Well for my last day in forks, my buddy and I headed up to some super secret upper river areas on the Bogachiel, and had tremendous luck yet again!!
We hiked up the canyon to our favorite starting spot. This river is SMALL. probably runs at about 100cfs at all times, very upper river. Some fish are obviously colored up this high in the system, but we found a lot of really amazingly bright fish as well.
First hole in, my buddy hooks a heavy, chrome fish and loses it after about 15 seconds, didnt really get a good look but it wasnt small. Very next slot, buddy hooks up again and lands a beautiful colored buck, with thick shoulders going about 9-10 pounds.
We then hit a dead section and walk for about a mile with no fish, except a big dolly and a missed takedown.
Finally we get to a hole we call "The Glory Hole". We call it this because this river is fast and bouldery, its all pocket water EXCEPT this one hole is very deep, literally the only hole in the river where you cannot see bottom. My first cast, get crushed by a SUPER bright 10lb buck, an amazing beautiful colored fish for this late and high up the system. Land it, pictures, release, go back up and second cast, WHAM a bigger fish, shaking and splashes once and comes unhooked. We decide to let the hole cool off for a second to avoid spooking them, so we wait a few minutes, and on my buddys first cast back in, he hooks into a feisty 15lb hen with some color, and it takes us downriver a ways before landing, getting a picture and releasing. So we walk back up, nothing for about 5 minutes. My buddy decides to work the slot in the tailout, and i tie on a different colored yarnball and decide to give it one more try before heading downriver. BOOM another smaller but beautiful 8lb chromer buck. Surely there cant be more, and my buddy is so convinced of that, he decides to keep fishing the tailout. I know i have to give it one more try. This many fish is odd in one spot, because although its the deepest hole in the river, remember its flowing at less than 100cfs, and you can practically jump across half the river in even this spot. Its small. Well, it didnt take long, one more cast and up comes a GIANT buck, hes a little dark with some wounds on him, but after a good fight, i bring a high teens buck to the beach, and release. Finally this was the last fish from the glory hole.
We walk down, and fish a few good pockets that didnt produce. Thinking all the fish in the area had for some reason all moved into the glory hole, we are about to call it a day when i throw the yarnie into a shallow flat, and bobber down! Out of the water erupts another giant. A massive 38 inch hen makes its way to the beach after a long fight, and we get a picture and release the giant girl. That was the end of our day, and most likely the last Winter steelhead I will get this year, unless i get one or 2 more on the Vedder before the end of April. Enjoy the Photos!
River Chrome Guide Service
River Chrome Guide Service specializes in Salmon and Steelhead fishing,guided fishing trips and instructional fishing trips on many rivers within close driving distance of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett, including the Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish and many of their smaller yet very productive tributaries.
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