Pay Day

This week we finally got a good amount of precipitation. The past few weeks with the lack of rain, all of our rivers have been at summertime flows. Ultra low, crystal clear, and cold. The perfect recipe for bad steelhead conditions. We want volatility, rain and snow, the river bouncing up and down. 

The forecast for Saturday was about an inch of rain and for the river to slowly but steadily be rising all day. Another inch of rain was expected on Sunday, but the snow levels would be dropping and the Sandy should peak around 5000 cfs. Which is a perfect forecast. The river should be a little high, a few degrees warmer, and steelhead green. 

Well when I went to be Saturday night, none of that had happened. I was preparing for another weekend of low water. But when I checked the gauge around 3:00am the river was starting to come up and it was on. 

Sunday was wet, by mid day I was soaked. If felt so great to be wet all the war to my underwear. The river kept coming up all day and peaked around 4000cfs. We didn’t find any fish but there was alway tomorrow. 

Sunday was looking even better.  I met Rick Pay and Jim Hilas early and we made our way to the river. 

We were the first boat in, the conditions were perfect, the river was dripping, but was a perfect green color, and it wasn’t really raining.  We started fishing up high and just picked our way down the river, hitting every spot. 

Rick hit a payday around lunch time, with a beautiful wild fish. He hooked that fish on his first cast with half of his head out.

For the next week or so all of our local rivers should continue to fish good. I have heard stories of people catching fish everywhere. Based on the lack of rain we e had all year I would tell you to get out and go any chance you can!