I'm not talking salmon flies, drakes, skawalas or the mothers day hatch. I'm talkin' eggs. Glorious eggs. Spawned out chinook graveyards with ravenous redsides and white fish that are gettin while the gettins good.
It's been a long few weeks at work so I snuck away for the day and headed down river. The forecast was calling for a high of 40 with a low of 20, but it ended up being much more pleasant and it also kept the riff raff off the river. I was down this way a couple weeks ago and it was a good couple days, but clearly that was just the opening act for the what happened yesterday. I easily had the best day numbers-wise I've ever had on this river. There was a point where my buddy and I caught ~30 fish (between the two of us) in 45 minutes and doubled up at least 8 times. After that I decided it was time to give the eggs a break and search out a hatch. With the wind dead calm, overcast skies and it being slightly warmer than expected I anticipated a good BWO hatch and boogied on down stream to a spot where I know if there's bugs on the water, fish will rise to them. Sure enough, the run was covered in bugs and I had my little Winston 8' BIIT 4wt rigged with a size 18 Film Critic and proceeded to put another 4 quality fish in the proverbial net before it shut off. Overall, there was nothing to write home about in terms of size (all were between 10-14") but for mid November, they were hot, jumping angry fish.
Now it's time to give the people what they want. Redsides? Nah. Steel? Hell No. The people have spoken and they want those beautiful, under appreciated white fish (I think PNWFF gives them plenty love, but the world at large does under appreciate the). I did see a big ole ram sheep up on the ridge too which was pretty cool.
It's been a long few weeks at work so I snuck away for the day and headed down river. The forecast was calling for a high of 40 with a low of 20, but it ended up being much more pleasant and it also kept the riff raff off the river. I was down this way a couple weeks ago and it was a good couple days, but clearly that was just the opening act for the what happened yesterday. I easily had the best day numbers-wise I've ever had on this river. There was a point where my buddy and I caught ~30 fish (between the two of us) in 45 minutes and doubled up at least 8 times. After that I decided it was time to give the eggs a break and search out a hatch. With the wind dead calm, overcast skies and it being slightly warmer than expected I anticipated a good BWO hatch and boogied on down stream to a spot where I know if there's bugs on the water, fish will rise to them. Sure enough, the run was covered in bugs and I had my little Winston 8' BIIT 4wt rigged with a size 18 Film Critic and proceeded to put another 4 quality fish in the proverbial net before it shut off. Overall, there was nothing to write home about in terms of size (all were between 10-14") but for mid November, they were hot, jumping angry fish.
Now it's time to give the people what they want. Redsides? Nah. Steel? Hell No. The people have spoken and they want those beautiful, under appreciated white fish (I think PNWFF gives them plenty love, but the world at large does under appreciate the). I did see a big ole ram sheep up on the ridge too which was pretty cool.
