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Feb. 11, 2001
Thanks to: Corey Rasmussen
Fished the Bogachiel on sunday from hatchery down to wilson. Hooked into two nice fish and landed one at about 10-12lbs. Beautiful day, lots of sun but not a whole lot of fish.
Mar. 11, 2000
Thanks to: Scott Haggbloom
Our trip began with a wake up at 4:00AM on 3/11/00 at Granny’s (Mansfield Inn). We were hunting Metal heads on the Olympic Peninsula with Skipper Jim, of Mansfield Guide Service in Forks… With me were Jim Jacobs our veteran, Erik Stephenson and Dave Krajczynski-first time Steelhead fishermen…After breakfast we headed down to the Calawah…It was low and clear…Not ideal but Jim said it had not been fished in a while and we decided to give it a try. Erik and Dave went with Jim and Jim J. and I went with Carl. A half-hour into our drift I had a 7-pound spawner to play. We floated the rest of the Calawah with not so much as a nibble. We dumped into the Bogachiel around 10:30. The water had a little more color and was up a little from the previous week. About a half hour into the Bogey, Erik’s tip pounded the water. Fish on! Fish off! Jim backed up the river put a shrimp on, and started the drift. This time Dave’s pole buried. Fish on! Fish off! Back paddle a little more and start the drift. Ten feet and Erik’s pole bent in half. Fish on! Fish on! Finally, The fight was on. It was a nice big hole to play a fish. Or more like the fish play Erik. We were down around the bend but could still here Mansfield yelling HOLY S—T! HOLY S—T! We new something was up. It took Erik 15 minutes to get the fish in the boat. When they finally caught up to us, Jim could hardly contain himself. He reached into the fish box and pulled out a sparkling bright 26-lb. buck. That’s right. Twenty-six pounds. (Note to readers-I inserted a picture here but I quess our webmaster can't insert them yet). The final score for the day was Erik- 1-26lb buck, Dave-1- 8lb buck. Scott-1 spawner and Jim-0. The rookies put on quite a show. Ouch. Wait till next year guys. Jim, See ya in July. Thanks!
Feb. 21, 2000
Thanks to: Mickey Blair
Two day fishing trip and no fish. We put in at Wilsons the first day. While we were setting the boat up there was a steelie jumping up river from the launch. The water was low and clear, the weather good. With three rods fishing from the boat we all had high hopes of a great day. Our trip started at first light and we hit every hole. This is our first trip since the high water changed the river. We were surpised at how low and flat the river has become, and the loss of some of our favorite holes. We took out at Linedeckers at around 4:30 pm without a single hit. When we were making the last drop to the take out the local land owner was back filling his river front property that had gone south with the high water, and he told us that a boat just in front of us had just taken a nice 25-pounder out of the slot. We repeated the same trip on the second day. We hit one fish about half way through the trip and it came unbuttoned after about three good bounces. Than we hit one just above linedecker. This one just spit the hook back to us. Talked to about ten other boats and we all had the same story no fish. It was great to be on the river and we will be back.
Feb. 18-19, 2000
Thanks to: C.J. Scott
How low can you go? My brother, brother-in-law and myself fished all three rivers on this beautiful weekend.VERY low and clear which made it difficult to say the least. We were fishing from the bank so we tried to be sneaky even when we didn't see any fish which was 99% of the time. Only hooked one all weekend, that was a estimated 10-15 lb stealhead that shook his mighty head and said see ya! The only fish we saw were on the Bogachiel. Well maybe a little rain next time please! Never thought I'd say that!
Apr. 9, 1999
Thanks to: Sam Rainier
We fished with Guide Tuck Harry. We got started down the river at 6:15 AM and by 6:30 we had our first fish into the boat. a Bright 10lb hen. We had 3 more fish on during the day. The weather cooperated, and that is saying alot for Forks.
Jan. 16, 1999
Thanks to: Kyle Meeks
Tried to fish the Bogey. Water was high and milky. We tried every fly we had no luck. We got really wet and really cold. Will try again when the weather is better.
The rain stopped finally, and they're droping fast. The Bogachiel is still full of hatchery fish. I fished yesterday and did great, we hooked 7 fish and boated five, biggest was 12 pounds and the smallest was 6 pounds. We weren't the only ones getting them, lots of bank anglers had them on the bank also. There were lots of boats, we counted 38 boats from the hatchery to Wilson take out. It seemed that every boat had two or more with a few other guides also limiting.
P.S. The Big spruce snag that was at the confluence of the Bogachiel and Calawah is GONE so there is no more problem getting the boat down through. That last high water took it out and it's nowhere in sight.
December 27, 1998
Thanks to: Jim Mansfield
OK the rain can stop, the rivers here on the peninsula are over their banks,
with better weather coming maybe this weekend will be good. The last day I fished was
Dec. 26-27. The first day was slow only hooking two fish all day. That night it started,
it rained and rained. We put in and chased the high water down to the hatchery and
hooked one fish before the mud caught up with us, it rose 10 inches in 3 hours.
I have heard of some bigger fish being landed by the plunkers on Richwine Bar
[plunkers haven]; one fish was 28 pounds with some others in the high teens.
Merry Christmas and fish on! The Bogachiel River has been the best bet, lots of hatchery
fish and a few natives starting to show up. I fished the last two days and did great.
