Best fishing of the year? It may be now.
Tillamook county had a good week of fishing. Everywhere it should have been good, it was and much of the week, the fishing was excellent. Knowing you’re on fish is always nice and it caused me to wonder, “Will this years’ winter steelhead season be the best fishing of the year?” Double digit days fishing for winter steelhead could certainly make a fisherman feel this way and the hope is, the good fishing we’re experiencing now will continue.
The weather was about as crazy as I’ve ever seen it. Rain, snow, sleet and sunshine greeted us on both Wednesday and Thursday on the Wilson River. Huge snowflakes at times made it difficult to even see your hi-vis Super Slick. It felt almost apocalyptic, but it was a blast. The weather didn’t seem to bother the fish any as we saw consistent action.
Towards the end of the week the Nestucca had come into shape which allowed the masses to spread out a bit. It’s sure nice having so many options in Tillamook County. To be able to drive any direction out of Tillamook and be able to find fish is pretty special.
Know that many of the opportunities are made possible by the community, many of the guides, financial support from many of the users and cooperation by the ODFW. The native brood stock programs have been very successful and the collective effort is amazing.
With all the rain this winter, it feels like the fishing is just getting started. I’ll be fishing for steelhead all the way through March. If you’d like to get out, just send me an email or call 503-680-6809.