A nice beginning to the 2011 Winter Steelhead season on the upper Rogue River, Oregon.
The upper Rogue River winter steelhead season kicks off with this nice steelhead caught on Super Bowl Sunday. A cookie-cutter Rogue winter steelhead, the buck went 27 inch and about 7-8 pounds. The fish took a Beadhead G.R. Hare’s Ear nymph fished as the trailing fly off a large Brownbagger Stonefly Nymph. The tadem fly setup was cast cross river and allowed to swing downstream. The take came near the end of the swing of the flies.
The upper Rogue River has dropped back into fishing shape after running high and muddy for much of January. That made for some alright waterfowl hunting, but the steelheading conditons were bad. If this first steelhead is any indication, we are going to have a great winter steelhead season on the upper Rogue. This year with the absence of any man-made obstructions like dams to hinder them, the fish should be arriving timely and in great shape.
Rogue River Salmon Steelhead Board 
nice one!! mine was smaller that day 😀
Looking forward to meeting and talking to you–Neil
I have a feeling that I am going to have the time of my life trying to pull in one of those in a couple of weeks! Can’t wait! Beautiful Oregon…
Be sure to have plenty of Carpetbaggers (Midnight Rainbow, Midnight Fire), Brownbaggers (Copper/Black, orange beadhead) Stonefly Nymphs, Beadhead G.R. Hare’s Ear, Prince Nymphs and Zug Bugs. Heavily weighted of course.