Kenny Priest


Rivers Are Green, But Steelhead Not Easy to Come By
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, FEBRUARY 11, 2021



This past weekend saw all of our coastal steelhead rivers turn some shade of green — some emerald and some olive. Condition-wise, it was probably the best we’ve had this season. But pristine conditions only last so long. The next round of storms is forecast for Thursday and that will likely be the end of the green water for now....
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Green Rivers Headed Our Way
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, FEBRUARY 4, 2021



After a solid week of rainy weather that turned all the coastal rivers big and brown, it looks like we’re headed toward a green water convergence. Some rain is in the forecast for Wednesday but after that we should begin to see some sunshine and dropping water levels. The Smith will be the first to clear and should be in...
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Coastal Rivers Brace for More Rain
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, JANUARY 28, 2021



Just as the steelhead season began to show signs of life, another round of wet storms is set to wreak havoc. All the coastal rivers are bracing for increased river flows certain to curtail any hopes of green water for some time. But these storms bring a little good news with them. For the first time this year, we should...
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Rivers Are Prime but Steelhead are Slow to Show
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, JANUARY 21, 2021



Last week’s storms finally provided some of the flushing and scouring our coastal rivers desperately needed. As they’ve all now dropped back into fishable shape, the question has become, “where are the fish?” Other than the Chetco, which is dealing with some slides, all the coastal rivers are some shade of green and fishable. There just seems to be a...
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Steelhead Fishing on Hold as Storm Blows Through
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, JANUARY 14, 2021



A powerful yet quick storm blew through the area on Tuesday, forcing winter steelhead anglers to hit the pause button. The bad news is it dumped a bunch of water quickly, turning coastal rivers brown. The good news is it didn’t stick around long. As quickly as the rivers rose, they are forecast to drop nearly as fast. The rivers...
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Smith River Best Bet for Green Water
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, JANUARY 7, 2021



If you’re in pursuit of steelhead-green water this weekend, you’ll probably need to head north. With the Chetco blown out for potentially another week, the Smith may be the only game in town for quite some time. It looks to be a little unstable through Saturday but is forecasted to remain at fishable levels. Friday looks to be marginal for...
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