Well guys I made it back to Milwaukee this morning. Was the best fishing trip of my life, those native steel get the #1 vote in my opinion. Over the 9 days of fishing, I averaged about 3 hookups a day. Fishing here in Wi just won't be the same, these hatchery fish just won't cut it anymroe. Already planing on coming back next year, hook those fish is so addiciting. Also, Bob I saw you at the Forks coffee shop a few mornings, I would have said hi but didn't know what to say other than "I am guy who posts on your board" . Next time I see ya, I'll say hi. Here are a few pics. Later, Chris.

Looks like you like the Bogie!

I am happy to hear you had a great trip.

I would make some remark about the Mayor and her stubborn refusal to open her eyes and see cases like yours (come thousands of miles to catch and release wild steelhead...and cant wait to come back) but I wont. :rolleyes:

Downtime: I see you caught one chromer on a Thill float and pink worm. Was that a Turbomaster and if so what size. What was your weighting system?

DOWNTIME:

The PNW fish sure are different than those GL fish, huh? When I did my specialty training in eye surgery in Syracuse, NY I did a lot of steelhead fishing on the Salmon River. Got pretty good at landing teener steelies on 4-6# test, as if it were some sort of accomplishment. Looking back, those fish really fought like slugs. I discovered that when I moved to Washington and hooked my first teener Wynoochee summer run. Boy did that fish kick my butt in 5 seconds flat... game over.

Gotta love your spirit of adventure! Must have something to do with youth. I was tuned in to your previous posts starting months back, asking the right questions, planning, anticipating.... then putting it all together and making it happen. WOW a dream fulfilled.

You come from 3 time zones away, and with excellent planning, manage to have the trip of a lifetime. I live less than 3 hours from Forks, and in ten years, I can't even come close to your first experience. Your pics tell the whole story, at least the important parts!

Congratulations and welcome to the brotherhood of PNW steelheading. You've certainly earned it!

Good job on putting together a great trip. You've caught more natives than I have this year. Also, good job on editing in the pink worms; we all know steelhead won't bite 'em.

I have been following the progress of this guys trip and you have to admit that he "made it happen"... Good job on a great trip.

Downtime!
It looks like you have your vacation priorities in order!
I wish I had been wise enough to have booked a mid march OP trip myself.
So what was the go to method -
Did i see float and bubble gum worm?

Hey Dave, actually those floats aren't turbomasters. They look like them from the top but they are made by a good freind up in Ontario. The are called "BC Supremes", I'll include a pic of them at the end of the post. Those are really the only floats I use cause, its good to help an independant guy like that out, and his shape is killer. They swim really nice in the water, and when you hold the float back fishing fast pockets and stuff, it won't ride to the right or left like some other floats will. For shot patterns, was nothing special used a bulk shotting pattern most of the time just to get the bait down quick but that was about it. Lofty, all I did was float fish the whole trip, it was fun fighting those fish with my center pin, got the majority of fish on the pink worms, we also got fish on bait, gooey bobs, and jensen eggs. Thanks for the positive feedback, about a month ago this trip seemed impossible and it somehow worked its self out. I've been tainted forever. I told my mom when she picked me up from the airport, I want to move out west asap. Gonna try my hardest to make that a reality.

Howdy DownTime:

It does look like you had an AWESOME trip! The guys ain't kidding when they say that fish like you caught are the stuff of dreams for many of us...

As to moving out here to the NW, I could only WISH that was something I had done when I was your age...young and able to make a go of it for a lot less money and effort. If that's your dream...GO FOR IT!

Don't know what you do for a living, but this board is pretty eclectic in professional skills..someone is sure to know "someone" else involved with your trade out here so you can make enough $ to pay a few bills and fish too..:-)

Mike

Way to go DT, those are some fantatic photo's, I think that first pic would make a great new avatar shot!

Nice Toad Chris. You missed all the fun on Saturday. The 50mph + winds took down about a 50 foot tall oak and deposited it at the bottom of our float run below the park. I think the guy that was fishing the bottom of the run soiled his scivvies. Sunday was much better for us. We hooked 35 by 9:30 up at the top. Got a bruiser hen on Sunday that would probably push 15 pounds. Tiny pink tube jig and a waxie did the trick about 3 miles down river. Planning on coming over this weekend, and should have a few good pics to share with you. Can't wait to talk about your trip. It reminds me of my first couple trips out West. I'm going out again this fall, and I can't wait. Glad to see you had a great time. See ya Saturday.

Downtime,
Awesome fish... The first fish has some shoulders got to like that!!! Forget those Springers, well at least for now.

Winterun

Right on DT!

Similarly, I live in Michigan now but used to live nearer the west coast. After fishing the OlyPen nates, our GL fish seem like a different sport. I head out west yearly for therapy. This year's trip was in early March. I found C+ numbers with A+ quality fish, but no monsters.

Yo FNP, are you ophthy? Any room for a pathologist who C&R's nates out there?

Chris ... Glad you gont a chance to make it out this way! And happy that you found some nice fish to boot!

Under our current management scheme, we'll never post the numbers you guys do back home, but we can grow them pretty large from time to time

thats an awesome trip!! way to go!