Nothing drives that point home quicker than a blustery rainstorm and a photo of a big steelhead.

The weather gods brought the first part, and Amy Sinclair at Exodus Wilderness Adventures in Riggins provided the second with a photo of a beautiful, 36-inch steelhead that would make any angler proud.

Need further proof? There’s steelhead being landed all the way upstream near the city of Salmon. (I know, Salmon River steelhead at Salmon can be confusing.)

The Clearwater River is now open for harvest, and not only are anglers catching fish, the river got an unexpected bump of B-runs.

Hells Canyon had some decent catch rates last week, which is another good sign.

So except for the Challis and Stanley areas, nearly every place in the state where anglers fish for steelhead has them.

In case you’re wondering, that should soon include the Boise River. F&G expects to bring some to Boise in early November, although anglers may get fewer steelhead than in recent years when Fish and Game brought about a thousand fish.

The downside this fall is steelhead numbers are considerably lower than in recent years. The run will probably be the smallest since 1999.

But that doesn’t mean you should write off steelhead fishing. Look at it like deer hunting. Even during years when the herds are down, you know there are still some big bucks still roaming the hills. Same goes for steelhead fishing, and it’s time to go chase them.