Monday, December 23, 2013

"A Chance Of Rain"


Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide.
Catch and Release, Fly Fishing Only!

"A Chance Of Rain"


"Winter's Hope" 
(Courtesy of  Marty Howard)
   
   We have had an uncommonly mild and dry autumn this year. The winter solstice week has brought us a little much needed rain, and the Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers are rising in flows today. The winter (hatchery run) steelhead season has been pretty slow out here so far, with only  a few fish caught off and on since Thanksgiving. Most attribute this to the low water we have had all of this past autumn. The winter solstice has brought back some moisture, and we have gotten some brief warm up periods, and a little rain, enough to stir things back to life. The weather pattern we are in right now may set us up for some good fishing conditions during the rest of the week, and possibly into the New Year.

"A chance of rain"

      It is a honking, blustery cold and windy winter day on the peninsula today. We expect it to be milder ahead, briefly anyway. Normally, November is the wettest month of the year here. This fall it just didn't go that way. Though this first week of winter feels pretty normal to me- a little wind and rain, some fresh water in the rivers, snow in the mountains, and an encouraging spell of weather to follow, and "a chance of rain", at least in the forecast. We hope the fish will follow suit. Sometimes when it's been a protracted period of low water, and once we do get some rain and stronger flows, the fish come upriver pretty quickly, perhaps quite a few. And these fish can be fun to catch. So maybe this will be just what was needed to get the fish moving, to shake out the cobwebs, and get us back on the rivers. Winter is the prettiest time of year here, the rain forest is so lush, green and vibrant. The jade colored waters entice.

"An endless series of occasions for hope"

     Good local bets for targeting the hatchery steelhead are going to be on the Sol Duc, Bogachiele, Calawah, Quillayute-  usually downriver of the hatcheries. And that is where you will run into all of the other people who are fishing for them too, on foot and in boats. Thick as thieves, thick as flies . . . And some of them will be just plain thick. I like to get away from all of that, and get upriver a little. Sometimes there are plenty of hatchery strain steelhead well upriver, especially early in the season, even in the rivers that do not have hatchery runs formally established on them.

   And you will encounter far fewer people.

   Remember that the Sol Duc river has been set aside for natural reproduction of wild steelhead now. And so hatchery strain steelhead smolt planting has ceased, as has the Snyder Creek Hatchery program. But on the Sol Duc River, being integral to the Quillayute River System, it is not at all surprising that we can still catch hatchery steelhead there.

Winter run.

   This is why I prefer walk and wade fly fishing here. It is not that I don't like rowing, I certainly do, and I have thousands of river miles behind me on many lower 48 rivers, here, in New England, in Alaska, and Kamchatka Russia too. But I feel that the boats are too many and the manners too few here. And that's not what I got into this game for. This is one of those unintended consequences of hatchery fish production- there is a tendency for people to take the fish, the rivers, and their fellow fishermen for granted. I try to see each one as a gift. And I hope that you will too. And please remember that when you are fishing with me- all wild fish are to be released without avoidable injury. So now, let's dust off our spey and Skagit rods, clean and lube our reels, sort out our sink tips and shooting heads, check all of our rigging knots and connections, make sure to have fresh new tippet and leader materials, then go spin up some really pretty and bright flies, and let's go fishing!

 Happy Holidays to you! 
Gift Certificate Trips available year-round!


 
"Last cast"

    We'll be walk and wade fishing these beautiful Olympic Peninsula rivers all winter.  Our early winter-run Steelhead are coming into the Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers with each spate that we are having, all through early winter so far. If you would like to plan a fishing date with me- do it well ahead of time. Winter sea-run Cutthroat beach trips as well.

Remember: Catch & Release, Traditional Fly fishing Only! 
    Beginners welcome. Full instruction available. Complete support assured. Use of equipment available. Picnic lunch and soft beverages provided. Celebrating over 33 years of international fly fishing adventures!

    Please call or write for booking details:

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.
U.S.C.G. Cert. BLS/BBP/HIV/CPR/First Aid.
Private and public presentations.
Row Boat Picnics on a local salmon estuary.

Telephone: 360-385-9618

Email: littlestoneflyfisher@mail.com

Web: Little Stone Flyfisher

Like us On Facebook! www.facebook.com/LittleStoneFlyfisher


 

   


  

Monday, December 9, 2013

Arctic December Surprise



Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide
Catch & Release, Fly Fishing Only!

