New Years Steelhead Prospects 1

Dan Sanberg hit this beautiful early wild buck a few days ago on one of the Forks area rivers with guide Brett Lowe from Westside Guide Service. They're already seeing a good push of early wild steelhead in the Forks area rivers and the Bogachiel continues to crank out it's share of hatchery fish. The Hoh River to the south has been putting out decent numbers of hatchery steelhead for driftboaters and we've recieved reports of a few wild steelhead in this river, as well. Further south yet the Queets and Salmon River should heat up again with the rain that's predicted for the coast the next few days.

Regulars that know the Wynoochee well are finding some hatchery steelhead in the middle river and the Cowlitz has been uber-busy with a fair number of fish being caught around the hatchery outlet pipe above Blue Creek. In the North Puget Sound the Skykomish River got a good push of hatchery brats late last week. Guide Derek Anderson of Screamin' Reels Guide Service has had action in the stretch of river above and below Sultan sidedrifting egg clusters from his sled.

Watch the rains carefully the next few days and get in on the action if your favorite river is on the drop. If the rains cooperate I'll be headed to Forks early next week for a ride in Bill Myers driftboat before heading off to Panama later in the week. Smoke'em if ya got'em!

Rob Endsley