Fishing Reports (January 2000 - December 2000)
current fishing report is here
Fishing Reports (January 2000 - December 2000)
current fishing report is here
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"Well, the weather outside is frightful....." Fishing is clicking along......Hmmm, not really sure what to make of it. The big surprise is the winter hatchery steelhead, both the Skagit and the lower Stilly, has them in respectable numbers. Don't know if I have seen this......for this early in the season, for some time. Biology: The fish are either early or the run is strong. (If the ocean survival continues, wild fish will follow suite.) Fortunately, all WDF&W has to do is have their checkers tally released fish, or share information in tribal wild steelhead catches, to complete an inseason update on wild fish. Imagine you are the weatherman. You predict rain, and tell the world. Low and behold, not only does it not rain....but it's beautiful. Are you happy because it's nice out.....or mad because you blew the prediction? Time (and fish) will tell. Anyway, Sauk and Skagit are seeing those big Dollies. Big and ugly streamers, and egg flies are getting them, and steelhead are around. What could be better than that? A lot of anglers try to book trips right now. I usually shy them away until spring. Fishing is not supposed to be consistent right now. Well, it's not supposed to be. You have probably checked out the new home page. Hope you like it. Many are asking when to sent their deposits for next year. Anytime after New Years is fine. Many have dropped a note, to say we are still on. Thank you for that. If you are looking for some quiet reading in this holiday season, read "Charlie" in my stories and articles section. Tell me what you think. Merry Christmas to all, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "Winter water" Low flows continue, good news is, some early winter steelhead are showing. One of the boys hooked a dandy the other day...but broke going away. Sauk and Skagit are Still producing Chum and Dollies. Black Bart is very good for Chum on the bright days, Dollies still hanging around the salmon. Hooked some whitefish to 20," while chasing the char. Largest Dolly so far is a 26." 5 pound football. When you catch them on the back end of a redd, pretty obvious what they are feeding on. The Dickson glue egg @ eggshuck, is doing the best. Sauk Dollies are holding off creek mouths and soft current seams. This fishery will only get better...if we can get some bleeping rain! All the rivers are extremely low and ultra clear. Fish accordingly. Look for a new look on web site coming soon! Heading out for the coast, in the next few weeks. My winter will be splitting time, getting ready for spring. Happy holidays to all, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "Times are changing" Kudos for all who participated the Dolly/ Chum School. We had lots of fun. The funniest story had to be Matthew. We arrived at a favorite pool, day was dark, occasional chum was rolling. Mat puts on a Cop Car, and hooks and loses a salmon......then another.....then another. Results were always the same. Swing through, grab, hook up....then unbutton. "Sure its sharp?" I asked. Real sharp." Says Mat. I finally resharpened it anyway. Matthew steps down thru the pool. Line stops, he sets the hook .....nothing. He starts jabbing, must be the bottom. I say, "Break it off, we will put on another fly." Now Mat likes this fly, its got the good
Ju Ju. He wades out to free it. The line moves over about five feet.
Mat is frozen. He can't believe it. Fish takes off to deeper water at
a leisurely pace....then faster.....then faster. Next thing I know poor
Matthew is standing up to his waist with his rod That was a sixty dollar fish" He mumbled,
"He just broke off my entire flyline." I think one of the greater compliments I get, is when anglers from a previous school, come out again for a different one. Thank you. Its kind of Surreal when I realize, these great rivers will be closed, the following spring. I have been asked to join an action committee, to promote and protect our wild steelhead fisheries. Sad commentary when you realize you are up again the very agency, that supposed to be there to protect it. You think this is just a conservation question? Answer me this. If we haven't been reaching escapement goals
(just found out)....for several years, why were wild steelhead being
allowed in sport harvest, on the Skagit River......up thru last year?
And why are not these January and particularly February wild fish protected?
If we are to have a moratorium on wild fish, wouldn't it make more sense
to shut off all our winter fisheries to let the very weakest portion
of the wild run (the January and February steelhead), Why are we talking poor ocean survival when every run of fish since last spring has hit our rivers in awesome numbers? Steelhead populations, from the Columbia River north to the Skeena drainage, this year, are almost a phenomena! Ocean survival? ........Please. Why has bait and barbs always been allowed on the Stilly through April 15, and why are not, at the very least, these restrictions, being implemented for the coming year, for all our north sound rivers......when we are expecting the bait boys to release wild steelhead? How come we talk about Tulalip net fisheries cutting back, but nothing is said about the Skagit System tribes? Are they cutting back too? No Test fisheries? No Ceremonial fisheries on wild steelhead next spring? If your numbers are so good, are you going to go after the Skagit System Co-op in court? Lets recap: The tribal fisheries are pretty much going
to do what they have always done. The sport kill fishery will also have
their fishing too, minus they are supposed to release wild steelhead...alive.
Most of these guys don't participate in the C&R fishery anyway,
so its no big deal them to sit out So who is left? Just you and I as C&R fishermen. The 5% mortality guys......now that's an impact! What am I saying? If you are really about protecting wild steelhead, to the point you will not even allow a 5% mortality fishery, then fine, protect all the wild steelhead.....shut down all the winter-spring fisheries, period. Calendar: I will be fishing the Sauk and Skagit rivers for winter steelhead and Dollies through February. Olympic Peninsula Steelhead Flyfishing Schools: Will be as follows: Friday, March 2 Sol duc River (rowing experience required). Hoh River on Saturday March 3. Clearwater on Sunday March 4 and Queets on Monday March 5. Olympic Peninsula "Chosen River" I will running trips on a, not so publicized stream, from March until April 15. Situk River, Alaska. Finalizing an awesome gig, a great lodge, on a world class fishery. Leonard's Landing is a fine lodge...If you are heading up, maybe you could tell Loretta, you want to fish with me! (907 784 3245) Look for detailed pages, to come up on site about the Spring 2001 fisheries, in the next few days. Best of fishing thru the holidays, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "Winding down" Year 2000 was a lovely year in many respects. Spring steelhead kept us on our toes, but the summer and fall fish came well, to most of our drainage's. Stilly has finally started to wane, dogs were plenty, coho just seem to keep coming, SRC was good, and the Deer Creek steelhead made another very respectable showing. Hatchery steelhead are dark but around Fortson. Stilly North Fork goes to bait December 1. I will be on the Skagit. Haven't been over on the Sky for a while, but the Skagit has a good showing of Chum (dogs) coho, and the Dollies are coming out! Many anglers are signed up and ready for the Dolly/Chum school, this weekend. Click the Dolly school page for final details of trip. Should be lots of fun! BTW: 2 slots now available for Friday, one on Saturday. Many have written, asking for my views on the North Sound streams closure next spring, and what are my plans. First, let me say, I did write an editorial about it. (About five pages) Just not sure if I will print it. Dale Carnegy said "People are not interested in the truth, they are interested in hearing things that support, the way they feel." If anglers are comfortable about the decision makings of this C&R closure.... So be it, if not......well, I am hoping Salmo G. will respond to the Wayne Kruse article Proposal that would end the spring steelhead season. About my spring: Situk River, Alaska; Looks like I am heading back to guide in Yakutat, next spring. Probably start in later April thru May. Look for my Situk page up on site. I will be running trips one to five day, campouts and lodge. Kind of excited to get back, now I have the excuse. Thank you so much to the letters of support, over the North Sound closures. I know it is as disrupting to you, as a displacement for me. Many have chosen to keep your planned fishing dates, and some have not. I totally understand. The "Chosen River" is a Coastal stream I fish, personally. I will be organizing both daily trips as well as overnight campouts. If we are going out to the coast in March and April.....we are going to have fun! Olympic Peninsula Flyfishing School is four days on four different streams. These single day schools will be river floats on the Sol Duc, Hoh, Clearwater, and Queets Rivers. Think early March. Lakes School over in the Quality Lakes has been suggested. Really appreciate all your ideas. We are going to have fun.......just haven't finalized where yet. Best of fishing, Dennis
