That other river we fish this time of year is very close to being in shape….I would really like to fish there too…

This is my favorite time of year to fish the spey rod, I will do some gear trips to put meat on the table, and some one handed trips because not everyone spey fishes, but this is the best swinging of the season for sure.

I will do a fish a long Saturday the 24th, Tuesday the 28th, and Friday the 31st.  The way that works is you get a guided trip for $100.00 off the price and I get to fish a bit.

Its a good time to brush up on your casting and presentation skills, while running the risk of hooking a fish of a life time.

Kris came out and we found a couple springers on gear

Its true, we do not land a lot of springers on the fly, but we do hook them, and catch quite a few steelhead while trying, which is ok.

Oh Yea!  Summer steelhead begins in earnest in June, and I now have some open dates, 4 through 6 and June 8 and 9 are open.  Drop me a line if you want to get out.

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast Guides

If you like to swing flies this is your season.

Daniel with a hatchery spring Chinook, the bacon of the sea

Jim Kerr Rain Coast Guides

Some left over winter steelhead pics

There are a few more summer run steel head showing up all the time, to early to say for sure but this may bode well.

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast Guides

Right now the river is perfect for trying to swing a springer.  If I had headed down there at dawn this morning, and fished the right spots, I probably would not have hooked one.  But if I tried it for the next four mornings, I probably would, and I might hook several.

We are gamblers.  You can make a living playing poker, if you play really well, and pick the right games.  You can not make a living playing slots.

So the slim chance is enough.  Some mornings, before we even see the river, I know that its gonna be easy, other times I know it will be hard, but if we work and fish smart, the rewards will be great.  And then there are the days when you know its gonna take all you have, plus some unforeseen good fortune, gamblers luck. I mean come on, there are other players at the table here, the fish have a say as well, and sometimes even when the cards are in their favor, they screw up.

Cal with a sweet hen

If you read the blog much you know that for better or worse I have poked my nose into fisheries management.  Many of you have helped, and really, almost entirely because of you, and your calls and emails to our state representatives, I was invited to join the discussion about new regulations concerning guide licensing.

I learned a lot about the process, and despite having a pretty week hand we got a pretty decent bill.  Not everything we dreamed of, but a great start, with some key provisions that will help a bunch as we move forward.

Thanks to everyone that called, and wrote and got involved.  I hope you will be encouraged by this small success.  I know I am, there are much larger issues that need to be tackled.

Anil with a early April steelhead

This is my favorite time of year to swing flies, and this week I intend to take a day just to tie some fresh swing bugs.  Maybe I should invest in a new spey rod…who knows.

Shad with a nice spring steelhead

“Free” Trip

I sent my drift boat back to Clacka Craft down in Clackamas OR for a tune up.  I am looking for some one who travels that way to haul it up to Forks or at least Port Townsend/Bainbridge.  I would be glad to trade a trip for it.

I have some open dates coming up that I would love to fill, May 22 through 26 are open, along with a few others.  Drop me a line if you want to do some fishing, there are some cool things a foot if you have the time….

Ben, with a dandy on the last day south.

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast Guides

Springers too.

I will list our open dates soon, not many, but the best swinging of the year is right around the corner.

Lee came back, caught a bright one.

Oh, a large one.
Great lee

John with a hatchery summer run

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast guides

Its getting to one of my favorite seasons and I look forward to the quiet and the early mornings swinging for whatever swims by.  The river traffic is already dropping off, smaller steelhead runs and difficult weather have put a damper on a lot of winter travelers.

Spring Chinook are showing up in ever increasing numbers and summer steelhead are popping up in all the usual places

Its a great time to be a steelhead guide.

Ed with a run-a-way.

Check out how lean this hen is, its about as thin as you will ever see a pre-spawn hen around here.  Makes me wonder how far she is going.

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast Guides

I am not the fishing guide to call if you want to fish from 6:00 am to 8:30 PM.  I am kind of a home by 5 kinda guy.  So we fish first light, and get lucky and catch a few in the afternoon.

As for the fishing, the perfect chrome spring two salters have shown up, and there are still some incredible 3+ salt steelhead showing up.

A guy has to be a bit sneaky, and very patient do do well on the weekends, but weekdays are fast thinning out with the anticipation of trout fishing and lawn mowing season.

Summer steelhead are here, and will be in good numbers by the middle of May, the season is changing, and I am excited for spring Chinook.

Lucky T-shirt.
Thanks Lee

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast guide

Yesterday, after a very busy Saturday, we decided to head for where the worst reports came from.

For once it worked, we got miles of water to ourselves, nymphed up a few beautiful chrome two salt winter steelhead and got one to eat a swung fly to boot.

I have heard of 10 or more summer steelhead, and a couple of spring chinook landed all ready, but I have not caught one.

Jeff with a nice hen from Saturday

Jim Kerr

Rain Coast Guides

Jim Kerr

Oh Yea, fish pic,

Jason with his steelhead

Jim Kerr

Rain coast Guides