Chetco River - OR

It only takes a small tuft of yarn to get a steelhead to bite in low, clear water, such as this Chetco steelhead caught last week.

Guide John Anderson of Memory Makers Rogue River Guide Service started out the New Year with 4 winter steelhead in the lower Rogue River on New Year's Day. Three of the four steelhead were suckered in by the Mag Lip 3.5 in the color Showstopper.

Gary Chapman of Brookings rang in the New Year with a surprise Chinook salmon while side-drifting the Chetco River with guide Harvey Young.

An angler proudly poses with a chrome-bright Chetco River steelhead caught last week while side-drifting.

Brian Kelly of Seattle holds a 12-pound steelhead he caught Dec. 27 on the Chetco River while fishing with guide Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. Photo courtesy of Andy Martin/Wild Rivers Fishing

Plunkers like this steelheader had a field day last week when the Chetco was on-the-drop from 4,000 cfs.

This is the author's personal Spin-N-Glo box, which contains every color winged bobber that is necessary to put the hurtin' on any Oregon winter steelhead river.

Sunnie and Aspen Dimmick caught two of the first hatchery steelhead of the season on the Chetco River last week when they plunked a Tequila Sunrise Spin-N-Glo from the bank.