For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information"
Salmo G. for President! I am supposed to be writing about our fine fall fishing. I am supposed to tell you through outstanding ocean survival, we are enjoying some of the best returns of salmon and steelhead, I have seen in years. A few days ago I started hearing rumblings about closures on the Stilly, Snohomish and Skagit systems, for next spring. I said to myself, No reason to go off half cocked, sometimes WDF&W will throw out some feelers out to test the water, from time to time. No one I know, seems to be better at ciphering the #$*^ than Salmo G. I am not going to panic until he does....... I am not in the habit of promoting other sites, (or not promoting, Bob has a fine site)! But I would refer you to the Steelhead/ Salmon forum of piscatorialpursuits.com and read Salmo's two postings of the proposed river closures. (You will have to scroll down to read Salmo G.'s posts - but it is worth it.) Here is an article written by Redmod Attorney - Todd Ripley - Read the article for the full text, but the point is - "...We are not lobbyists with money, so we don't have the ears of the decsion makers. If we can't give them money to get them to listen, maybe the threat of taking their money and management schemes away will make them listen. " Slow train wreck: I would refer you to an article I wrote two years ago call Ten Ways to Enhance our Fisheries. It is a little out dated but the gist is all there. Couple slots left on Friday, three on Saturday. As far as next spring, don't book in motel reservations as yet. I am putting together a gig both in Washington and Alaska. I will lay out more details as things settle out. Don't mind Dennis, he just found out his home waters are gone. Think Salmo G. would be interested in working for WDF&W?......I doubt it.
For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information"
"Fall is falling, winters coming" Fishing continues to click after the big storm last weekend. All species are happening. Fishing the Stilly mostly, but early dollies coming out of the Sauk, now. Skagit chum are thruout the system, and Sky fish are showing well. I like fishing the SRC, coho, and steelhead on floating line techniques, Dogs do better on sinktips and scaled down egg sucking leaches. Pays to experiment with line presentations. Rose and landed a male chum on a riffled hitched Afterdinner Mint. Kind of fun......but tuff on the 5 wt. All species doing well. Even a gazillion white fish. Sorry Alaska returns are down......guess its our turn. BTW: Had a last minute cancellation for Tuesday the 14th. Dolly Schools:
Wow!!! That was a hit. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "Who let the dogs out?" The potpourri continues. Steelhead, coho, chum, and Searuns all in the mix. Sky is fishing well and look for good numbers of chum, at and below the Wallace River. Pink/purple bunny leeches are my favorite. Stilly has plenty of salmon......but both the South forth and north fork below Hazel slide are a forget it. Late summer runs are around and seems like each year we see more and more nice SRC, in the upper river. Flies are same OLE. Skagit flows have just been plain weird (See river levels) Look for the Dollies to show in good numbers in the next couple weeks. Speaking of which, I have gone ahead and decided to offer the Skagit Dolly/Chum school. Check out the Skagit Dolly School page for details. Black Bart and Cop Car are two of my favorites for this one. Anyway, fish are around. Flyfishing Pacific Salmon in Freshwater, and History of Hoodsport, are both good reads. Good luck with your fishing. See you on the river, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "Now that's what I'm talking about" Splitting time between Stilly and Sky, haven't been over on the Skagit yet. This is our "mixed bag" season. Chum are coming, coho are in, SRC, are staging, and summer steelhead are hanging around. SRC: Lots of October Caddis coming off, both emerger and adult are working well. Steelhead: Due to low flows and clear waters, fishing floating lines and long light leaders. Same caddis, along with the Skunk series working well. Coho: Skunks, Fall favorite, Micro egg sucking leaches....Floating lines, greaselining is the ticket. Dogs: Pink, purple and black, Kelly green.......dead drift with a twitch. Lots of fish between Buck Island and two bit on the Sky. Stilly, brighter fish down low. Light sinktips. Hearing of some real horses (dogs) on the Skagit, I'll head that way when the rains come. Mid November is when the big dollies fill the river. All our rivers appear to be doing well. Oh, I described the floating line head system I promised to write about. Find it in Surface flies for steelhead. Check it out. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "God didn't build enough Octobers" Spent the first weeks in October up in B.C. chasing surface rising steelhead. Came home, and took off the next day for the Grande Ronde and our surface presentations steelhead schools. I can't speak for everyone, but I sure had a great time. From player Jeff, to big fish Tom, to swimmer Bill.........we just had a ball. Much thanks to Bill and Ferral for putting up with our bunch of rowdies! This is what Keith had to say about his groups school. Anyway, I am home now.....and already making plans for some new wrinkles for next years schools. Speaking of which, I have taken a page out of Deke Meyers book Advanced Flyfishing for steelhead. Pg. 103-104 (you can find the book off my links page). I have gone to a floating line head system I can throw effortlessly (and little false casting) that I started using below Deer Creek, on the Stilly. I was having so much fun with it, I took it to Canada and rose some monster fish on it. (Wait until you see the pictures)! Why all the fuss? Because it allows you to fish a single handed trout rod, on a Skagit sized river, for steelhead. Worked beautifully for the Grande Ronde steelhead too. Give me a few days and I will describe the system and how I set it up, in my article, surface presentations. (see it here) So now I am home. I get exactly one day off (today) to gear up and start chasing local fish. Oh well...... Did I tell you I have the best office in the whole world? Best of fishing. Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" Sensory Overload. Imagine fishing for large Bulkley summer runs on a 5 wt. and a floating line. Rose fish, lost fish, landed fish. Scenery was spectactular, but the lots of people.....especially in the lower river. Mark. Yancey, Craig, Bill and Phil.....thank you very much. Home for a day and off to the Grande Ronde. Surface rising steelhead.....life just doesn't get better than that. Back on the Stilly on the 23rd, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" September 29, 2000 Just a few news notes: Rivers are stone cold low, right now. Drizzling as we speak. Awesome time to be cutthroating. Plenty of Cranefly October Caddis and Hopper action going on now. Hatchery steelhead are stacking in the upper river. Got to go light and long. Some guys are just good at it: Fishing 13' leaders to 4x. Losing more than we are landing but......Had a guy out fishing, who spends a lot of time chasing New Zealand fish. Not only does he hook seven steelhead, He lands three! And if that's not enough, the largest was a buck pushing sixteen pounds!............on a 4x tippet. Some days are like that......and many are not. Still spending quite a bit of time down in the lower North Fork. SRC is good, most of the Deer Creek fish have moved up. Coho are around, try combinations of black to attract them. Most of the normal timing fish are staging in the salt. Haven't heard much about early chum yet.....gotta think some good numbers are coming.......hopefully with a good rain to pull them out