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[Chehalis_Steel]

I know its still pretty early but with the mediocre Steelhead season on the Chedder (at least so far) I was hoping to target some cutties on the Fraser sloughs. Last year I did pretty well catching a couple of nice fish on the fly around April but I've never tried earlier than the end of March.

Typically how early would they start coming in in decent numbers?

[fisherforever]

Not too early, cutthroat are in the Fraser all year. I don't bother with steelhead and spend the winter fly fishing the Fraser for them. I start concentrating on them after I'm done with coho right into late spring. So much more peaceful fishing for 8 - 10 hours and not seeing another angler.

[island boy]

try down by dike on the way down to peg. was just there 2 hours ago and they are surfacing all over the place. as soon as the sun was going down they started to rise.

[clarki]

I don't bother with steelhead

Whew, I thought I was the only one

[fishtruck]

Have never fish for cutties before, any tips regarding method,lures and just general info would be greatly appreciated. Being on the river without anyone else around sounds very appealing. Thanks in advance

[RalphH]

the perfect way to fish for cutthroat is with flies. Anyone up for fish on the dry fly in early winter? Very small chironomids (midges) mayflies stone flies all hatch when conditions are right and the cutties rise to them. Nymphs work too of course. Cutthroat also take various bait fish through winter - salmon alevin and fry, various little minnows sculpins etc. Think small bait fish patterns like egg and I, tied down mylar minnow, wooly bugger and various muddler style patterns are all productive. Most of the time I fish with a floating line. Weighted patterns can get you as deep as you need most of the time.

If you really don't want or can't use fly gear, small spinners (like a #1 or #2) and small spoons catch fish. Never used them for trout but little jigs in darker colours should look like sculpins.White will look like lighter colour fish or scraps of rotted salmon - which the fish eat. he often taste just like that in late fall and early winter.  Rubber or plastic eggs do well while salmon eggs are still available to the fish.

[fishtruck]

Thanks RalphH, appreciate the info

[Chehalis_Steel]

the perfect way to fish for cutthroat is with flies. Anyone up for fish on the dry fly in early winter? Very small chironomids (midges) mayflies stone flies all hatch when conditions are right and the cutties rise to them. Nymphs work too of course. Cutthroat also take various bait fish through winter - salmon alevin and fry, various little minnows sculpins etc. Think small bait fish patterns like egg and I, tied down mylar minnow, wooly bugger and various muddler style patterns are all productive. Most of the time I fish with a floating line.

For me size 10-6 fry patterns like rolled muddler and others always worked the best. It makes sense that in the winter nymphs under an indicator would work well though, since colder water makes the fish more lethargic and less likely to chase a fly.

[RalphH]

I wouldn't be surprised if 90% of flyanglers who regularly fish the river use a minnow pattern like the rolled muddler most of the time. Right now I favour a little sculpin pattern tied with arctic fox fur, a wool head and dumbell eyes. It gets positive takes - a least the fish I caught Thursday were smacking it! Another good pattern would be a smaller wooly bugger in olive or black but that likely taken as a sculpin or minnow of some sort. If you fish the river or some of the other cutthroat streams in the valley you will come across fish feeding on nymphs - most often you'll see them flash and you'll learn to distinguish the slower flash of a trout from a whitefish - or dryflies. I've had days when there were good rises to honey bees. Not as many farmers keep bees in the valley these days but if the hives are open bees will fly on warmish sunny days. As it cools in the afternoon they will fall on the water.