First time reporting, long time, pretty much daily visitor of the site. This is a late report for 1/31/14-2/2/14. I hadn't caught a fish since November so I decided for my four days off to take a trip out to old faithful. The Clearwater has usually produced steelhead for me since I figured out the methods for the river back in my college days at U of I. The average size of fish caught up there is usually pretty great to boot. I didn't let the smaller B-run scare me off, I had a good feeling there would be fish overwintering in the holes that have produced for me in the past and this was the case. I was bound to shore as my friend in Lewiston with a drift boat works the weekends. Shore fishing for me on the Clearwater is bobber and jig fishing walking speed runs from 8-14' below the bobber above 15-25' deep water. No scent, no bait, just hand tied jigs from friends. Reds seem to be awesome in Jan-Feb out there but to each their own.

Anyway, fished Friday-1/31 from about 8-10 AM. The bag this year is one fish under 28" due to the smaller run of large fish. Wouldn't you know it at about 10 AM on that Friday, bobber down, couple minute run and fight, and a 27" 7-8 lb hen to the shore. First fish was a keeper and that was a dilemma. Had all day to fish but called it quits because at this particular spot I usually catch small wild fish or fish 30" and above and my chances of hooking another keeper fish of this size were small. Its in the brine right now, meat was pretty white!

Fished Saturday-2/1 from about 6-10 AM and then again from about 12-3 PM. The first shift saw one small wild fish hooked around 6:30. The fish was in pretty close to shore off of two big rocks I have pulled fish from before. You can see the disruption in the smooth surface where the rocks lie. On the heavy gear I use for chucking my jig rig long distances, the fish came in pretty easy so I knew she was small but beautiful none the less. My rod eyelets and feet were freezing so I had to drive around, search for new spots and drink some coffee for a couple hours. My first two fish came closer to Lewiston, but above where the Highway 12 bridge crosses the Clearwater. My next fish during the second shift was closer to Orofino. At about 2:30 I was thinking to myself, "its about time for something to happen or I'm going to take off..." Bobber down! Love it when that happens. I was free spooling my line and way at the end of the tail out the fish took it violently, well as violently as it can in near 32 degree water.

I knew it was a bigger one by the weight on the end of the rod. I had to scamper up the rocky shore to a spot where the shoreline was deep enough to get her in, so I slowly reeled her up river. By the time I was able to start working her into shore she realized she was hooked and took me on a joy ride. Over to the other side of the river and then back again, she gets my line caught up in some rocks a couple times but to my luck comes free. God bless braid. 10-15 minutes and two more small runs later I work her in. I know its too big to keep but I tape it anyway, a 32" approx. 12 lb hatchery hen. Hard to release that one when I have racked them on the punch card in years past!

Superbowl Sunday I fished again 6-10 AM. Skunked, back to the norm for the past couple of months but what a game that afternoon. Go Hawks! All in all I had a great trip on a river I love, but had to give it a 3 rating for 3 fish caught. Could be worse but doesn't compare to the 6-10 fish days I've had out there. Pictured are the keeper and the big hen, which was a poor quality snap on a quick in and out of the water pose before release. Time to gear up for walleye and kokanee, tight lines all!

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