Kenny Priest

It’s been a solid couple of weeks since we’ve had any measurable precipitation, and most of the coastal rivers are now feeling the effects. Some good, others not so much. First the good. The Mattole, South Fork Eel, and Van Duzen are all in great shape at the moment and should be through the weekend and into next week. However,...
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The rain persisted a little bit longer than anticipated last weekend, putting the river conditions a few days behind where we thought they’d be this week. But there is finally light at the end of the dark, wet, tunnel. With no significant rain in the forecast for the next 10 days, green water is finally within reach for all the...
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A couple more days of heavy rain, then it’s finally time to watch the rivers come into fishable shape. The ‘last hurrah’ of rain is forecast for Friday and into the early hours of Saturday morning before we see an extended shift in the weather. We’ll finally see the coastal rivers, other than the Smith, full of green water. Plunking...
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If you’re looking to tangle with a coastal winter steelhead between now and the end of the year, your options will likely be limited to the Smith River. It’s currently the only river on the coast that’s green and fishable, and likely will remain that way as we navigate through these extremely rainy next couple of weeks. Flows through this...
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Winter steelhead season isn’t in full swing yet on the North Coast, but that is about to change. A few storm systems are currently impacting the rivers, putting them all on the rise. According to the National Weather Service, three separate storms will hit the coast between Wednesday and Monday, which is just what we needed. Steady rain and pulse...
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Fresh kings still coming into the Chetco, Smith likey done for the year With the late-fall king season all but wrapped up on the coastal rivers, it’s time to turn our attention to winter steelhead, likely the most popular fishery on the North Coast. With the last storm providing plenty of water to all of the rivers, anglers are primed and...
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