On Mar 23, 7:44*pm, riverman wrote:
On Mar 23, 5:18*am, DaveS wrote:





On Mar 22, 1:17*am, riverman wrote:

I have a visit to the Great Northwest (based out of Seattle) from
April 5-9. What's fishable then? I don't want to haul a bagload of
gear, so it can't be gear intensive (camping gear, boats, waders etc)..
I'm looking for some venue that might be good for shore casting, and
drive-in access. I'm good for things far from Seattle...from the
morning of the 5th to midday on the 9th my goal in life is to ramble
with SWMBO and show her the beauty of the region.

Hello Riverman,
Best of times worst of times . . .
On the Westside the coastal rivers steelhead action is peaking. Open
through April 30 I believe. Bogachiel, Hoh, Queets, Calawa, rivers,
all around Forks and all have water accessible by car and guides in
Forks/Port Angeles. April is 'dump-the-hatchery-crap-before it dies-
month for low-land lakes month in Washington. Trout mostly closed cept
for the Yak. I am going over to the Eastside tomorrow to fish for
steelhead on my little piece of water, but the Touchet closes April 15
and its the tail of the "run." *There is always some action on the
Columbia and the lower Snake but I am not the guy who knows.

My advise is to do the Olympic Peninsula grand loop, out of Seattle,
cross Puget Sound via ferry, up to Port Townsend, Port Angeles, Forks,
Quinault, Moclips/Copalis, Aberdeen etc, with fish/sights stops as
present themselves. This time of year is also razor clam season, iffy
and reg specific but if they are on menu I recommend em.

I am going to be out on the Dungeness Spit caretaking *the Dungeness
lighthouse with some friends from the 3rd thru the 9th. The spit is
the first or second longest spit in the US, and the lighthouse is a
great hike out 5 miles and back. Major birding area and good chance to
see marine mammals. Beach fishing? Consider the hike. I will keep some
cold beers ready and give you and SWIMBO the nickel tour of the
lighthouse. Access is via the town of Sequim (don't even try to
pronounce it.)

Most salt fishing is further up the coast of the Straight of Juan de
Fuca, out of Sekiu/Clallam Bay and Neah Bay on the Makah Rez (great
musee designed by a friend). The Ozette lake road takes you to the
Lake (forget it) and the trailhead to the unroaded coast and the site
of ancient Makah whaling village via a 2-3 mile plank trailway).

Olympic Park itself is pretty pristine. However the Nat and State, and
private forests on the Peninsula have been and are cut pretty heavily.
Folk with a delicate appreciation for industrial forestry can
sometimes be horrified at the scale so be forewarned.

Dave

Hey Dave: Some more specific questions:
I'm starting to lean very heavily toward an Olympic Peninsula drive-
around from the 6th to the 8th. I see that various entities have some
cabin rentals in that region, although none of the ONP ones are on the
actual route. Got any suggestions for a region to base out of, or
(better yet) a specific place to rent from? *I'm thinking of a two-
night rental, where I can spend one full day (probably the 7th )
fishing, and where there are good hikes and things for SWMBO to do.

Thanks- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

OK, thinking the loop, like the middle of the loop more or less. And
assuming your experience included the reality of the range of early
April weather you can get on the Wash Coast (or any month of the year
for that matter) and you guys are flexible and reasonably fit.

1. Base out of town of Forks. Nothing fancy, loggers town, big deal
about some book/movie series about werewolves, inland on the Fork's
"prairie" is THE PARK, and right close is the Boggy, etc etc
etc.STEELHEAD. Down the road is the road into the rain forest.
Negatives, bad times in the woods, and not everybody's idea of quaint.
Biker's town some summer weekends.

2. Kalaloch Lodge on the raw coast. Romantic. Big wild beach miles
and miles. Stacks. Check out Ruby beach on the way. Work the surf.
Flush the brain-wax out in a bath of ozone wave sound. Smell the ocean
and the forest. Remember how small we are. see the curve of the Earth.
You are not that far from the Fork's area rios.

3. Amanda Park, on Lake Quinault. Further down 101. Lake and river
(must use Quinault Indian Guide, they may still be using a long
dugout, cuidado) Lots of lodging. I like the little village but there
are places up the sides of the lake that might work better per SWMBO.
Place always brings to my mind that Tom Robbins book, "Even Cowgirls
get the Blues." Great mountain scenery.

4. Moclips, Copalis, Pacific City.. I like em but too iffy this early
and not to all tastes. There is a very special cabins place near
Moclips, tucked into the ocean headlands. It was called IRON SPRINGS
Resort. Ocean City? Nah. Well the beaches ARE wildly beautiful in a
cold NW way.

5. Aberdeen, Hoquim, Cosmopolis etc. Lumber and paper town and ports
during a recession. Want to get depressed? But hey, real estate is
very affordable, maybe . . . . And at this point the LOOP turns East
toward Olympia and SEATAC etc. However . . . If you decide to head
further down the coast to lumber town Raymond, South Bend, and Island
Center are two of the most painterly timeless no-nonsense oyster
packing and waterman's towns in the USA. And then there are the
incredible bird refuges on Willapa Bay

Number 1 is your best fishing bet.
Amanda Park is the most scenic.
Kalaloch is classic wild beach.
Dave