Cowlitz Stealhead?

[The100Road]

going out this week for my first riverfishing Stealhead trip with my wife. It was a wedding gift. The guide pushed our trip from 2 weeks ago saying the fishing was to slow. Just wondering how much action the wife and I should be expecting later this week?

[WSU]

Who is the guide?

[PolarBear]

Depending on how much water they release from the dam.  All the wetside rivers are running low and clear right now which makes it tough to fish. 

[The100Road]

Depending on how much water they release from the dam.  All the wetside rivers are running low and clear right now which makes it tough to fish.

Lame. Im hoping he doesnt have to push the trip again. but i guess its also good to get your moneys worth.

[The100Road]

Who is the guide?

Sent you PM

[bullcanyon]

Buddies said it's still slow.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Your guide is doing the right thing. Cow was at 5000 this weekend and is slowely getting better. Cow is dam controleed so dont worry about low and clear. River level will be fine. Just hope the B run shows! The later the better. And now you have a solid chance at a Combo Steelie/Springer trip.

Im scheduled with Clancy on Friday on the Big C. We may move to the Cow. He has been doing better this last 4 to 5 days.

[huntnphool]

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=14238000

[The100Road]

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=14238000

I might be stupid but im not not really sure what im supposed to be looking for there?

[huntnphool]

It shows you the river flow

[mallard79]

Kinda fun to watch the camera on cowlitzriverlive.com sometimes. Watched a boat net a fish this morning. Not sure how it is controlled but it turns at times. Last summer I watched a guy set the hook and the camera followed him until it was in the net!  There have been more and more boats hitting Blue creek lately.

[Button Nubbs]

Kinda fun to watch the camera on cowlitzriverlive.com sometimes. Watched a boat net a fish this morning. Not sure how it is controlled but it turns at times. Last summer I watched a guy set the hook and the camera followed him until it was in the net!  There have been more and more boats hitting Blue creek lately.

Last winter we were trying to decide where to fish, my buddy said he didn't see anything on the camera so I logged on and watched a boat net a chromed. Guess where we went? Lol

[Wa hunter]

I spent the weekend there it was slow.  There was not many people on the bank but quite a few boats it was kind of weird

[GEARHEAD]

i was at blue creek today, kinda discusted,at what is the norm over there, but i watched 7 hookups in a couple hours, i was there. only one landed.....all snagged...the go to presentation there is a 12 ft leader, and a bare hook, or maybe a bare hook with a tiny bead.....i couldnt take it so left that hole, but regardless of those asses...there are fish to be had, and many of those fish were chrome.

[BigGoonTuna]

i know what you're talking about.  i was down there today(in my dad's boat).  was kind of funny watching the snaggers scramble after clancy went by and his wake washed their fish out into the river

we got a couple...but seemed pretty slow overall.  one of ours was a summer run.

[kglacken]

uncle went out today. hooked 8 and landed 3 between all of them on the boat 

[HntnFsh]

Its been hit or miss. One day you my get 6 or 8 hookups. The next only 1 or 2. Seems like it is getting a little better. A lot of the steel are running in the high teens. May luck out and get a springer too. I think the flows will stay steady for a few weeks. Work going on at the intake to Mayfield dam. Should improve fishing if so. You got a good guide if he put you out a few weeks. Mind sharing who it is?

[The100Road]

Its been hit or miss. One day you my get 6 or 8 hookups. The next only 1 or 2. Seems like it is getting a little better. A lot of the steel are running in the high teens. May luck out and get a springer too. I think the flows will stay steady for a few weeks. Work going on at the intake to Mayfield dam. Should improve fishing if so. You got a good guide if he put you out a few weeks. Mind sharing who it is?

Thanks for all the info. Guide is Phil Stephens of Mystical Legends Guide service. web site is www.riverfishin.com i believe. I think the wife wants to go this week even if he wants to push it again. so we'll see how it goes. We're pretty excited, just hope we get some action to keep her entertained. The weather doesnt sound like its going to be that great.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Phils the man. You cant go wrong. Clancy and Bob B have been pushin trips back also. When you book the best, they will take care of you.

[The100Road]

uncle went out today. hooked 8 and landed 3 between all of them on the boat 

Sounds priomising. Thank you.

[snocohunter]

We fished the bank at blue Creek Saturday. I only hooked one fish, but landed it. About 8lb chrome hen. Meat and eggs were beautiful. Only saw 5 other hookups. And 2 other fish landed. Just got a text this morning buddy said 11 hookups, 2 fish landed so its getting better.

[plunker01]

I hit the cowlitz down around castle rock the last two days and we managed to take home one stealhead both days but it has been very slow hopefully we get some rain and the river comes up a little and now that the smelt are gone that should help also. I got a springer last week and his belly had 3 smelt in it

[The100Road]

I think there is likea 80% chance of rain on Thursday down there. THats supposed to be a good thing? Is is good to rain while fishing or better to fish after the rain?

[wildmanoutdoors]

Typically yes. Better after a rain and a river rises and falls. Fish it when its coming down and fish are moving.
 But this is the Cow. The showers we will see will do likely nothing to the Cow. Its dam controlled.

