Out at the archery range this morning it was foggy and cool and smelled like salt water and cedar smoke.  I need to buy a salt-water boat just for mornings like this.

I have heard of a lot of summer steelhead moving up theColumbia. I got a great report from a buddy on the lower Cowlitz, it sounded like dip in fish on their way by rather than fish bound for the Cowlitz hatchery.  That said, he hooked a bunch.  That makes me want a jetsled.

Most of my home rivers, Kalama, Bogachiel, Sol Duc are warmand crazy low, so in lieu of buying a jet sled or salt water boat I went smallmouth fishing with my friend and fellow guide Adam McNamara of Cast a wayguide service.

He will BITE YOU!

He took me to a tiny trib of the Willamette. It was bathwater warm and carry the boat low and we had a great time catching buckets full of small to medium size smallies.

Really, this was the whole river in one spot, really tiny

They were eager to eat top water bugs in the shallowwater.  And the wading was nice.  I would probably do it everyday if I lived close enough.

Small mouth on a popper

Adam with a nice smallmouth

I will be fishing the Hoh and the Queets by early September,there are so many freakin Coho in the ocean right now it looks like its gonnabe a great fall season.

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast Guides