   Arctic December Surprise

Counting spawning Coho.
   
    December 9th update. 

    Ever since Thanksgiving weekend the Olympic Peninsula coastal steelhead rivers have been drawing down in flows, beneath a deep freeze that has lasted most of the last two weeks. It has been very cold and dry. And This does slow down the fishing. But despite these low and clear, cold conditions, the winter run hatchery steelhead are showing up on time, and the fishermen are catching them. And we do expect that the fish will follow their usual schedule, and continue to be showing up in their greatest numbers through Christmas and New Years day. 


Working a winter run.

   Just in time- RAIN! The arctic weather is going to be progressively moderating all week ahead here, as warmer air moves in, and we do see some blessed rain on the horizon. It looks to be coming in slowly, with Thursday and Friday likely seeing some more significant rainfall and a warming trend. No doubt the rivers will come up to some degree. The rivers and the fish need this rain. And we fishermen will appreciate the warmer temperatures too. This week should be good, and getting better, if we get the minor rainfall each day or night or so, along the way. I don't think anyone can yet say how next weekend will be. It could go either way by then. Even if the bigger water does come up to become an issue, there are often many upriver spots, and smaller waters, that are open and approachable for this fishing. I am looking forward to some cloudy, dripping wet weather myself. And these fish will become more reactive to a fly with a warming trend too. Just be sure to get it in front of them, deep and slow.

   We'll be walk and wade fishing these beautiful Olympic Peninsula rivers all winter.  Our early winter-run Steelhead are coming into the Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers with each spate that we have been having, all through autumn and early winter so far. If you would like to plan a fishing date with me- do it well ahead of time. Winter sea-run Cutthroat beach trips as well.
Remember: Catch & Release, Traditional Fly fishing Only! 
    Beginners welcome. Full instruction available. Complete support assured. Use of equipment available. Picnic lunch and soft beverages provided. Celebrating over 33 years of international fly fishing adventures!

    Please call or write for booking details:

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.
U.S.C.G. Cert?BLS/BBP/HIV/CPR/First Aid.
Private and public presentations.
Row Boat Picnics on a local salmon estuary.

Telephone: 360-385-9618 / International Toll Free: 866-793-3595

Email: littlestoneflyfisher@mail.com

Web: Little Stone Flyfisher

Like us On Facebook! www.facebook.com/LittleStoneFlyfisher


    

Monday, December 2, 2013

December, and Murphy's Law on the Olympic Peninsula


Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide.
Catch & Release Fly Fishing Only!



December
  Our winter steelhead season is beginning with a blast of cold arctic air today, directly on the heels of a brief end of Thanksgiving weekend storm that dropped a lot of wind, snow and rain in the Olympic Mountains on Sunday, and drove the river flow gauges straight upwards in the span of one day. Right now- now that it is Monday and you are back at work- all of those river gauges are on the drop, and our waters are approaching a steep return to normal seasonal flows. You will want to be here to greet the next push of winter run steelhead that will be riding this most recent spate in these rivers. There are already winter fish upriver. Freezing temperatures will likely hold at very low elevations for some days and nights ahead, so the conditions will only improve as these rivers calm down. It will be cold enough to improve water clarity quickly as well. The smaller waters, and some upriver reaches of the coastal rivers and streams are already in good shape for fishing today. Most of these December winter run steelhead are hatchery origin fish, and there are plenty of them.


What a difference a day makes . . .
Or, "Murphy's Law of Winter Steelhead Fishing."

  So if you were able to fish here this weekend- you encountered some very low flows, gin clear water in many places, and some hard to catch fish. And you would have had plenty of company on the water as well. Surely the Fish Gods are laughing at all of us now, as today's turn of events sets the stage for a week of nearly perfect conditions for anyone who wants to swing a steelhead fly out here this coming week.

  If I were you . . . I would be calling the boss and letting him know that I was too well to be working this week. But then, that's just me. And I don't mind sleeping in my truck in the rainforest and living on peanut butter and coffee. And swinging flies on the bright waters of winter here, catching chrome bright winter run steelhead, while everyone else is at work. Your mileage may vary.

  Just Saying.


We'll be walk and wade fishing these beautiful Olympic Peninsula rivers all winter.  Our early winter-run Steelhead are coming into the Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers with each spate that we have been having, all through autumn and early winter so far. If you would like to plan a fishing date with me- do it well ahead of time. Winter sea-run Cutthroat beach trips as well.

