Spring 2017

Washington State’s
Olympic Peninsula is
the lynchpin to west
coast salmon and steelhead
recovery. It is the fulcrum
in conservationists and
fisherman’s hope to return
salmon runs to their historic
abundance. Brawling glacier
and rain fed rivers pour from
the slopes of the Olympic
Mountains, descending in
all four directions, while
streams of salmon ascend.
The cycle of life humming
at an increased intensity
beneath the towering green
canopy of forest so vibrant
it seems to breathe.
Radiating like spokes from
a wheel and fueled by
direct hits from The Pacific
Ocean’s strongest storms,
the legendary rivers of the
Peninsula still hold some of
the most productive rearing
and spawning habitat in
the lower forty eight. Their
headwaters lay protected in
the Olympic National Park
to remain undisturbed in
perpetuity. This is a place
where the sky turns into
a grey sliver above the
towering old growth forests,
a crack of light as crystal
clear cold water rushes
from the glaciers a high.
With better management,
continued preservation,
rehabilitation, and lessening
reliance on hatcheries this
zone could become the
anchor in recovery efforts
in both directions. Great
strides have been made. The
north slopes premier river,
the mystical Elwha River,
has undergone a historic
dam removal project and is
MONTANA FLYFISHING