Went to the frozen north today to try and scare up some chrome.

Fishing with Pnemonia? A guy can only be kept indoors for so long.

It is cold and there's a foot of snow up there, the creeks are partially or completely frozen, and there is plenty of activity underwater. Getting to spots is heinous and requires some trudging through frozen meadows, on slick (and sharp) ice, and over snow covered booby traps (aka logjams and laydowns).

With only hip waders and on a river the size of the skagit, shore fishing is difficult. I thought I would be smart and stay high and dry, but the desire to try and reach that one seam out there that looks too good to miss proved a little bit more than the chaps could handle. They filled up, but I got a solid whack and a bit of chrome flashed on the other side.

Only a resident rainbow, but I'm not complaining.

Large Bull Trout and a couple Coho filled up the rest of the day. I caught 11 fish and lost five more. It's good to see the abundance in the river.

I was an ice cube and a half by the time my three-hour day on the river concluded. But, that's what heating is for.

It's a shame most of our rivers are closed or limited right now.

Tread lightly and stay warm folks!

---