North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine October 2017 | Page 18

timeframe. In fact, most fly fishers don’t get
too excited about the possibility of wild fish
until January passes. So, if you’re looking for a
chance at some great fish, with less competition
than you’ll find later in the season, and you get a
window of favorable flows, mid-to late January
can be primetime.
If you’re going DIY on the peninsula and
you have a boat, you’ll cover more great water
than you could ever effectively fish in season,
let alone during a long weekend. However, these
rivers aren’t for sissies. Nor are they for the
mindless. Take note: After each big rain, new
debris is in the river, including giant tress that
may stretch across these rivers. Driftboats are
a great tool on these rivers, but on the upper
reaches of the Hoh and the Bogie, among others,
you may want to take a raft or pontoon that can
be easily portaged around obstructions.
“
have them cut, or cut them yourself, in lengths
ranging between eight and 16 feet long.
You’ll also want your personal and customized
flies for these rivers because that will give you
confidence, even if you’ve fished a few days
without a grab. My feeling is this: fish what you
have confidence in, and for me that is usually
something with black in it. For a baseline, your
preferred color of intruder should suffice.
You don’t have to go all DIY on these rivers.
In fact, booking a guide is always a great way to
go—they are on the water every day, they know
the nuances of the water and the fish at various
flows on each of these rivers, and they can
expedite your OP learning curve. If you choose
to hire a guide, make sure they know that you
want to swing flies.
What an early-season trip to the OP really
offers is the state of mind you can achieve
You don’t have to go all DIY on these rivers. In fact, booking a
guide is always a great way to go—they’re on the water every day.
If you don’t have a boat, don’t throw in the
towel—you can wade fish these rivers and cover
good water, too. In fact, with a gazetteer and
Google Earth, you can pick your way around the
upper Bogachiel, Hoh and Sol Duc rivers on your
own with relative ease. But these rivers are big
and can be intimidating. That’s why spey rods
are such a good idea on these broad rivers. My
personal stick of choice is something in the 11’
6” to 13’ 6” range, in 7 or 8-weight. That length
and weight is perfect for swinging flies. Because
you’re after winter steelhead in big rivers that
may be runn