A Wonderful Adventure on the Olympic Peninsula

I had the awesome opportunity to fish with two guides from Twin Bridges MT out on the Olympic Peninsula. Joe comes west and guides for Brazda's Fly Fishing for winter steelhead each year. His friend Seth came along for the road trip and to catch his first Olympic Peninsula Steelhead (formerly catching his share in a variety of other places).

Joe was working on some fly pattern variations and although he was fishing for fun and to re-familiarize himself with the changes in the river he was in full on guide mode. Telling us to fish the patters tight to structure, opting to prefer to see if there were steelhead hiding more than worry about the loss of a few flies or rigs. Seth found a pattern that worked well early on day one, brining a very fine looking steelhead to hand with ease. After a dolly he picked up another steehead in the morning, but then went on a long stretch without fish. I had touched a couple of trout along the way but nothing of size and none that I kept pressure on to get them to the net.

While in the boat moving we were using a two nymph rig, expertly set up by Joe to his very particular specifications. When we found some nice fly swinging water we would anchor at the bank and each of us would work the runs. A few grabs between us, but nothing that stuck.

Back in the boat, nymphing the last stretch before the take out my indicator went down hard. A lift of the rod tip and a nice flash beneath the waters surface and I finally had hooked into a nice fish. A minute or two later we were anchored up, I was out of the boat and Joe was slipping the net under my steelhead. Smaller than Seth's two fish, but the brightest fish of the day and this guy was really excited. There was no hooting and hollering, I kept my composure, acting like I had caught nice fish before...and could do it again too. I was very excited though, heart was pounding, grin was building and after a couple of quick pics having never lifted her from the water this beauty was off to finish her spawning run.

Thank you Joe for the open seat those two days. Thanks to both you and Seth for sharing your time with me. Thanks to Team Brazda for the night in the Bogy House, being welcomed and surrounded by so many fishy friends.

How many more days until I get to head west again?

Seth and friends:




Found a friend of my own: