Wenatchee Steelhead

My cousin flew up from New Mexico Oct 15th - 17th to chase the elusive Pacific NW steelhead and had a blast! 3 hook ups not bad for his first time steelheading and on a fly to to boot! Another Wild Steelhead

Eastern WA Steel

Trip to Sage/Redington

Instead of paying the shipping for 2 broken rods my son and I hopped on a 30 minute ferry and made a trip to Bainbridge Island to do the exchange. We stopped by Sage and then drove down the street to Redington. Unfortunately since it was spur of the moment we weren't able to schedule a tour but the staff was really cool. Rods everywhere! I felt like a kid in a candy store...

Catch and Release Frogs

Catching bugs and frogs with my son. Fun times!

Cast, step, cast, shatter spey rod….

Back to Bainbridge Island it goes. Second spey Rod I've sent back this year.

Pink on the beach

Last week on the beach. This week... Damn I need to shave!

Report: Beaver Lake and Snoqualmie SF

On Friday after a long work week I received a call from my buddy Vern who had his drift boat in tow and was on his way to throw poppers for spiny creatures. I packed up my 3wt and 4wt and we were off to Beaver Lake. We found some bluegill sitting on their nests but only one was willing to leave its lazy boy to crush my popper. We caught a couple largemouth bass which were a blast on the 3wt! One that I caught had something black lodged in its throat and upon further investigation with the hemostats pulled out a big black wasp. Excellent way to end the work week followed up by a couple cold beers. On Saturday I fished the Snoqualmie South Fork. The flows were still high due to the runoff but I was able to find some pockets and seams and catch Bows, Cutties and a Brookie all on dries. As the flows decrease the fishing will only get better which means its time to dust off those 2wt’s and 3wt’s. My Fiancé took this picture from Pikes Place this weekend. Thought I’d share since I don’t have any fish pics. You can see Mount Rainier peaking over Quest Stadium and Safeco Field.

Midges

Last Minute Rally

Last minute changes in my family’s memorial weekend left me with limited options… Do I?

A. Stay at home and get sucked into the couch while eating cheetos and wishing I was outside.

B. Go to the mall with my wife and son and spend all day shopping.

C. Or make a solo trip over the Cascade Mountains and search for big hungry troot.

You guessed it… C! All my buddies had bounced which meant I was on a solo mission. I gathered all my fishing gear, some tunes for the road trip and I was out the door. No Browns this trip but the Bows were willing to play.

Nose Piercing Desert Flowers

In Search Of Gold

WDFW Layoffs

Another victim of the economy. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced it will layoff 76 employees. LINK

Get em buddy!

Not his fly rod but a chronie under a colorful red and white bobber. Atta boy!

Fun Weekend

At the end of a work week it’s always nice to take the edge off by fishing so it was off to Pine Lake with the Fat Cat. My buddy Allen and I were welcomed by recently stocked cookie cutters who were willing to put bends in the 4wts. This was just a precursor as he was off to fish the Missouri in Montana the next day. Indeed I was jealous… On Saturday I swung by Orvis and picked up a new stripping basket for fishing the beaches. After that I met my buddy Dave around 2PM and we were off to fish the upper Yakima between Easton and Cle Elum. The water was in great shape however we couldn’t find any players. This was more of an exploration than anything as we fished waters typically I wouldn’t fish. On Sunday my son had a football game and after his victory and well deserved gold medal it was off to the beach. We found seashells and searched for beach dwelling creatures. The metal detector went off a couple times but found nothing of value. All in all a great weekend.

Rough Fishing Week

Last Saturday I started my fishing week on the Sauk searching for the elusive wild steelhead of the PNW. This is my 3rd trip this winter with zero fish to hand. The weather was nice and the flows were perfect but the fish were unwilling to grab my articulated clump of marabou.

