November Rezzie

I've been reading good flyfishing books more than actually flyfishing these days. Zane Grey's Tales of Fishes and the final chapters of Death, Taxes and Leaky Waders by John Gierach have given me hours of great pleasure. I learn something new with each story.

Today I drove south to Purdy Spit near Gig Harbor for a day of chasing resident Coho and searun cutthroat trout. Despite morning fog, the day turned out to be a beautful, but chilly, post-Thanksgiving day.

Last night I drew the tidal chart (below) on my right hand so that I could remember. High tide today is 2:39 and the sun sets around 4:30. I fished from noon to sunset -- so incoming and outgoing.

I strung up my 9-foot, 6-weight with one of Leyland Miyawaki's poppers. To be honest, I've never caught a fish on one of his famous poppers, but I have used it successfully as a search pattern.  In other words, it has helped me to find fish but never to catch one.

Out at Purdy, there was already 5-6 flyfishers -- part of what looked like a group. They were friendly but didn't seem to be hooking up.

Fifteen minutes after my first cast, I noticed a small swirl just behind my popper, which I worked just about like a top-water lure for bass. I stopped for a split second and then resumed. Slam! Fish on.  It was just about 30 feet from me and so I saw the take pretty well.  I stipped him in and used the net to keep the fish in the water. This fish was about 13 inches, relatively small but an enthusiastic fighter.

I believe this was my first resident Coho and it was defintely my first saltwater fish on a popper. Sorry the photos (below) aren't better.

A few minutes later I had another, bigger swirl, but no cigar.

Meanwhile, dark old Chum were splashing and jumping all around. I tried a few times but they are not very interested in feeding at this stage of their lives.

I had several more takes during the day on a beach fly and a scud of some sort. But alas, my first would be my last.

Later this week I plan to fish with my dad in Oklahoma. The weather looks pretty good.

Chum

With the sun shining, the winds low and out of the North, I headed out for an afternoon of fishing.  We had a lot of rain in October, but it's dried up a bit and the rivers have been falling.

I took 3 rods today -- a 5-, 6- and 7-weight.  I didn't have a grand plan, but with my son occupied and the girls traveling I had a rare expanse of time.

My greatest interest was to hunt steelhead, and I knew the "S" rivers were the ones to hunt. So I drove north up the Snoqualmie to the Skykomish. I parked at Al Borkin Park and fished a quarter-mile gravel bar but no luck. Lots of fishermen out, but I didn't see any action. (Cfs was right at 3,000).

As the sun sinking, I headed back south to my spot beneath the Fall City bridge on the Snoqualmie. I took my 5-weight thinking I would just enjoy fishing for small cutts. Nope, nothing. The spot where I know the cutts always hang out was desolate.

Then a funny thing happend.

I saw a rather large surge near my tiny little nymph. I tried again and saw another huge swirl. I could hardly believe my eyes when I looked up and saw a huge fish head stick straight up out of the water and (seemingly) look at me.

Chum salmon! Lots of them.

I hustled back to the car and grabbed my 7-weight and tied on a fly I bought two weeks ago at Patrick's Fly Show. The proprietor there told me chum really dig this smallish, green dumbell-eyed fly (below).

He was right. On the first cast they ate it up. These fish must be 20 pounds. They jump and splash around in the water like a labrador retriever.  That's probably why they are called dog salmon.

They are also like a dog in that they grab the line for a game of tug-of-war and then just let loose when they are done playing.

I hooked plenty and had a decent little fight but never brought one to hand.  I brought several to the surface but they seemed to just let go. They don't run with the line, they just sit there and hold on tight.

A few weeks ago I fished the South Sound, where I saw enormous Chum right up on the beach leaping from the water. One jumped completely out of the water not 3 feet from me. But try as I might, they would take nothing.  This is why I stopped by Patrick's to learn what they would take.

To the uninitiated, the quick way to know Chum are in the area is big, loud splashes right next to the beach. These fish are fearless.

No wonder the usual cutts were gone. They've been pushed out.

Priorities for end of this year are steelhead and some more sea-run cutts. And later this month I will be in Oklahoma and hope to catch a variety there.