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Hunting and Fishing by Alan Liere Spokesman-Review, November 18, 2011

Fly fishing

Fly fishing area waters can still be productive with nymphs, but streamers can be good in low light and a few anglers say they have even found pockets where dry fly presentations are not out of the question. Winter takes are soft, and a strike indicator is almost a must. Lighten your hook set to a gentle lift.

Die-hard fly fishermen are taking nice cutts from Amber and rainbow from the Big Spokane. The Montana and North Idaho rivers are still producing. Fish are concentrating in holes, so one spot can produce several strikes.

Steelhead and salmon

Dam counts have been decent, but steelhead are not entering the tributaries in any numbers and good steelhead reports are at a premium this week. The Snake, Clearwater and Grande Ronde are cold and clear. Anglers are marking fish near Lower Granite Dam, but they are mostly ignoring offerings. Fishing at Heller Bar, which was hot for several weeks, has died. The best bet in the clear, cold water is to soak bait under a diver or a bobber.

Mixed steelhead reports come from anglers fishing the Methow River. Fishing from boats right at the mouth has been good at times, but no consistency has developed.

At Fins and Feathers in Coeur d'Alene, Jeff Smith said the chinook bite has been good. The fish are deep – 80 to the bottom and hitting black and glow mini-squids 24 inches below a black and glow flasher. Smith said helmeted herring would be his second choice for catching chinook.