Your Olympic Peninsula fly fishing guide. Catch & Release, fly fishing only. |
Summer Solstice and some beach flies.
The wild Sea-run Coastal Cutthroat trout is an aggressive feeder. |
This June has been one of the better ones for milder, warmer weather, with less rain and wind. We have had some beautiful days of beach fishing through this spring season. And the catching has been quite good too. As usual the Chum Baby fly has counted for many of the Cutthroat trout that we have caught here. With the banner year of Chum salmon fry that we saw this spring, coming out of so many rivers and streams across the region, it is no wonder that the sea-run Cutthroat so readily take this fly. And we have good success with this fly later in the year as well. But by now there are some other prey species of significance to our fishing, and many of them are getting rather big. And so some of our flies should be getting bigger too.
Pacific Herring, Surf Smelt and Sandlance
Pacific Herring / photo U.S.G.S |
Pacific Herring spawn here in the early spring. Rearing in the ell grass beds and shallow near shore zone, they feed chiefly on planktons and they grow rapidly. From juveniles of two to three inches, up to adults well over 8 inches in length, the sea run Cutthroat will feed on these fish year round. Right now they are plentiful, and many of the juveniles are closer to shore still. It is not unusual to catch a Cutthroat with the tail of a partially digested large Herring hanging out of its mouth. This says something for how aggressive these wild trout are at times.
Surf Smelt / photo W.D.F.W. |
Surf Smelt spawn on many of our sand and gravel beaches here. In fact we have some of the more productive Surf Smelt beaches in the region. Adults may be as much as six to eight inches in length. Our wild sea-run Cutthroat trout, other predatory fish and birds, seals and otters etc., will eat these smelt at every opportunity.
Sandlance burrowing / photo N.O.A.A. |
Sandlance and Surf Smelt for comparison / photo U.S.G.S. |
"Little Stone's Beach Baby" A good general forage fish imitation for Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound beaches. |
My good friend Leland Miyawaki always fishes the beaches with his big and bold "Miyawaki Beach Popper," and his fly box proves it!
Leland Miyawaki's famous "Miyawaki Beach Poppers" |
I would say that the Clouser Minnow, in all of it's bait fish variations around the world, is probably the most ubiquitous of saltwater flies. Here are but some of mine, tied sparse and fine, for sea-run Cutthroat and Salmon fishing on the beaches. One of these flies took the biggest sea-run Cutthroat that I have ever seen here, last September.
"Bait Fish Clousers" Tied for Coho salmon and Sea-run Coastal Cutthroat trout. |
My artist angler friend Jack Devlin ties some beautiful flat wing flies to imitate our Sandlance and other Puget Sound bait fish. This is a tying style that Roderick Haig-Brown talked about in his writings. More recently you would have seen this style featured in Kenney Abrahms book "The Perfect Fish." And the late author and angler Doug Rose wrote about these flies in his blog as well.
The first day of summer is here! And some of the best fishing of the year lies ahead. We will be sea-run Cutthroat fishing through autumn on the Olympic Peninsula beaches. And salmon season is opening here in just over a week. Get those bait fish flies going!
Jack Devlin's beautiful flat wing bait fish flies for sea-run cutthroat fly fishing. |
The first day of summer is here! And some of the best fishing of the year lies ahead. We will be sea-run Cutthroat fishing through autumn on the Olympic Peninsula beaches. And salmon season is opening here in just over a week. Get those bait fish flies going!
To learn more about Puget Sound and Olympic Peninsula region sea-run Coastal Cutthroat trout fly fishing, call or write for details.
Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishing Guide and Instructor
I am guiding 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 steelhead. This is strictly catch and release, traditional fly fishing only. Lunch, snacks, soft beverages, and use of some equipment is included. Personalized and private fly fishing and fly casting instruction, and guided trips are available, to beginners through expert anglers. Public presentations, Naturalist guide, Rowboat Picnics and Tide Pool day trips. Please call, write or email 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 First Aid/CPR/BLS/AED/BBP/HIV Certified
Phone: 360-385-9618
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LittleStoneFlyfisher
No comments:
Post a Comment