of the bays. Hoodsport is kind of fun, if you are interested - read the story. Off to BC to chase some summer fish, afraid the rains may make it a sinktip show....we'll see. Back in a few, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" September 24, 2000 "Cool and Crisp" Another lovely week. Water is back to low but the temps. are good and fish are happy. Many of the Deer Creek native steelhead seem to have shot up into Deer Creek, while the Hazel hatchery fish headed up above. Searuns are clicking. Many fish staging in front of their natal streams now. Cranefly, hoppers, October Caddis, along with your favorite wets are working. Guide hint: Stuff your favorite trout box in your vest. The longer SRC are in the river, the more he reverts back to his younger days of keying on hatches. Little Sally Stones, and BWO are coming off. Even the big fish will get in the act. Nasty river: It was bad enough that the Hazel slide was kicking......all summer, but since the last rain. the South Fork has slipped a slide of its own, really messed up the fishing in the lower river for a few days.....better now. Coho: I hate it when we get some fish around, commercial fisheries unleash, immediately overharvest.......and Viola! Where's the fish? In the bottom of the boat, idiot. We consistently get our best returns.........TO THE RIVER, when Fisheries projects low, and the fish slip by all the gear, before anyone and take a whack at them. All the studies, all the environmental restoration, isn't going to mean jack.......if we don't allow the fish to return, but then, I am preaching to the choir. Home until the end of September, then off to B.C. Home for a day, kiss my wife, then off to the Grande Ronde, until October 23rd. Most asked question: What flies should I
be packing for the GR.? Happy fishing, Dennis
For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "If you ain't fishing, you need to be." Choices, where you should I start? Might as well start in the saltwater and work my way up. Mckees beach is loaded with Coho. Fish holding right off the color change Bill Howes" Alf in the candlefish pattern on your intermediate monocore line will get them. SRC: A monster 28" fish was supposedly caught along the West side of Camano Island. There are some Stilly fish there, but the Skagit is known for the steroid Cuts. Spiders, baitfish, shrimp patterns......when they are hungry they eat. Fish around the high slack tides....early evening, or overcast days, watch for busting bait and jumping fish. Sorry, I ramble. Coho and SRC are the show. I have personally caught them all the way up to Whitehorse, on the Stilly! Some of these bruisers go to 15 pounds! Try landing that on your 5 wt. and a 4x tippet! Silvana area has tons of fish. No, its not legal to keep the salmon, and any Cutthroater worth his whistle, doesn't keep the SRC. They are wild fish, I don't care what the Wildlife Department allows. Hazel slide is STILL acting up, which probably has something to do with the lower numbers of Deer Creek steelhead to the surface this week, in the lower North Fork. Ahhh...., but we have handled some lovely cutthroat, a few pushing twenty inches. My fluttering caddis, along with the standard wets are getting it done. Vary your retrieve, some days they want it fast, some days, barely twitched. Cranefly are hitting the water now. Those warm sunny, windy afternoons, lower river pools, along side farmer grass fields, are the hard target search. I tie mine parachute style. Hazel to Fortson is begins its potpourri. Steelhead, SRC, Dollies and Coho are all hanging around. Kings are spawning, so watch where you wade. Yup, egg patterns are good now. (Personally, I fish nymphs) Did I mention the Yakima is wadable now, and the Methow has been for a month? That little wild steelhead is showing now....hmmm. Grande Ronde Cancellation: Good news for somebody's; Oct. 16-17 has two openings. Tight lines, be fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information"
"Fall has officially fallen" Words don't adequately describe the feeling I get as I wander the rivers this time of year. Vine maples are red, Big leaf maples are going yellow, and alders and cottonwood will soon be dropping leaves. Rains have replenished and cooled the rivers, and the anadromous fish realize its time to come home. Another summer is gone, nature takes her course. Rains have come so I certainly would keep an eye on the river levels page. Searuns will be staging in front of their natal streams, good place to look for them, when the river falls back in. Deer Creek and Hazel slide are doing their nasty right now, so not much fishing below Oso. All species are on the move. We have done so well up thru Coho, I can hardly wait for the chum to arrive.......now if the commercials don't get them.........Hmmm. Hard to complain right now. When the rivers settle down, there is going to be a ton of fish around. Getting great reports from both the Skagit and Snohomish systems. Ah, life is good. If those hatchery Coho are driving you crazy, remember hatchery fish tend to be lousy biters, take solace in knowing, SRC are probably hanging around. Pick up your 5 wt. and check them out. Seen some dandy SRC, fishing the steelhead water (big fish like the bigger waters.) Try waking your October caddis, over your steelhead pools. It will move these large cutthroat, take a Deer Creek steelhead, and even trigger a hatchery brat who has seen all the marabou jigs, it ever wants to see. It is sooooo much fun! Well, we prayed for rain, now pray it stops. I know I will be out there. Maybe I'll see you. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "And the hits just keep on coming" Hearing word of tons of silvers out at Neah Bay. Already seeing a few on the Stilly. I know I have said it before, but when all species are having a banner year, it must be ocean survival. Personally, I am just glad they are here! Kudos to the Wildlife Department for putting Rick O. as enforcement officer, on the Stilly. He has kicked some serious butt. Spending most of my time in the lower North Fork chasing SRC and the errant Deer Creek steelhead. Seen some monster Searuns already. Now, if we can only land them.......Hmmm. Hazel slide has chased us into the upper drainage from time to time. Julie found a Chinook that decided it liked her nymph better than the steelhead, and smoked her Hardy into next week. A 35 pound Chinook on a 6 wt.........not a pretty site. She only weighs about....(I am not going to go there!) anyway, she is small, and she beat this big bad Chinook, in about 20 minutes. Both seem to be recovering well. Oh She also LDRed a nice steelhead, but that's another story. Hearing glowing reports of SRC on both the Sky-Snoh. and Skagit rivers. Now that the rivers are low and in, its a great time to fish the surface. Both Steelhead and SRC will be there to meet you. October caddis, Grease Liners, After Dinner Mint........you name it, but presentation is everything. Lower Stilly is full of SRC and now with the silvers showing up........well, life is just dang good. Fishing a lot of attractor patterns for SRC. If your fly breathes well and presented well, up he comes! Grande Ronde Steelhead School: Classes are full, watch for final details on GR page. Rivers are cooling, Maples are turning, fish are moving, and Dennis is happy. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" August 27, 2000 Never want to get to cocky. Had a great time with fishing buds chasing rainbows on the Yakima, over last weekend. We hit the weather front which kind of knocked down the hoppers, but the summer stones and Baetis were clicking and we rose some good fish. Came home, water was dropping in beautifully, had good fishing in the upper Stilly, dropped below Deer Creek on Thursday, and got our butts kicked, couldn't hardly find a a fish. I was feeling it. Cloud cover rolls in on Friday, water clears slightly, and we just creamed them. I mean we found beautiful SRC in EVERY pool. Highlight was Bert jumping an aggressive steelhead, which slashed at his caddis. We rested the fish, and showed him a riffle hitched grease liner. Steely wolfed it down, shot upstream, (I hate it when they do this) and threw the hook. Bert saw everything. Best freshwater experience I know. He proceeded to raise SRC thru the day, but his heart was around another chance at a surface steelhead. Classy guy, never said a word. There are SRC literally throughout the system. Never seen so many cutthroaters in the lower system. Some good floats: Oso
bridge down to Cicero (Little boat show) Slide can't be acting up. Cicero
down to Lime Quarry (all boats) Lime Quarry down to Arlington (all boats.)
