River In Transition

I would like to show two spots along an Oregon coastal river I was fishing this week. October has been dry, hence the Chinook Salmon have been kegged up in tidewater waiting for a freshet to move up into freshwater to spawn. This week the rain came enough to raise this river about 18″ in about 36 hours. During this time the holding lies changed, the fish were on the move and the water turned from clear to mocha and then to what is known in the Pacific NW as ‘steelhead green’. The fish came and meaningful connections were made.

The two spots, I am showing, were excellent for swinging a Comet and also for watching the Salmon muscle up through the rapids. They show the transition over about twenty four hours time. 

This shelf was an excellent spot for watching the Chinook nose up through the waters at various heights. I know it is a lot of images to wade through, but they give a nice sequence of the changes.

The Chartreuse Comet was a consistent producer. Of the seven fish I hooked into, six nailed the Green Comet and one to a Pink Comet.