Our fishing year begins in January with hatchery Winter-run Steelhead. These sleek, chrome "brats", as they are known locally, can reach 12 pounds with the occasional fish running 15 pounds or more. February brings the beginning of the larger, Wild Steelhead with some specimens exceeding 20 pounds! Catch and release seasons continue into March and April. Spring Steelheading in the Puget Sound region is World-Class and draws anglers from all over the globe.

 The month of May finds us in pursuit of the highly prized Spring Chinook salmon. These mint-bright slabs are found primarily in the tributaries of the Columbia River. For springers we fish the Cowlitz, Lewis and Wind rivers.

 In June and July the focus shifts back to the Puget Sound region with the rivers open for Summer-run Steelhead. Due to the higher water temperatures this time of year Summer-runs have a higher metabolism than their winter brethren and are therefore more active. This results in a terrifically hard fighting fish that spends much of its time above the water rather than in it!

 August and September signify the seasonal low water in our rivers and our effort shifts to the salt water. Salmon school at the river mouths, awaiting the autumn rains to fill the rivers and stimulate their up-river migration. In the Columbia River however, the Hanford reach is just beginning to see the first upriver bright kings of the year. Good numbers of these jumbo (up to 50 pounds) Chinook are available in mid-September through October.

 October in the Puget Sound rivers means that Silver salmon are providing good, steady action on light gear. Coho or Silver salmon range to 15 pounds and are as excellent on the rod as they are on the dinner table.

 November brings the Chum salmon to our local rivers. In size and fighting ability these slabs are second only to the King salmon. Around Thanksgiving we begin to look for the first hatchery steelhead. The hatchery run usually peaks in late December with fish running to 12-14 pounds.

 Washington is truly an angler's paradise with large, quality fish available to the angler 365 days a year.