July in October anyone? Didn’t see any broiled or poached salmon floating to the top of the river in this mini-heat wave, but with the water dropping and the temps rising, the salmon are not happy. As a result, we guides are having to cover some significant stretches of water to find fishable number of salmon. My guys from Action Fabricators were great sports—they practiced the 3 P’s of Reverend Lou Lotz: Peace, Pace, Perspective. It was a great lesson to us all. When the fishing is tough at first, stick with the plan, don’t get caught up in a numbers game, and let the river come to you. So, Mike, JD, and Jerry—all new to fly fishing—worked on their casting, refined their line management, and kept their spirits up as we searched and searched for fresh fish in good numbers. And find them, we finally did. On his second or third cast to a nice pod, Jerry boated the first king, then JD, and finally Mike. Along the way with some lost kings, were five rainbows, two of which were very nicely sized. Steelhead orange nuke flies and good old Antron Hex were our best flies. Thanks, guys, for your patience. I was thrilled you were rewarded so richly. Pictured are Jerry, JD, and Mike.
Tom Kuieck
