My twenty ninth birthday is one I will not soon forget.  This was the third trip I have taken with my father to the Goodnews River Lodge.  Familiar with the river, the staff, and the facilities at the Goodnews , I knew I was in store for a week of relaxation, good company, chromed-out  salmon and fat “leopard” rainbows. 

Arriving in camp on August 16^th,we found ourselves in the midst of the massive annual Coho run.  Our first few days of fishing were action-packed, as we landed absurd numbers (easily 40-plus each) of acrobatic silvers on numerous different surface and streamer patterns.  On the 19th, my birthday, Dad, Capt. Gabe Nyblad, and I headed out with the initial plan of spending the morning targeting  silvers in the tidal water below  camp, then to journey up river after lunch in search of  hungry rainbows.

 On our way towards the ocean that morning,  we couldn't help but notice hundreds of silvers making their way up a narrow side channel just five minutes from camp.  We decided this would be a good spot to swing a few flies and loosen up for a day on the water.  The stop turned into an extended stay as we ended up spending 3 hours wading the channel,  catching well over 30 fish on poppers and streamers.  In addition to the many silvers, I landed a nice pink salmon buck on a purple egg sucking leech pattern.  Knowing the rarity of catching a fresh pink this time of the year in tide water, Capt. Gabe suggested a hunt for the Grand Slam (catching all 5 species of salmon in 1 day).  I was all for the idea and excited to travel the Goodnews River system in search of each fish, so we quickly adjusted the itinerary. 

Having had our fill of silvers, the three of us decided to drift a few close cut banks with hopes of fooling a couple colorful rainbows.  We were not disappointed .  We ended up spending the next two hours fighting several 20”- plus rainbows that were all healthy and full of energy.  By lunchtime, we began to devise a game plan for tracking down the three remaining salmon to complete the slam.  First on the list was the Chinook.  Capt. Gabe  thought our best bet would be traveling 20 miles upriver in search of spawning kings;  we agreed and 30 minutes later we were  smack dab in the middle of a large king spawning bed. It did not  take long to convince an olive- colored jack king to eat a streamer.  Conveniently, there was a slew full of sockeye just down the river from where we were.  After observing the behavior of several fish in the bunch, I targeted one that appeared to be particularly territorial.   I offered up a chartreuse articulated leech and the hook- jawed sockeye took it on the first cast.

After taking all the hero shots and releasing the lively fish, we were all feeling pretty confident.  Already four-fifths of the way to the grand slam and it was still just 2:30 PM.  Being that we were in prime Dolly Varden and trout waters, we decided to target these species on our way back down the river, and towards a hole  Capt. Gabe was certain was still holding chum.  Using streamer and egg patterns we caught about a dozen Dollys and ‘bows.  My birthday luck continued as I was fortunate enough to land an 18” Grayling while dead drifting an egg pattern.  Boating a trophy grayling was not only a great surprise, but also opened the possibility of achieving the Super Slam ( all five species of salmon as well as a trout, Dolly Varden and a Grayling).  I was just one fish away, and bound and determined to make it happen.

              At this point, all that was left to do was to cross the chum off the list.  We knew that finding a chum would not be a problem, but getting one to eat this late in the summer might be.  So we headed to the spot Capt. Gabe had in mind,  hoping that my birthday luck had not run out.  After half an hour  and numerous casts, I was still one fish shy.  It began to rain heavily and the  mandatory dinner hour was upon us.  We made a quick stop at camp,  ate dinner in what is now probably a new speed record for the lodge, and back out we went.  Within 10 minutes, a 20 pound “exotic leopard salmon” had eaten the fly and put up a fight all the way to the net.  The celebration was on!

 I have always regarded the Goodnews River as a premier destination for world class fishing, but this day exceeded all expectations.  The variety and sheer number of fish within the river system during the summer months provides an angler the opportunity to experience the best day of fishing of his or her life, regardless of skill set or experience.  The day of the Super Slam certainly ranks at the top of my list of days spent on the water.  It’s right up there for best birthdays too.

Ben Hillis

Gettysburg, PA