What a beautiful weekend for fishing on the OP, but with such an opportunity to be outside and dry, Lori and I decided to head to the beach and enjoy a few hours of sunshine. With binoculars in hand and some lunch we set out to Rialto to do some whale watching. Word was that over the past few weeks whales had been spotted within 500 feet of First Beach. We didn't find them, but  I couldn't imagine anywhere else I would rather be on such a gorgeous day!

As a guide we try to make sure there is an opportunity for the client to catch fish every trip. However, conditions can change dramatically over the course of a day and being focused and prepared when that opportunity arises is paramount. With the river rising fast the fish weren't eating in the usual spots so we started working all of the soft water pockets to try to find fish laying up. There it was, a nice bucket along a cut bank that only fishes well when the water is high. Jim put it in the sweet spot and a few seconds later an aggressive eater was found...at last.  With that in mind we found another fish a few minutes later in a similar spot. Nice work and way to be in the moment Jim! 

Thanks to Jim and Lily for a great 3 days of fishing (even with the rain). Each day began with a fish right off the bat, literally first cast for Lily on Friday. And, as is often the case, we worked hard the rest of each day to net a couple more.  First-time steelheaders on the OP, they were lucky to enjoy several (sporadic) hours of sunshine each day and they appreciated the natural beauty that IS the Olympic Peninsula.