  Remember: Catch & Release, Traditional Fly fishing Only! 

 Beginners welcome. Full instruction available. Complete support assured. Use of equipment available. Picnic lunch and soft beverages provided. Celebrating over 33 years of international fly fishing adventures!

Please call or write for booking details:

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.
U.S.C.G. Cert?BLS/BBP/HIV/CPR/First Aid.
Private and public presentations.
Row Boat Picnics on a local salmon estuary.

Telephone: 360-385-9618 / International Toll Free: 866-793-3595

Email: littlestoneflyfisher@mail.com

Web: Little Stone Flyfisher

Like us On Facebook! www.facebook.com/LittleStoneFlyfisher


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thanksgiving



Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide,
Catch & release, Fly Fishing Only!

Thanksgiving


I can eat this entire turkey myself, without your help.
    
   On this eve of Thanksgiving I am thinking about the early winter steelhead runs on our Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers and streams. Over the past few weeks we have had very little rain, and our rivers are drawing down to low and clear conditions again. I was out in the dory here, on the saltwater, several times over the last weeks, and it was almost like an Indian Summer out there all over again. Hard to believe how mild it has been. One good thing is that over the last month or more we have gained some snow in the higher elevations of the Olympic Mountains, and that is helping to keep our rivers alive as the freezing levels are going up to higher altitude over the next few days, and we expect some rain, and likely some melting and runoff, at the same time. By this weekend we should be getting some rain here. Sunday in particular looks pretty wet. And about the same time that the rain hits here, the freezing levels will again plummet, through the weekend, to near sea-level freezing temperatures by Monday. As it gets colder we are going to be using some larger or heavier flies, perhaps sinking or poly leaders too, sink tips and shooting heads, and we'll be slowing it all down to get that fly working on a slow swing. This is where spey fishing really pays off, as the work is divided between two hands, and our presentations are so much more manageable all day.

      My sense of this situation is that along with some much needed rain, we will likely get a moderate reaction in river flows as the rains turn to ice and snow. I just wish it was happening today. It looks like a very mild, pleasant Thanksgiving for fly fishermen here. Friday too may be nice, with some rain expected, and colder temperatures beginning to move in by Saturday. With that kind of pressure and temperature change, we will likely get some wind too, at least through Saturday and into Sunday. After Monday it looks very cold and dry for the end of November and beginning of December. And by then the mountains will be loaded with fresh snow, the rivers charged and alive. I bet there will be some winter runs in the mix too. Please do your part to catch and kill as many of these hatchery-run steelhead as you legally may. Dress warmly. It should be interesting to see how this weekend shakes out.

   So there you have it- sunshine, rain, wind, ice, snow, fresh winter flows, and the promise of chrome bright winter fish- It must be winter steelhead season!


There are steelhead out there! . . .

   I don't know about you, but I am going to be eating turkey every day for a week to come. Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy every minute of it! 

  See Dr Cliff Mass weather blog for the latest updates on this holiday weekend regional weather. We are especially blessed this year!http://cliffmass.blogspot.com

For a good read on Bull Trout fly fishing, from our friend Jon Tobey: 
http://gointothelight.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/hunting-bulls/


                           
   Autumn Cutthroat and early Winter Steelhead!

  We'll be walk and wade fishing these beautiful Olympic Peninsula saltwater beaches right through November- And any time that the conditions are right- all winter!   Our early winter-run Steelhead are coming into the Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers with each spate that we have been having, all through autumn so far. If you would like to plan a fishing date with me- do it well ahead of time.

  Remember: Catch & Release, Traditional Fly fishing Only! 

 Beginners welcome. Full instruction available. Complete support assured. Use of equipment available. Picnic lunch and soft beverages provided. Celebrating over 33 years of international fly fishing adventures!

Please call or write for booking details:

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.
U.S.C.G. Cert?BLS/BBP/HIV/CPR/First Aid.
Private and public presentations.
Row Boat Picnics on a local salmon estuary.

Telephone: 360-385-9618 / International Toll Free: 866-793-3595

Email: littlestoneflyfisher@mail.com

Web: Little Stone Flyfisher

Like us On Facebook! www.facebook.com/LittleStoneFlyfisher




Wednesday, November 20, 2013

"Winterish" . . .



Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide.
Catch & Release, Fly fishing only!

"Winterish" . . .

