Fall Chinook

I spent a great day yesterday with Clay and Henry Snaza.

We ended the day 3 for 1.  Chinook are just darned tough to land.  They love to eat flies, but they never play well with you after they do!

These are a few of the patterns we served up for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.  Switching patterns often during the day until you start getting hook-ups allows me to fish with more confidence.  Some days the fish will take a fly so softly, other day's its like a thunder clap.  Yesterday, the fish would just stop the fly, or lightly tap it.

Perfect sized hatchery fish for the grill!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hunter with one of six birds he got the day before Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is such a great day!  Aside from the cullinary carnage that I engage in every year, its the true "kick-off" for the new Winter Steelhead season.  The storms this week caused the cancellation of multiple days of fall chinook on the fly.  I'll pick it back up again on Saturday.  As flows recede and rivers come back into shape they'll have Steelhead in them and I'm as excited about that as the ducks and geese that have arrived in the valley.

This hunting season so far has brought many blessings to my family, friends and clients.  My freezer is full of Elk, Deer, Bear, Ducks and Geese and even a few salmon.  Lots to be thankful for!

I'll spend my "turkey day" at home with my bride and all my boys.  We've got ducks from Hunter's shoot on the menu.  Venison from my muzzle loader deer I harvested this past week with Josh.  Elk from the boy's juvenile season in August and of course turkey with all the fixin's.  Lots to be thankful for!

Thanks to all of you who I get to share the outdoors with!  My life is made rich beyond words because of you and all the Lord has made for us in this world. 

I hope your Thanksgiving is safe and that your surrounded by family and friends!