing for B Run Steelhead, and speaking of B runs our guides have been into quite a few large fish over the last few days.  Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come!

Report Date: 9/19/12

Over the past week steelhead numbers at Lower Granite have continued to increase daily.  Good numbers of fish have been crossing the dam since the middle of last week.  Fishing has also continued to improve in the lower Clearwater.  Most successful anglers are targeting the river below Cherry Lane Bridge, but there should be some fish distributed all the way to Orofino.  Fly anglers this week continued to have some success swinging small wet flies such as Lady Caroline’s and Green Butt Skunks near the surface on floating lines during low light hours or when the sun is behind the fish in the later afternoon hours.  During the mid-day hours anglers that switched things up a bit and fished small leach type patterns on light sink tips also found some success.  The key to getting a fish on a swung fly is to fish hard and this principal has not changed since last week.  Anglers willing to put their time in and cover lots of water have been rewarded with feisty steelhead.

Gear anglers also continued to have decent success with most fish coming to a variety of back trolled plugs such as hot shots and wiggle warts.  During this time of year the metallic type finishes seem to be the best plug options. 

Flows at Dworshak Dam have now been reduced to our low fall flows and the river is currently in prime fall form.  These are the water conditions most people associate with fall steelhead fishing in Idaho, and I must admit that I get a little giddy seeing all of the wonderful steelhead water reappear after a spring and summer of high flows.  This is the time of year we have all waited for, and I am jacked!

Report Date: 9/10/12

An increase in steelhead counts at Lower Granite over the past few days combined with dropping flows have led to an increase in catch rates on the Lower Clearwater.   We have been having consistent success swinging small traditional hair wing type pattern near the surface during the low light hours as well as small dark leachy stuff on light sink tips when the sun is high.  Our key to success has been to cover lots of water and fish hard.  When the water is still high in late summer guys need to approach the Clearwater a little different than you would during early October.  During August and the first half of September we look for fish in areas that will have little to no water later in the year.  Fish the fishy water and don’t be afraid to fish runs with your back in the brush and you will find fish.  The river is very big this time of year so fish the water you can effectively and forget about the rest.  Overcasting is one of the biggest mistakes we see from many anglers on the Clearwater.  Look for fishing to continue to improve during the next few weeks.  Discharge from Dworshak Dam will continue to decrease as the flow augmentation period for the lower river draws to a close.  The river will be slowly stepped down over the next week and a half and by the end of September the Clearwater will be in her prime low fall flows.  The fall is a magical time in the Clearwater Valley and should be on everyone’s to fish list!

Report Date:  8/12/12

Steelhead season has begun!  Over the past few weeks some early “A run” Steelhead have been trickling into the lower Clearwater River.  Although the river is not loaded with fish yet these fish are very aggressive and will attack a well presented fly if you get it in their vicinity.  This is a great sign that our fall season is going to be a good one.   During this time of year fly anglers that are not intimidated by the higher water, and are willing to fish with their backs against the brush often times find great success on early Clearwater Steelhead.   These are the same fish that guys will be catching on the Snake, Ronde, and Salmon Rivers later in the fall.  These early fish pull into the lower Clearwater to escape the warm temperatures in the main stem Snake, and hang out until they decide to head up river.  I can’t think of a better time of year to be out on the water.  The early portion of the run is a great time to hone up your casting skills and get everything in grove for later in the fall.  If you are interested in one of our early steelhead trips get in touch with us!  This is a great time to be on the water and anglers that are fishing now will not only be better caster, but better fisherman come prime time later in the fall. 

Thank you so much to all the great people who stopped by my booth at the FFF show in Spokane, Washington over the last few days.  Your buisness and support is much appreciated!

Thank you!!!

I just wanted to give a big thank you to all of my clients that fished with me this past steelhead season.  You are the reason I am able to continue to pursue this dream of mine and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your buisness, and I look forward to our continued relatonship long into the future. 

Kyle