Right hand channel down train Read article on SRC Tactics. Coho are showing already in tidal waters. More SRC will be coming. Flies: Virtually everything is working.......when they are on. Spiders, Reverse spiders, spruce flies, Cranefly, yada, yada........ Could be a huge year. Helpful hints: Float if you can, SRC move. Always know your put-ins and take-outs. If I wrote (little boat), don't e-mail me, and ask if your 16' driftboat will work. Some days you will find them, some days you won't.....that's why we call it fishing. Good Luck! Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" August
19, 2000 In
his book Fisherman's Summer (a must read), Mr. Haig-Brown describes
his fishing along the Campbell River. His quarry is primarily Searun
Cutthroat as there really isn't a "run " of steelhead, more
like a smattering of fish. He tells his stories of raising these magnificent
fish while pursuing his SRC. Quiet waters, lovely fish. I too, have
some bright waters, that I share with The Stilly summer school was about searching out the pools where SRC and wild steelhead mix. I try to make sure we swim a surface fly in pool or two each day. Searuns are showing well already, good reports down in the Silvana area too. Try a Black body / yellow hackle reverse spider or a cutthroat version of a Purple Peril. Same color combinations along with my orange caddis are rising the steelhead. Frank rose a lovely 8 pound hen yesterday as the evening shadows crossed the pool. Fitting tribute to a fine day. Days are starting to cool, fish are in the river, should only get better as the fall salmon arrive. Life is good. Read Flyfishing Pacific Salmon in Freshwater in the stories and articles section. Grande Ronde Steelhead School: All dates are full except the 20-21st class. If you forgot to get your deposit in.....you better check with me on availability. Sorry! Off to splat some hoppers on the Yak. this weekend. Can't wait! Are you are an official fishing bum when, as a guide, you fish on your days off? Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" August
15, 2000 Just finished the Stilly summer Steelhead / SRC schools. Friday started out cool dark and fishy. Rose a steelhead in the first pool but after that it was all Sea runs. The funniest episode happened on Sunday. It was bright and sunny all day and fishing was tuff, We were well down in the canyon in a favorite pool of mine. Bert was trying to get his big orange indicator (bobber) to dead drift thru a slot while I directed the cast. On his third cast, his bobber splatted on the surface, and this big steelhead comes up and rips his indicator, dang near off his line! So much for dry flies and delicate presentations! Really good bunch of anglers.......and Carries lunches were outstanding again. Anyway, brand new SRC are coming in, hatchery steelhead are in the upper river, Deer Creek fish are at Deer Creek, and life is good. If the Coho and Chum do as well as the early species, should be a very fine fall. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" The other Grande Ronde: Spent the last week floating and fishing the lower 50 miles of the GR with eleven scouts, and four advisers. Last year was on the Methow, next year up in B.C. The weather was hot! Trout fishing was excellent from Oregon down to Bogans Oasis. Nymphs in the morning, hoppers through the day and caddis in the evenings. Nothing really big.......except for a 25 pound Chinook which took a bead head caddis. Now that didn't last long! Where did he come from....scared the gajeebees out of me! Smallies really didn't show in real numbers until Shoemakers grade, but from then to the mouth, it was "Katie bar the door!" Boys even caught them on spinners. I caught some on a Madam X but an olive beadhead Woolly bugger was dinner. Landed some healthy fish in the upper teens! (that's really good for me) Had a ball on my trout rod. Water was so low, we couldn't even run the upper narrows. That cross on the hill is the guy that was killed this last spring. Sobering. Stilly School coming up this weekend. Rob and Carrie hinted they have put together a yummy lunch.......but won't tell me what it is. Guess we will all find out. Thanks to all, for the wonderful reports on the Stilly. Nothing like fish, to make a great year. I will be out most days, maybe I will see you there. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "Now that's what I am talking about" Been hip-hopping around the Stilly, this last week. Typical for this time of the year, the water is down and the fish are congregating, (and so are the anglers). I have been very impressed with the river manners this year. Good ocean survival showing in the Chinook, and both hatchery and wild Deer Creek steelhead. The surpriser has got to be the Dollies. Big and plenty of them. Can't seem to get it right. Too clear up above, too dirty down below. The upper watershed is doing its gin clear, 15 feet of visibility, thing. Water is still running in the high fifties, and the hatcheries are happy fish. Same OLE same OLE, is true. Bring it in, low and slow. I like rocket red when the light is on the water, and blacks and purples, when it's off. I go smaller and sparser, but not nearly as important, as presentation. If you do fish indicators, pretend they are big browns, dead drift is everything. Dollies will hit both nymphs and streamers. BTW, the upper Sauk, apparently, is also producing a bumper crop, and monster fish to 8 pounds! I move over to the Skagit system in mid November........will be awesome! The Hazel slide has been kicking in its glacial til, and visibility is only 3.5 feet at Deer Creek. Both wild and hatchery fish are showing, but you pretty much have to fish below Cicero, before the sediment falls out, to fish the surface. I am fishing both smaller marabous, and bunny leaches, in blacks and purples, oranges and pinks. Took a real nice native on my orange caddis, last evening, near Arlington. First cast over the lie, and he bumped the fly, second cast he crushed it. If you have always thought you had to fish your eight weight, to release a steelhead in a timely manner (I use a 5 wt.) read my article on playing and landing steelhead. If you have never taken a steelhead on a surface fly, it's the best freshwater experience you will ever have, period. Now, I better get off my butt, and get those new batteries for the camera! Only a few days, until our Stilly School. Be sure to click over to the school page for details, of where and what to bring. Sorry, all classes are full, standby only. Always appreciate it, when our paths cross, be sure to say hi. Off to the Grande Ronde........back on the 8-6th. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "Best office in the whole world" Just got back from 10 days in B.C. the Kettle River in the Grand Forks area is awesome. Ever fish a Hex. hatch after dark for monster browns? The ones that you can only hear. Erie! Lovely float. Many of the fishing stories I have written like Mouth to Mouth Combat and the fishing dog are written about B.C. waters. I will be home fishing the Stilly and Sky for summer runs, this week, then off to the Grand Ronde to fish smallies with hoppers! 