On Wednesday I decided to head east and fish the Yakima. The conditions were less than ideal as the river took a bump from the warmer temps and the visibility in the canyon sucked. I opted to fish different sections around Cle Elum. First I fished the Cle Elum river which was low and clear but didn’t produce. Next, I fished a few sections on the Yak above the Teanaway and witnessed lots of adult Skwalas, March Browns and BWOs. Surprisingly with that many bugs I didn’t see any risers. I ended the day with one cutthroat on a size 18 pheasant tail nymph.

Today I broke out the saltwater box and headed South to Tacoma. I slept in for the perfect window of opportunity and missed the tides. There were scattered rezzies jumping along the beach and bait fish swimming around but once again no tugs. Two other guys I spoke with were also skunked. At least the sun was out and it was beautiful day in Seattle.

St. Patty's day at my house

My son blowing the pipes on St. Patty's day

Washington Desert Bow

All bows some tigers no browns... Majority of the fish were taken on a black moal hair leech.

Check your hooks!

Three missed fished in a row while fishing the beach this afternoon. I wonder why… Fourth fish wasn't so lucky.

9 days til the eastside lake opener

Dust off your toons and tubes it's time to chase big hungry bows and browns. With the recent spell of nice weather the lake opener might just be a good one.

Ever wonder who caught your fish?

Did you ever buy fish from the market and wonder where it came from and who caught it? A test program in Oregon might soon answer those questions for you. Pacific Fish Trax is testing a program in Oregon using a bar code and scanner. Just grab your fish and swipe. Link

Dirty

Nice Yak Bow

Allen a.k.a. Charles Bronson strikes again on the final stretch of the Yak this past Saturday.

Trout 2009

Day On The River

Spey casting with Craig from Creekside Angling Company/River Run Anglers

Our Yakima Report Courtesy of Reds Fly Shop

• Date: Saturday January 17, 2009
• Where: Yakima River
• Flows: 3800 CFS
• Temps: Mid 20s to upper 20s

Results: A couple of whitefish, and a couple of nice bows hooked and lost.A few anglers braved the big water and the green color over the weekend and hooked a few fish just as the river came back into fishable shape. Conditions are still tough but they are improving and there are some hungry trout out there. Some fish were spotted rising to Midge Pupae and in the right situation this can be great fishing, but with the water so high most of these fish were in back eddies where drag free drifts with size 20 Griffith's Gnats are all but impossible. As the river drops, you will find more of these fish feeding in the open flats where you can "go old school on 'em" and get a good drift. Sink tips and streamers are a great idea, stay with it and fish it for an hour straight before you make judgment on whether it is going to produce or not. It is a game of quality right now so don't give up. Good luck and you should have the river to yourself this week!

The Aftermath

After yet another “One Hundred Year Storm” in the Seattle and surrounding areas many families were left without homes and power. I spent my Saturday in the town of Snoqualmie helping a colleague rip out soaking carpet and padding out of his house. Many other items such as plasma TVs and furniture was also destroyed. You don’t realize how heavy the padding can be until you have to move giant sections of giant sponges. This was his second flooding in the past 3 years and this time the water level was about 8 inches inside his home. He was in the process of refinancing on Friday which was 3 days before the flood… Unfortunately this didn’t happen and now he calls home Motel 6. Through the tragedy and loss it was amazing to see people whom you’ve never met before come together as a community and help out. People just started picking up trash and debris and load it into trucks. Another Crazy winter in the PNW….

Sorry Mom we won't be making it this Christmas

After 6 months of planning and 9 hours stranded at the airport we were finally greeted with disappointment...

Lack of Fishing

I haven’t posted in a while but I have made a few fishing trips this fall. From chasing steelhead in late September on the Grande Ronde to trout on the Yakima. Most of my fishing consisted of local jaunts to the Snoqualmie when the opportunity presented itself. Although, fall is my favorite time of the year to fish I was unable to get out as much as I’d like because of long days at work and sleepless nights on call. Standing on the river with a Bluetooth in my ear waiting for a phone call is not my idea of fishing. Lately, I have been practicing with the spey rod and I’m hoping to pop the proverbial cherry this winter on a winter run steelhead.

