Drift Fishing from the Bank
......Rigging for the drift
......Bait
......The drift
......Detecting a bite
......Playing and releasing your fish!

This technique is the most common method used for steelhead, and also effective for salmon, and starts by finding a likely spot on the river where the fish are holding, (see reading the water). Most fishermen rig a bait with an attractor on a 2-3 ft leader and weigh it down with a lead weight or slinky. A cast is made usually at a 30-45 degree angle upstream, and the bait is then allowed to drift down the river just off the bottom, traveling at the same speed as the current. Fish usually softly take your bait as it moves along the river bottom. Once hooked, the fight can last for some time. Finally, once it is brought to the shore, we strongly urge you to release the fish.

While drift fishing seems simple it is not easy to master. It requires you to make a "natural" presentation and get a "feel" for the bite which is almost always very subtle and often difficult to distinguish from your bait/weight bouncing along the bottom. Further, because you are fishing on or near the bottom, you can expect to lose a significant amount of terminal tackle to snags. And finally, because you are usually fishing during cold water conditions, the fish are lethargic and will not move very far to take your presentation so it is imperative to fish a run thoroughly and you can expect to make many casts before catching a fish.

Rigging for the Drift - The key to getting a fish to strike is to make a "natural" presentation of your bait as it drifts down the river. You need to ensure that you have enough weight to get your bait to the bottom but not so much that it slows down or stops it from moving at the speed of the current. When in doubt you should use less weight rather than more. Your goal is to have your bait move down the river at the same speed as the current and very close to the bottom. For a discussion on the different types of weights and how to rig them, click here .

Steelhead are very sensitive to your leader. Most often I use a flourocarbon line in the 6-10 lb weight range. Most fishermen use a leader length of 30-45 inches. I usually connect my leader to my main line by using a #7 barrel swivel. Salmon on the other hand are less leader shy and you can feel comfortable using leader line strengths of 20-30 lbs where appropriate. Click here for more discussion on leaders.

I usually use a #2 Gamakatsu octopus style hook tied with an egg loop knot. Click here for more discussion on hooks. Here is an example of a rig ready for a drift.

Typical Drift Fishing Rigs
Roe fished with a #2 hook and a Sponge Float and
a fixed weight set up

Prawn fished with a #2 hook and Sponge Float and a
sliding weight set up

Bait - There are many different natural baits and artificial lures that are all effective: roe, sand shrimp, nite crawlers, prawns, and crayfish just to name a few. You need to be flexible in your use of a specific bait. If one doesnt work, you should be prepared to use something else. I typically start fishing a drift using roe. If that doesn't work then Ill add various scents to the roe or switch to another bait. More information on bait can be found here.

In addition, I usually add a scent to my bait when I'm drift fishing. Click here for information on scents

The Drift - Figure out in advance where you think you can land a fish. See if you have room to move both up and downstream and if there are obstacles in the way. Try to determine what options you have before you are in the midst of a fight. A little observation and planning in advance may save you from losing a fish later on.

Working the run - After you have located a spot, (see finding holding water), on the river where you think fish may be resting, figure out how you will approach and work the drift. It is always best to start fishing slightly above where you think the fish are most likely resting and then work your way down stream towards them.

A mistake you want to avoid is to wade into the water up to your knees before you make your first cast. There is just as good of chance that the fish are resting close to the near bank as the far one. You don't want to spook the fish by wading into the water prematurely. Make that first cast from the shore.

I usually take a methodical approach to working a specific piece of water. Starting at the top of the run I will make my first cast a short one while standing on shore. My subsequent cast will be 5-10 feet further out, and so on until I have reached the outer extremity of the run. I will then move down stream 5-10 feet and start the process over again and continue until I have reached the bottom of the run. This way I will cover the water thoroughly and have my best chance of putting my offering in front of a fish. An exception to this technique is when the water is low, clear, and warm. In these situations, the fish will be able to see, and willing to chase, your bait further so fewer casts will cover the holding water.

Making the cast - Generally you want to cast out and upstream at a 30-45 degree angle. Your objective is to have your bait traveling near the bottom by the time it passes by you. Keep your rod tip at eye level and pointed toward your bait -- have your rod tip follow your bait downstream.

Make sure that your weight is touching bottom on a regular basis - this is the familiar tic-tic-tic that others speak about. It translates into having your weight touch bottom every 5 -10 feet. If this is not happening, then add more weight. If you are touching bottom then note the feel. If you are dragging along the bottom you need to take some weight off. Your objective is to have your weight to be close to bottom at all times and touching it on occasion.

Don't let slack develop in your line. Keep your line tight during the drift. If you create a belly in your line, you will be less likely to feel a bite. As your bait begins to drift toward you, pick up slack by reeling it in. As it passes you and begins to move downstream, you may want to put your reel into free spool to let line out and thus extending the drift. Always watch your line. If it stops a fish might have gently taken your hook in his mouth. I have had this happen many. many times.

