July 10, 2008: Kalama River Non-Report

On Thursday I took a day off because I had to go to Portland to get Casey, who was staying with his Aunt and Uncle for a night. After I picked him up we drove back up into Washington and I fished the beautiful Kalama river for about five hours while he hung out riverside. The short version of the report is that I didn't catch any steelhead, or even see any. So my scoreless streak on the Kalama continues.

There were not very many anglers on the river. Just a few at the Beginner's Hole and they said that a couple of fish had been caught lower early that morning and that was it. Casey and I fished about 6 spots on the river starting with the first concrete bridge. The water was murkier than usual, but warm. In fact, I wet-waded, all day -- that's a sure sign of summer; fishing the Kalama in your shorts!

At one of our last spots, very high up the river above both hatcheries we visited my favorite hole. I've taken my friend Keith Newham there when it was full of fish. There were no fish there on this day but there is a brand new natural bridge! Check it out! I'm guessing that during the high winter flows a tree came down and got stuck in such a way as to make a cool bridge.

The highlight, or lowpoint, of the afternoon was at this hole, where I heard Casey cry out. I turned around in time to see him tumbling down the bank, head-first, in sort of slow motion. I was not particularly concerned because he is wearing a "floaty" swimsuit making it impossible for him to sink. He tumbled toward the water and went into the water head-first. Immediately beneath the surface was a rock shelf which stopped Casey's downward motion. For a second he balanced there upside down with his head underwater. Then he toppled over, sat up and began wailing and wailing. When he could finally talk he asked me why he got hurt. I told him that nature doesn't care and when you are in nature you've got to be careful. For the rest of the day he wailed that he hates nature and never wants to go into nature again.