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.