  November 21, 2013 Update

  We are enjoying one of the mildest autumn-into-winter transitions here that that I can remember. Timely rains have kept our Olympic Peninsula steelhead rivers alive, with great fishing between the spates, and now a long stretch of sublime weather is moving in, and the rivers are on the drop- Again. Meanwhile, our beaches are fishing just fine, thank you! The forecast for the next ten days is looking very good, with some of the mildest weather predicted through the weekend here. Hatchery run winter steelhead are moving in on the recent spell of brief high water, and these fish will be encountered throughout most of the rivers here now. Flows are on the drop and just about everything should be eminently approachable for walk and wade anglers, and especially for traditional swung fly steelhead fly fishing.

 It's rare that we can expect to get a bit of a sunburn while winter steelhead fishing out here. Normally, by Thanksgiving, the winter runs will be full-on here, and the hatchery runs hold well through December and through New Years week. With these frequent rains we have had, and the resultant runoff, I expect that more fish are on the move, perhaps a little earlier than expected. But Thanksgiving is over a week away, which is an eternity for winter weather forecasting here! So, when the sirens call, when the stars converge, when the muse whispers in your ear, and when were talking about no serious rain for the next week or more here- Do not wait to get on the water and enjoy it! (P.S. Bring sunscreen!)

 With the river flows dropping back into good condition for fly fishing now, we will expect water clarity to continue to rapidly improve over the next few days. By this weekend many of our favorite runs will be gin-clear, or nearly so. Just lately the night time temperatures have been very cold, and we have had some bright sunlight too, with more of that in the forecast, so we can expect that we will encounter some fish holding in the deeper and shadier niches. And this means that you will need to get your fly to slow down and hunt for them. As much as we have become accustomed to going to the heavier sink tips, sinking leaders and sinking heads, to accomplish these deeper presentations, sometimes a dry line will do it better. When the rivers are on the drop, and the flows are slowing down, try using a floating line and a longer leader. Now is the time to get out that traditional spey rod, and long belly spey line, and slow it all down. An six to nine foot leader, tapered to a 10-12 pound test tippet at most, might be very good. Using this approach, paired with using sparser flies, on heavier hooks, you can often happily eschew the dumb-bell eyed monster flies, and still get a very controllable presentation. In fact, the lighter the conditions get, as far as improved water clarity and slower, lower flows, the smaller and sparser the flies I will be using. I will include some surface waking flies in this mix too. Yes, I know- "It's winter" . . . But we have learned to go with the flows, not the calendar.

Hatchery Steelhead do not belong in the Hoh River . . .
But we catch them here every winter!

 Speaking of the Saltchuck . . .

"Meanwhile, our beaches are fishing just fine, Thank you!"


Gratitude . . . The Salmon Festival is back!

www.nosc.org/
    Our friends over at the North Olympic Salmon Coalition are throwing a little party, this coming Friday November 22nd, 4-9 p.m., Chimacum Grange Hall, and you are invited! 

 See: www.facebook.com/NorthOlympicSalmonCoalition  

The many ongoing salmon habitat restoration projects being undertaken by NOSC have succeeded in returning tens of thousands of wild spawning Salmon, Steelhead and Coastal Cutthroat trout, and more, to our north Olympic Peninsula regional waters. If there is anyone to credit for our having such coincidentally good wild sea-run Coastal Cutthroat trout fishing here- it is the dedicated and extrordinarily hard working, inspiring staff and volunteers of this organization. Please support them! 

Happy Thanksgivukkah!!

 See Dr Cliff Mass weather blog for the latest updates on this holiday weekend regional weather. We are especially blessed this year! http://cliffmass.blogspot.com


My neighbors are getting nervous . . .
   
Autumn Cutthroat and early Winter Steelhead!

  We'll be walk and wade fishing these beautiful Olympic Peninsula saltwater beaches right through November- And any time that the conditions are right- all winter!   Our early winter-run Steelhead are coming into the Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers with each spate that we have been having, all through autumn so far. If you would like to plan a fishing date with me- do it well ahead of time.

  Remember: Catch & Release, Traditional Fly fishing Only! 

 Beginners welcome. Full instruction available. Complete support assured. Use of equipment available. Picnic lunch and soft beverages provided. Celebrating over 33 years of international fly fishing adventures!