I fished the Calawah from the bridge to Wilson on 12/22. We hooked 8 fish and only boated
two fish, one was a small 7-lb. hatchery fish and the other was an 11-pound native buck
(nice fighting fish). The Calawah is too low now to be floated safely. For the person who
wants to float it: if the water is below the wheel stop don't float it, rocks everywhere.
The next day we launched at the Bogachiel hatchery and fished down pass the Tall
Timbers before we started to hook some fish. The first one was an 8-lb. hen, the next
two hookups we lost but not the next one. It turned out to be a 14-lb. native buck
that was pissed off and tore us up. We finally boated it, what a cromer! We ended up
with one more steelie (7 pound hatchery hen) and getting one more bite that we didn't
hook up.
I floated the Hoh on 12/20/98 the water was still a little high hooking
only two fish and not getting any that day. The river has changed a whole bunch
it's not the same river. WARNING!!!!!! When floating the Bogachiel River from the
hatchery down, WATCH OUT for the big spruce snag at the confluence of the Bogachiel
and Calawah. There's been a few boats wreck with oars, fishing rods, nets and all
kinds of gear in that snag. Get out and walk your boat down the left side, there's a
side channel. If you are not sure, watch other boats go through.
Sol Duc River has been producing some nice fish, with fewer bites but when you get
one it's usually a nice one.
Lines tight and keep the rod up. Merry Christmas and a great New Year.
Dec. 9, 1998
Thanks to: Jim Mansfield
The Bogachiel and Calawah rivers are RED HOT for hatchery steelhead, when the rain quits
long enough to let the rivers come down. Fished the Bogachiel last Sunday and it was
like old times--fish every where. We fished today and hooked 6 fish and boated 3.
The fish have been spurty maybe its because the nets are in 6 days in a row! The hatcheries
have their fish for brood stock and now all we need is a cold spell so the rivers will
get low and clear.
December 29-31, 1997
Thanks to Chuck for the following report:
A bit late but I figured I would tell you about a trip to the Bogachiel on the New Year.
A friend and I went to the Bogachiel hatchery on Dec. 29th and fished for 3 days. The first
day we the weather, water and conditions were perfect but fish were scarce. My friend hit
one in the middle of the day and lost it. I practiced re-tying after losing 15 setups that
day. The second day we fished for about 6 hours only to have heavy rains blow the river out.
The third day was spent wondering where the fish were hiding. A hint to people fishing this
area is to bring ALOT of tackle, as they will need it.
Closures have ground the hatchery area to a halt now but when it re-opens it should be
fantastic. We bank fished with corkies and yarn and total I think we saw 15 fish all
weekend. Those who fought the fast water next to the mouth of the Calawah seemed to
do the best.
December 27, 1997
Thanks to Steve for the following report:
I fished the Bogachiel River at the "Forks Hole" just below the confluence of the Calawah.
There were 12-20 guys on the bank most of the morning, and a virtual parade of boats from
first light. I landed a seven pound hatchery buck, and saw two other fish landed by bankers,
two from the Spanish Armada, and heard of three others upstream. Not too good for
the perfect river conditions and great weather! Later that night, we had a gathering
of 20 friends who fished throughout the Olympic Peninsula that day. There was one
fish taken from the Sekiu River, another from the Hoko, my friend Greg nailed one
way out at the Clearwater, and the largest one - 8 1/2 pounds from the Lyre. Nothing
from the Hoh (which was on the high colored side), Sol Duc (PERFECT CONDITION!),
Pysht (a bit low and clear) - or either of the Twin Rivers (although there was a
report of a first time angler with two nice steelies from the East Twin). Hopefully
next time we meet there will be more fish and less fish stories! I'm disappointed
that sportfishing was suspended in several streams - yet the NETTING continues???
November 7-9, 1997
Thanks to Terry Lacey for the following report:
Me and a couple of buds went up to the Bogy last weekend, Nov. 7,8 and 9. The river was crystal
clear and on the drop. We hit the Tall Timbers hole, (after the 4 mile walk because the
gate was closed), at just after daylight on the 7th. Fishing was slow. We all were
popping smolts and Cutty's, and I landed a small chrome native hen. We hooked up a
couple more, but didn't get them in. On Saturday, the sun came out, it was 60 degrees
and the river had dropped 18 inches overnight and Uncle Skunky came a-calling. Talked
to the hatchery guys before we left and they expect the hatchery brats to come in late
this year. They don't even expect to see the early's until they get another good freshet
up there. Going back around Thanksgiving, will drop you guys a line and let you know
what's going on up there then.
February 21-22, 1997
Thanks to Michael Thompson for the following report:
Two buddies and I went to the Bogy on Feb.21-22. We launched the dirftboat at the hatchery,
pulling plugs, throwing bait and aeroflys. We didn't do a thing all morning. Just below
the Wilson launch I had one of the boys row and I put out a chrome tadpolly with blue
herring bone. Wham, fish on, that crafty metal head went upstream, under the boat and
finally found a rock to rub on. Got him straightened out and he broke off. I yelled.
Put the other guy on the oars, pulling a blue pirate tadpolly. Wham! hook up. Managed to
catch and release a nice chrome buck 10 lb. plus. We didn't catch any the rest of
the day. The fish counter said we were the only non commercial boat to catch any
that day. Went back the next day and didn't do zip.
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