Author: Dave Graybill

Posted: 11/25/2013

Bhrrrr. It’s getting chilly out there. The good news is that there continues to be sunshine to offset the cooler weather. Having the sun makes a huge difference when you are out on the water, and the fact that we haven’t had any wind to speak of either, really helps. This weather should last for a while, too. Last Wednesday my fishing buddy Rollie Schmitten and I took advantage of this good...

Author: The Troutist

Posted: 10/29/2013

This is one of my favorite times of year to go chase trophy trout. I love the fact that the boat traffic is very minimal and for the most part all of the speed demons have disappeared. This fishery is not about numbers of fish caught but size, although there are occasions where you just can’t keep them away from your offerings. I will also admit that I like the starting times which for me is gener...

Author: Dave Graybill

Posted: 10/29/2013

Boy, what a busy week. There were fishing trips that took me to Bridgeport, Lake Chelan and the Methow River. The weather was clear and warm and I got fish everywhere I went. It was a great week to be living here in Central Washington State. It all started last Tuesday, fishing for steelhead. My wife’s sister, Karen Heim, from Anaconda, Montana, was here for a visit and we wanted to get h...

Author: Dave Graybill

Posted: 10/29/2013

The opening of steelhead fishing on most area waters was the big news this week. Anglers were able to fish on the main stem Columbia River, Wenatchee, Methow and Okanogan rivers. The weather was warm and clear, not exactly our usual steelhead fishing weather. There is nothing like chasing steelhead on a warm fall day. As expected, the fishing at the mouth of the Wenatchee was productive. ...

Author: Dave Graybill

Posted: 10/22/2013

I’ve made two trips down to Vernita since my last column. I enjoyed some great weather, and had terrific days on the water. My luck getting fish in the boat varied on the two trips to this stretch of water. There are tremendous numbers of fall salmon in the river down here, and time is getting short for those who want to get in on the action. My wife Eileen and I went down last Wednesday. ...

Author: The Troutist

Posted: 10/22/2013

Usually I am packing up and heading home on Thursday morning and as luck would have it an opportunity to get out with Amato Publications Dave Eng, Cindy Thompson, and Mack’s Lures new Sales Rep Lance Merz to chase some of those up river bright Chinook. The one thing I was really going to enjoy was the fact I didn’t have to worry about scanning the waters looking for great shots or getting action s...

Author: Dave Graybill

Posted: 10/11/2013

I had an interesting week. I was hoping that the weather forecasts were being overstated and drove down to the Oregon coast for an annual fishing trip. If anything the weather was worse than I had anticipated and I spent most of the time watching football and doing “touristy” things while I was there. My host, Richard Robinson, has a great view of both the Tillamook and Nehalem jetties from...

Author: The Troutist

Posted: 10/11/2013

I would like to start this column with a special shout out and a very big thank you to Pam Iman and LaVonne Hall-Mershon. These ladies ran the Mess Section from the ground up, planning, purchasing, cooking, and taking care of all of us. I find that most times they get overlooked for all the hours they put in before, during, and after this event. Without them this camp would not be the success that...

Author: Dave Graybill

Posted: 10/1/2013

I have been talking about the great run of fall Chinook coming up the Columbia River, and I made a couple of trips to the Hanford Reach to see if there are any in our area yet. Well, they are here and there are lots of them. I caught fish both above and below the Vernita Bridge. So many fish are here that the limit has been raised to three adults per day, wild or not. I had my brother Rick...

Author: Dave Graybill

Posted: 10/1/2013

I was away most of last week attending Fish Camp near Biggs on the Columbia River. For three years now I have gone to this camp where I and other outdoor writers, broadcasters and those with fishing web sites get to fish the river in this area and meet guides and makers of outdoor products. This gave me the chance to get in on the terrific fishing for fall kings in the area and see some new pro...

Author: The Troutist

Posted: 10/1/2013

I didn’t think it was possible but this year Ed Iman’s Fish Camp was even better than last years. This is going to be a multi-series column, I am not sure exactly how many but I am leaning towards two or three. Most fish Camps I arrive on a Sunday afternoon and head out early Thursday morning. This year I had a couple more opportunities to get out and do some more hover fishing at the mouth of the...

Author: Dave Graybill

Posted: 9/22/2013

There are still people out fishing for summer run salmon. There were over 71,000 of them that passed over Priest Rapids Dam this year, so there are still plenty of them around to catch. The big news now though is the number of fall salmon headed our way. It looks like an all-time record year for fall runs, with projections for as many as 800,000 entering the Columbia River. Many of them are he...