Tis the season

With the arrival of fall my 3wt has taken a back seat to my spey rod. October caddis shucks strewn along the rocks and king salmon spawning in the Snoqualmie with the smell of rotting fish… Oh how I love the fall! With the days getting shorter this only gives me a 2 hour window of opportunity to fish after work. I have ventured a few times this late summer chasing the elusive steelhead only to be rewarded with a slowly improving spey cast and no chrome… In my experience fishing the Snoqualmie in years past, the arrival of the King Salmon is a marking point for improving steelhead fishing. Yesterday the Seattle area received a decent amount of rain I did get out and fish with no luck. I’ll keep at it.

Chi Chi Chia!

Eastside Hitchhiker. Found these growing in my boot after an eastern WA excursion. Chia wading boot coming to a fly shop near you.

Hopper Muncher

Green Butt Skunk

Happy Birthday Buddy!

It was my sons Birthday today which meant a fun filled weekend. Yesterday we held his party at the Lego store in Bellevue which turned out to be a blast! Screaming kids running everywhere hopped up on Cinnabon with the Lego store all to themselves. Even the adults got to partake in the Lego festivities. After assembling Lego sets and eating junk food for 2 days straight today we relaxed and after the laziness wore off we decided to go fishing. After fishing it was time for more cake. Good times!

Viva Espana!

Fly Fishing has always been a passion of mine but growing up soccer was number one. I was always traveling playing for various select soccer teams and fishing and hunting came in secondary. Today was an awesome day as Spain ended their 44 year wait as they defeated Germany to win the Euro Cup. Ole, Ole, Ole ,Ole

Perfect Cedar Bow

And the winner is... ME!

A couple-three weeks ago I stopped into my local fly shop Creekside Angling Company to celebrate their 14th Anniversary. Good times were shared by all including a BBQ and sweet sale. I entered a raffle and was surprised when my name was drawn for a new Scientific Anglers Sharkskin line. A $100.00 fly line for free…. Yeah!

Sunday Brookies

Rivers are still blown but at least there are some players unaffected by the run off. I snuck out this evening to catch a bunch of brookies willing to put a bend in my new Sage TXL 3wt.

Saturday Bass

Bass mastered this guy on a bunny.

Sailing in the Sound

Decided to take a day off from work and go sailing with some buddies out in Puget Sound.

Pine Lake

My boys are off to Montana tomorrow to fish the MO and I’m stuck in run off infested waters and a cell phone connected to my hip stuck on call this week. Livin’ the dream… I haven’t fished in a few weeks and I just couldn’t take it anymore… With boxes piled up from my recent move and the celly ready to ring at any moment “there’s an outage” I told myself ‘F’ it I need some therapy. With the warm temps all S Forks were blown so I opted for lake fishing and loaded the float tube and 5wt in the rig and headed to Pine Lake. Typically the midge hatches there are small so I have a pattern that usually does the trick and indeed it did. Right out of the stretch the first dock I laid the fish pimp in front of it went for a swim. Cookie cutter bow just what I needed! 1 hour turned into 2 hours and the submerging of the fish pimp continued without a call from work. It was good to get out.

Filson Waders

Filson has entered the Wader Game

New Casa

Wishing I was fishing… After weeks of stress, a blown transmission and a year of waiting my place is finally built. Taking a few weeks away from fishing was well worth it.

Stones

Tied these bugs up this past weekend while I was stuck at home on call. Hoping to use them on the Yak this weekend.

Fly Tying Legos

Ever wonder what your kids legos are doing at night? Well, if you tie flys they might be doing this...

Skwala Monday On The Yak

Bring the Skwala's, BWO's and March Brown's...

White People

Dude, I'm off the clock check the Northface Denali!

Desert Lake Report

• Date: Saturday March 8, 2008
• Where: Lenice
• Temps: Upper 50’s water temps 50
• Patterns: Various Chronomids, Buggers etc.

