Gig Harbor Fly Shop

Fish

If you dream of dime bright steelhead straight from the ocean, this trip is for you. Steelhead represent the apex of freshwater fly fishing. Let our guides float you down the stunning Olympic Peninsula steelhead waters and give you a chance at a fish of a lifetime. The first steelhead to push into the coastal rivers are primarily hatchery fish. Thanksgiving is the unofficial kickoff for hatchery season, lasting into January. These silver bullets commonly are 6-8 pounds with larger fish up to 12 pounds. Wild steelhead push into the rivers starting in January, building in February and peaking in March. March is the busiest month on the Peninsula, yet there are still plenty of fresh fish to catch in April after the crowds have left. Wild steelhead vary quite a bit in size. Though many anglers are searching for that elusive 25-30 pound steelhead, and they’re definitely on the Peninsula, quite a few of the fish are 6-12 pounds. 12-18 pound steelhead are common enough though to keep things interesting! We have a strict catch and release policy for wild steelhead. Wild steelhead are a treasure and need to be handled with care and released. Hatchery fish, on the other hand, if left in the river can interbred with wild steelhead and dilute the gene pool. We recommend harvesting hatchery steelhead.