I decided to hit the Chehalis at first light and head to the run of last weeks success. Tried there for a bit with the height a tad lower than it was last week but I think it was still in excellent conditions.
With no bites I headed down to explore the "Fisherman's Trail" and I try a few runs on the way down, I found the trail a nice walk but in most cases it is too far from the river although anglers have made rough trails to some of the runs. Those that made the trails would have made it more user friendly by making side trails to the river, I guess they did not have funds to do that. I also found that near the end of the trail all the bridges they had had built have been washed out but you are able to be waded at the present water levels. A lot of anglers were fishing on the other side of the flow and were having some success with the coho, noticed some people as well were TOW ing. I missed a couple of fish, maybe were chum as I saw some laying in the part of the run I was fishing. I did pick up two nice sculpins all of an inch long each.
They actually were both hanging onto the roe at the same time while I was cutting a new bait.
With the rain pouring down I decided to head back the trail and go for breakfast at the Sand Piper golf course. On the way I met up with Gwyn and he joins me at the River's Edge restaurant that is at the course. Gwyn had taken a nice coho, at another part of the river. The restaurant is situated at a lovely setting near the Harrison River and we settle in, next to the fire as we have our food as well as warm up. Besides being a wet day it is cool and the snow level is down the mountains a bit.
After we have completed our meal I decide to head back to the river, the rain is still pouring down and I see looking to the other side of the Valley it looks clear. I think about heading that way to try for cutthroat but I decide to keep at it and try the run where I started the day but the results are the same. I slug my way back to the Leaf Mobile as the now early darkness set in, fishless, cold, wet and a bit dejected but as they say its a better a better day to go fishing than working. Working I have not done that since 1998 and do not plan to go back to it either, fishing is a lot better, isn't it ?