Yesterday I found a spot on the southern end of Puget Sound that looked promising. A public access beach was just about 10 minutes from the ballfield.
I pulled into the parking lot and was gearing up when I caught out of the corner of my eye an older gentlemen approaching from the street.
"You ever fish here before?" he drawled.
Very often people come up and ask me stupid questions like am I going fishing (as I stand there in my waders holding a fishing rod.) So at first I showed disinterest in a conversation.
But he stood his ground and there was something in his question that caused me to look up.
"Do you know these waters?" I asked.
"Yep, been fishing here for years. That's my house right across the street."
I looked over to find a tidy little house with a nice garden overlooking the Sound. His wife was out watering the lawn.
As he described for me where to fish I detected in his accent something that felt very much like home.
"Where are you from?" I asked.
He laughed.
"I'm from Oklahoma."
Turns out he is from Apache, Oklahoma, very nearby where my family is from in southern Oklahoma. Suddenly we were kin and I let down my guard. We shook hands and talked for awhile. After sharing stories, we gave each other a friendly wave and I headed off across some railroad tracks to the shoreline where he had pointed me.
Using a small shrimp pattern and a 6 wt., I cast out into the outgoing tide around noon. It was several hours before low-tide. I worked along the shore from north to south. As I approached a small point, I cast out further and mid-way back felt my first bite. It felt weak and I suspected a perch or something small.
Just then I saw a good size searun cutthroat surface to my left. I quickly cast just ahead of where I saw the head and got a take, but no fish. I immediately cast again a few feet in front of my last cast and FISH ON!
I recalled that there was a small wind knot in my leader and so I was careful. I stripped in line and let the fish run whenever it wanted. The initial fight was less than I expected but once he got closer and caught sight of me he dove and made a couple of hard runs.
I netted a 14-15" beautiful cutt and quickly got a measurement on the flyrod. These fish are protected so I got him quickly into the water and watched him swim away.
By then it was almost game time so I scurried up the embankment, and ran back to the car along the railroad tracks. My Okie buddy was in the yard. He set us garden hose down and came over when he saw my excitement. He was thrilled to see some photos and congratulated me on a job well done. I told him I'd be back some time and he said I knew where to find them now.
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