Please call or write for booking details:

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.
U.S.C.G. Cert?BLS/BBP/HIV/CPR/First Aid.
Private and public presentations.
Row Boat Picnics on a local salmon estuary.

Telephone: 360-385-9618 / International Toll Free: 866-793-3595

Email: littlestoneflyfisher@mail.com

Web: Little Stone Flyfisher

Like us On Facebook! www.facebook.com/LittleStoneFlyfisher



Thursday, November 14, 2013

Early winter, Perfect flows . . .


Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide
Catch & Release, Fly Fishing Only!

Early winter, Perfect flows . . .

Early winter run.
 11/14/13 Update

 For the last month or so we have gotten intermittent rains here on the Olympic Peninsula, and thus far this has been very beneficial to fish and fishermen alike. Our coastal rivers have not been terribly affected despite several very brief high water events. If anything, each spate has brought new fish upriver. There are fish- Coastal Cutthroat trout, summer-run Steelhead, early winter-run Steelhead, Char and Salmon- spread throughout most of these systems now. For the last week the flows have been on the drop, and the fishing conditions have been near perfect. Right now the river gauges are reading about average for this time of year. Over this upcoming next weekend forecast in particular we have a nice mix of moderate rainfall and very cold air, low altitude freezing levels in the mountains, which should sustain these current moderate river flows through next Monday or Tuesday anyway. This is shaping up to be a very good weekend to fish on these rivers. By Thanksgiving we will likely be seeing a lot more winter run steelhead around here.


Hoh River morning.

   On the Saltchuck- people have gone downright Chum Crazy lately! The Chum Salmon run is turning out to be about double the numbers of what the managers had forecast it to be this fall. For some observations and resources on seeking out these fish, Blogger Christopher Dunagan's blog, "Watching Our Water Ways," recent notes on this Chum salmon run may be helpful. And over at the Orvis Bellevue Facebook Page, Fly Shop Manager Jason Cotta has provided a brief video on rods and rigging for our Chum Salmon fly fishing. So, if you are inclined, this is one heck of a fun game to get in on it out here; Using a 9 to 10 weight rod, a floating line, or a clear intermediate sink tip, 4-6 foot level mono leader of 16-20 pounds test, small, heavy bright flies, pink, cerise, chartreuse, etc. Some of these fish are very tough and big. We're still catching some bright sea run Cutthroat here too. And with the autumn being so mild, I expect this to continue through the month or more ahead.

Autumn sunset on the Saltchuck.


Happy news for us locals!
The documentary film "Kiss The Water"-  the life of Scottish classic salmon fly tier Megan Boyd, will be playing in Port Townsend at The Rose Theatre, this Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. each day only. For details see here:
www.rosetheatre.com/film/kiss-the-water






 This is it! Autumn is here! The run is on! You should be fishing!

 We'll be walk and wade fishing these beautiful Olympic Peninsula saltwater beaches right through autumn, with September, October and November offering us some of the best guided beach fishing opportunities of the year. Our winter-run Steelhead are coming into the rivers with each spate that we have been having all through autumn so far. If you would like to plan a fishing date with me- do it well ahead of time.

 Remember: Catch & Release, Fly fishing Only! 

 Beginners welcome. Full instruction available. Complete support assured. Use of equipment available. Picnic lunch and soft beverages provided. Celebrating over 33 years of international fly fishing adventures!

Please call or write for booking details:

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.
U.S.C.G. Cert?BLS/BBP/HIV/CPR/First Aid.
Private and public presentations.
Row Boat Picnics on a local salmon estuary.

Telephone: 360-385-9618 / International Toll Free: 866-793-3595

Email: littlestoneflyfisher@mail.com

Web: Little Stone Flyfisher

Like us On Facebook! www.facebook.com/LittleStoneFlyfisher


Monday, October 28, 2013

The Secret Season



Your Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide
Catch & release, Fly Fishing Only.

The Secret Season

Our autumn fly fishing season has been sensational! 

 We have had some of the finest weather and fishing conditions that anyone can remember ever seeing here this time of year. The Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers got several nice shots of rain and came up quickly, and dropped right back into shape quickly, and for weeks now the salmon, cutthroat and summer steelhead have been getting caught on the rivers with regularity. Now the rivers are in low flow, summer-like conditions, and some of that fishing has slowed a bit. We expect better fishing to resume in earnest, with the next rains forecast for the middle of next week. By Halloween this mild weather should get some rain. The longer range forecast is showing a strong likelihood of rain here for the next ten days. Don't wait for that though. If you can get out here, do it. With low water now, after those several good pushes of rain, there will be fish spread throughout most of these rivers by now. Bring a floating line and some good wet flies, streamers, skaters, wakers etc.

