Northern California's Mad River lives in obscurity.

Author J.D. Richey used a tiny glob of fresh roe to tempt this wild Mad River buck in low water. Photo courtesy of J.D. Richey.

To the north is the famed Klamath River, known around the world for its epic steelheading. Immediately south is the Eel River, steeped in tradition and the birthplace of the state's steelhead sportfishery.

Zane Grey and Ernest Hemingway didn't spend time on the Mad, nor are there any famous fly patterns named after this river. But that's OK. For sheer numbers of winter steelhead, the Mad can't be beat.

After spilling over the dam at Ruth Lake, the Mad rushes through steep canyons for some 50 miles before finally giving in to the low gradient of the coastal plain near of the town of Blue Lake.

There are opportunities to catch steelhead a short way up into the canyons, but the bulk of the fishing takes place in the eight-mile stretch between the ocean and the Mad River Fish Hatchery in Blue Lake.

The hatchery is the main reason the Mad is so outstanding. Wild runs have suffered from the long-term effects of dams, development and logging. By the middle of the last century, the river's steelhead run was pretty much wiped out.

But the hatchery helped get the river back on its feet. Compliments of the hatchery, anglers enjoyed many glory years on the Mad. But several years ago, the facility fell victim to state budget cuts.

A group of anglers and business owners who had relied on the Mad for recreation and income banded together. They raised money to keep the hatchery on life support until the state finally kicked in some funds to get the fish-rearing program up and running again.

The hatchery still isn't running at full capacity, but it does raise and plant enough young steelhead to make the Mad a top-notch fishery.

Last season, an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 winter steelhead returned to the river. And needless to say, fishing was very good!

The Mad River Fish Hatchery also gives anglers the opportunity to take home a few fish. In most of the state's rivers, wild steelhead are off-limits. Each winter, anglers come in droves to fish the Mad's prolific hatchery run to get a few fillets for the grill. (Continued)

THE FISH
The steelhead that return to the Mad River are mostly hatchery fish, with a smaller run of naturally bred fish as well. They typically run 6 to 10 pounds, but steelies in the mid-teens aren't uncommon.

And a handful of brutes in the 20-pound class are taken every year. A few years back, in fact, an angler here caught a giant steelhead that would have weighed more than the current state record of 27 pounds, 4 ounces -- had he not gutted and gilled it before having it weighed!

Since the Mad River Fish Hatchery sits so close to the ocean, the early-run fish here are extremely bright and full of fight. As the season wears on, you're more apt to run into "guacamoles" -- the locals' term for fish that have been in the river for a while and have "greened up."

In March, the fishing can still be good for the river's modest run of bluebacks.