Old Pulteney and steelhead
We beat the water pretty thoroughly, and wound up scratching up one really hard-fighting hen that looked to be in the 12-13 lb range. Queets steelhead are 5-star caliber fish, the Sav'ell Smalls of steelhead if you will. The weather and scenery were nearly perfect, and Yella is a really good guy to spend a day on the river with.
When we got back to the truck, he busted out a bottle of Old Pulteney single malt. We had a couple pulls off the bottle, and savored a bit of Olympic National Park before heading back to the shit show of Pugetropolis. When Yella bailed, he refused to take the rest of the scotch with him, so I'm just waiting until noon today to dip back into it.
Thanks for joining me, Yella. We'll find you a steelhead. They can't avoid you forever.
Comments
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There was lots of tuff, logging camp liberal takes as we drove along the muddy banks of the Wishkah.
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I just with I could have pegged @puppylove_sugarsteel ’s painted beads on my tippet. I would have out fished Flea fer sure.
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Going for the triple shit poast here. But forgot to mention that after driving by all the homesteads of the Grays Harbor dirtheads maybe I wouldn’t want to meet @creepycoug at 7-11 after all.
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The late run winters that still exist in numbers on the queets and some of the other peninsula rivers are something we don't see much of along the Columbia. I made a few trios up iin the early 2000s but the timing was always off. Skunked on the Hoh, Queets, and Solduck.
Thinking about a smooth catch and release of a wild, 13lb hen has me day dreaming. Over a year without a rod caught steelhead... -
I requested pictures of this trip a week ago Yella and you have failed me.
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Flea's caught so many fish he doesn't even get out the camera unless it's over 20 lbs. Me - I would have taken pics if it was over 8.1 lbs.Swaye said:I requested pictures of this trip a week ago Yella and you have failed me.
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So I was talking to my neighbor last night who just got back from a 6 day trip to Vancouver Island with his dad. They are both fly guys and don't know how good of anglers they are, but they both got skunked over six days. Steelheading is hard work, I tell you and it ain't getting any easier between declining habitat and all the @Swaye 's netting fish for the white devils have a shot.chuck said:The late run winters that still exist in numbers on the queets and some of the other peninsula rivers are something we don't see much of along the Columbia. I made a few trios up iin the early 2000s but the timing was always off. Skunked on the Hoh, Queets, and Solduck.
Thinking about a smooth catch and release of a wild, 13lb hen has me day dreaming. Over a year without a rod caught steelhead... -
Red man's revenge! HAHAHHAHAHAH! I have heard steelheading makes my little brown trout excursions look like child's play.YellowSnow said:
So I was talking to my neighbor last night who just got back from a 6 day trip to Vancouver Island with his dad. They are both fly guys and don't know how good of anglers they are, but they both got skunked over six days. Steelheading is hard work, I tell you and it ain't getting any easier between declining habitat and all the @Swaye 's netting fish for the white devils have a shot.chuck said:The late run winters that still exist in numbers on the queets and some of the other peninsula rivers are something we don't see much of along the Columbia. I made a few trios up iin the early 2000s but the timing was always off. Skunked on the Hoh, Queets, and Solduck.
Thinking about a smooth catch and release of a wild, 13lb hen has me day dreaming. Over a year without a rod caught steelhead... -
I've only gambled in the hatchet packers casino once and took their money and run. But they got me this time on the migratory fish.Swaye said:
Red man's revenge! HAHAHHAHAHAH! I have heard steelheading makes my little brown trout excursions look like child's play.YellowSnow said:
So I was talking to my neighbor last night who just got back from a 6 day trip to Vancouver Island with his dad. They are both fly guys and don't know how good of anglers they are, but they both got skunked over six days. Steelheading is hard work, I tell you and it ain't getting any easier between declining habitat and all the @Swaye 's netting fish for the white devils have a shot.chuck said:The late run winters that still exist in numbers on the queets and some of the other peninsula rivers are something we don't see much of along the Columbia. I made a few trios up iin the early 2000s but the timing was always off. Skunked on the Hoh, Queets, and Solduck.
Thinking about a smooth catch and release of a wild, 13lb hen has me day dreaming. Over a year without a rod caught steelhead... -
The fish I landed was tuff, so I had to fight it a while before landing it. I wasn't going to bash it in the head, so I figured getting her back in the river quickly was the right thing to do.
Probably should have taken a photo so the story would actually be real, though.
I could still get a photo of the single malt. -
I've been spoiled with some exclusive access to ridiculous steelhead fishing and lost that grit that I used to have. I worked hard but with near guaranteed success for six years. That well ran dry two years ago, the runs have crashed, and I haven't been willing to put in a day of tromping around, falling in the river, and beating the shit out of myself with no guarantees.YellowSnow said:
So I was talking to my neighbor last night who just got back from a 6 day trip to Vancouver Island with his dad. They are both fly guys and don't know how good of anglers they are, but they both got skunked over six days. Steelheading is hard work, I tell you and it ain't getting any easier between declining habitat and all the @Swaye 's netting fish for the white devils have a shot.chuck said:The late run winters that still exist in numbers on the queets and some of the other peninsula rivers are something we don't see much of along the Columbia. I made a few trios up iin the early 2000s but the timing was always off. Skunked on the Hoh, Queets, and Solduck.
