Seeing how Fathers Day was coming soon, I scheduled a trip for my dad and I to go out to Forks and spend a day fishing with Scott of Three Rivers Resort.

Scott runs a nice place, with 2 bedroom cabins, a cafe with superb burgers and all the creature comforts. This was the first time either my dad or myself had ever fished with a guide.

We arrived on Fri. afternoon, and since we had plenty of time left in the day, we went down to Liedecker Park behind the resort to do some plunking and check out the cutty action. Didn't have any luck there.

Scott was watching the levels on the Hoh real close, as it was the only river that was close to fishable. save perhaps the Bogie. The Sol Duc hardly has enough water to float a rubber raft at the moment. The Hoh needed to drop some to get real good, I guess. We were doing the upper drift.

We got an early start on Sat. morning, and dad had the first take-down on his rod. The fish looked to be about 6-8 lbs., possibly a steelhead, but he apparently didn't get a good hook-set and the fish got off after about a
minute.

Weather was perfect, and Scotts' 16' Willie was a great boat to be in. He really handles it well, also, knowing every rock in the river personally.

Had a decent 4+ lb. Dolly try and consume a #15 Kwikfish, and caught a couple smaller dollies while tossing spinners in the slack waters.

About 10(?) or so I had a strong take-down on my pole while we were plugging a nice slow section. Scott hollered for me to set the hook and I really buried it deep. Odd thing was, I am used to some kind of "give" when you try and bury that rod tip over your shoulder .... nope, felt like I was setting the hook on a big, soggy log. But the log had its own ideas and proceeded to take a few laps around the hole and then give us plenty of attitude before finally coming in to the net.



Here's a shot with my dad and the Springer:



Overall, an awesome day. Had the chance to spend some great time with my dad, bust a piggy of a Springer and enjoy the comforts of the cabins at Three Rivers.

While this was my first guided trip, and assuming that all the guides were as cordial and professional as Scott, it is something I would definately make a habit of!

Mike

Nice pics. It looks and sounds like you had a good experience. There is nothing like a good guide.

Nice!! I bet that pig didn't want to come in!

Nice Springer Mike! When's the bar-b-que ?

Thats one nice Hoh Piggy!

Nice fish

I'm jealous.

Yeah...we did get lucky on that one. Hooked him right at the bottom of the slot, just before some bad water. Scott had to really work to get us in a position that we could fight the fish and not get sucked into the fast water.

Forgot to add:

42 X 25.5 Weighed in (after being bled) at just a tad over 35 lbs.

Tried out the fillet method that FishingPhysician showed us earlier in the year. All I can say is that is the easiest, most clean and effecient method I have ever used to fillet a fish. Got every bit of meat off of him, and some of the steaks are close to 2" thick.

I'll save some to BBQ during the Magnificent Coho Bash we are holding in mid-October. Those who come and fish can all have a chunk..:-)

Mike

That a great fish and a great story. I wish my father would fish with me but i cant get him out of his plane. my grand father fishs but not my dad or son. must be a recessive gene skipping around or some thing.

Scott in a willie, not a alumaweld, that doesn't seem right

Great fish, and super report!

Nice fish, Mike!

Ok, going off topic now, is that fish a true springer or an early Hoh summer king?

Aside from when it was caught and "the stink of a springer", how would one tell the difference between the two? Do the summer kings also "stink" like a springer?

Just curious. Never fished the Hoh for either. Don't really know the run timing on that river to know what run of fish that was.

Parker,

Great question! What is the real difference between spring, summer, and fall chinook other than run entry timing? I think it's really important to note that the labels we attach to fish are partly arbitrary. While the labels denote certain attributes, they often connote differences that are as much imagined as real.

It's simpler on the Columbia system where fall chinook almost universally outmigrate as sub-yearlings and springers almost universally outmigrate as yearlings. West side chinook generally outmigrate as sub-yearlings, no matter if they are spring, summer, or fall race. It could be that there is a somewhat higher rate of yearling smolts among springers compared to falls, with summer chinook somewhere between. However, we've mucked things up so much, that good distributions of natural stock chinook are too few and far between to make good general assessments these days.

It does seem to me that summers are more like springers than they are like falls. They migrate well in advance of sexual maturity. They enter rivers while they are bright, and their flesh quality is excellent. Now I'll add some hearsay: springs and summers are either still feeding (hence the "stink"), or have discontinued only shortly before river entry, which allegedly makes them better "biters" than fall chinook. My subjective assessment much prefers spring and summer chinook for my BBQ over fall chinook.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

The 'run' of springers also seems to have a peak in early July.

Last year, high up in the park in late August, there were spawned out Summer nookies everywhere way before the first big pushes of fall fish entered the river.

Any nookie I catch through August I consider a summer fish, although in some cases I am sure I've been wrong.

Spring? Summer?

Since Summer does not arrive for a few more days, and since it is also my first Chinook of any variety, I'll call it officially a ...

Springer!

Wife baked a couple of the steaks tonight...

Yummmmm..

Mike

Good going! Mike.
Nice job!!
Hope to see you sometime in July on the Skagit for Sockeye fishing.