Fish Live In Beautiful Places
by Tim Loomis
We are fortunate, those of us that seek out the realms of the salmonid species for sporting exercises. I thought of this after an extensive driving trip/vacation north up through Oregon, Washington and on into Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
It's not the obvious observation, but an epiphany of enlightenment. I was able to wade through forest streams as rich and lush as anything found in Hawaii.
The amazing array of fishing choices that one has to choose from in the northwest is truly astounding. There is a line from an old Jay Giles Blues Band song- "...first I look at the purse". That's me when it comes to fishing. First I look for trout.
In Washington, on the Campbell River, trout were not an option: time of year and all that. But another trout species that I had always held a fascination for was available and nearby. The Oyster River just below the Campbell was experiencing a run of coastal cutthroat. Wow! My first opportunity to try for this species was near at hand.
Now if I were up on the Campbell in late August my options would have been multiplied. Silvers and pinks come into the system at that time. I found myself staring at the water of the Campbell and imagining all of the salmon that were soon to fill its banks.
Just below Vancouver Island on the Puget Sound peninsula there are multiple points of land that offer fishing opportunities for waders looking to hook up with almost all of the salmon species that run the north coast. Man, if I ever have to move out of Santa Cruz, I will know where to relocate. The message is simple: get out there and experience it for yourself.
Fish on!