Your Olympic Peninsula fly fishing guide. Catch& Release, fly fishing only! Chum salmon fry. A harbinger of spring. |
It's Chum Baby Time! |
Winter has been slow to release its grip on us here on the north Olympic Peninsula. Rain, snow, rain, snow, freeze, thaw, drip, drip, drip . . .
But every few days since the spring solstice we are getting a bit milder weather, more sunshine. The days are longer, everything is green and blooming, the herring have spawned. And the salmon fry are out and about in the shallow water along our beaches. There's still bound to be some few cutthroat spawning in our area creeks too. Especially with all of this rain lately. But there's also quite a few nice robust trout out and about, and feeding on the fry.
Sandlance are an important forage for the sea-run coastal cutthroat trout.
But every few days since the spring solstice we are getting a bit milder weather, more sunshine. The days are longer, everything is green and blooming, the herring have spawned. And the salmon fry are out and about in the shallow water along our beaches. There's still bound to be some few cutthroat spawning in our area creeks too. Especially with all of this rain lately. But there's also quite a few nice robust trout out and about, and feeding on the fry.
Sandlance are an important forage for the sea-run coastal cutthroat trout.
These flatwing style flies will do nicely to imitate the sandlance. Tied on #6 hooks. We take the weather one day at a time now. |
It's time to get out there on the beaches and try to remember how to cast. For the next few months you will find that the trout are feeding heavily on salmon fry, and other forage. Some of your flies should be quite small. Fry patterns can be useful from barely an inch to over 1-1/2 inches right now. By May they can be two inches or longer. Around here the herring will be quite small in May, and they seem to hug the shorelines, as does much of the prey species this early in the year. They will tell you that "a big fly will catch a big fish." But we do catch a lot of nice, bigger, sea-runs on size 12 dry flies and smaller shrimp, krill, and other patterns. A #12 to #10 Scud fly, in olive, tan or grey, can be fatal at times. Use these to imitate the "beach hoppers" that are all over the beaches and in the shallows. especially on a cloudy or overcast day. The hoppers like low light conditions. Trout will feed at the edges, in impossibly shallow water for them sometimes.
We will be back on the water this spring! Just in time for the beginning of another beautiful season of wild sea run Coastal Cutthroat trout fly fishing on the saltwaters and rivers of the Olympic Peninsula, Hood Canal and Puget Sound. Drop me a note or give me a call for details. All trips, casting instruction sessions, public and fly fishing club presentations, and rowboat picnics, must be booked in advance.
We will be back on the water this spring! Just in time for the beginning of another beautiful season of wild sea run Coastal Cutthroat trout fly fishing on the saltwaters and rivers of the Olympic Peninsula, Hood Canal and Puget Sound. Drop me a note or give me a call for details. All trips, casting instruction sessions, public and fly fishing club presentations, and rowboat picnics, must be booked in advance.
Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide and Instructor
I guide fly fishers on the Olympic Peninsula beaches, rivers and streams. We walk and wade, fly fishing for sea-run Coastal Cutthroat trout in freshwater and saltwater, and in the rivers for trout and summer run steelhead. This is strictly catch and release, traditional fly fishing only. Lunch, snacks, soft beverages, and use of some equipment is included. I also offer personalized and private fly fishing and fly casting instruction. I would be happy to help you plan your Olympic Peninsula fly fishing adventures, for beginners through expert anglers. Public presentations, Naturalist guide, Rowboat picnics, Tide Pool and River trail day trips. Please call, write or email for booking details. Now booking for April through October. Please plan ahead!
This is the way to go fly fishing for sea-run Cutthroat! SSShhh!!! Listen to the quiet . . . |
Bob Triggs
Little Stone Flyfisher
P.O. Box 261
Port Townsend, WA
98368
Licensed Washington State Guide
Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Trout Unlimited Aquatic Educator Award
W.S.U. Water Watchers and Beach Watchers Graduate
U.S.C.G First Aid/CPR/BLS/AED/BBP/HIV Certified
Phone: 360-385-9618
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LittleStoneFlyfisher
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