50 mile, 5 day float. Stilly scoop: My boys in the know say: Kings are in the predominant holes, which push the steelhead around, to heads and tailouts. Steelhead haven't imprinted well this year and many have just shot up to the hatchery waters. A question often asked? Should jigs and bobbers be legal? Some guys swear by them, everybody else swears at them.......you be the judge. Personally, I don't really care, as long as the angler shows a little conservation and courtesy to the fish and other anglers. Do it myself on occasion....but it's not my preferred. Searun Cutthroat showing in the lower river. Good time to review Searun Cutt Tactics. Your breather patterns will be the best choice here. BTW, Searuns showing in the Sky and lower Snoqualmie too. Haven't had a chance to get over there yet, but your SRC fishing will only improve as we get farther into fall. Check the Stilly school page for details on where to meet and what to bring. Schools are all full, unless your name is Brandon M. Chris G. or Dan B. Did I miss anyone? Cancellation on the 8-15th. Next guide day openings: Aug 29, 31, Sept. 12 Remember, I am out of town from July 31st to Aug. 6, so don't panic, I will get back to you ASAP. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" Summer Time: Haven't spent time on the Sky this week. Call Kyle downtown Kaufmans (206) 448 0601, he'll have the scoop. Been walking into some of the N.F. pools. Steelhead are in, Kings starting to show. Concentrate in the heads and tailouts (because that's where the kings push everything else) Don't dead drift small black nymphs. Chinook will eat them. Steelhead are going now for the more somber colors. Greens, browns, Woolley Buggers are good. SRC are playing in tidal water already. Cool! Try prawn patterns, spiders in yellow, orange and black. Fish your tides, High to low. Bright SRC are one of the finest fish that swim. I swear, if they grew to the size of steelhead, you wouldn't land them! Get ready for our Steelhead/SRC Stilly school, nothing like fishing over fish! Rundown Friday-full
Standby only Grande Ronde surface school Mid October (11th thru 20th), Still room in several schools. One Group opening for Oct 16-17 Most asked question: When would you choose a school over a guide trip? A guide trip is about taking the conditions of that day, and catching a steelhead. Angler will get a doctorate in fishing the conditions of that day. School is "soup to nuts." Covers all the conditions, from high lies to low water pools. Only complaint I get is, after a full day of floating pools, and talking strategy, and technique, anglers get writers cramp, from scribbling all day. But they do learn what lines to buy and why, how to fish, where to fish, when to fish it. If you have caught your share of steelhead, take the guide trip, if not, try the school. Off to B.C. for a week. See ya when I get back! Guide day: Cancellation opening on 7-25. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" July 8, 2000 Fact is - They see everything. Floated the other day from Seapost down to Whitman bridge. Stopped at a prominent pool, that was holding everything from Kings to Whitefish. About a dozen steelhead were in the mix, and being that it was around noon, we decided to eat lunch, and give them a go. Bill was set up with a sinktip, I was waking a muddler. From my vantage point I could make out the Kings in the prominence of the pool, steelhead above and below, about a zillion Whitefish, off over on the sand........and another fish. They were bigger than the Whitefish, smaller than the steelhead. Dollies? Early Searun Cutthroat? I cut off my riffle hitched Muddler, lengthened my leader with some 5X, grabbed my trout box out of my dry bag, and settled on a #16 beadhead pheasant tail nymph. The water is Gin clear, and as Kings do, every time they felt compelled to plow their way down through the other fish, (I call this "bowling") this one particular steelhead would swim out amongst the Whitefish and the mystery fish, until the coast was clear, before settling back with the other steelhead. I set my polly indicator for seven feet, and made a cast. The second cast was intercepted by a Whitefish, which fought like a whitefish, and I released it. Bill's fly was coming into the steelhead, so I wasn't much paying attention to my next cast when the rod comes alive in my hands. I set into what I figured was another Whitefish.......Nope.......the mystery fish?......nope........A Steelhead! All I could say was, "Oops!" She ran and jumped all over the pool. I felt like I was shooting Grizzly bears with a B-B gun, expecting the leader to part, anytime. I was thinking that somehow, this steelhead must have walked into the line, when she swam almost at my feet. There, buried in her upper lip, was my #16 pheasant tailed nymph. Now get this; she was rainbow colored, fully pregnant, wild late winter fish......in July! She ran off, I horsed her and the leader parted. How weird is that? Water is coming down, lower North Fork pools are fishing well. Found our first Deer Creek Native, on my waking caddis. Happy hatchery fish continue to trickle in. A good season? The guide has guarded enthusiasm. For those who choose to spend your days on crowded trout waters or chasing Oregon and British Columbia steelhead? Thank you, it's the N.F. solitude that makes it special. Flies: Above Deer Creek; smaller marabous, and speys. Try a Skunk with a webby hackle, and a red or orange butt. Lengthen your leaders and think about florou carbon. Below Deer Creek: Hazel slide is acting up, changes everyday. Hatchery fish are suckers for marabous in red, blue, pink and black, eggsucking leaches work well. Muddlers and Bombers will take the surface fish. Sixes and eight's are about right. I like at least 5 feet of visibility before going topside. Speaking of Special: What's with the Wildlife Department inflicting this Chinook kill fishery on the Yakima trout fishery? I never cease to be amazed. Stilly Steelhead School: Couple cancellation openings on Friday. Saturday is full, and Sunday is getting there. Hurry, still room. Grande Ronde Surface Steelhead School: Looks like this may be the best school of the year. Remember, only deposits hold dates so..........E mail for details and dates. Really looking forward to this one. Skykomish is also fishing well. Did they miss something? Noticed some steelhead are returning with eroded dorsals but adipose intact. According to our fishing and reports coming in, this is more than a few. Hmmm....... Standard flies and lines. Very light pressure below Sultan. Water is fishing sweet. I watch for rolling fish, before fishing the surface, here. Let the water warm and clear. Only gets better as summer progresses. Best of fishing, Dennis For information
on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" July 1, 2000 Summer Steelhead - What's she worth? Cost
of an airline flight: $200 A chance to swim the fish that all other trout and salmon are measured by, on the very first Flyfishing Only Waters, in America .....Priceless I think Keith's smile tells it all. It talks of a steelhead that took on his tenth cast, then leaped eyeball to eyeball. It tells of running into the backing, leaping twice more, in the fifteen minute fight. It's true, she wasn't his first steelhead to the fly, but she was his third. What Keith may not realize, without this hatchery steelhead, the entire upper North Fork watershed, is only closed salmon waters. Twenty miles of river and memories lost. Perhaps it wouldn't be shut down, like the Wenatchee. Maybe it would simply become sterile fishing like the Fly Only waters of the Kalama. Na, they would shut it down. Anyway, As many of you know, I just returned from Vancouver Island. I did manage a few days this week on the Stilly and the Sky. Stilly
is fishing well. Hatchery fish seem to cover ground, so I have been
fishing in the Hazel area. The steelhead are in smatterings, best to
keep moving. Yes, there are fish in Forston, but this has become pretty
much a dink bobber show. Visibility above the Hazel slide is around
