Quite the interesting day... As a side note before I start with the rest of this, know that I just got back into fishing those year for the first time since being a little kid so therefore I'm quite the novice, haha.

Got to barrier dam at 6am. Lines in water by 615. First hour... Nothing.
Then as I was walking upriver (on the rocks because it's super low again, about 2400 CFS) and noticed a king salmon barely swimming in 6in deep water, it was still swimming barely but was super beat up and mostly unresponsive so I did what seemed to be the right thing, threw my hook in his mouth, pulled him on shore, took the pic and then put him out of his misery.

After that the bite was on. I found a spot where all day people were having hookups.
This spot I was the first person of the day to have a hookup, (my first hookup since being 8 years old). I thought I had a snag, started walking back down river to see the snag and as I was trying to yank the pencil lead from behind a rock (I assumed) I see the weight fly and land back in the water and look for my hook and see a springer!!! I let my drag loose and followed it all the way down to the plunking area where the current was much more manageable, oh man this was a good battle, trying to get him on this little pool area where the water wasn't moving, I tightened the drag too much and was trying to pull him in and yanked him off :(. Lesson learned! But man that was a rush!


Headed back up to that spot where I find a neighboring guy in the spot I was in, within 30 minutes he had caught a ~10 lb springer!
It was pretty dark (as was the one I almost got) but still a nice fish! He even offered it to me but I said no thanks as I only want to take home a fish I get :P.

Before I know it there are several other ppl fishing right above and below where I first got hooked up, we noticed there was a little drop off where all the fish were hanging out.
Same guy also caught a little squawfish.. Chucked it back
The guys who came in above the spot we were at hooked about 5 springers throughout the day!! (All dark) only one was kept tho as they were honest when their fish were not hooked on the mouth they released it.

After that in this hot spot, a local comes in and pulls out a CHROME BRIGHT summer steel. This thing was a BEAUT. It was the only steel I saw hooked all day (surprising because last weeks Tacoma power hatchery report had more steelhead recovery than springer by a significant amount)

Then I see this snake eating what looked like shrimp... Huh... Didn't know there were snakes around.

Then I saw a cow across the river just wandering and eating grass.

Then I hooked up again, a HUGE but dark springer, I saw it on a huge jump and then he just screamed down the river, took almost of 150yards off my spool! But unfortunately I was snagged on a rock so by the time I unsnagged the king got away.

I finally catch something!!!!
It's some squawfish.. Ugh, released. Atleast I finally caught something.
Then from 3-6 I had no hookups and called it quits. Although a couple guys came to that spot but a little higher up and also hooked up to some springers and released them.

At 6 I realized I was here 12 hours and it was time to get home.... Epic day for late season springers, just not quite for me. But I learned a lot and at least I caught something!!
Sorry for the long report, felt like it all needed to be said.

tight lines!

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