It is mid-July and I am just a month away from completing my first year of intensive fly fishing. This weekend I discovered a few things about my education.
I fished Lake Sammamish, Snoqualmie and Cedar River this weekend -- each just for a few hours. What I have discovered is that I now know how to catch fish, mostly small but beautiful trout in moving water. Catching bigger fish requires more strategic thinking and technical skill, which clearly I am still developing.
Take Sunday evening for example. I was on the Cedar River which has fallen to below 400 cfs. I entered the water having already tied a dry fly and a nymph tandem. I immediately noticed fish rising and cast toward them. Nothing.
I switched to a Stimulator-type pattern and got trout to attack the fly. I had not seen this kind of action before on a river. What I discovered was that I was acting like a spectator, observing the fish rise and attack the fly but failing to set the hook. It was just so fun to watch them come from no where and boil up around the fly. After a dozen casts I finally set the hook and caught a nice little cutthroat which I quickly returned to the cold waters.
I fished for a couple of hours and just enjoyed watching the rises without ever setting the hook. I did have a larger one on but he got loose and I saw a considerable silver flash flee from my fly to deeper water. I have some work to do.
On Saturday night I caught 4-5 small cutthroat on the Snoqualmie near the Fall City bridge. I also brought my 6-weight which I had rigged with a steelhead streamer. I cast far and wide but never had a strong strike.
Looking back over my biggest successes, there are two lessons I need to heed. The first is to do a little more homework. Talk with fly shops, get local knowledge. The other is to get some polarized glasses so I can see and anticipate rises more promptly. It's almost too late once you see the rise.
Another lesson is to be more open to conversation with people while gearing up or down at the car. I have tended to be pretty guarded but very often friendly people are eager not just to ask questions but to share information. Yesterday a young fisherman stopped by the car to ask me how things had gone. I shared with him where I had fished, what I had used and what techniques were (and were not) working. He reciprocated by sharing with me a secret pool a mile downstream from where I fished. He pulled out his cell phone and showed me a spectuacular rainbow trout he had landed just a few days prior.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Lake Sammamish
My son and I headed out to Lake Sammamish tonight after dinner. He threw a Rooster Tail while I waded out with a dry and nymph tandem.
The water was rippled from the wind so I could not see any surface activity. Several months ago I had come to the same spot and saw fish dimpling the surface.
After about 15 minutes of casting, Ryan was working a backlash out of his reel and said, "dad, did you see that? Something just surfaced right over there." He pointed and I immediately cast to a point about 30 yards off shore. Two casts later, FISH ON!
I believe this is a kokanee, a land-locked sockeye salmon of about 10-11 inches. I could be mistaken with the identification but I am pretty certain it is a small salmon of some sort.
A nice way to end the weekend.
The water was rippled from the wind so I could not see any surface activity. Several months ago I had come to the same spot and saw fish dimpling the surface.
After about 15 minutes of casting, Ryan was working a backlash out of his reel and said, "dad, did you see that? Something just surfaced right over there." He pointed and I immediately cast to a point about 30 yards off shore. Two casts later, FISH ON!
I believe this is a kokanee, a land-locked sockeye salmon of about 10-11 inches. I could be mistaken with the identification but I am pretty certain it is a small salmon of some sort.
A nice way to end the weekend.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Tour of the Snoqualmies
Finally, sweaty waders. While the rest of the country has swealtered, Seattle has enjoyed mild temperatures, but today it got a little clamy in waders and boots as morning temperatures reached into the mid-70s.
I was up at 5:30 and on the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie at Old Reliable early. Water temperatures were in the mid-50s and flows were relatively high, though there were nice pools in my favorite spot. I tied on a March Brown with a dropper and caught 4 nice little cutthroat trout in just over an hour. One was about 10 inches and the others closer to 8. As I've said before, fish on this river are notoriously small, but setting is lovely.
I decided to change locations and drove to the North Fork. I found a nice shallow area with a pebbly bottom and cast out into the current. I caught a nice 12" cutt that got loose at my feet. He hit hard and actually jumped out of the water.
I walked further downstream and crossed several shallow islands to get out into an area with numerous runs spilling into deep pools. Using the same tandem I felt a hard strike and, again, the fish jumped elegantly. I later found that he went for the March Brown but I foul-hooked him on the side with the nymph. The hook was not deep and he came free easily. I did take a quick photo (see below). Also, below that is a photo of the location on the North Fork (Mt. Si is in the background).
I had hoped to hit all the Snoqualmies today but missed the South Fork and the Main. Next time.
Flow on the Middle Fork was about 1800 cfs and just under 500 cfs on the North Fork.
I was up at 5:30 and on the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie at Old Reliable early. Water temperatures were in the mid-50s and flows were relatively high, though there were nice pools in my favorite spot. I tied on a March Brown with a dropper and caught 4 nice little cutthroat trout in just over an hour. One was about 10 inches and the others closer to 8. As I've said before, fish on this river are notoriously small, but setting is lovely.
I decided to change locations and drove to the North Fork. I found a nice shallow area with a pebbly bottom and cast out into the current. I caught a nice 12" cutt that got loose at my feet. He hit hard and actually jumped out of the water.
I walked further downstream and crossed several shallow islands to get out into an area with numerous runs spilling into deep pools. Using the same tandem I felt a hard strike and, again, the fish jumped elegantly. I later found that he went for the March Brown but I foul-hooked him on the side with the nymph. The hook was not deep and he came free easily. I did take a quick photo (see below). Also, below that is a photo of the location on the North Fork (Mt. Si is in the background).
I had hoped to hit all the Snoqualmies today but missed the South Fork and the Main. Next time.
Flow on the Middle Fork was about 1800 cfs and just under 500 cfs on the North Fork.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Tacoma Trout
As has been my practice this baseball season, I dropped my son off for his team's pre-game warm-up and hustled alone to the nearest fishing hole I could find. The night before his games I do some online sleuthing. I Google the field location and then search a satellite map of nearby waters. I've fished rivers, ponds and oceans near his games.
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.
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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