----What has been a superlative steelhead season

in Idaho is on its last cast, but even now

anglers are finding good success on the waters of...

the Little Salmon

IGGINS Little Salmon River steelhead fishermen are enjoying a last laugh as the fishing season winds down for the big sea-run rainbow trout across most of Idaho.

Idaho Fish and Game Department checks of anglers along the Little Salmon last weekend showed they posted the best statistics of the eight-month season.

''It has been exceptional. It's been a great run,'' said Jim Kern, owner of the Rapid River Market and RV Campground near Rapid River south of Riggins.

Just how exceptional? The 164 anglers checked by the Fish and Game Department workers Saturday and Sunday reported catching 150 steelhead during their 780 hours on the river.

That calculates out to five hours a fish, the best average by a large number of anglers posted on any stretch of the Clearwater, Snake or Salmon rivers since September.

What is also encouraging about the Little Salmon is that a fair number of naturally-spawned steelhead, basically C04 Salmon 1C spring following the chemical spill.

The largest release of young steelhead in the Little Salmon's history then was also partly a reflection of the completion of the Magic Valley hatchery, which rears steelhead for release.

Most of the steelhead returning to the river are the fruits of those labors. The department hopes that from a half percent to 1 percent of the steelhead smolts it releases in the Little Salmon will eventually return as adults.

The state hopes to continue releasing between a half-million and a million steelhead smolts into the Little Salmon each spring, Yundt said.

''There should be good fishing in the Little Salmon in the spring, assuming the water conditions are conducive to fishing,'' Yundt added.

Kern said the Little Salmon has offered good steelhead fishing for the last three weeks, with a slight lull when high and muddy water made angling tough.

''Short of that it's been staying real good. It's been producing a lot of fish,'' he added.

Weekends have drawn the heaviest crowds to the river, although even a drive along U.S. Highway 95 recently showed isolated clusters of anglers totalling perhaps 25 rods, mostly within a few miles of Boulder Creek.

''I would say the run should continue to be good for another couple of weeks,'' Kern added.

Surprisingly, perhaps for many anglers more attuned to catching their fish in the fall when steelhead migrate upstream, Kern said the Little Salmon steelhead are still bright.

''They're super bright, in super good shape,'' he added.

While most of the fish are one-ocean steelhead weighing 5 to 7 pounds, anglers also are landing some trophies running 16 to 18 pounds, he said.

Word of the fishing is going far, he added. While most of the anglers are from Boise, calls from anglers have come from as far south as Houston.