Thinking about a smooth catch and release of a wild, 13lb hen has me day dreaming. Over a year without a rod caught steelhead...
It's coming back though. I've got the bug again. The gear bins, vest and rods have been dusted off. Good chance of a recovery this summer at least for the Snake bound A runs. I'm going to fish even if nothing else gets done. -
FIRSTYellowSnow said:
So I was talking to my neighbor last night who just got back from a 6 day trip to Vancouver Island with his dad. They are both fly guys and don't know how good of anglers they are, but they both got skunked over six days. Steelheading is hard work, I tell you and it ain't getting any easier between declining habitat and all the @Swaye 's netting fish for the white devils have a shot.chuck said:The late run winters that still exist in numbers on the queets and some of the other peninsula rivers are something we don't see much of along the Columbia. I made a few trios up iin the early 2000s but the timing was always off. Skunked on the Hoh, Queets, and Solduck.
Thinking about a smooth catch and release of a wild, 13lb hen has me day dreaming. Over a year without a rod caught steelhead...
NATIONS BITCH! -
Fishing is gay, but it's good to see two men find luv.
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Size queen IMOYellowSnow said:
Flea's caught so many fish he doesn't even get out the camera unless it's over 20 lbs. Me - I would have taken pics if it was over 8.1 lbs.Swaye said:I requested pictures of this trip a week ago Yella and you have failed me.
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I lurked on www.washingtonflyflishing.com for a while but never found luv. Had to go to HH for that.PurpleJ said:Fishing is gay, but it's good to see two men find luv.
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I'd just have to get inside that reach Yella. Then it's all bidness.YellowSnow said:Going for the triple shit poast here. But forgot to mention that after driving by all the homesteads of the Grays Harbor dirtheads maybe I wouldn’t want to meet @creepycoug at 7-11 after all.
But then again, all you'd have to do is Larry Holmes jab all day and you'd beat my handsome face to a pulp.
As a middle aged 5'10" guy who sits on his brains all day, I'll just concede to the younger Yella rowboat. Anybody who can make a varsity boat at Washington Damn It! is probably someone I don't want to tangle wit unless they're in their 70s.
Glad you guys hooked up and had a good tim.
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We were wondering on the drive how a little brown kid survived in a tuff logging town.creepycoug said:
I'd just have to get inside that reach Yella. Then it's all bidness.YellowSnow said:Going for the triple shit poast here. But forgot to mention that after driving by all the homesteads of the Grays Harbor dirtheads maybe I wouldn’t want to meet @creepycoug at 7-11 after all.
But then again, all you'd have to do is Larry Holmes jab all day and you'd beat my handsome face to a pulp.
As a middle aged 5'10" guy who sits on his brains all day, I'll just concede to the younger Yella rowboat. Anybody who can make a varsity boat at Washington Damn It! is probably someone I don't want to tangle wit unless they're in their 70s.
Glad you guys hooked up and had a good tim. -
By being tuffer.YellowSnow said:
We were wondering on the drive how a little brown kid survived in a tuff logging town.creepycoug said:
I'd just have to get inside that reach Yella. Then it's all bidness.YellowSnow said:Going for the triple shit poast here. But forgot to mention that after driving by all the homesteads of the Grays Harbor dirtheads maybe I wouldn’t want to meet @creepycoug at 7-11 after all.
But then again, all you'd have to do is Larry Holmes jab all day and you'd beat my handsome face to a pulp.
As a middle aged 5'10" guy who sits on his brains all day, I'll just concede to the younger Yella rowboat. Anybody who can make a varsity boat at Washington Damn It! is probably someone I don't want to tangle wit unless they're in their 70s.
Glad you guys hooked up and had a good tim.
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I'll whoop both your soft asses and put your head on top of the Tacoma Dome flagpole. Bitch.
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Do you know @StrongArmCobra ?PurpleJ said:I'll whoop both your soft asses and put your head on top of the Tacoma Dome flagpole. Bitch.
#akastronghaie -
Yella was asking about crossing the Queets. I told him it looked to me like he was good crossing anything under about 7 feet deep. If he stood at the right angle, he'd block out the sun..............but you only had to move about 4 inches to either side to avoid the blockage. If you met up with Yella at 7-11, he'd hit you from all the way across the parking lot when you got out of your rig. He fished the far side of the Queets just by reaching out there.creepycoug said:
I'd just have to get inside that reach Yella. Then it's all bidness.YellowSnow said:Going for the triple shit poast here. But forgot to mention that after driving by all the homesteads of the Grays Harbor dirtheads maybe I wouldn’t want to meet @creepycoug at 7-11 after all.
But then again, all you'd have to do is Larry Holmes jab all day and you'd beat my handsome face to a pulp.
As a middle aged 5'10" guy who sits on his brains all day, I'll just concede to the younger Yella rowboat. Anybody who can make a varsity boat at Washington Damn It! is probably someone I don't want to tangle wit unless they're in their 70s.
