Any tips on how to catch steelhead in smaller rivers? I have good luck with the big rivers like the snake and clearwater but the smaller rivers I fish now; salmon, little salmon, and wallowa have been unproductive. I am on a 6 year dry spell. Any advice on what gear and techniques to use would be great.
Thanks.
Fishless in Idaho.

Bobbers and jigs, bobbers and roe, are about all I use on small streams, and they work very well.

wow dude! a 6 year dry spell???!!! sorry to hear that. i would imagine the theory of fishing a small river is the same as fishing the bigger ones... but the techniques are way different. for me at least... i agree with archer in using bobbers with whatever beneath it. but i am partial to hardware. especially spinners. i live on the skykomish river here in northern washington, perhaps you've heard of it...? its a medium sized river most of the year. but right now i would call it a small river. lots of structure and lots of boulder gardens. look for seams and pockets. fallen logs and big rocks in the middle of a pool. this time of year i would advise going small and dark. jigs, spinners, or whatever... i believe small and dark is the key in low and clear water, especially on a small body of water. reading the water is also key. something that is difficult to do on big rivers. learn where the fish will be holding. learn where they wont be holding. dont give up. i fish small rivers amost exclusively. believe me, there is no better thrill than seeing a steelhead tailwalking four feet above the surface of a 30-40 foot wide stream!!!

Want to hear the worst of it? I was stationed at Whidbey Island for 5 years and never realized that I was right in the middle of prime steelhead country. I kick myself every time I think about it.

whidbey island??? oh man, you were only an hour away from the skagit, the skykomish, the stillaguamish, and the snoqualmie!!! not to mention only three hours from the olympic penninsula!!! sorry to hear that you had no idea where you were!!!

yeah, Its kind of like walking the the playboy mansion and wearing a blindfold the whole time.

ha ha!!!

Now I was smart enough to take advantage of the humpies and silvers as the passed by the Island. I remember going down to the end of the runway on base and fishing for humpies. Everyone was using pink buzz bombs. Well I didn't have anything like that and nothing I threw at them would work so I grabbed this small pink spinner bait my wife had bought me cause it was cute. I got a lot of chuckles from the guys around me, one was like "when you are done playing with that girl toy, I will let you borrow a buzz bomb and you can fish like a real man." That did't last past the first cast. I tossed it out in front of the next school and Wham.. fish on. Two more casts and I had two more fish. It was pretty cool. The senior chief that ran the night department was an avid fisherman and would schedule lunch breaks to coincide with high tide. Those were good times.