My son Doug organized and planned the trip and drove his car. He even gave his older brother an early Christmas present – a beautiful steelhead rig (long graphite pole and spinning reel that was perfect for drifting a jig under a bobber).
And it was Gregg (at right) who got the fish, a beautiful, chrome-bright hen with sea lice still clinging to her side (translation: it was so fresh it had come from the ocean in less than a day or so).
This may be the fastest I’ve ever seen anyone get the skunk off a new rig. What it really means, though, is that Gregg is a very savvy steelhead fisherman.
After a two-and-a-half-hour drive from our home, to the west and deep into the Olympic National Park and Forest, we arrived at the Bogachiel River (above), near the small town of Forks. Three world-class steelhead rivers come together in the area – the Bogey, the Calawah and the Sol Duc.
Plus, it’s not far from a state steelhead hatchery which virtually insures that there are fish in the rivers at this time of the year.
Well today, for Gregg, there sure was. The wily fish made three desperate runs downriver, trying it’s hardest to spit the hook. But the fisherman prevailed. Another look: Doug took pic above with Gregg's cell phone cam at river's edge. The steelie was a seven-pounder and stretched a healthy 27-inches. Click here for Gregg's perspective.
It was a fabulous (and very rare) day together for the three of us. Doug and I will get ours next time.
2 comments:
Good morning, gentleman.
Please remember you agreed to bring back our resident "trophy steelhead" when you were done taking those "bogus" photos.
Since you didn't, I have asked our legal assistant, Martin Luther Sands, to immediately bring charhes against all 3 of you. The charges will be nailed to the door of the fish hatchery this morning.
I remain...
..."disgusted"
Might what is nailed to the door be called the "95 Species"? In any event grace has dismissed the charges...
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