[wildmanoutdoors]

It wont matter anyway, Phil knows were to fish no matter the level. If there are fish available. You guys will have a great day.

[The100Road]

It wont matter anyway, Phil knows were to fish no matter the level. If there are fish available. You guys will have a great day.

Awesome. Youve fished with him before? I know we'll get on some fish, i just want the wife to have a good time. She's only cought rainbow trout and i really want her to get on a good fight.

[WSU]

I've fished with Phil before.  We were on the Hump, but I can assure you he is top-notch.  You will have a blast.  He's a fun guy to fish with and he knows his stuff.

[plunker01]

The rain still affects the cowlitz. When it rains real good the toutle really muddys up the the river and it does go up a bit. When we got a realy hard rain during the week about two weeks ago I went out on a thursday and it was about 3 feet higher than the day before and we took home two springers that night and the next day it dropped off again to where it was. But your right the dam controls the levels most of the time but it does spike a little when it rains good it just doesnt last very long

[wildmanoutdoors]

It wont matter anyway, Phil knows were to fish no matter the level. If there are fish available. You guys will have a great day.

Awesome. Youve fished with him before? I know we'll get on some fish, i just want the wife to have a good time. She's only cought rainbow trout and i really want her to get on a good fight.

Fished with and around for a looonngggggg time. I dont typically hire guides as I have been doing this stuff as long or longer. But Phil is top notch and thats why I call him Phil Holt! 

[wildmanoutdoors]

The rain still affects the cowlitz. When it rains real good the toutle really muddys up the the river and it does go up a bit. When we got a realy hard rain during the week about two weeks ago I went out on a thursday and it was about 3 feet higher than the day before and we took home two springers that night and the next day it dropped off again to where it was. But your right the dam controls the levels most of the time but it does spike a little when it rains good it just doesnt last very long

Agreed, but most steelhead guides dont fish below the Toot.

[HntnFsh]

Phils a good guide. You will be happy with him. If anybody can get you onto fish and have a great time. He will do it.

[bankwalker]

If there's a better cowlitz guide, you'll be hard pressed to find one. Phil is the man

I fished the cowlitz yesterday. Sloooooow is an understatement. But the few fish I seen hooked/caught were well worth the effort for those putting in their time.

And I might have, or might not have hooked a couple springers  I might have, or might not have been fishing close to blue creek launch 

[Curly]

Just wondering how much action the wife and I should be expecting later this week?

Depends on how tired she is from the Honeymoon.

  Somebody had to say it.

[gonehuntin68]

  hahahaha  nice

[The100Road]

If there's a better cowlitz guide, you'll be hard pressed to find one. Phil is the man

I fished the cowlitz yesterday. Sloooooow is an understatement. But the few fish I seen hooked/caught were well worth the effort for those putting in their time.

And I might have, or might not have hooked a couple springers  I might have, or might not have been fishing close to blue creek launch 

hahaha, Thanks Bankwalker. Sounds like its real hit or miss.

[The100Road]

Just wondering how much action the wife and I should be expecting later this week?

Depends on how tired she is from the Honeymoon.

  Somebody had to say it.

  She didnt find this quite as funny as i did. 

[Curly]

Just wondering how much action the wife and I should be expecting later this week?

Depends on how tired she is from the Honeymoon.

  Somebody had to say it.

  She didnt find this quite as funny as i did. 

I'm glad you found it funny.   Good luck on the steelhead trip.  That was a cool wedding gift.  

My wife and I floated the John Day as a wedding anniversary trip.  It was a lot of fun.

[crow360]

I have a drift boat an am thinking about floating the cowlitz. Any ideas of where to put in and take out. I was thinking about putting in at Barrier Dam and taking out at blue creek. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[WSU]

That float is fine.  The fishing has been slow, so I'm not sure it is worth your time right now.  I might head elsewhere unless you just want to catch hatchery brats (and not many of them).

[eggster]

Phils a helluva guy, and guide. You'll do just fine. We had a trip planned to with a different guide,  but it got pushed back to the 21st. ill be down their this weekend burning gas with crowkiller and "cut em all jack" cameron on board. Sure hope we get into some. Every time weve been down its been dead. 5 trips and 1 fish hooked.

[tmike]

I'll be there all day tomorrow. They raised it up a little yesterday to 6300.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Took Clancy till 1 pm to limit 2 guys today. Gotta work hard for em.

[tmike]

Fishing was decent. They raised the water all day. That thing goes up and down like a yoyo.

[snocohunter]

Might head down today and bank fish blue creek. How decent was it mike? Buddy of mine is set on going so I may tag along and stay overnight.

[tmike]

It wasn't red hot. The bank fisherman were getting a few and there was a pretty consistant bite along the wall. There were some happy clients in a few of the guide boats. We hit a couple a few miles below.

[snocohunter]

We had similar success. Few fish being caught on Monday early, but nothing to write home about. We ended up with 3 brats nothing with any size just good eaters. It was nice to be fishing instead of working i know that much. Plenty of guys had the day off too from the looks of the parking lot.