six feet, and Sky is fishing at high prime right now, little high for fishing most of the pools above Sultan but there is a couple notable exceptions. Most of the fly pools from Sultan down, are fishing well. Steelhead are holding in their imprinting areas. You are not going to fish the Cracker bar off the mouth of the Sultan, but try a few of the pools above and below. Here, I would stick to the darker colors. Gear guys tend to chuck color, so blacks, blues, and purples, are showing them something different. Steelhead are suckers for a change-up. Water temps are in the upper forties and low fifties. The Pre-Set: I have stolen a page out of the bonefishing scene when detecting if a steelhead has taken the fly, if the line stops in the current. Read Cold Water Takes in the Stories and Articles section of the web site. I used to "lift rocks" to see if it a fish or rock. We have now gone to simply pulling straight back. This is better, because you are only moving the fly about a foot, so you won't spook the fish, if its a rock, you wont bury it, but the move will tension enough to make the steelhead shake his head (if your rod is down and your hook is sharp). Once you get the head shake, hit it.......HARD! It will feel a little different at first, but you can't believe the difference in hookups. Friday
is full but Saturday and Sunday still have room. Be sure to put down
Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" June 21, 2000 School is out: Fridays flyfishing school on the Skykomish was canceled due to high water. Saturdays group found the river high but fishable, weather was bright and sunny. Good news; Becky hooked a lovely fish which promptly broke her Lamiglass rod. Fish gone. Few minutes later we lose an oar and break another rod! And things were going so well! Still, lovely weather, wonderful lunch, a fish to pull the line, everyone seemed to have a good time. Here's a couple comments I got back from the classes. Saturdays class was dark and dizzily. Not so pretty but a very fishy day. Sure enough, bumped into another pretty summer fish, in the afternoon that was almost landed. James was going through the whole rationalization thing about how he was going to release it anyway........It was his first steelhead. He is fishing well. I am sure his next steelhead won't be so lucky. Anyway, another amazing lunch by Rob and Carrie Frank, good people, a lovely river, a good time to be out. Will be off to explore some Vancouver Island waters for a week, but I'll be back! Be sure to check out the new Stilly Searun Cutthroat/ Summer Steelhead School coming up in August. Mucho response for the Grande Ronde Surface school, figured there would be. Next guide days open after July 24th. See ya in a few, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" June 11, 2000 Started off the week on the Stilly. Few fish up around Fortson, scattered hatchery and wild around Seapost. Stilly has been dropping due to the cool weather. Water temps around 50. Visibility at 6 feet. Swam a nice fish above Hazel but it made its way into the logs and ended that fight. Blue/purple marabou # 2. Bill found a monster fish, that his way with Billy for 20 minutes, before breaking off heading down through a heavy tailout. Awesome! Think that one was on a big black leach pattern. Numbers will be down until 2 salt arrival. July 4 is the customary timing. Speaking of which: Kudos for those who have promoted the hatchery plant to the N.F. Those down on any hatchery planting should consider this, without this steelhead the oldest flyfishery would be shut down. There simply would not be any vested interest to keep it open. Word has it, WDFW has planted summer fish again this spring What's with the Cowlitz? Shutting down this hatchery program (after 30 years of managing for hatchery production) for the last 4 wild steelhead, is like building dams along the Columbia, wiping out the salmonids, then deciding to shut off the power production to save the last four sockeye. The point is: You have made that bed, sleep in it! If you were going to be concerned with managing the Cowlitz for wild fish, why didn't you start when you actually had some left? Simply, the worst of both worlds. Skykomish is fishing beautifully right now. Very little angling pressure from Sultan down. Hatchery fish are showing. Speaking of which, everything is a go for the Steelhead Flyfishing Schools this weekend! Watch the river levels from my site. Anything under 10,000 CFS is a go. Happy to answer any last minute questions. Be sure to check out my new Surface Flies on the Grande Ronde Flyfishing School. Should be a great time for all. I will be splitting time through the summer on the Stilly and the Sky.......maybe I'll see you there. Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" June 6 , 2000 Life in the slow lane. Traveled
into the Okanogan to do a little lake fishing with my dad. He is 79
now. Time becomes precious. Can't tell you the name. It doesn't get
the publicity that others in the area do. Word from the local paper
was that it was fishing poorly. My dad and I along with the two other
anglers on the lake just smiled. Damsels May flies and choronomids during
the hatches, gammerus scuds and water boatman in between. Only caught
a single fish below 13," which probably will not speak well for
the next year class. Rainbows, cutthroat and few brookies, went from
14-19." Lovely fish in great condition. Dad was a little frustrated
breaking so many fish, but he had a ball. For you lake fishermen, if
you want an inside hint that will absolutely revolutionize your fishing.........if
you want to, is the Buddy 2 fish finder. Some guys are into it, some
are not. Me, I was a little slow to it, (still won't fish a double handed
rod) and it still won't match a hatch, or make a presentation, Anyway, it was a wonderful change of pace, a quality time, in a beautiful country. Look for Skykomish fly school details. I have forgone with the list of anglers each class, some people don't like that. Just drop me a note for confirmation, and we will go that route. Promised
to get out the summer/fall calendar out. Doing it as we speak. Just
Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" "Sixteen" That's the number steelhead, caught by first time steelhead anglers, fishing with me this spring. Any other spring, I would consider this good. This year, it's closer to a phenomena. Haven't
done the Fortson thing, but imagine there is a few summer fish huddled
up around the hatchery water. Spawning is in full bloom, harder to find
the bright fish. Good time to let the honey mooners do their thing,
while I head off to match the hatch on the East side. Started tying
to replenish my badly depleted bug boxes. You know, the ones I swore
I would do, Did anyone read the Larry Tullus article of fishing for spawning trout in the latest Flyfisherman magazine? What were they thinking? Last call for the Skykomish Flyfishing school. Will post the details of the who, when and where in the school page, next weekend. Working on the summer/fall Fishing Calendar, as we speak. Will throw in a few new wrinkles, to the fishing itinerary............like tidewater salmon........in September, Peninsula summer fish, just to name a couple. Anyway, should be out in a week or two. Two good articles to review right now are North Fork strategies, and Searun Tactics. I have also added to my recommended books list. Check it out. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" May 20 , 2000 "Little but good" Fishing
has been clicking along. Pretty much given up on the lower Stilly, but
the upper is fishing well. Caution: There is a large fir that has fallen
in the river where the new rip rap has gone in (down below the Cabin
drift). It has created a blind alley that can kill you. Stay river right.
