I've been reliving the moment I hooked a 2-3 salt winter hatchery
buck last month in the Skagit. That's the only thing that keeps me
going out. Yesterday, three of us floated the Sky. I like fishing
rising/warming water, but yesterday was a bit extreme. When we
launched at Sultan the river was flowing at 1000cfs and off good
color. When we took out at Ben Howard, the river had risen to
3000cfs.and had gone way off color. I really thought we would hook up
in the morning. Now, I'll wait for a dropping/cooling river. Oh well.
Leland.
I now know the what seasoned steelheader's mean when they say you
must pay your dues. My first trip with a flyrod to the Fork's famed
rivers ended in the hotel room enjoying the gustatory delights of
ritz crackers, peanut butter and several bottles of "vin rosa" from
TJs(yep.........Trader Joe's)!
Bill and I arrived at Forks about noon this past Sunday. Six to
eight inches of snow was on the ground with temperatures in the low
30's. The road to the river access where the Calawah spills into the
Bogachiel was passable(if you like driving thru small ponds the
color of Arizona sandstone)and we arrived to a small contingent of
gearheads(lawn chairs and all!). We greeted them with a kindly "
How's the fishing?" One guy said " You should have been here
yesterday. I had 14 on and beached 5." I really am an optimist by
nature but ...you know. I don't have to tell you. We saw one guy
walking toward us with an 8 pounder but that was it. The water was
starting to come up but it was still fishable. It had a light silty
color to it. I tied on a purple/black mariboo pattern using a medium
sink tip(the Air Flo sink tip series). I was pumped..this was my
maiden voyage. I could feel the blood in my body sizzle to the
thoughts of watching my first ever steelhead jumping! as it raced to
the nearest run.. HMMM..........Well. Nothing....Wait......I was
doing everything Trey Combbs had rendered in his book
....Wait.........Mend........Go with a different pattern.. Pink
spider might be the ticket.......HMMM.. The guys that were fishing
the confluence of the Calawah/Bogachiel had parted...it's my time to
show them a new recruit, and flyguy to boot, could show them a thing
or two. The water looked good and I just knew there were steelhead
holding in there. Cast 1/4 downstream, keep rod upstread to keep
enough tension on the fly while mending.......is this what Trey
Combbs had said.... oh
well........HMMM......Wait...Mend....Swing........Wait.....Wait........Time
to change patterns..........
I walked up the Calaway about 500 feet and started into some fairly
flat water.......the Calaway was clear and my outlook brightened.
Low and behold as I looked down into the water, I saw a steelhead
swimming in low water near the bank. My excitment mounted as I sight
casted several feet in front of him..he seemed irrated by this
object and quickly avoided it...after multiple efforts, he
disappeared with my hopes for the day since it was getting dark.
We checked in at the Olympic Suites as it started to
rain........temperatures had risen to almost 50 by them......chinook
winds. The rain steadily pounded the hotel roof and by mid evening,
there were rivulets and streams running down the parking lot. The
wine and Ritz crackers accompanied us as we watched Tom Cruise and
Paul Newman on the "tellie".
We arose to torrents of rain......we put on our gear, drove up the
UPPER HOH road and surveyed the options.........blown out......we
drove back through Forks and considered one last option........the
SOLE DUC.........HMMM......as we peered through our rainy windows we
realized the game was over..........the drive back was full of hope
and anticipation about our next trip to Forks WA and the legendary
steelhead....