Fished Lenice and what a beautiful day. Intermittent gusts throughout the day but we weren’t blown off the lake just added some movement to the chronomids. Tried various streamers chrono’s etc. but couldn’t get the fish dialed in. Also varied the depths but the fish weren’t keen on one specific pattern. Between Allen and I a total of 8 fish with Allen catching a gagger! Biggest Tiger Trout I’ve ever seen taping out over 22” and a fat bastard at that! When he stuck this fish all I saw was a brownish/golden plank crashing the surface as it stripped line off his reel. At first I thought it was a brown but it wasn’t… Too bad for Allen we didn’t have a camera. This fish was glamour shot worthy… Damn son! Anyway, highlight of my day was my first Tiger trout. Didn’t see any callibaetis or damsel hatches just sporadic midge hatches. Another week or 2 it’s on!

In Celebration Of The Lake Opener

Took this a year or 2 ago...

Lightning Bugs

Lightning bugs tied on size 16 Daiichi curved hooks.

Old School Glass $16.00

For those of you looking for a glass rod on the cheap check out Troutlet.com. For 16 bucks you can get an Eagle Claw Featherlight either as your go to rod or as a back up to add to the rod collection. I purchased the 6’6” 5wt online and received it today. The site reflects a metal reel seat however the one I received had a plastic handle which is kinda sore on the eyes. I was pleased it came with snake guides as opposed the single foot ones which were reflected on the site. Other than the plastic reel seat, the cosmetics were really nice overall and the nostalgic yellow blank is cool. I contacted Troutlet and they advised they were unaware Eagleclaw had made changes and would keep me posted should the upcoming shipments have a metal reel seat and would be happy to exchange it. Either way for 16 bucks you can’t go wrong. I purchased this rod for close action fishing for the Snoqualmie forks and those tucked away little creeks and beaver ponds. It is a really light rod so I plan on lawn casting it with a 3wt, 4wt, and 5wt line to see what compliments it best. Here are some pics.

Lunar Eclipse Over Seattle

0 for 1 Today

So that makes it 0 for 4 on my last 4 outings chasing steelhead… I was so close to sealing the deal on a BIG bright fish today but just like my last couple outings the long battle ended with a confidence shattering spit fly followed by cursing. The adrenalin high I use to chase caused by electrifying runs and violent headshakes is now causing nightmares. Bushwhacking over a mile in cold rainy temperatures only to be rewarded with punctured gore-tex and scratches on my face and hands not too mention the near tail bone busting falls. I keep playing back each missed opportunity in my head on my drive home hoping to learn from my mistakes, but did I make a mistake? Or, did the fish just kick my ass? I’ve caught plenty of steelhead but man this is my worst streak ever!

Fish Swami - Online Fishing Log

Have you often thought about creating a fishing log to document trips or time out on the river? For years I have on several occasions but it never happened… I found the Fish Swami while surfin' the web one day and decided to create an account. The interface is easy and the layout is simple yet detailed. Give it a shot, I use it and if I’d get my lazy ass out to fish more I’d have more entries.

Green River Report

• Date: Saturday February 02, 2008
• Where: Green River (fishing) Snoqualmie (spey casting)
• Flows: 268 CFS
• Temps: 30 to 40 degrees and sunny

Today’s Agenda:

• ‘The Day on the River’ in Carnation
• Steelhead fishing on the Green

This morning I started out in Carnation attending ‘The Day on the River’ link with Aaron Reimer. I’m new to the spey game and Aaron is a plethora of information and very helpful. I learned a lot today and as the morning progressed my casting and presentation was looking good. Amp’d with confidence I was chomping at the bit to chase steel. After hanging out at the shop in Carnation I headed home dropped and off the two hander and traded it for the single hander and was off to the Green. I arrive at the river about 2:30 and the water was low and clear. Guess I won’t need a sink tip… The water I was targeting wasn’t swinging water but more pocket water not suitable for swinging so I went with the indicator set up instead ( for shame!). Anyway, after half an hour on the river as I’m floating the tail out of a run when my indicator goes down and a rocket of a fish doesn’t hesitate and runs straight down a white water chute like bat out of hell… OH SHIT! Miraculously, to my favor the turbo charged fish shoots back up the chute and is running at me. Stripping line like a mad man I get the fish on the reel and to my surprise I bring in a small 21” 22” unclipped fish… YES! Damn, what a friggen awesome day! As I’m working my way down the skinny river I come to a run that has a deep slot. I’m thinking to myself this run has to have a fish sitting in it and sure as shit I’m right! After a couple casts my line goes tight, as I set the hook my rod buckles over and a pissed off steelhead decides to give me a glamour shot pose and jumps out of the water. ONCE AGAIN IT’S ON! As I fight the fish he hunkers, tail slashes, runs and gets my heart racing… Alright, this is a BIG colored up buck and I’m not about to lose this one…. Come to daddy! Right when I think he’s done I apply side pressure to bring him in and that’s when my line comes catapulting back at me... Damn it! After I regained my composure I fished a while longer with no results. Great day on the river!

