Multi day OP fly fishing trip

[Zoran]

I sometimes go with friends but mostly I cycle, camp and fish. Previously I cycled OP up to La Push, and since then I am looking into maps planing to go back.

I have to take ferry from Victoria BC and perhaps local bus to stop closer to Sol Duc, something like Fairholme Campground and start exploring.

On bike I have small rods (4 wt or 5wt dry fly rod, maybe Euro or packable trout Spey). No steelheading!

How you would you plan your multi day trip? No problem if you are driving. You don’t need to be a cyclist. I wonder what strategy you would use and which camps to pick? Our BC coastal rivers are challenging for dry fly fishing, but I would like to try OP. I am catch and release trout angler and use single dry.

Would you spend 4-5-6 days on Sol Duc and Kalawah and plan next year trip to Hoh? Would you pick early July?

 

[Mossback]

Would you spend 4-5-6 days on Sol Duc and Kalawah and plan next year trip to Hoh? Would you pick early July?

No

That's not a great time for fishing out there in my view.
others may have input that differs

 

[Zoran]

Please

 

[Zoran]

Come one weekend in late July or August to Lower Mainland and we will fish one beautiful stream together. You will go crazy about it. I will buy beers and camping is just $15 US.

 

[ThomasM]

There isn't much access public bank access on the Sol Duc and the part of the Calawah that is accessible will be very low in July most years. Neither are well known for trout fishing. There are some coastal cutthroat around but most of what you'd catch would be steelhead and salmon parr.

Cutthroat fishing in early fall can be very good for searuns. I've had some very fun 'hybrid' days switching back and forth between sight fishing for moving Coho with gear and skittering bigger dry flies for Cutts in the lower lower sections. Not having a boat makes things tough in the Forks area rivers.

 

[Stonedfish]

You should fish Lake Crescent if you get a chance. Then you can check Beardslee rainbow or Crescenti cutthroat off your fish bucket list.
SF

 

[Zoran]

There isn't much access public bank access on the Sol Duc and the part of the Calawah that is accessible will be very low in July most years. Neither are well known for trout fishing. There are some coastal cutthroat around but most of what you'd catch would be steelhead and salmon parr.

Cutthroat fishing in early fall can be very good for searuns. I've had some very fun 'hybrid' days switching back and forth between sight fishing for moving Coho with gear and skittering bigger dry flies for Cutts in the lower lower sections. Not having a boat makes things tough in the Forks area rivers.

Early fall is not a bad idea!

 

[BassBarbell]

You should definitely check out the OP even ifs not known for great trout fishing. This was a resident fish from in early September that was mixed in with the coastal cutts.

 

[JayB]

I sometimes go with friends but mostly I cycle, camp and fish. Previously I cycled OP up to La Push, and since then I am looking into maps planing to go back.

I have to take ferry from Victoria BC and perhaps local bus to stop closer to Sol Duc, something like Fairholme Campground and start exploring.

On bike I have small rods (4 wt or 5wt dry fly rod, maybe Euro or packable trout Spey). No steelheading!

How you would you plan your multi day trip? No problem if you are driving. You don’t need to be a cyclist. I wonder what strategy you would use and which camps to pick? Our BC coastal rivers are challenging for dry fly fishing, but I would like to try OP. I am catch and release trout angler and use single dry.

Would you spend 4-5-6 days on Sol Duc and Kalawah and plan next year trip to Hoh? Would you pick early July?

I'd wait for early fall because 1) the fishing will be better 2) the crowds will be significantly lower and finding campsites will be a great deal easier. Also - not everyone's cup of tea, and would require adding a rod - but surf perch fishing can be a fun option if you're boatless.

 

[LBL]

Late summer - early fall
Packraft
Searuns!
PM if you want some info

 

[ThomasM]

Also - not everyone's cup of tea, and would require adding a rod - but surf perch fishing can be a fun option if you're boatless.

I'm ashamed of myself for never having done this given the amount of time I spend on those beaches walking the dog. JimK schooled me on methods a while back but still haven't tried. Gotta get on that this summer.

There are also the short-finned grayling that are always around but not at the size of those Yakima monsters.

 

[JayB]

I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable and engaging it was even though I've basically just dabbled in it now and then as an early-AM add-on to family vacations on the coast. The surf is such a dynamic, engaging environment that I found the fishing pretty all-consuming even though my success rate was far from spectacular and most of the fish were palm-sized. Did manage to pick up one frying-pan sized specimen, though, and was quite impressed with the fight it put up for its size.