Always Numbers of steelhead were down particularly the 3 salt fish in most drainages this year. Stilly made up for it by producing a higher ratio of 5 to ten pound, 2 salt fish. Good mix right now of older steelhead (sexually mature) and shiny bright. Speaking of which, I floated over a huge bright buck (that we didn't swim) that must have gone 25 pounds! Made the 15 pound hen next to him, (that didn't take either) look like a midget. Water temps are approaching 50 degrees now. Had a steelhead come at the fly so aggressive (Blue/purple) it took the fly, angler jerks, misses the fish, fly then continues to swing, and the silly fish pounds it for a second time, in the same cast! Now that's a guide fish. All
flies working right now. Sparse them out on longer lighter tippets when
the water runs clear. Never let it be said we don't make a difference. Washington Fish & Wildlife is taking comment on a proposal to make releasing wild steelhead state wide, year round! They may not be doing anything but testing the water but what do we have to lose? The opposition is going to be making a lot of noise, but you will have something they will never have. You have the truth. Releasing our wild steelhead is the right thing to do. You know it, I know it, but your own Game department still believes the majority still wants to whack them. Do it for us, do it for the steelhead and write today. Washington
Fish and Wildlife Commission (360) 902 2267 And: Jeff
Koenings, Director (360) 902 2234 director@dfw.wa.gov For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" May 12, 2000 Fish any fly you want ............as long as it's a Cop Car. I go way out of my way to explain to anglers, it's not the fly - it's run timing, its reading water, it's presentation, but it's not the fly. So why was it that - 8 out of the last 11 fish hooked - all came on this humble guide fly? Good question. This info isn't going to mean Jack to most, but clients and Fly School students know it well. Been fishing the lower North Fork, when the water permits, lovely bright fish, (no real big ones) and some big fish in the upper, when the flows are up. Another good fly with the light off the water is a Black and Purple G.P. (So what's new?) Weather has been all over the board, but water temperatures are stable in the 45-50 degree range. Most bites are fairly aggressive. Best to cover water, fish are in pods, from the mouth to Fortson. I tend to fish fast. If we don't find fish in one pool, we are on to the next. Wild steelhead are not timid, just got to get it in his zone. Final days for sign ups for our Skykomish Schools. With an early spring, maybe we will bump into a new summer run. Cool! Fish it low and slow, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" April 29 , 2000 "Fish have finally come in on the last high water" That's the word on the Sky. Its true, there are more fish available now, than we have seen all season. The flows are moderate, temperatures are good, and fishing was fine (when those darn squalls weren't pushing through). I think the key to fishing success this year was flexibility. I was sometimes fishing three different rivers in a single week. Only in the last ten days, could I settle in and say the Sky is the best fishing, we will fish there. I ended up fishing this Monroe farm stream more this season than I have in the last five years. Why? Because of the Skagit harvest problems, and of course that goes for the Sauk too. Poor Sauk. It's by far my favorite spring fishery, and this year not only did it suffer in the fish numbers, but the flood of 1999, destroyed much of the holding water in the lower half of the river. Throw a ton of rod pressure on top of that, I swear, there were many a day, when the anglers out numbered the fish! Anyway, maybe the last few days were better. I hope so for spawning sake. A
simple question: Now do you think its time to push for a STATE WIDE
WILD We have heard all the excuses, now let me give you the good reason. BECAUSE IT GIVES THE STEELHEAD THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, WHILE STILL ALLOWING TRUE SPORTSMEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPRECIATE THEM. Monuments:
I really had to chuckle. My clients and I came up on the lower two
If I come upon a sweet water lie that we have been catching fish in
(unless it's Anyway, It been lots of fun. Hope for better times on the Skagit drainage, don't get locked into a river if its not fishing well. Thank you Sky and those who allowed me to fish it with you. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" April 22, 2000 "One man's floor is another man's ceiling" High water sent me to the Skagit, early in the week. Water was up, Sauk was adding color, and the fish were moving! Saw five fish roll on Monday alone. Didn't do much until we switched to the Cop Car. Old reliable has only been doing so-so this season, so I relegated it, to a follow up position, after we have already fished a pool, or moved a fish and can't get it to come to the fly again. Happy Monday found four fish (rare this year) and three of those came on Cop car. Tuesday, the water cleared and it was back to the more traditional patterns, which we fished through Thursday. I am elated to report we found at least one fish everyday, but we really had to work for them! Another guide trick: I have already written about flies, leaders, lines, matching water and lighting conditions, yada yada. Here's another wrinkle for you. Some pools are obvious, some not so, so it pays to explore. A pool may have a perfect seam, travel lane, and depth, but lack structure. I have been known to place basket ball sized rocks in those seams, and presto! A steelhead lie. A common practice of mine in substrate poor river reaches. It doesn't always work, but sometimes... Weird: We were fishing a pool on the Skagit, when one of the boys hooks a small fish. It came thrashing to the surface, and frankly, I thought it was a Dolly. This large shadow looms near the surface, like a Ling Cod on a Rockfish, flashes and is gone! "Holy Cow!" I exclaimed, involuntarily. I stood staring at the water, not sure if I saw what I thought I saw. Hal plays and releases a wild Jack steelhead (wasn't a Dolly after all). He turns to me and quietly says, "Did you see that?". We fished through that zone several times. Nothing. He proceeded down and promptly hooked and released a lovely hen in the mid teens. The fish that flashed made his hen look like a piker. Awesome! Finished the week out on the Sky. The water was very high, uncomfortably clear, but pressure, like the Skagit, was almost nil. A cloud cover moved in, and we ended swimming several nice fish. Finally, a week to be proud of! Water temps are up, crowds are down, and the fish are happy. More lovely spring weather, I can't remember. Oh,
next Wednesday - . angler lost his partner and looking for another.
Sky Schools: availability Friday: 2 slots Saturday: Full, standby only Sunday: 3 slots As the Skagit, Sauk, and Skykomish fisheries come to a close, I can honestly say, its been the most challenging, loveliest spring I can remember! All May Stilly dates are full (except for 5-2) Clients are rebooking for next year. Looking forward to it. Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" April 15, 2000 "April showers bring May flowers" Shared time on the Sky and the upper Stilly. Sky was better overall. Probably the highlight of the week for a day spent with JoEllen and Becky. After the movie "A river runs through it", I saw a number of women flyfishers, but the last few years, being that I specialize in steelhead flyfishing, it's been pretty much men. This was a real treat for me because women are sometimes better students then men. (Sorry guys) Women don't come out with bad fishing habits, and they actually listen. Anyway, the day was warm and pleasant, and the gals were wonderful company. In a nutshell, we just had a great time. Oh yeah, we found fish, but that was more of a bonus. JoEllen, found the first one on a Cop Car, but it startled her, and dropped the hook before she could get a good hook set into it. Becky's fish wasn't so lucky and even though it ran deep into the backing and thrashed all over the pool, twenty minutes later it was picture time. Lovely male about ten pounds. Perfect. I so much enjoy watching anglers with their first steelhead. It's a buzz that simply never goes away. Warm rains blew the rivers out at the end of the week. March Brown Mayflies are coming out. Makes me want to stretch a line on my 5 weight. I was going to share with you a steelhead pattern I was quite impressed with, from Taku of Japan: I call it - the Tokyo Prawn. Tail, feelers, claws (whatever you want to call it) - 4 to 6, shank length, hot orange slender saddle badger hackles. Body: International orange Bunny fur, chickabou, small marabou, tied full but short. Collar: 2 turns orange shlappen hackle Eyes: optional There you have it. Very simple, but the key it those deceiver type hackles. They literally paddle in the water. Took a 17# Skagit buck on this fly. Try it, you will like it! Keep an eye on those river levels, may be a few days to get the Sky back. Hmmmm...........maybe time to sneak off to do a little trout fishing.......maybe. Sky Schools look like a fun group. Rob and Carrie Frank are planned to do the stream side lunch, again. Tasty! Back in a few, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" April 9 "The better I fish, the luckier I get." I have found through sad experience, it is not a good idea, to talk fishing success that surpasses the home boys. They're either thinking you are lying, cheating, or both. I won't bore you with numbers or statistics, hopefully, just a few helpful hints in this "year of the struggle." There is nothing like