Winter has passed, short, damp, warm...damn. A hunger still growls for the low light and upstream coastal breezes with a hint of salt that bear a chill, unremedied until looking into the distant eye of a scarce quarry, when nothing else matters.

A hunger still growls for the low light and coastal breezes of faint salty breath that bears a chill, unremedied until looking into the distant eye of a scarce quarry, when nothing else matters.

The winter run...

There's only one reason to take this wade line.

Joe Punla with the reason. A stunning hen with the fight to match, sometimes lady luck is on your side.

Chuck Hammerstad worked hard for this one.

My winter waterfall into the river shot.

Found more of these this year than ever before. Pretty obvious adipose hack. A shame on a year when the returns were below average. Every one was called in and I did here DFG picked up a few poachers. Just not enough wardens out there.

Dave Geisser approached the river in the right way, and she gave one up in the first run.

After a 20 yr hiatus, Gary Fuller with a ghostly hen.

Anything better than pizza after winter steelhead? Treat yo'self

My brother from another mother, John Luis with clean buck.

Chuck Volckhausen of Wild Waters Fly Fishing with a beauty

Many thanks to those who came fishing with me this winter. It was great to spend time on the water with you all. Looking forward to seeing many of you again this summer.

Into the void for now...

Rich

The wait is over, rivers are rising and falling to rise again. The days of checking and re-checking the forecast in hopes that the last day of the 10-day would show rain, a dozen or so times in a 24 hour period are over, for now anyway. Now it's checking and re-checking to see when it's going to stop a dozen times a day. Playing the guessing game of when it'll be fishable again, is the forecast right? Will that half inch of rain two days from now stop it from dropping into shape three days from now? Constant over analysis of differing scenarios and what river to be on and when. With a few days of blowout in the books and a few more ahead all I can do is wait. If you've been waiting for the rain to go fishing, that's too bad...