The Hood

Just minutes from the fly shop, the Hood River is our home water. Descending from the north face of Mount Hood, it’s a small, technical river with a high gradient. Her steelhead however, are anything but small. While most steelhead average eight to ten pounds, many fish reaching well into the teens are landed every year. Hood River steelhead don’t come easy though. The nature of this river makes it achallenge for steelheadersof all ability levels. With challenge comes reward and the Hood won’t disappoint.

Steelhead are present in the system every monthof the year. However, the river can become un-fishable due to glacial run-off in the late summer. That said, cool evenings and mild day time temperatures can clear the river in a matter of days. By mid fall the Hood is typically running clear.Our favorite time to fishthe Hood is late fall through early summer. Chrome bright winter steelhead start to ascend the river by late November. As winter progresses, the run increases and by January is in full swing. By mid March, early summer steelhead will begin showing up. These chrome bright missles won’t spawn until the following winter. Summer steelhead continue through the spring and can offer incredible fishing until the river blows out in mid summer. Additionally, the rivers see’s a return of fall and spring Chinook and a modest run of Coho salmon.