Fall is in the Air…

Fall is certainly in the air now in the Stehekin Valley. After a couple weeks of blazing sunshine with temperatures in the 90′s, the weather has now cooled off to a more standard September feel. Temperatures are in the 60′s-70′s during the day, and leaves are starting to fall.

The Kokanee Salmon are running in red streaks up the river, apples are ripening in the orchard, and gardens are coming to the end of production. Guests at the ranch enjoyed fresh berries and veggies from several garden patches this year, including “the garden” owned by Karl Gaskill.

Regular season Ranch dinners will end Sept 24. After that we will cater to our own guests before closing on October 7th. You still have time to come and enjoy the beautiful fall season here in Stehekin – we will be looking for you!

Deer in Buckner Orchard

No shortage of Deer in the Orchard today!

Great Fishing in Stehekin now!

North Fork of Bridge Creek

Hiker on the bridge at the North Fork of Bridge Creek

Fishing in Stehekin

Fishing the Stehekin

For an avid fisherman, there is nothing quite like the challenge of luring in that record breaking fish using his knowledge and skill to outsmart his prey. For the rest of us, it is just great fun to hook a fish and reel it in with a goofy grin on our face.

I personally am a lousy fisherman, but I find great satisfaction in the act of fishing. There’s just a relaxing calm that happens as I cast out my fly line and watch the river take it away downstream, hoping that a fish will think it to be a tasty treat. And sometimes it even works! Amazing!

Whatever your skill level, Fall is a great time to fish the Stehekin River and surrounding creeks for Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout. The air is crisp, the water is low, and the fish are hopping.

Reeling in a big one

The report from better fishermen than I is that the river is much better this year than it was last year. One fellow said he was getting 18-24″ fish most days that he fished the lower sections of the Stehekin River. People are having success up higher too. Obviously the fish upstream are smaller, but there are lots of them!

The fishing should stay good through October, so grab you gear and come on up to practice your skill (or just try your luck) on the beautiful Stehekin River!