A&E

This has been, without a doubt, the most difficult steelhead season I have ever experienced. Usually, I am good for 20 or more fish landed and often released in a year and I am just a part-timer. Guys in the know, who have the time, should be able to land 30 or more fish in a season. One experienced angler I know named Robbie is usually good for 50 fish in a good season, but this year he has managed only five. I tend to fish around Healdsburg and so I have missed out on a lot of the action below Guerneville, but a quick check with Scott at Kings has pretty much confirmed that they are experiencing the same kind of thing down there. Fish are moving but not holding. Guys are getting fish when a pod moves through and if they are lucky enough to be where they are at that moment. This is a far cry from last year when the water was clear and the fish had to hold up.

Mushrooms, tools & habitat

When preparing for any fishing trip, there are a lot of things to consider. In fact, the success of most fishing trips is 90 percent dependent on preparation before you even get to the water. And, of course, one of the most critical decisions made is based on the weather conditions, especially when headed out on the ocean. Today’s fisherman has so many advantages with the Internet and modern day technology when it comes to forecasting but there is really nothing that can substitute real-time first-hand observations from where you want to go.