My friend Brian Anantatmula wanted to try the coho fishing on the Icicle, so we met near the handicapped platform early Friday morning. There were already a couple anglers casting and we joined the fun. We didn’t get any hits at this spot, so he moved upstream, and I moved downstream to see if we could find a fish. He actually hooked one and lost it, and I had a couple of fish chase first my jig and then a spoon I was casting right to the bank but didn’t grab on. Did I mention it was raining? Yes, the rain that was forecast poured down on Thursday evening and it was still sporadically raining on us Friday morning. I looked like the river had come up slightly. On Saturday I stopped at the fishing hole on East Leavenworth Road to see what was happening there. I stumbled upon a sight that I never grow tired of. There was a father and son fishing here, and they had one on the bank. The Dad went to their truck to get a stringer and he didn’t get far his son yelled—Dad I got one! Dad netted the fish, the first salmon ever for his son.
Brian Maier helps his son Bryce show off his first salmon ever—a very nice coho from the Icicle River.