 Monday November 4th Update: After the storm

 We had a pretty serious wind event here through Saturday, and just enough rain to perk up the rivers really nicely. The Hoh River came up about 1000 c.f.s. after being stuck at about 600 c.f.s. for weeks. Right now the rivers are dropping back down and the fishing has been very good on some of the bigger Olympic Peninsula coastal rivers. Some stalwarts made it out on Saturday, despite the wind dangers. We do have rain in the week long forecast ahead, which is normal for this time of year. And very happily, we have mountain weather forecasts showing freezing / snow levels in the Olympic Mountains at 2500-3500 feet. That has moderated the influence of the rain on the rivers so far. This is setting us up for some really good winter fly fishing conditions. The water is getting colder now, so we will be thinking of getting our flies deeper and slower on the drift and swing. With lower flows we won't be using really heavy heads to get deep if we don't have to. Often we can use a floating line, 9 foot leader, and heavier fly to get down sufficiently. In low water there is no need to dredge the bottom. In fact, doing so can sometimes push the fish away. "Heavy Iron" style hooks, sparse ties, like the classic hair wings, from size #6 through #1, can be the good choice for this fishing.  And in low water I will be using some darker colored flies. If the water is any more colored than a rich deep green. for instance a grey glacial till color, still with a few feet of visibility, I will use some hot pink, red, orange, pink or cerise accented flies. These fluorescent colors reflect more light at deeper depths, and in turbid conditions. So, it has rained, not too much, and the fish are on the move again. 

 Friday November 1st Update: Weekend Warning! 

 This morning the bay is flat and calm, very light winds, no waves, the air is balmy- a perfect morning to be fly fishing anywhere on the beaches here. The rivers have yet to pick up enough rain to make a real or encouraging difference in flows. According to the most recent forecast models for our region this is about to change very quickly, and in a dramatic way. There is a serious Gale Warning for our region, with dangerous and potentially damaging wind predictions, that point to tonight through late Saturday night and perhaps into Sunday as being particularly volatile. So today may be your best bet for a beach outing. By tonight the worm turns. The weekend does not look so good. This would be a good time to tie some steelhead flies. Things should calm here by Monday. Along with this big pressure change here we should be seeing some rain on and off through the next week or more. And our rivers surely need that. These Gale Warnings are in place on the west coast of Washington, the Vancouver B.C. area, and across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. These first strong wind events of late autumn and early winter can make outdoors activity dangerous with broken tree branches and trees falling etc. So be very careful out there. We all know how these warnings sometimes do not shake out to be so bad. But I will note here that our regional forecasts are getting more accurate. And along with the NOAA Seattle regional weather offices, I rely on the University of Washington Climate programs. Here is a link to U.W. Professor Dr Cliff Mass Weather Blog and his most recent update on this incoming weather. 

 Our saltwater beaches are in really good shape so far. I was out for a row with a friend in the dory here the other night, and we spotted a very large pod of coho salmon, finning along at the surface, dozens of them that we could see, in shallow water and close to shore. As luck would have it we were not fishing. A good reminder that there is still some good fishing to be had out there. And for you stalwart saltchuck fishermen, the fall Chum salmon run is just getting going. An 8 or 9 weight will cover that. With this autumn shaping up as it has so far, with good conditions, mild weather, and so many good fish being caught, I expect to be fishing the saltwater beaches here right through November, and beyond. Here is a piece that I shared with Doug Rose on his blog some few years ago, with my take on sea run Cutthroat fishing in late autumn and winter. Enjoy!

