Kalama River, WA (Steelhead/Jacks)

Brought my buddy Dalton out on the river today to see if we could spook up some more chrome. River was still in great shape so we gave it a go. Right in front of Prichards we plugged up to Jack Chinook. Had never caught one on the river before and was a little mistified that it actually happened. No steelhead on this trip.

Summary:
Location: Red Barn to Modrow on Kalama River
Time: 7am - 4pm
Rod: Bait caster and spinning rods
Tackle: You can see the pink and silver plug in the fishes mouth and accompanied with a blue pirate.
Fish: 2
Species: Jack Chinook
Biggest Fish: 12"
Smallest Fish: 12"
Rating: 6/10

Kalama River, WA (Steelhead)

Coming home to see family for Christmas the Kalama was in excellent shape. Thought there would be more fish but it was maybe a little too sunny. Plugged one fish up by the water fall. First time we had hooked one here.

Summary:
Location: Kalama River form Red Barn to Modrow
Time: 7am - 4pm
Rod: Spinning and Bait Caster
Tackle: Plugs, plugs, and more plugs
Fish: 1
Species: White Fish, Rainbow
Biggest Fish: 7# Steelhead
Smallest Fish: N/A
Rating: 6/10

Kalama River, WA (Chinook/Steelhead)

Came home for Thanksgiving and what else are you going to do but fish the Kalama? We like to put in at read barn and float all the way down to Modrow. Pulling a variation of plugs as we drift along and occasionally throwing a bobber and jig. The first hole we got into at red barn there we caught a decent late Chinook that really caught us off guard. But who wouldn't like to start their day off with a Chinook? Continuing down the river it was pretty slow until almost the end where we hooked the little steelhead.

Summary:
Location: Kalama River from Red Barn to Modrow
Time: 7am - 4pm
Rod: Bait caster and spinning rods
Tackle: Pink and purple steelhead jigs, Bubble Gum colored MagWart, Blue Pirate Kwikfish and wiggle Wart, Pink/Silver Kwikfish.
Fish: 2
Species: Chinook and Steelhead
Biggest Fish: 20# Chinook
Smallest Fish: 4# Steelhead
Rating: 6/10

Queets River, WA (Coho Salmon)

I'm going back in time for this blog and it says that we were fishing for Coho. Looking at the lure we had on I would believe that we actually were. I know that we didn't catch any salmon but my brother Mike did catch a nice cutthroat. The color was good and the air was crisp.

Summary:
Location: Queets lower launch to confluence
Time: 9am - 5pm
Rod: Spinning rods and plug rods
Tackle: Blue Fox Pixies on the spinners and coho colored Kwikfish plugs
Fish: 1
Species: Cutthroat
Biggest Fish: 16"
Smallest Fish:

Rating: 5/10

Satsop River (Coho/Chum Salmon)

We wanted to catch coho but ended up catching a chum. We put in at the mouth of the Middle Satsop river where you initially cant fish and then floated down the river to take out at Hwy 12. Pulling plugs that were greens, blues, and pinks where ever we could. Coming into a whole we knew should produce we got excited. One of the lines went slack and we thought it was a snag. Once John caught up to it we realize we had a nice fish on our hands that was charging up the river fortunately with the hook still in its grasp. After a good fight on a rod that was a little underweight we landed this nice chum. As you can see from Jon's smile this made for a hell of a trip.

Summary:
Location: Satsop River from mouth of Middle Fork to Hwy 12 bridge.
Time: 12pm - 6pm
Rod: Medium Bait Casting Rods
Tackle: Various Kwikfish Plugs
Fish:1
Species: Chum Salmon
Biggest Fish: 15lbs
Smallest Fish: N/A
Rating: 6/10

Skykomish River, WA (Pink Salmon)

I finally got a drift boat and this would be the maiden voyage. The plan was to put in at Ben Howard and float down to town but we made it only a few hundred yards. Not because anything went wrong but because everything went right. Right after pushing off into the water Paul hooked up onto the first fish that he broke off under the boat. We anchored up and fished there catching several fish. We would move down river maybe 50 yds at a time until we came to a nice tree and I lost count of how many fish we caught.

Summary:
Location: Skykomish River
Time: 9am - 1pm
Rod: Medium Spinning Rods
Tackle: Corky with Yarn and a weight 6 feet up to bounce the bottom, side drifting
Fish: 20+
Species: Pink Salmon
Biggest Fish: 6lbs
Smallest Fish: 3lbs
Rating: 10/10 

Christening the boat with a shotgun of a beer

Fish On

Methow River, WA

It was hot and the river was low. We put in at the park in town with the plan to take out at the parking lot by the Riverbed RV Park. I miss judged the timing a little bit and we got off the water after dark freaking Dalton out. This was his second day on a pontoon boat and first one in a river. It was a beautiful day but we didn't have much luck catching fish. The pontoons worked great because when the river got small they were easy to get out of and drag through the shallows.

Summary:
Location: Methow River from Town to River Bend RV Park
Time: 9am - 10pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line, 5 wt w/ sinking tip
Tackle: 8 black stone nymph, 12 rainbow warrior, 14 zebra midge, 12 copper john hybrid, 10 Rogue Stone, 8 black and brown Pat's Stone, 10 Parachute Adams, 12 Elk Hair Caddis
Fish: 2
Species: White Fish, Rainbow
Biggest Fish: 12" whitfish
Smallest Fish: 8" rainbow
Rating: 7/10