fishing some world class anglers with the drive of the Energizer Bunny to probe the waters to see what's really available. We fished three rivers in five days. Swam a fish or two on all but one of those days. That was the good news. The bad news is, I have never had such a week of LDR (long distance release) in my fifteen years of guiding! They came off every way imaginable! Oh Well. " 'Tis better to have hooked and lost, than to have never hooked at all." (I think I borrowed that.) I better go back and read my own article on hooks. Helpful hints: I won't limit myself to one river, and especially not one river section. I follow river levels religiously. Different rivers, as well as different pools, fish well at different water heights. The only variable that is difficult to predict is fishing pressure. I am not going to discuss my formula, but I will give you an example. We fished a river when the river was running full. We brought 3 steelhead to the fly that day. We went back later in the week, after the water had dropped and cleared and could hardly buy a fish. Why? Security. Fish were playing hide and go seek. Fish the lines that fish the pool. We fished lines as light as a type 2 and we fished bicycle chain at 550 grains. (Good way to lose half your fly box) but when the runs are down, and the fish are in hiding, you can't make a living on the fringe fish, you better go after them. Adapt your leaders and flies: If you log every fish you catch, you will soon see that you catch those fish under certain river and lighting conditions. When I fish the Skagit River (when I use to fish the Skagit River) the pools I choose, the waters I fish, the lines, leaders and flies, change dramatically, when the river is high and dirty, than when its low and clear. The more conditions you learn to fish confidently in, the better you fish. Ask yourself one simple question. Given the parameters of this day, where are the steelhead going to feel comfortable? Spring is here. Willows and Cottonwood are budding out, Alders are right behind. Its my favorite river smell. But then, I don't have allergies. Sky schools are filling. Couple slots in Friday and Saturday, Sunday about half full. Appreciate the thoughtful letters about the future of our wild steelhead. Habitat is about preserving a future, harvest is what we are willing to give up now. Best of fishing, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" April 2 Laws of Diminishing Returns: As the anglers success drops, so will his willingness to spend the time and effort in the pursuit. Those who are patient, will find an increase Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE), not because there are more fish to catch, but rather, because of a greater opportunity to fish more prime water over a rested fish, due to the reduction of fishing pressure. Spent a lovely week fishing with my friends from Japan. We didn't catch a lot of fish, but we seemed to have the whole river to ourselves. A very relaxing atmosphere. The highlight had to be Taku's large male, taken on day 2. His personal best last year, was a 12 pound fish. This 17 pound buck, was flawless and stunning. As I slipped the hook out and watched him swim away. I couldn't help but reflect on a conversation I had with a guide friend at the boat launch earlier that day. We were waiting for our respective clients to ready for the day. Most of the anglers have left the Skagit. Half of the guides have picked up, and left for other rivers, others just aborted their trips completely. The Skagit has a fairly hollow ring to it. Scott and I talked about the wild steelhead and the problems they face. The frustration in the fact that, all the steelhead require, is to let them live to spawn and reproduce. Scott says, "And the wild steelhead are FREE! They don't cost us anything." Well said. Fish bureaucrats love to talk about "Minimization" The effect on this kill fishery or that, has a minimal effect. Harvest management talks out of both sides of their mouth. Goes something like this: They conduct a kill fishery. If the results are such that they catch lots of fish, then the assumption is, because they only sampled a portion of the population, the run must be huge, so therefore, the fishery had little impact. No one wants to admit the efficiency of the gear or the many reasons why fish will naturally congregate, to be over harvested. But for the sake of argument we follow that logic and say large kill - large population. Do they use the same logic in small kill - small population? Heavens no! Now they expound the fact of real numbers, and make statements like, " We only took a handful of fish in this fishery, so the impact is minimal." Harvest Management is notorious for massaging numbers as it seems fit. You don't think so? Ask yourself three simple questions: 1)
Do we have more steelhead, or less than we did, even ten years ago?
2)
Have we done a better job at protecting the precious few wild steelhead
that get back? 3)
Who is really looking out for the fish? This is not a popularity contest, people. You don't have to believe me. Read Salmon without Streams. You can find it on my books page. It only advocates what I have been preaching from day one. You can make a difference. Clear-cut logging has dropped to 10% of its annual harvest in the Mount Baker- Snoqualmie forest. Why? Because people like you decided that you owned this land too. You convinced the powers-to-be, you didn't like it. You made it unpopular. Harvest
people: do the right thing, cut your harvest. Habitat people: strive to put some teeth in our laws that actually do something. Sportsman: Before you lose all opportunity to even fish a great river like the Skagit, stop your whining about the piddlies of Wild Fish Release, and get used to it. It's the only non-consumptive fishery we have. Anglers like Taku and Kunni are counting on it. Oh, and so are the wild steelhead. Please read the Wasserman Letter and my response. Best of fishing, Dennis BTW: 8 anglers have emailed me to tell of a first steelhead to the fly, since my Skagit school. Kudos! Hmmm.......not a single one has come from Skagit. Sky Schools are filling nicely, Email for availability. Taku showed me a new fly pattern from Japan, maybe I will describe it next week. Maybe. For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information"
March 25, 2000 And the answer is... The gentleman I fished this last week enjoys a bit of cloak and dagger so I have set up this weeks fishing report as a questionnaire, goes like this: This week we changed rivers to the: A)
Skagit The reason for doing so was because: A)
Wild steelhead harvest coupled with low spawning escapement has left
precious few fish in the Sauk and below The fishing overall was: A)
Phenomenal, we caught twenty pounders everyday The hot flies were: A)
Didn't seem to matter, just get it in front a him The fish were: A)
Little, nothing over ten pounds Answers ( B,C,B,C,B) This week I will fish the boys from Japan, wonderful gentlemen.....just don't speak any English. Me? Japanese?.......You got to be kidding. Received some very interesting e mail from my comments on the tribal Skagit netting, which ranged from concerned anglers to a tribal biologist. I am hoping he will let me print his letter (very good, by the way), and respond as an editorial. I am hoping it will be positive and educational.......we will see! ~ Wasserman Letter - Dennis's Response ~ OH, haven't said much about the Skykomish Steelhead School - going well. Still have some slots for each class. Swim a lovely fish, Dennis For information on booking a trip see "Rates and Booking Information" March 19, 2000 Busier than a one armed paper hanger: Lets see: Started the week down in the lower Stilly. Had a couple grabs that didn't stick, then Joe swam a nickel buck. Gorgeous fish. Larry's guys couldn't find a fish to stay on. Steve and I decided to do the Sauk as the rains came. River started stone low went to prime (at which point Steve swam a good fish) but came unpinned (bad fish.) I caught a large Dolly and the water went out by the time we hit the boat launch. River dropped back in for Steve's group.........but the rains came again, which chased us out of the lower Stilly, so we went to fish the Hazel area, and Boulder Creek kicked in and by mid afternoon, the upper Stilly went out. Hmmm......bummer dude! Tony and I decided a day on the Sky looked good and we fished it at still a very low water but visibility was around four feet which was great! Found a couple happy fish, and spent a very rainy but very enjoyable day. Dark practitioners, marabous, and bunny flies did well. Yes, rumors of the Skagit tribes netting the lower Skagit is true. Pete Castle WDFW biologist confirmed, they will be fishing 28 hours a week through March, with proposed April Test Fisheries. It was only a matter of time: Unfortunately I saw this one coming from way off. Before you get out your tomahawks and head off on the war path, there are a couple of issues you might want to consider. WDFW has set a pathetically low escapement number for the Skagit drainage for years. The rational here is: the fish have been able to sustain this minimal threshold, so it technically meets spawning escapement. This has nothing to do with how many fish COULD spawn if they would let them. Why pick such a low number? Because every returning adult over this number is considered "harvestable," only the tribes have been taking their harvestable out of the hatchery runts leaving the wild fish to whacked off by the lower river personal subsistence fishermen (sportsman)? Bottom Line: The sport harvest has been killing up to 3,000 wild steelhead every year. The tribes finally said,"Fine, two can play that game. You are going to harvest them?....so are w |