What a way to start the new year. We arrived at Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport at 8:00 am. It was snowing heavily with about 15 inches of new snow overnight. Air temp was 32 degrees. There were 7 other rigs there, and a gentleman on a tractor clearing the launch of snow. I was fishing with my two friends who are both local guides. (PM me for their info if you like). We fished downstream from the launch most of the day working a body of water that my two friends fished last weekend and did very well at catching 4 hatchery steelhead and losing two others at the boat. I have never in my life fished when it is snowing out and it was a blast and very beautiful. The heater onboard saved our hands numerous times throughout the 5 hours we fished. We caught 4 white fish which were released and had one steelhead hooked for about half a second before the leader snapped. We left the river cold but had a great time. There was another guide on the river who knew my two friends and he and his two clients did not catch any fish either. We saw no fish caught this trip other than the small white fish and the water temp was 38 degrees. Last weekend when my friends caught the 4 keepers, the water temp was 41 degrees. We used a double hook set up with a small corky and either silver salmon egg clusters or shrimp dyed a purple color. I rated the trip a 3 but the bite was a 1.

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