Really Strong Summer Run Steelhead

Well I am back home after a week spent on the Kalama, the original modern steel head laboratory.

Hot, sweaty, tough, amazingly rewarding.  About like bone fishing for big hyper chromers, no, more like permit fishing, well, depends on the day.

Really?  Start off the day with a big hatchery steelhead in front of a waterfall?

This river has so much to offer, and changes so radically from day to day, It can test you skills like no place I have ever fished before, but offers you so many damn chances.  There are days it fishes text book, and days that a change up is a must.

Yep, That’s a guy in shorts and a T-shirt holding a bruiser chrome hatchery steelhead, that’s just how it is.

As for the fishing the cop out would be to say we averaged more than two fish per day.  This would help to cover up the fact that on two days we completely banked out.  One day it pretty much seemed like there were no fish at all, on the other they were crawling all over the place but we could not make a biter.  I feel comfortable saying that if you want to nail a brand new super tough show me some backing right now style steelhead, its always a gamble. 

I plan to head down again next year, I am going to try the week earlier, June 26th through the 2nd of July.  I would like to make arrangements with guests to maybe break up the day a bit, a crazy early swing morning, a break, and then sight fishing in the afternoon.

Kalama base camp

Fish like this can take some time, are they worth it? 
Right now in Forks I am planning a week of swinging dry lines for summer runs, no, I am not booked up.  If you want to go for a long hike and swing alot of water with a switch or a one hander give me a call, I will negotiate.
Jim Kerr
Rain coast guides