Steelhead Sol Duc by Kayak

I suppose I could write a long story about one day of fishing that I won't soon forget. I'd say stuff about high water class II rapids, frequent hail storms and the tranquility of one of the most epic rivers in our part of the world.

However, a few pictures tell a better story.

Tight Lines All.

Wow, wow, WOW! Great pics, tell us the whole story. Congrats on a super nice steelhead.


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Oh my. 

Damn! Great fish!

Started at hatchery ramp, got within 1/4 mile of Maxfield ramp my takeout (7.5 mile run) when I got picked up. The battle went about 25 minutes. It wrapped a submerged tree 15 minutes in. It took 3 trips upstream paddling with my pole in my life jacket and shoving the rod down into the water to unwrap it. Long runs, jumps, everything you want from a fight. You can see the carnage in my net and on the deck, that moss is from overhanging trees, that it didn't come in easily. We were both bleeding at the end of it.

Only one wild steelhead from Sol Duc per year, and this was a fine fish.

Nice pics and extremely nice fish!

Great steelhead!  WTG.   

OK, I'm impressed that's a nice one!  I'm in next time!

Wow, again! That's even more impressive after hearing the whole story. congrats on getting him out from around the tree, awesome story!

Very nice!

   wow nice work, that sounds like a fun ride

Nice fish and good job getting it free from the tree.

That's a beauty! 

Man, I really am impressed....I've been dreaming of trying that for several years now but my white water experience is minimal and I wrecked my canoe in the Hoh a few years back....Mega Kudos.  How big is that fish 15lbs?

Man, I really am impressed....I've been dreaming of trying that for several years now but my white water experience is minimal and I wrecked my canoe in the Hoh a few years back....Mega Kudos.  How big is that fish 15lbs?

You'd be a fast statistic in a canoe out there. I was neck deep in white water through the rapids, and there were many. No fish is worth dying over. Stay inside your limits and live to fish another day.

I didn't bring a scale. It went 37" with 19" girth, about 17.5 lbs by the calculator.