These Kids Don't Need No Stinkin' Fly Rod!

Steelhead Muddler

Hybernating summer pattern

Green River Chrome

• Date: Saturday January 19, 2008
• Where: Green River
• Flows: 650 CFS
• Temps: 30 to 40 degrees with rain

I decided to head out and fish the Green today. I got to the river around 2:30 and was fishing shortly after. This was my first time fishing the Green this year and the water was in perfect condition. Armed with the Loop Multi 6wt I headed up river traversing through logs, boulders and blackberry thickets. I came upon a run that looked ‘fishy’ and began swinging through it. I had forgotten how tricky it was to wade this section of river and had to look each time I made the steelhead two step. Without any luck swinging I switched over to an indicator set up. I worked the same run and after a few casts I was rewarded with a submerged indicator. As I set the hook I felt the head shakes however it didn’t seem like there was much weight at the end of the line. That’s when the fish went ballistic and shot across the river taking me into my backing. Next, it shot back at me and I reeled like a mad man to keep tension on the line and keep the fish on the reel. My rod was buckled over and this was when I was wishing I had brought my 8wt… Next the fish got pissed off and decided to shoot up river with me in hot pursuit banging my shins on boulders trying to keep my rod above the fish. Oh yes, now I remember this feeling, this is the reason why I spend days on the river in freezing conditions without so much as a strike… Now it all came together and I was getting closer to the prize. I started to feel nauseous as I continued to fight the fish I don’t know if it was the hangover or the flashback of that big wild Sauk steelhead I lost last time… Now it was time to bring in the fish but there were boulders so I was trying to position myself so I would be able to land it. Just when things were coming together my line went limp and the fish was gone… I brought my fly into see what happened and my leader broke. I’m chalking it down to the steelhead kicking my ass. Can’t wait for the nightmares tonight, but I’ll be back!

Custom Painted By Yuhina

Yuhina painted this beautiful painting for me. He chose a picture of a toad of a brown I caught in Montana and let the creative juices flow. Check out his site on the link above. Dude has skills and can create a painting for you to remember that catch of a lifetime or just cause...

Olive The Little Woolly Bugger

Olive is here! I ordered these for my son and he can’t wait to read them. Every fishing or outdoor enthusiast should get these for their kids.

Feed My Fish

Click on the pond and feed the fish

Where's my reel???

Rollin' with the Loop Multi and Evotec CLWC!

BLING BLING!!!

$100,000 Fly Reel designed by Sidney Mobell. Thirty-two diamonds, 237 sapphires and 253 rubies encrust a working fly fishing reel. By the way, it comes with a solid gold fish hook.

$9700.00 for a Hardy Zane is chump change!

Skykomish Report

• Date: Saturday December 22, 2007
• Where: Skykomish
• Flows: 2700 CFS
• Weather: Shitty!