“The Secret Season”
By Bob Triggs
 The cold gray skies of November bring many Olympic Peninsula fly fishers adventures to a gloomy ending. Most of the lakes and smaller waters have closed, Salmon season on the salt-chuck has wound down, and the fickle weather keeps our coastal rivers flows unstable enough to make any long range fishing plans tentative at best. Quite a few anglers will not fish for trout again until spring and opening day on the lowland waters. Rods and reels will be closeted, tackle stored. Some will tie flies, most will begin the annual rituals of winter-idled anglers anywhere; book and magazine reading by a warming fire, sporting show attendance, fishing club gatherings, haunting the fly shops, pontificating on the Internet fishing forums, and sundry all of the many survival strategies of the seasonally displaced fisherman. There is a kind of hum-drum predictability to it all.
 Yet perhaps there is more. No, I do not mean the mystical and obsessional Olympic Peninsula Rainforest winter Steelhead season; for which there is no cure or treatment except to stand hips deep in the numbingly icy waters, in howling wind and rain, swinging a wet fly in the turbid jade green flows with zombie-like expectancy. No; I am reminding you trout fishers that the fine art of Sea Run Coastal Cutthroat Trout fly fishing can be pursued on our area beaches, using floating lines and dry flies if you like, all winter long. Yes; November through March- all good fishing months when most anglers wouldn’t be caught dead out on an exposed Puget Sound salt-chuck beach with fly rod in hand. And you will have those beaches mostly to your self. There are enough mild, not too windy nor wet, winter days here to make beach fishing a delightfully frequent possibility. And this creates a welcome diversion from the gloominess of grey skies, short days and the waiting for river flows to return to fishable flows between storms. You might even forget that it is winter. Especially when we get a few warmer and sunnier days in February, and the termites start hatching out of the rotting logs on the beach- and a nice fluffy, ruddy brown colored Stimulator fly will fool a cruising trout in shallow water. 
 Many sea-run Coastal Cutthroat Trout spend a good deal of time in the winter months feeding adjacent to their natal streams and beyond. These fish tend to be a little heftier than the average summer fish from October onward. I have caught them on  just about every kind of trout fly that you can think of. My biggest winter Cutthroat have come on big dark flies- Streamers, Matukas, Wooly Boogers, Leeches, Bunnies, Skunkaboos etc- swung deep and slow, using an intermediate sink or dry line and a longer leader of over nine feet in length. However you approach it the point is a deep slow presentation. I never use strike indicators or floats or jigs in this fishing.  These big fish hit hard and will give your five weight and wrists a good workout. I like the simple meditation of walking along a beach in wintertime, watching the subtle shifts of light and water, the changing moods of the day, the migrating birds and waterfowl, the Seals and Porpoises and Otters. Wading a tide pool can yield lessons in discovering the winter forage for your trout, and new ideas for your fly box. Puget Sound winter beaches are surprisingly alive with wildlife activity, even on the colder days. It is not uncommon to catch a few resident Coho on some days in winter, and these scrappy fish will test your tackle too. How about this: winter Steelhead migrate along most of our beaches all winter long and you could hook the fish of a lifetime if one of them grabs your skating Muddler off of the surface. Good luck landing it on your five weight…  
 For romance and serendipity there may not be much more fun in sea-run Cutthroat Trout fly fishing than skating a big bushy dry fly or popper on the surface of a strong tidal flow. Fellow fly angler Leland Miyawaki says of fishing with his own design Beach Poppers: “It’s the most fun you can have on a beach with your clothes on”.  Skating, waking, stripping and shaking his fly can be addictive and mesmerizing; and then the water begins to bulge, as a wake forms behind and you realize that a big fish is chasing down your skittering popper; Slam!, and the game is on!. Poppers have been around in various forms and styles all over the world for many years. But Leland has reinvented the art and joy of tying and fishing these flies with his own Miyawaki’s Beach Popper. Try them and you may just might never want to fish beneath the surface again. 
 For several years I have made a foray to the beaches around Christmas day, weather permitting, armed with a few flies, and on most trips I catch one or two trout in as many hours of pleasant fishing. If you bring along  a rucksack, a newspaper or book, a lunch and a thermos, you can make a day of it. I like that kind of pace. With so many good beaches and local access, its hard to ignore. There are more miles of beach to explore here, to wade or not to wade, casting for sea-run Coastal Cutthroat Trout, than you could ever cover in a lifetime, much less an active winter of adventure. It is too easy to get stuck in a rut of fishing in the same old places in the same old ways. Get out and take  a walk someplace new, explore and experiment. You might surprise yourself with another productive fishing spot or a new way of doing things. And you might beat the winter doldrums and flab too. Sea-runs move often, they rarely stay in one spot for more than one tide cycle, neither should you. So keep moving. 
