From time to time one needs to do an assessment of their fishing episodes or the lack thereof. Looking back over the summer so far, I could describe mine in a single word. That word is dismal.

Thankfully, it does not rise to the level of the term that Lewis and Clark gave to a cove near the mouth of the Columbia River. It was here they waited out a severe storm in their journey. That location is forever known as “Dismal Nitch.” Yet in my case, it is a term which describes a series of collective disappointments.

Time schedules, pressuring needs and the demands of life have put a huge kibosh on what I had hoped to be a diverse fishing summer. It seemed as if I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

For starters I passed up some great fishing opportunities in Eastern Washington. The Columbia River and the Pot Holes are fishing destinations. For me, I was only able to be a spectator as others took their place and seized on the opportunity to catch a fish. Next, I passed up some amazing fishing in northern Idaho. Again, my role was merely a spectator and not a participant.

To compound my state of affairs due to time constraints, I could only look out the car window as I hurriedly drove by prime fishing in the Rocky Mountains. Southern Alberta is where anglers take vacations for guided fishing trips and adventure. I could only wave as the opportunity slipped by.

Now, we find ourselves at mid-August in Grays Harbor when fishing fresh water is going to be as challenging as it will ever be in the season. The summer conditions produce low and clear water, warmer water temperatures and very wary fish. This combination of circumstances forces anglers to think outside the box. In order to accomplish this, a flex schedule is going to be necessary.

I am thinking that the manner of approach for any chance with summer steelhead will mean early days and late nights. These fish are more prone to take the bait before sunrise and after sunset. Anyone who has done a fair amount of fishing in our area during the summer will attest to these facts.

Keeping up this fishing schedule while maintaining a job for very long can mean sheer exhaustion. This is where the classification of being a dedicated fisherman got its meaning. It seems all of life is suspended for the opportunity to catch a fish. In my case, I look back and think how much easier it would have been to seize the moment in my recent travels. I am sure we all have had “should of” or “could of” opportunities.

On the bright side, the ocean fishery is still a positive story. Granted, the pursuit of these opportunities will require early rising and a measure of exhaustion. Nobody said this would be easy. Anytime someone challenges the outdoors, it is going to take some degree of effort.

So, the summer is not over and there is still some fishing to get done.