Glad you guys hooked up and had a good tim.
We avoided the whole harbor area by taking the crossover bridge on the Wynoochee and crossing the renowned Wishkah River. The harbor is just trouble. You'll either get beat up or get a ticket, so I tend to avoid the area. We decided creep couldn't be some Nancy-ass if he grew up brown in the harbor. We also decided that since he's lost two Apple Cup bets in a row, that he should cut his losses instead of descend further into debt and go fishing with me and Yella - and bring the scotch and drive and cover any other miscellaneous expenses that might be incurred during the trip. I'd consider it square.
Yella also wears the classic purple with gold W fishing hat, and the classic Simms Guideweight waders. Loved it. He's shifty, though, so this is the only photo I got of him.
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No, but I'd fuck that bitch up too then taxidermy his corpse and mount it on my bathroom wall so I can laugh at him while I take a shit.creepycoug said:
Do you know @StrongArmCobra ?PurpleJ said:I'll whoop both your soft asses and put your head on top of the Tacoma Dome flagpole. Bitch.
#akastronghaie -
Wooddflea said: -
That is fucking awesome. I will have to settle up those bets. This is tempting.dflea said:
Yella was asking about crossing the Queets. I told him it looked to me like he was good crossing anything under about 7 feet deep. If he stood at the right angle, he'd block out the sun..............but you only had to move about 4 inches to either side to avoid the blockage. If you met up with Yella at 7-11, he'd hit you from all the way across the parking lot when you got out of your rig. He fished the far side of the Queets just by reaching out there.creepycoug said:
I'd just have to get inside that reach Yella. Then it's all bidness.YellowSnow said:Going for the triple shit poast here. But forgot to mention that after driving by all the homesteads of the Grays Harbor dirtheads maybe I wouldn’t want to meet @creepycoug at 7-11 after all.
But then again, all you'd have to do is Larry Holmes jab all day and you'd beat my handsome face to a pulp.
As a middle aged 5'10" guy who sits on his brains all day, I'll just concede to the younger Yella rowboat. Anybody who can make a varsity boat at Washington Damn It! is probably someone I don't want to tangle wit unless they're in their 70s.
Glad you guys hooked up and had a good tim.
We avoided the whole harbor area by taking the crossover bridge on the Wynoochee and crossing the renowned Wishkah River. The harbor is just trouble. You'll either get beat up or get a ticket, so I tend to avoid the area. We decided creep couldn't be some Nancy-ass if he grew up brown in the harbor. We also decided that since he's lost two Apple Cup bets in a row, that he should cut his losses instead of descend further into debt and go fishing with me and Yella - and bring the scotch and drive and cover any other miscellaneous expenses that might be incurred during the trip. I'd consider it square.
Yella also wears the classic purple with gold W fishing hat, and the classic Simms Guideweight waders. Loved it. He's shifty, though, so this is the only photo I got of him.
Yeah ... I don't think fucking around with Yella would be good for my health. I also can't imagine he has too much 7-11 practice because (1) he's big and (2) he has adequate amounts of comportment. Probably the most stable person poasting at HCH.
Sounds like you guysm had a good tim. Even if you pussied out of going through the Harb. -
Mother Nature on the OP is the shit. You know a river is skrong when it’s washing old growth trees out to sea.BennyBeaver said:
Wooddflea said: -
I was gonna say ... that looks likes big timber leaning into the waterYellowSnow said:
Mother Nature on the OP is the shit. You know a river is skrong when it’s washing old growth trees out to sea.BennyBeaver said:
Wooddflea said: -
I thought a Queet was a pussy fartdflea said:I heard that Yella was looking to catch himself a steelhead, so we rolled up to the Queets yesterday in search of the elusive sea-run rainbows.
We beat the water pretty thoroughly, and wound up scratching up one really hard-fighting hen that looked to be in the 12-13 lb range. Queets steelhead are 5-star caliber fish, the Sav'ell Smalls of steelhead if you will. The weather and scenery were nearly perfect, and Yella is a really good guy to spend a day on the river with.
When we got back to the truck, he busted out a bottle of Old Pulteney single malt. We had a couple pulls off the bottle, and savored a bit of Olympic National Park before heading back to the shit show of Pugetropolis. When Yella bailed, he refused to take the rest of the scotch with him, so I'm just waiting until noon today to dip back into it.
Thanks for joining me, Yella. We'll find you a steelhead. They can't avoid you forever. -
Are we talking about the logs or Yella's manhood? I like it either way.creepycoug said:
I was gonna say ... that looks likes big timber leaning into the waterYellowSnow said:
Mother Nature on the OP is the shit. You know a river is skrong when it’s washing old growth trees out to sea.BennyBeaver said:
Wooddflea said: -
Nothing speshial.Swaye said:
Are we talking about the logs or Yella's manhood? I like it either way.creepycoug said:
I was gonna say ... that looks likes big timber leaning into the waterYellowSnow said:
Mother Nature on the OP is the shit. You know a river is skrong when it’s washing old growth trees out to sea.BennyBeaver said:
Wooddflea said:
