Thanks for all the helpful replies and private messages.
It ended up being one hell of a good god damn steelhead trip, my first in the PNW. After getting picked up and dropped off at PDX, we logged about 2000 miles on my buddies truck. We fished the Queets, Humptulips, saw a boat parade on the Wynoochee, hit the mouth of the Dechutes for an hour or so b/c it was there while driving by, and camped out in Troy for a couple days in a wall tent.
We had a guide lined up for the Quinalt on the 25/26 of Feb, but something was up with the visibility (about one foot) even though it was 1000 cfs below the historical average flow. We heard something about there being a slide that deposited sediment into Lake Quinalt, which gets stirred up when the wind blows. If anybody out there has any info on this they would like to add, please chime in or PM me……??? I’d really like to get back out to have a chance at that river in the future.
I stuck with swinging streamers with a new 13’ Echo 3 7wt with a 510 grain rage compact head, and resisted the urge to go with what I know how to fish with (aka bobber nymph rod). That first tug by a nice native steelie is unforgettable, I’m truly addicted now. For an added bonus, I was lucky enough to land the fish.
Hope you folks out there can make up on some snow really quick up in the mountains, it’s looking pretty bleak out west…..
It’s still white and all our water has a lid on here back home (watching a suburban drive across the lake right now….), but Musky season will be right around the corner.
Cheers
JS