A casting tip - If you make a side-arm cast rather than overhead, you will have less slack in your line when you begin the drift

Remember to always let your gear drift to down river until it is straight below you, all the way through the swing. You may want to let it sit at the end of the swing for a few seconds and give it a little twitch. I have hooked many fish during those last few seconds at the end of a swing.

Detecting a Bite - One of the most difficult things to learn when drift fishing is when you actually have a bite! Steelhead are notoriously "light" biters and it is often very difficult to distinguish between the feel of your weight touching bottom and when a fish is taking your bait.

Some estimate that even the best fishermen miss more than a quarter of the the fish who have tasted their offering. Often a steelhead will swim along with your bait as it travels down the river, gently pick it up, mouth it, and spit it out without ever giving you an indication. Also remember that there is usually 2-3 feet of leader on the other side of your weight so that even if a fish has taken your bait and remains stationary, it still takes time for your weight to travel past the fish before you will feel a tug. That is plenty of time for a fish to spit out your bait. That said, there are some obvious times when you should pull back and set the hook:

• If your rig stops, set the hook
• If your rig starts to move in a different direction, (ie sideways or up the river), set the hook
• If something feels "different", set the hook

Those are the obvious times. With experience, you will get the feel of your weight bouncing on/over the rocks and will notice when the expected tic-tic-tic doesn't happen, or it feels rubbery/sluggish/spongy like your bait is fouled with a leaf, you should set the hook. Another way to explain it is a gentle pulsing tug-tug that seems to have life to it not dead like your weight tapping on a rock. Imagine what it feels like to have your mouth full of marbles and rolling them around. Sometimes the tic-tic-tic will have a longer duration than normal. There is an old saying about "when in doubt set the hook", and for the most part it's good advice. After lots of practice, (which believe me you will get!), the feel of the bite will become almost instinctive and your hook-up rate will improve.

Here are a few tips to help improve your hook-up rate.

• First, try to use as sensitive of a fishing rod as you can. Your chances improve greatly with a sensitive rod.
• Next only use as much weight as is absolutely necessary. Clearly the less weight you have on, the more likely you are going to feel the fish.
• Next, try to keep as much slack out of your line as possible. The more direct link between you and your bait the better.
• Pay attention. Often a steelhead takes your bait and releases it very quickly. You have to be ready to set the hook from the moment your line hits the water to the very end of your drift. Sometimes that first tic-tic is a fish and at other times when you think you are at the end of your drift a fish will grab your offering. You should think that every cast you make will be the one that results in a fish.
• Always be ready. Sometimes that first tick is a bite. Furthermore, you must always think that your current cast is the one that will get a bite. Despite making a 100 casts with no hookup, if you are not ready to set the hook right now on the current cast, you may miss your only chance for the day.
• Finally, some fishermen believe that pencil lead gives you a better "feel" than a slinky and using a sliding weight rig versus a fixed weight rig will improve your detection of a bite. And some fishermen believe that the newer braided lines give you better feel because they don't stretch like monofilament line does. It's worth experimenting with all of these options but most of all, just keep trying -- your experience will give that extra knowledge to know when to set the hook.

Playing and releasing your fish! - There is nothing more exciting than raising your rod tip and feeling a head shake from a fish in response. It marks the beginning of a very exciting next few minutes. But just because you have hooked a steelhead, by no means does that ensure that you will get it to shore. Even the best fishermen can lose more than half of the fish they catch in a day.

While it is important to pay attention to what the fish is doing as you play it, you may also want to reflect on how you are feeling. The pure joy, the excitement, the exhilaration, and the adrenaline rush are well worth taking in and enjoying. Remember, this is when you are creating memories for "fish tales" with friends and family!

Be prepared to move up and down the bank. Sometimes you may end up walking a quarter mile to bring in your fish. Keep your line tight and your rod pointed at a 45 degree angle upstream. There are additional tips in the section on playing your fish.

Finally, as you bring the fish to shore, try to keep it in the water, take a picture, and quickly release it. No wild/native fish should ever be kept because they are endangered and most fishing regulations prohibit it. You may need to revive the fish - simply grab it at the tail and face it into the current. Please note that it does no good to move it back and forth as you are as likely as not to get sand and debris into its gills. Once the fish has regained some strength it will just swim away.

Native or wild steelhead are threatened throughout the whole PNW. It is important to let every single fish have a chance to spawn.

Even if your catch is a hatchery fish, take only what you need. This is called selective harvest. Keep no more fish than needed for consumption, never wastefully discard fish that are retained. Limit your take, don't take the limit. The phrase “A fish is too valuable to only be caught once,” was coined in the 1880’s by freshwater anglers. Finally, by releasing your fish, you will give another fisherman a chance to catch it again. Sometimes you can even catch the same fish twice yourself! The only hatchery fish I keep are those that are bleeding profusely as they are brought to shore.