This is my first spring fishing for Steelhead on the north island. I've made 7 or 8 trips to the Cluxewe for a couple hours wading down the river - no success thus far. Got some tips on gear and strategies, but I'd really like to catch just one before the season's over.
Any reports on the recent action or local tip knowledge would be VERY appreciated!

Most of the run came a few months ago and from what Ive heard its dead now. Any steelie gear will catch fish in that river if they are there.

Like TL said, you are a little late for the Cluxewe. It fishes best from late December to late February. There are still fish around after that, but mostly colored up & a little tougher to find. You have also got to watch your timing on this river. The absolute best times to fish it are after a high water event just as the river begins to drop. Time this with the days high tides, ( morning is best ) & you should find some fish. We saw some nice little schools of chromers this year below the highway bridge just after high tide. Remember, this is a relatively short river & the fish move up quickly, so you need to cover a lot of water. Don't be afraid to walk long sections of the mid river covering ALL of the pocket water & riffles. We watched a lot of guys just walk by non traditional looking steelhead water only to go in behind them & hook fish. Top producer for us was definitely spin'n'glos. Gooey bobs worked as well & we saw a few guys getting them on just wool combos. In the deeper pools, try jigs with bright flashy colors to show up better in the tannin stained water. Hope this helps....good luck!!

Here are a few pics of some of the fish we caught......

Thanks for the info....put a lot of effort into that river this year, although probably a little later than I should have.
In the month between April 20 and May 20, my brother-in-law caught a nice 7-8 pounder right under the highway bridge, and I got a couple just downstream around the corner. Wool combos and pink worms were used, got one at about 12+ lbs, 3rd week of May! Anyway, I've got a bit more knowledge in my arsenal for next year- looking forward to the salmon!