
Don't get your hands too close!
The vampire steelhead…known to locals as “pez diablo” exist in a very small handful of streams in southern Chile. They are rare, hard fighting, evil beasts that few have ever encountered. To read all about these amazing fish, check out my article in the current issue (April 2011) of
Salmon Trout Steelheader Magazine
Okay, so our first few days on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula didn’t exactly pan out from a steelheading standpoint. Cold rain, sleet, poor fish returns and rising water all conspired against us. But Days 1-3 paled in comparison to what awaited us on our final day…
Mike B. called it the “wost conditions” he’d ever endured on a river. I put it right up there behind the famed “Hunt for Mr. Hogito” day on Oregon’s Elk River many moons ago. Big Worm said…well…he didn’t say a thing but it’s safe to say he’d rather been somewhere else…say in a hot tub with a couple French bikini models, for example.
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This week Baxter, Big Worm and I left the Golden State and made the marathon 473-hour trip north to the “OP” — Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Why would we drive a bazillion miles and swap the 71 degrees of California for 42 and steady rain? Duh — giant steelhead of course!
Well, at least in theory…
Like most trips, this one didn’t quite go as planned. Here’s the photo diary…
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