Steelhead fishing on the upper Columbia and the tributaries has taken a definite turn for the better. Cooler weather and rainfall has dropped the water temperatures and the fish are on the bite. I expect this trend to continue and the best steelhead fishing of the season is just getting underway. Low water and warm weather had stymied anglers in the early season, the earliest opener I can remember, but now things are changing for the better. Anglers on the main stem Columbia are having best success with bobbers and jigs, baited with shrimp, and don’t forget to crimp your hook barbs. All of the tributaries are open to fishing now, including the Similkameen. Be sure and catch my Fishing TV Show that will give you a “walking tour” of the Similkameen and Okanogan rivers. Jigs that are fished without bait are a favorite on the small rivers, and the fly fishing has taken a turn for the better on the Methow River, too. It is hoped that the rain and cool weather will disperse steelhead further upstream on both the Methow and Wenatchee rivers. Anglers on the Similkameen do well when it first opens, but can be frustrated by the large number of spawning salmon that are present in the river right now.