Boulder patches and large rocks are also good habitat, as they create ideal steelhead holding zones. These obstacles break up current flow and create areas where fish can hold while conserving valued energy. The chop, boils and small eddies created by water flowing over and around large rocks are what steelhead search for. It’s amazing how, barring structural changes, all fish migrating through a river seem to find the same spots, day after day, year after year. Depending on time of year, water temperature, clarity and sunlight intensity, steelhead may be found in 2-foot-deep rock gardens to 20-foot-deep pools strewn with boulders.
By figuring out water temperatures and paying close attention to bottom structure, you’ll be on the way to becoming a better steelhead angler. Study the details—don’t simply go through the motions—and you will hone those skills, which will result in more meat on the grill.
Note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s how-to book, Summer Steelhead Fishing Techniques, send a check for $16.00 (includes S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. This and other education-based books, including cookbooks, can be ordered online at www.scotthaugen.com.