Kenny Priest

The Pacific Fishery Management Council released its “Review of 2022 Ocean Salmon Fisheries” report last week and the news wasn’t good. Based on an ocean abundance of 200,100 Klamath River fall Chinook thought to be swimming in the ocean last fall, forecasters predicted roughly 66,759 adults would return to the river. Unfortunately, the run fell a little shorter than the...
Full Story 

With the majority of our coastal rivers in prime fishing shape, it’s starting to feel like it’s now or never for the 2023 winter steelhead season. In what has been one of the most dismal seasons anyone can remember, if the next couple of weeks don’t produce some quality fishing, it’s likely the season will go down as big, giant...
Full Story 

Another week gone by and another week of very poor steelhead catching. As we approach mid-February, I’m no longer certain the fish are just running late. I’m starting to think they aren’t coming. At least in big numbers. We’ve had some excellent water conditions on our coastal rivers this season and that still didn’t do the trick. But green rivers...
Full Story 

After the January storms provided the flushing and scouring our coastal rivers desperately needed, anglers were thinking and hoping the winter steelhead would be there waiting once the rivers turned fishable. So far, that hasn’t necessarily been the case. Up and down the coast, well known steelhead rivers are not seeing the numbers we’re accustomed to. This same scenario happened...
Full Story 

If you’re in search of your first winter steelhead of the season, you’ll want to be on a river this weekend. The lack of rainfall for the past two weeks, both a blessing and a curse, has allowed most rivers to drop and turn the shade of green that keeps steelhead anglers awake at night. Another reason to make this...
Full Story 

There is light at the end of the tunnel, finally. After watching high, brown water flow down our local rivers for nearly a month, green water is finally within reach. Following the rain that fell Wednesday, we’re looking a stretch of dry weather that could last for 10 days, or more. And that means one thing – emerald green steelhead...
Full Story