I'm putting a monthly summary on here a bit early. I don't see getting out again until March and my computer will be off line soon anyway as we "update" the house.
February will be another month that will likely end up with above average temps overall. It sure had abrupt and frequent swings from warm to cold and back, with erratic flows as well. It made for overall tough fishing. Winter fish use ice shelves and the current breaks they set up as holding lies. Stable ice shelves and the honey holes they create just didn't set up to any extent this year.
The month started out well at a "go to" spot on the 3rd. Both salmon and brookies came out to play.
After that, I had a run of "one hit wonder" trips. And had to work for that one shot! The good news is that those are some of the most satisfying trips and forced me to play a few hunches and add some new things to my bag of tricks.
After batting zero at my first few stops one day, I hiked a bit further in to a dam controlled area that is also fed by springs that emerge either directly from a hillside or from railroad culverts. The water was low, but open and a single thump on my jig kept the skunk at bay for that trip.
Another trip was saved by a little creative access. This dam spillway is fenced and posted on 3 sides. I guess they figured no one would wade up the concrete sill from below.
I found one brown to chase and eat at my rod tip.
On other slow trips it was a single salmon that tightened my line.
The last salmon bumped my jig on the first cast, looked on the 2nd, and then chased and ate the jig as I bounced literally at my feet. That will fire you up in a hurry.
You can see several of the salmon with this jig as a lip ornament.
In 2016, I had a great run in February on rivers near the coast. I picked what I thought was a perfect day for a rerun in 2020....warnish, dark, and calm. It wasn't in the cards. I found surprising amounts of river ice that made fishing nearly impossible in many spots.
Tight to the coast, this marshy river area saved my arse more than once in years back. There was more open water, but no definite takers.
I ended the coastal adventure that day on a brackish water ledge that just screamed of sea runs. Again no love, but maybe that will change when Spring takes care of the grounded ice.
Along the way, I found a few spots further inland that looked worthy of a more detailed visit.
A little ice fishing added variety. Nothing wrong with jigging some late day whities
On to March.