 Don’t get caught in the “high tide” mentality. We have enough structure and current here on Admiralty Inlet and around the Olympic Peninsula region beaches that you can catch sea-run Cutthroat at any time of tide on most days, if you just work at it. It won’t hurt you to learn the structures of  a beach by visiting it on a minus tide day and watching the flows as a tide comes in. One good thing is to find current flowing along a beach, on any tide, from there your fishing is just like freshwater river fishing anywhere. Having bait around helps, so be on the lookout for birds feeding, especially sea ducks and Cormorants and especially Osprey. Taking a little time to study forage fish habitats and behavior will pay off too. Look for gravel and cobblestone bottom beaches with moving water at some time of tide. Spurs of land, points and bars, ledges and humps, all indicate some current at some point of tide. Sea-run Cutthroat like an active fly so don’t be afraid to keep that fly moving and alive! Strip-Shake-Rattle-N-Roll!  Mix it up and make it look real. No bait fish with a set of trout teeth chasing it slows down or stops. Its not paranoia if they are really after you! Once you find a good spot and catch a few fish, don’t get “stuck”- keep moving. Even a few steps at a time once in a while can make a big difference. Make an adventure of it. But remember where you caught the last one!
 Don’t wade too deep; knee deep to shin deep is fine. Once you begin wading deep you can push fish away, and you will be losing your body core temperature the whole time you are fishing no matter how well you layer your clothing. Frequent breaks to warm up are a good strategy. Better yet; don’t allow yourself to get cold to begin with. Simply walking out of the water for a few minutes occasionally is usually enough to warm you, along with snacks and sipping hot thermos drinks or soup during the day. It’s supposed to be fun. Try to work your fly in the shallows before you ever actually do any wading. Standing on the dry beach at waters edge I once caught a 12 pound ocean returning Coho salmon in two feet of water right in front of me this way. Trout feed in ridiculously shallow water sometimes. Any time of year you could have a good day of catching Cutthroat right at the edges all day, and never once step in the water to do it. But only if you try.
 A nine foot five or six weight fly rod is fine. I like the medium to fast action rods, especially on a windy day or when I’m pushing big Poppers or fluffy flies. The Switch and Spey rods are gaining in popularity on the beaches these days too. A 12 foot six weight seems fine. I prefer a floating fly line all year round. But many people swear by the newer intermediate sink clear lines and sink tip lines. Using a dry line I can adjust my leader length according to the fly I am using and depth that I want to fish. In the broader, slower flows of most shallow water beach fishing situations here this is a refreshingly simple affair. A nine foot factory tapered, knotless 4X or 3X monofilament leader should cover most of it. Have extra spools of tippet and your leaders will last much longer. I use all kinds of trout and steelhead flies for this fishing but I especially like Leland’s Beach Popper and big brushy Steelhead muddlers like Bill McMillan’s Steelhead Caddis. Generally I try to avoid long shank hooks and limit my hooks to size # 4 and # 6. I also use bait fish flies like the Clouser Minnow. I opt for more natural or imitative colors and patterns overall. Larger and longer shank hooks can easily kill a Cutthroat Trout. Remember that by law we are to “release all fish without avoidable injury”, as these fish are protected from harvest on Washington’s marine waters.
 If you dress properly for winter weather, though often it is quite mild here, being aware of the colder water temperatures on Puget Sound waters, and if you come with an open mind and a positive attitude, you won’t ever be disappointed. Winter sea-run Cutthroat fly fishing on our beaches can become a new addition to your outdoors and angling life. Thankfully our regional beaches have easy access and ample parking, and much of the best fishing is right at our doorstep on the Olympic Peninsula. So what are you waiting for? Don’t let the brown muddy rivers stop you- get out and fish! 

This is it! Autumn is here! The run is on! You should be fishing!

 We'll be walk and wade fishing these beautiful Olympic Peninsula saltwater beaches right through autumn, with September and October offering us some of the best guided fishing opportunities of the year. If you would like to plan a fishing date with me- do it well ahead of time.

 Remember: Catch & Release, Fly fishing Only! 

Beginners welcome. Full instruction available. Complete support assured. Use of equipment available. Picnic lunch and soft beverages provided. Celebrating over 33 years of international fly fishing adventures!

Please call or write for booking details:

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.
U.S.C.G. Cert?BLS/BBP/HIV/CPR/First Aid.
Private and public presentations.
Row Boat Picnics on a local salmon estuary.

Telephone: 360-385-9618 / International Toll Free: 866-793-3595

Email: littlestoneflyfisher@mail.com

Web: Little Stone Flyfisher

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