"F" Bridge Yesterday

“F” Bridge Yesterday

 

Three high water events in the last 3 weeks. As soon as it begins to settle, Boom, here it comes again. The last three weeks has been challenging as a guide. Numerous trips have been cancelled. The rivers in Pierce County have continued to take on a heavy sediment load because of the intense rain storms that have moved through the area. The last, on Monday, is taking much longer to clear than the previous two. As the fine particulates just barely get a chance to settle. The run-off, not only lifts the newly settled silt back into the system, it adds new dirt from the recently plowed/planted fields and slurps more mud from the already unstable banks that line the river. This compounded effect has really wreaked havoc with water clarity. Even though flows on the Kinni have dropped to what I would consider fishable levels, the clarity is poor at best.  The flow data alone, doesn’t always give the whole picture. This lesson I have learned before, and it is always why I strive to have eyes on the water before I make any report. I hate this lesson. I am hoping for vast improvement today.

Once again the rivers will experience change, while still remaining the same. Some ever popular trout hotels will have been rebuilt, and fish will find new dwellings. Bugs will be washed down stream and new islands, wood piles and slots will form. There is no doubt that the trout are eating like pigs, gorging themselves on all of the extra food put into the system.  It will take a bit before the frenzy will settle out. As a guide and angler I will learn again, how to adapt. There is challenge and enjoyment in reassembling the pieces of the puzzle. It has happened before, and will again. I will be out and about today, looking and learning.