Eel River

Got back yesterday from 2 days on the S. fork Eel. Good news is that it came up and blew out yesterday as I was fishing it. Bad news is that I didn't hook any fish.
Most of Tuesday was spent just getting out of the house and hitting the road. I did spend the afternoon on a good stretch of river and managed a little 17" silver bullet.
Yesterday I woke up in Garberville and hit the river as soon as the intense rain let up. The pic of the mud flowing into the river is where I put in. Many tributaries were sadly flowing chocolate. It was marginal water when I put in, not so when I took out. I fished 2 other spots, both upstream as I had to keep looking for water not yet blown out. You'll see the diff in the pics.
The rain came and went, my Gore-Tex got a workout, my fingers hurt from the cold.
So you still want to fish for steelhead?

More pics.

Nice report, bummer you didn't catch anything.  I have always wanted to fish the Eel.

So close.... you were probably a shade too early... to bad you didn't pickup anything in those slots of green water.... Nice try...  thanks for the report.

Gue

Yes , I do. I haven't caught a steelhead in over 2 decades. I just stopped one day. I went to Seans seminar last night and I need some more schooling. Thanks in advance if your willing to show someone the way. Craig

YES!! if I can fish under that dry bridge and just paddle in place.
So that's what they mean by "Blown Out"  Do you drift down a sweet spot and then paddle back to do it again?  or do you paddle up and drift back to put in?
I guess it depends on the flow and report of last seen or hook fish.
Thanks for putting a reallity check into the equation.
 
I too went to Seans'SteelieSem. last night(you were mentioned as one would refer to God) and was really looking forward to doing the Bobber/FloatDrift and PlugBackTrolling.

Let me know when(*PM Preferred Please):
a) the weather is at it's prime(sunny&no wind) +
b) the Fish are THERE and HUNGRY to eat anything drifted +
c) my bobber starts acting funny

This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what I've been doing for the last 3months!! .....that be sitting, shrimp-sitting, waiting for something, ANYTHING to happen.
FROMoneEXTREMEtoANOTHER!!

Nice report, Juan.  Thanks for confirming my suspicions that it blew out - now I don't have to sit here thinking I should run down there late this afternoon.   

I'll give it a week or so...

What's the tub for?  Roe?

What's the tub for?  Roe?

silly!...drying laundry (his clothes) on the way home!

The rain came and went, my Gore-Tex got a workout, my fingers hurt from the cold.
So you still want to fish for steelhead?

Yeah! 

Awesome pics, that sure looks muddy. I like the picture with the muddy river flowing into the clean water. Looks like a fun river to drift.

Jeff