For those of you who may not know, my fiance is a fisherman – it is also this handsome fella’s birthday! Sadly, he’s celebrating in Afghanistan again this year. In commemoration of the greatest day ever, I wanted to share our most recent fishing trip with you.
Before Jeremy came home on leave in February, he had made reservations for a guided fishing trip for the two of us. It is quite an ordeal since we rarely do things without our littles around, and even more so because he had so much more planned after the trip too, but I’ll save that for another time :).
A trip to the Olympic Peninsula is one for the books, and by far one of my favorites! It’s no secret I love a good adventure, especially if that means a road trip is involved!
We ran into sunset over the lake as we neared our destination.
We stayed at the most amazing cabin run by a talented fishing guide, Larry Ford, of Blue Heron Lodge. We were scheduled to arrive the evening prior to the fishing trip since we had to meet Larry at 6 am to get to the Hoh River – which was well planned if you want any cooperation from me that early. Ahahaa! Settling into the cabin helped us get a feel for the outdoors and ready to fish! It was so comfortable and themed accordingly.
Our first night in, Jeremy grilled up these delicious steaks, while I prepared a side of baked potatoes, broccoli and cheese. No joke, his steaks are the best ever! The cabin came equipped with a beautiful, fully stocked kitchen too. Not too shabby.
Day 2 – Just after sunrise, my view from a boat.
We saw many other fishermen come and go, but once we cleared away from the launch areas, it felt as if we were the only people around. We didn’t cross paths with anyone again over the 8 hours we drifted up and down the river.
The scenery is quite diverse over the few miles we covered. From thick mossy trees, to these little ones, beautiful stones surrounding the river, and wildlife. Incredible to say the least.
The first and only catch of the day. I’ve never been fishing with my man without him catching at least one fish. You can do the same things as he does, and yet, he will still be the only one to catch anything.
The excitement and skill of seasoned fishermen never ceases to amaze me. Larry knows these rivers like the back of his hand. It’s incredible how well you can get to know the pattern and changes of something like that. Jeremy has the patience of a god, he can sit and wait for hours and just one tiny little flick of the tip of his pole and his reactions are flawless. It’s incredible to watch people in their craft flow so seamlessly. You see the great deal of time they’ve spent learning and practicing come into play. And when you’re floating a river for 8 hours, this is serious excitement!
The pride of finally hooking a fish… This was a native one, so it had to be released back into the water. There is no less thrill for having to let it go, they are just as happy and pleased with their efforts for the day.
After a long day of fishing, we headed back to the cabin to warm up and relax, pleased with what the day had brought us. It was an experience like no other. There is nothing more gratifying than sharing in one another’s passions and hobbies, to see one another in an element new to you, yet all too familiar for them.
Before leaving the Olympic Peninsula, we stopped at La Push beach on the Quileute reservation. There isn’t a whole lot to see, but the beach (no matter where) is my favorite place to be.
Lunch before we make our final departure and head on to part 2 of 3 of Jeremy’s week long plans for us.
We cruised along a bit hoping to find something interesting, but ran into a few dead ends. After the past day and a half, we were ok with that and headed on back. I sure do love these tree lined roads with Washington’s oh-so-tall evergreens!
Happy Birthday to my love! I look forward to many more. I love you!
