Steelhead run sure sign of spring

The long, cold winter can give anglers the itch to get outside and wet a line as soon as there’s a break in the weather.
For me, it took place just prior to the first signs that spring might finally have arrived as rain washed away a good amount of snow.
However, my angling expeditions didn’t take place in York Region.
Rather it was in neighbouring Durham Region and Northumberland County along feeder streams emptying into Lake Ontario where the angling regulations have designated areas south of the CN railroad tracks below Highway 401 for year-round angling.
It is at this time of the year when rainbow trout that inhabit the waters of Lake Ontario during the summer months begin to make their annual journey upstream to reach spawning areas.
These slower-moving stretches of water offer some of the best steelhead angling you can experience. The key is to find deep holding pools where fish might rest before moving upstream.
While many of the bigger holes are heavily fished, especially on weekends, pay attention to fine detail and check out any potential stretch you think might be deep enough to hold a fish or two. You might be surprised when you run your offering through these areas.
Dime-sized spawn bags tied in bright-coloured nylon material such as chartreuse, hot pink or bright orange are the first bait choices anglers will employ when fresh runs of fish are moving through.
But on days when the fish have seen plenty of spawn bags float by them, artificial offerings can be just as lethal. These include three-inch pink worms, artificial flies, such as a chartreuse and black wooley bugger, small steelhead jigs and even small tube jigs.
These baits can be bounced off the bottom or suspended by using a float.
I prefer to run these type of offerings with a florocarbon leader.
Spinners such as the silver or gold-plated Number Three Mepps Aglia or Blue Fox and black wobbling plugs dropped into a deep pool can also be tantalizing to a steelhead.
The huge runoff taking place over the past few days will definitely be a magnet to attract bigger runs of steelhead to enter the various feeder streams.
Be sure to check the latest angling regulations to make sure you are fishing water that has the year-round angling designation.
And if you are required to have an angling licence, so be sure that you carry it with you.