As always, things change. We were halfway to the Salmon River when I got an email from Kranefly. “Dude, they are raising the river to 1500 cfs.” Oh well, that’s the way it goes. So Greg and I woke up this morning and went to a few tributaries. Unfortunately there had been a foot of snow last week and today actually hit 70 degrees. So, we got a ton of “spring” runoff in late November. Go figure. So, the water in the tribs was roaring and muddy. We did our best and some drifts actually looked promising. But, the water clarity was just too poor and nothing panned out. So, we headed to the Salmon River. I was so accustomed to fly fishing the river at 350 cfs and it took some time to adjust to 1500 cfs. All the runs change. The fish hold in different spots. Sections that were good at lower water levels are not that great and visa versa. So, we did what we always do. We searched for the fish. I got a couple small steelies, but certainly not what we were hoping for. Greg had one big take. A Steelhead hammered his fly and ripped line out of his hand. I hooked a couple decent Brown Trout and landed the one in the picture. It was a good day in most respects but overall a tough day on the water. Seemed as though all the elements were conspiring against us. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the 30-40 mph steady wind. However, I always know this to be true. Just as things can take a turn for the worse, they can just as easily take a turn for the better. Tomorrow morning will find us on the river in a drift boat with John Ruccondo. John says that he knows some spots that hold fish in high water. I know that there is a big steelhead out there waiting for Greg. He worked hard today and I wanted him to get a steelhead, but today was not the day. Hopefully, the chrome will make an appearance tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Book
- Alaska
- Guide & Fisherman
- Guiding: Choosing Your Guide And Choosing Your Customer
- Guiding: Do It Yourself With A Guide
- Guiding: Evolution Of A Guide
- Guiding: Freshwater, More Than Meets The Eye
- Guiding: Friends For Life
- Guiding: Know Where You Are
- Guiding: More Than Just A Fisherman
- Guiding: Mystery Of The Fisherman
- Guiding: Payment
- Guiding: Saltwater, A Different World
- Rough Fish
- Fly Fishing For Rough Fish: Why Do It?
- Introduced Rough Fish: The Carps & Other Invasive Species
- Methodology: Gear & Tactics For Pursuing Roughfish On A Fly
- More Roughfish: Bullheads, Whitefish, Goldeye, Burbot & Drum
- Rough Fish Environments: Where To Look For Rough Fish?
- Rough Fish Species: The Suckers
- Rough fish: A Lifetime Of Learning
- Rough Fish: Fishing For Dinosaurs (Gars & Bowfin)
- Rough Fish: What Are They?
- The Hook: Some Common Rough Fish Fly Patterns
- Spey
- Spey: Applications, Where Can You Do It?
- Spey: Atlantic Salmon, A Significant Fish
- Spey: Defined And Demystified
- Spey: Gear, The Nuts And Bolts
- Spey: Lines, They Are That Important
- Spey: Steelhead, New Traditions & A Modern Movement
- Spey: The Energy
- Spey: The Flies
- Spey: The Swing
- Spey: Two Critical Casts
- Striped Bass
- Striped Bass: Fishing Rocky Shorelines
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Beaches
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Flats
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Reefs
- Striped Bass: Fishing Tidal Rivers
- Striped Bass: Flatwing Swing
- Striped Bass: Fly Line Options & Choices
- Striped Bass: Gear, The Nuts & Bolts
- Striped Bass: Migration Patterns
- Striped Bass: What They Eat
- The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: A Natural Drug
- Fly Fishing: A Validation Of Freedom
- Fly Fishing: Don’t Fight The Current
- Fly Fishing: It Is What It Is
- Fly Fishing: Socialization For Asocial Individuals
- Fly Fishing: The Allure Of The Fish
- Fly Fishing: The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: The Simplicity Of It All
- Fly Fishing: Time Flies
- Fly Fishing: Times You Remember & Try To Forget
ambition is on your side. good luck tommorow hope to see steel in the evening.
Jer, Hope you make out ok today, the river is RIPPIN’ right now, 5000cfs until midnight
🙁
Perseverence will pay off. It is nasty up there this week for sure. Keep at it something good will come from your efforts.