Well I've been trying to get this particular river dialed for a few weeks. I've got a spot that's super peaceful with some spectacular water for SRC, small resident Cutts, and even some chinook.
I've spent hours poring over historical run information with weather reports and forecasts to try and figure out when the SRC and the salmon would be moving in. General idea was mid September and October when rains came in and water Temps drop the fish would move in, so it's been a bit tricky with this lingering heat.
Until this past week. A decent rain system spent the better part of 24 hours dumping on the northwest coast. River gages showed higher levels, and air Temps were lower than they had been in at least a couple of weeks.
I hardened my resolve to pry myself from the warm comfortable bed (attempting not to wake my sleeping partner) at 4:30am this morning and made the 90 minute drive to my zen section of River.
I surveyed the holes from the bank above and was ecstatic to see a large fish rise. "I was right! The rain pushed the sea runs up into the system" I gleefully thought to myself. I tied on a streamer that looked fishy, then slowly and methodically crossed the river and made my way upstream slowly so as not to spoil the bounty on which I had stumbled. I had made maybe 4 or 5 casts into the hole where I had seen the fish, when kyped jaws and a body came fully out of the water. No less than 36" and a body that had exactly zero percent chance of fitting in my net and 100% chance of snapping my 5wt like a glowstick, fully emerged and soared above the water.
Salmon. Salmon so larged, I nearly peed in my waders. Salmon that aggressively startled me and captivated me at the same time.
As for the report itself, it was a dink day for actual catches, but as far as seeing these magnificent fish; it was a fantastic day of peace and beauty.
The Salmon have moved into the coastal rivers from the bays.
I've spent hours poring over historical run information with weather reports and forecasts to try and figure out when the SRC and the salmon would be moving in. General idea was mid September and October when rains came in and water Temps drop the fish would move in, so it's been a bit tricky with this lingering heat.
Until this past week. A decent rain system spent the better part of 24 hours dumping on the northwest coast. River gages showed higher levels, and air Temps were lower than they had been in at least a couple of weeks.
I hardened my resolve to pry myself from the warm comfortable bed (attempting not to wake my sleeping partner) at 4:30am this morning and made the 90 minute drive to my zen section of River.
I surveyed the holes from the bank above and was ecstatic to see a large fish rise. "I was right! The rain pushed the sea runs up into the system" I gleefully thought to myself. I tied on a streamer that looked fishy, then slowly and methodically crossed the river and made my way upstream slowly so as not to spoil the bounty on which I had stumbled. I had made maybe 4 or 5 casts into the hole where I had seen the fish, when kyped jaws and a body came fully out of the water. No less than 36" and a body that had exactly zero percent chance of fitting in my net and 100% chance of snapping my 5wt like a glowstick, fully emerged and soared above the water.
Salmon. Salmon so larged, I nearly peed in my waders. Salmon that aggressively startled me and captivated me at the same time.
As for the report itself, it was a dink day for actual catches, but as far as seeing these magnificent fish; it was a fantastic day of peace and beauty.
The Salmon have moved into the coastal rivers from the bays.
