Welcome back to Three-Word Thursday, where Fish Hack is hoping the incoming storms wash away Wednesdaqy’s ignominious number — 1949.
Besides being a good year for single-malt scotch, it also happens to the the cubic feet per second of water flowing at the Gold Ray Dam site on the upper Rogue River, Fish Hack’s home waters.
For mid-February, that ain’t right.
Ignominious. Horse. Partake
Winter steelhead fishing is slower than it certainly could be right now thanks to low, clear and cold water. Fresh winters just aren’t moving — just a dozen entered Cole Rivers Hatchery all of last week. But higher, warmer water with a little color to it will get these steelhead on their horse and into the upper Rogue so Fish Hack can boat his fave float without having th drive to Merlin for action.
The flow at Gold Ray looks like it will peak Saturday afternoon around 4,000 cfs, then start dropping. That’s when the fish will be on the move and willing to bite.
Luckily, Tax Deduction No. 2 has no basketball this weekend after her team smoked the field last weekend at a tourney in Salem.
So for steelhead, Sunday will be a day to partake.
