Steelhead blues

The other day I was in the supermarket scanning through the Salmon and Steelhead Journal.  I saw an article about steelhead fishing in the Russian River.  This caught my attention because in a few weeks I am traveling up that way for work and will be there for about 4 days.  So I started doing my research.  I found what sounds like a great place to fish for steelhead - Steelhead Beach near Forestville.  I open the website for Steelhead beach and bad news.  No steelhead fishing in the Russian River.  Dang it.  I was so dissappointed.  I can't fish for steelhead in my local river either - the American River.  I understand and appreciate the agencies that are looking out for these fish.  But I kind of want my $7.05 back for my steelhead card and wish the Salmon and Steelhead Journal wouldn't tease me like that.   

I live fairly close to the Russian and appreciate your feelings about not being able to fish. The root of the problem as I see it is that the Fish and Game bureaucracy is one step behind actual conditions when it comes to issuing a ruling. Before the recent rains when the river was very low and the first runs of steelhead came in and became concentrated in a few of the deeper pools with no way to continue upstream was the time to halt fishing. The fish were just getting hammered in those low water conditions. Once the rain came and the river rose the season should have been restarted in the Russian as it was in many of the smaller coastal streams. Bureaucracies and not nimble or agile or often not even logical when it comes to decision making.

SF Eel is not that far, could be worth the drive.

I can't fish for steelhead in my local river either - the American River. 

Sure you can but it just has to be below the SMUD powerlines.

http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/emergency-regulations-to-close-angling-now-in-effect/

1.Closure of the American River from Nimbus Dam to the SMUD power line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park until April 30.  CDFW has the authority under Title 14, Article 4, Section 8,7.50 (b)(5)(a-c).

Plenty of good water on the American that is open to steelhead.