Fishing on the Dosewallips River
My father has a great little fishing cabin along the banks of the Dosewallips River in the Olympic National Forest. Each time I’ve been there however, I’ve had shit for luck catching anything. Then again, I’ve never been to the cabin during the months of August and September, apparently the time in which the fish swim upstream to spawn. Timing really is everything as I would discover…the river was chock-full of fish this trip (see video below).
My cousin Nick had been bugging me to take him to the cabin…finally our scheduled allowed earlier this week. Nick and I always have such a great time together, and this trip was no exception. Soon after our arrival we were off to do some hiking. We arrived back at the cabin later that afternoon and then hit the river to try our hand at fishing. We were both floored at how many fish we could see in the bluish clear water. After getting a few bites, it was like crack cocaine for my cousin…he was hooked (pun intended)!
The Dosewallips River stretch near Brinnon, Washington is really a lovely area for fishing. If you head west on Dosewallips Road, just off of the 101 (on the north side of the river), you’ll find plenty of places to pull over and park. Be sure to have your fishing license though as rangers often have scouts in the area looking for those fishing illegally. If you have the time, take the short hike to Rocky Brook Falls, a really nice waterfall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoRCx6kBveM
My cousin and I ended up fishing for hours that day, just having a blast. We identified three or four species. The Coho, Chinook & Pink Salmon and Cutthroat Trout. The next morning I was first up and hit the river just after sunrise…my cousin sauntered out by 8am with a latte in one hand and a fishing pole in the other. I could not drag him away from the river all day.
Good times!