Olympic Peninsula - About The
Rivers
The rivers that we fish are the Hoh and some of the
rivers of the Quillayute River System which consist of the
Bogachiel, Calawah, Dickey, Sol Duc, and Quillayute rivers.
These rivers, on the western side of the Olympic Peninsula in
Washington state, are considered to be among the most scenic
and beautiful in the world. Although all the rivers share the
common trait of scenic beauty, each river has its own
character - from the mild meandering of the Bogachiel to the
wild rapids of the upper Sol Duc.
Hoh River
The Hoh, which is a Native American term
meaning "fast moving water", is the famous rain-forest river
that serves as the centerpiece of the developed portion of the
Olympic National Park. A big, fast, cold river even in its
lower stretches, the Hoh offers some excellent fishing and
challenging boating.
Located about 20 miles south of
Forks, Washington, the Hoh has many personalities, often
changing from one day to the next. Because of its wide
floodplain it can change its course by dozens of yards after a
heavy rain.
With its headwaters just to the east of Mt.
Olympus in the Olympic National Park, most of the Hoh lies
within the park boundary. From the uppermost launch at the
Olympic National Park boundary the Hoh winds through glacial
deposits and log jams for most of it's length. Then, about 9
or 10 miles from the Pacific, the river suddenly drops into a
small canyon cut out of the bedrock. The canyon lasts a couple
of miles and then, just as suddenly, it emerges into the broad
plains of the lower river.
Bogachiel River
The Bogachiel, which means "muddy after rain", is a
frequently flooding river, one that has occasionally washed
out highway 101. It is also a prime salmon and steelhead
stream. Much of its course is forested, though there is also
agricultural land along the way. Its waters clear whenever the
rains stop long enough to let the river drop its suspended
load of rock debris.
Beginning on the western flank of
Bogachiel Peak near Seven Lakes Basin in the Olympic National
Park, the river lies mostly within the park boundary. The
river is best known for its large run of hatchery steelhead,
yet some of the largest steelhead to return to any of the
Olympic Peninsula rivers return to the upper portions of this
river.
As you approach the Bogachiel's confluence with
the Sol Duc, the river begins to flatten out and often forms
long, slow pools. These pools can provide a good time to relax
and enjoy the scenery but we usually push on through to the
more productive waters below.
Sol Duc River
The Sol Duc, a Native American term which means
"sparkling water", is probably the best known of the area's
rivers. It begins in the Seven Lakes Basin in Olympic National
Park and cascades downstream through countless boulder fields
to its confluence with the Bogachiel where the two rivers
combine to form the Quillayute river.
The Sol Duc has
more white water than the other rivers and provides fisherman
with an exciting ride even on the days when the fishing is
slow.
We spend more days fishing on this river than any
other during the year. The river's ability to stay in good
fishing shape even after a heavy rain allows us to spend more
time on this river than any other.
Calawah River
Calawah, which means "middle river", referring to the
river's placement between the Sol Duc and Bogachiel rivers,
begins just three or four miles northeast of Forks,
Washington, where its two forks, the North and South, join. It
dumps into the Bogachiel about three miles southwest of town
just below the steelhead hatchery on the Bogachiel.
The
river receives light fishing pressure because of it's
relatively poor bank access. The nearly constant class II and
III whitewater rapids make navigating this river dangerous for
drifters not familiar with the river's many
obstacles.
Salmon and steelhead don't return to this
river in especially large numbers, but those that do are often
quite large. Many 25+ pound steelhead have been caught in its
waters.
Quillayute
River
Formed by the
confluence of the Bogachiel and Sol Duc rivers, the
Quillayute, one of the shortest rivers in Washington at less
than 6 miles, is totally tidal. It is a true rain-forest river
and provides a beautiful drift through corridors of gigantic
trees covered with mosses and ferns. There are log-jams, to be
sure, but the flow is so mild in this flat-terrain river that
they present no real problems unless the whole river is
blocked.
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