Finally made it back out for the first time after this past high water event.

Saw the flows had come down a foot and a half from a few days ago and although still not optimal I wanted to see if I could locate some fish.

Flows at the Auburn gauge were 55.5' and about 1650 cfs.

Decided with the clear, cold nights we've been having, that if I waited for an hour or two after the sun hit the water, it might help the fish get more active.

Typically, with low and clear water conditions on a clear morning, I'd hit the river at first light. But, since the flows had come up, I slept in and didn't get my first line in the water until around 10.

First place I checked below 167 in Kent was fishable with about 12 - 18" of vis. I floated some eggs for about 45 minutes without a bite. After not seeing a single roller or jumper, I decided to pack up and start covering some ground.

I stopped by the next hole above me and same story there...Thought about fishing for a while but without seeing an activity and knowing this hole was a big more snaggy, I decided to press on.

I drove further upstream in Kent above 167 and walked out across the river on a bridge and didn't see a single fish rolling or jumping. Before the high water, there were a ton of fish pushing through this spot.

So, I drove further up and checked out a couple new holes that I reconned previously.
They both looked fishable even though there weren't any fish showing. Without having a ton of time to fish today, I decided to save this spot for another time where I can learn the new spot and cover it well.

So, then I had to make a decision...

Do I want to drive up the back road to Auburn and check out the Pea Patch hole, etc or should I just make the push and go all the way up to Hwy 18 bridge.

I decided to check out the Hwy 18 bridge area. I figured with the higher levels and flows most of the fish must have pushed way up river. I've heard reports of silvers all the way up to headworks, so I figured the furthest up I could try the better.

So, I fished the 18 bridge around for about an hour or so using eggs, corkies, yarn and also spinners. I float fished the eggs and also free drifted them.

Not a single bite in about 3 hours of fishing. Not a single rolling or jumping fish...Just a few old spawned out pinks milling around and pretty day to be on the water.

The water was quite a bit clearer up there at 18 but the flows are still a little more than optimal.

Another couple days ought to do it some good...That is if you can find the fish.

Good luck!

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