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