The weather was perfect — sunny and warm in the Hoh Rain Forest no less, where 13 feet of annual precipitation is common.
Imagine that.
Those are the days that bring the Hoh's incredible beauty to the surface. Crystal clear. Immaculate.
Pat Neal, world class fishing guide and humor columnist for the Peninsula Daily News, found the fishing holes he knows so well after 20 years of working the West Olympic Peninsula's rivers.
We each caught a 6-7 pound hatchery steelhead, which is always a double blessing on the Hoh.
(Pat's awesome West End nature shots and his hilarious, insightful and historically fascinating prose can also be found here).
The Hoh — often roaring out of control and changing its course at will during the winter flood months — was lying low, exposing rocks that at time put Pat in portage mode. In other words, I got out of the boat, stood on the river bank and watched him gingerly push the boat downriver.
We saw no other drifters that Sunday, Aug. 16.
Just us and two steelies.
Check out this video, shot with a camera in one hand and juggling my catch in the other.
It gives new meaning to catch and release. 
