March Madness - Washington’s Olympic Steelhead
Angling Omak farmboys might feel like 'fish outta water’ in the land of mossy cedar, dime-bright fish and totem poles. Unless, those farmboys saddle up with Capt. Andy Shanks and his cadre of steelhead-crazed guides.
As Tom Petty moaned: "the waiting is the hardest part"- boy that’s the truth when you’ve had a trip on the calendar for a while. Rain causing flooding and road damage plagued the Olympic Peninsula almost all of late winter. Then, Capt. Shanks called. Finally, the skies had parted and it was game on.
A word to you DIY guys and gals: floating with an experienced guide basically keeps you alive. These brawling rivers are filled with downed snags called 'garbage’, braids leading to 'dead’ ends and rock gardens only a billy goat would run. An experienced guide also keeps you fishing productive water not easy to find when you’re used to dryside steelheading. Without 'em, that dream encounter with a native coastal steelhead becomes a longshot-
The Olympic Peninsula is just about close to nowhere. Driving double-digit hours over multiple passes means that when you get there, you want to stay awhile. The mossy town of "Forks," known for its Vampire stories and rainforest, hosts just about everybody looking to fish steelhead out here. That’s why I stay in Aberdeen! Although not the mecca for steelheaders that Forks is, I can still reach the Forks area and a decent number of 'other’ streams for salmon and steelhead in a short time.
Thank heavens that some of these Steelhead streams still welcome home our native fish to catch and release. We not only hooked a few but also, lost a few. All the while in awe of the emerald green scenery...
Our shop wall of Echo Glass Spey rods had me drooling to try one out. I got exactly that on this trip. Capt. Shanks put an Echo 7wt. 12’9" Glass in my hand with a smile and a nod at the fishy-lookin’ water. He balanced it with a Lamson Litespeed spooled with an Airflo 510 Grain Skagit Compact head. Now, as a spey caster, I am definitely a work in progress (aren’t we all?). But, once I had fished a few spots with that glass action, I was hooked! Maybe my casting stroke had needed a slower rod all along? At least, that’s what I’m telling myself for now-
My guide also put me on his 'Pin’ rod! Now I see what all the Canadians are squawking about. We shoved off again to try out the single action of the center pin reel, and though I cast it even worse than the Spey rod, I was intrigued.
Steelheading for big natives in select rivers on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula should stay open for another couple weeks. If you would like some help getting set up for this season or next, please give us a call at the Omak shop 509-422-0970. Our selection of steelhead rods (both single and two hand) is robust. And our array of steelhead flies from Umpqua, Spirit River, Solitude, Montana Fly Co. and more, is second to none in the state.