Started looking for summer steelhead with a broad survey of Grays Harbor rivers on my trip to the plant this week but the search continues...
The secret spot:
I had been hearing stories all last salmon season about the only location that my coworker/guide considers worth keeping out of the public's knowledge. After signing a non-disclosure agreement I was able to visit for the first time. It did look very fishy but apparently nobody told the steelhead. The coolest feature was a monster log across the river that let you stand in shallow water but dropped away to a bottomless pit on the opposite side. Already dreaming about how many coho and kings will be lurking there this fall.
Chehalis:
Tried our normal hole on the river with no luck. Little sneakers were pulling at the bait but nothing landed. Had a beaver meander by but I was too slow on the draw. After being chased out early by the caretaker we swung by the abandoned nuclear plant on the way back to town. Could have been a neat trick to catch glowing salmon but the first reactor unit only reached 76% completion before the money ran out in '83. The second unit on the site only reached 16% completion before it was abandoned in '82. Its a really cool site and deserves its own post when the fishing slows down.
Upper Wynoochee:
The final attempt of the week was by far the most scenic. We headed up to the last stretch of water before you run into the Wynoochee dam.
Still no fishes but there were blueberries, salmon berries, red huckleberries, and clover to sustain me. I was very suspicious of blueberries being ripe in the mountains so early but its been a couple days and no major organ failures!
The secret spot:
I had been hearing stories all last salmon season about the only location that my coworker/guide considers worth keeping out of the public's knowledge. After signing a non-disclosure agreement I was able to visit for the first time. It did look very fishy but apparently nobody told the steelhead. The coolest feature was a monster log across the river that let you stand in shallow water but dropped away to a bottomless pit on the opposite side. Already dreaming about how many coho and kings will be lurking there this fall.
Chehalis:
Tried our normal hole on the river with no luck. Little sneakers were pulling at the bait but nothing landed. Had a beaver meander by but I was too slow on the draw. After being chased out early by the caretaker we swung by the abandoned nuclear plant on the way back to town. Could have been a neat trick to catch glowing salmon but the first reactor unit only reached 76% completion before the money ran out in '83. The second unit on the site only reached 16% completion before it was abandoned in '82. Its a really cool site and deserves its own post when the fishing slows down.
Upper Wynoochee:
The final attempt of the week was by far the most scenic. We headed up to the last stretch of water before you run into the Wynoochee dam.
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| My guide is a firm believer that power poses on top of boulders will increase fishing productivy |
