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August 8, 2002
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Welcome to the "finally a @#$^%^ new fishing report" Fishing Report. This is it. The fishing in this part of the world is so diverse and utterly fantastic right now that when people call it takes listing 5 minutes of options before they even get to the destination part- there is that much to do. From the Olympics to the Sound, to the estuaries, to the coastal streams to the inland waters to the high lakes...everything is pretty much on with few exceptions. You owe yourself some time on the water. And we owe you an insightful, if not resounding fishing report...with interest. Here it is. The Yakima is in typically good form these days, despite high flows and difficult wading anywhere below the Cle Elum. The water clarity is good, hatches are varied, and we're right in the thick of Hopper-mania. Ants, beetles, grasshoppers, terrestrials of all shapes and sizes are working the lip-ripping angle. Now that it's not 700 degrees out, an afternoon on the river can be a comfortable experience. Hatches include caddisflies, PMD's, Baetis (Blue Winged Olives), yellow sallies, summer stoneflies, innertubes with college co-eds, and, of course, hoppers and ants and beetles. The upper river has been fishing well, as we've been hearing from those consigned to bank fishing. Golf Course Road is a good place to start....but even further up will be smaller water- difficult access due to lots of private property. Set the Hook. Local Lakes are still quite warm, but the bigger lakes have maintained nice cool temperatures, and once you get below a few feet, the waters cool dramatically. We continue to get good reports from the likes of Rattlesnake Lake, Lake Alice, Langlois is ok...Beaver and Pine can be fun...If you're willing to hike a bit, there are numerous lakes at higher elevations which are in their fishing-prime right now. Take a look at your map in the Snoqualmie Tree farm, or in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and you'll be able to easily nail down a few possibilities. Fish deeper with full sinking lines during the day- buggers, chiromomids, damsel and dragonfly imitations, carey specials, and the like will all fish well these days. Persistence will pay off. If you can get on the water early or late in the day, you'll be more likely to see fish closer to the surface, but dry fly fishing in lakes can be pretty sketchy- your best bet is to go deep. Have at it. Puget Sound,
and all Washington saltwaters are awash with returning fish. You
name it, we got it. Sekiu and Neah Bay salmon fisheries are blazing,
raging, flaming, red, smoking hot. If you have boat on a trailer
that can handle open water you have no excuse, and if you don't
there are guides that can fish you for a reasonable fee. If you
want to catch a salmon in the salt on a fly and have been waiting
for something to magically make that happen consider (I hate numbers,
but...) fifty to one hundred fish days - magical. This is world
class saltwater angling happening hours from where you live (most
of you). This is as big Cape Cod for stripers or Homosassa for giant
tarpon at the peak of their respective seasons, and it's ferry ride
and a pretty drive away. So why haven't we gone yet? Because we
live through all of you, and we need you to fish for us. Please
go. It's awesome. Nuff sed. Puget Sound has been solid with good
numbers of coho, pinks, cutts and blackmouth caught. The baitfish
have been so prevalent due to this great weather we've had that
it has really brought the fish in to feed. Krill can produce food
at a greater rate when there is consistently good light penetration,
and this in turn fires up the feeding of the baitfish and then on
the baitfish by bigger fish (or in the case of most pinks and chums
just on the krill). Steelheading has been good even with the rivers as low as they are and with the weather as hot as it has been. Fish have been taken on the Snoqualmie and the Skykomish in the last few days. It seems to be the case that drabber more trouty fly patterns such as muddlers, woolly worms and stonefly nymphs have been consistent takers. Whatever keeps your confidense up with steelheading and keeps you out there swinging that fly a little bit longer, be it a big polar shrimp or an articulated lead eyed leech, it will work. Soon pinks and kings will be sharing the rivers with the steelhead, so don't wait for rain or shorter days to get after it. Go now while the biggest fish in the run is still a big red steelie that eats flies and not a big dead salmon that tumbles on to your hook. Jest kiddin pinkies!
© 2002
Creekside Angling Company All Rights Reserved
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