Dumping rain and windy as hell! Morning sucked! I was back in Issaquah by 11:30. Oh how I love chasing winter chrome in the PNW…

Fly Reels From Around The World

Dormisch R2- 11 different colors to choose from ARI Astrid

Skykomish Report

• Date: Saturday December 16, 2007
• Where: Skykomish River Above Gold Bar
• Flows: CFS 2800 and rising
• Temps: Upper 30’s to low 40’s
• Patterns: Various Steelhead patterns. Top Producer Purple ESL

We started fishing above Goldbar about 8:30 AM and the rain was dumping all morning. Water was off color so we were using bigger patterns such as ESL’s and popsicles, even tried some egg patterns. After 15 minutes of fishing, Fred has a fish on. As I looked down river his rod is buckled over and he is trying to get line on the reel to fight the fish. At that moment the winter steel decides to make a run up river this is when the fly jars loose and the fish is gone…

Next, we fish another stretch of river. As my line is swinging through a run I feel the line stop and a couple headshakes… Fish on! Hoping to rope my first winter run of the year I fight the fish but to my surprise bring to the bank a late run Coho buck. I get him to shore and dislodge the barb-less purple ESL and send him on his way. We left the river about 1:00 PM.

No steel to hand but I’ll be back next week.

Make Your Own Fly Box

For those of you who have your Lakerol tins laying around put them to good use and make a fly box. Copenhagen cans just don’t cut it…

Rocky Mountain Spring Water

Curs Beer Stein...Awesome!

December in Seattle

Snoqualmie Falls 12/04/07

Raging River 12/01/07

Punched Snoqualmie!

It's that time of year again... Off the carts!

Creekside Spey Daze

So the plan all week had been to fish the Skagit and chase bull trout. The streamers and egg patterns were packed and both of the 6wt’s were ready for action. All night long the news was calling for Seattle’s first winter storm and snow was forecasted for the Skagit area. Instead of driving 2 hours to fish in 20 to 30 degree temps in snow and fight the I-5 traffic on the way back we decided to bag it. Instead, I drove 15 minutes to the Snoqualmie for ‘Spey Daze’ hosted by Creekside Angling Company. It was my first time tossing the spey rod and I’m hooked! I tossed different rods in various sizes weights and brands. Now I just have to liquidate some of my other toy’s to make room for a possible new addiction…

Serious Drag Test

Glad I have a Ross Evolution in my arsenal just in case I rope a GSX-R or R6 on my back cast.

So who wants to fly fish the Congo? Wet wading anyone?

Bad Ass Fly Wallets!

Beautiful is an understatement! These wallets are bad ass! Mac Rowdy is the man behind these creations and if you check out the link he can put just about anything on leather. If you’re a Fly Fisherman or know someone who is and thought you/they had it all… Not Yet!

Check it out and have him create a family heirloom for you.

Whitefish: The other Trout meat

Whitey or Rainbow? In Finland the Rocky Mountain Bonefish reigns!

Store your bugs in style

Classy way to store your bugs.

Japanese Paper Trout

I tried one of these projects with my son and it's still under construction! It's harder then it looks. Think I'll stick to spinning deer hair.

Articulated Streamer

Before After

Now eat your meat!

Yakima Canyon in the Fall

• Date: Sunday October 28, 2007 and November 3, 2007
• Where: Yakima River
• Flows: 965 CFS
• Temps: 31 to 55 degrees

Bugs: Lightening bugs, copper johns, WD40’s, BWO’s, Sparkle Duns, Parachute Adams

After spending the previous weekend chasing steel on the Methow and getting my ass handed to me. Wayne and I spent Sunday getting redemption on the Yakima tossing size 18 BWO’s to selective trout. Day started out nymphing and ended tossing dries with the Sage 4wt. Between the both of us we easily had 30 fish to hand.

The following Saturday Tyler and I headed east to get some more Yak lovin! I did my homework before we left. Flows, weather, etc. mirrored the Sunday before. I knew it was on! First run we fished the water came alive with fish crashing the surface for Baetis. Methodically, like a sharpshooter Tyler looked for rising fish and would deliver the fly with pinpoint accuracy with his 3wt Winston BIIX. Fish after fish Tyler put on a clinic. I was also roping fish with emergers and dries. Eventually the hatch fizzled out and it was time to hit another run. We also caught fish on this run but the wind kicked in and sent us on our way. If I had to guestimate a 40+ fish day.

Fishing the Canyon in the Fall…Priceless!