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Skagit River - November 8th, 2005
supplied by: Puget Sound Fly Company, LLC
RECORDED: 
42 °
FISHING: Good
The Skagit River is only two hours North of Puget Sound Fly Company, yet somehow it feels like it is much farther away than that. The river not only holds great numbers of Steelhead, Salmon and Char, but also the largest population of Bald Eagles in the lower 48.
FISHING: Mike, Riz, Chris and Clark fished the Skagit on Sunday. The flows were on the high side but heading in the right direction. Clarity was good and as usual the fishing went well. The guys encountered good numbers of Dollies as well as some Chum and numerous Whitefish. Keep and eye on the river this week as rising temperatures put some color in the river, but cooler temperatures will clear things right up.
FLIES: Eggs: Glo-Bugs, Trout Beads, Surreal Eggs and Lingerie Eggs.
Flesh/Streamers: Lady Flesh, Jointed Bead Flesh and Voodoo Leeches.
TECHNIQUES: The Skagit’s large size lends itself nicely to two handed rods and traditional swinging techniques. If you have a single handed rod choose water that you can effectively fish. Access is good for both boat and wading anglers.
FLOWS
We here at Puget Sound Fly Company are always happy to provide directions or further information to anyone who is interested. Please call us at (253) 839-4119 or stop by the shop.
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Skagit River - November 6th, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
RECORDED:
48 °
FISHING: Good
"Careful what you wish for"
I can always tell when it's this time of year. The only thing that is keeping the rivers inside their banks, with all the storm fronts pushing through, it the lower freezing levels. I get a flood (bad pun) of emails, from guys who know if there is anyone idiot enough to be out fighting the winter elements, it has got to be the Dickson boys. Always happy to answer questions. This is what you will find.
The Stilly: Forget about it. The Stilly has been out for the past week, and with a new slide opened up on Boulder Creek, and more storms in the forecast, I wouldn't put the Stilly on your to-do list. Watch for a lower freezing level, or an early dry and cold period. The Stilly is a relatively small drainage, and can drop pretty quickly. Look for Chums & Coho in the mainstem, and a mix of older summer steelhead, with a few early winter hatchery fish in the North Fork, as the water drops. Sinktips and winter marabous like "Pink Stinker" are the drill.
Speaking of Pink Stinker: The Skykomish is a pretty stable watershed, and not a bad "Dog Show". Many anglers swear by the chartreuse but it has been I experience, that cerise/purple in our "Pink Stinker" is a great Chum color combination, for the Sky fish. (Also one of my go-to winter steelhead flies, so there you go.) Fish it greaseline, with a twitch for the Dogs. If you are snagging fish, stop casting down & across, as you do for steelhead, they don't like that.
Sauk: The Suiattle finally stopped puking the glacial till, but the visibility is still less than two feet, even up to Darrington. Early Dollies will be heading out, but if you are like me, just fishing the Sauk, and thinking about some early wild steelhead, is enough to get me out there. You will have the river to yourself.
Skagit: This river is barely "IN" right now. I don't like fishing it above 10,000 CFS. because the pools go away, but fishing is better than not fishing, and Coho, Chum, and some big Dolly/ bulls are the quarry. If you are a Dickson Member, the Cop Car series, is the best dirty water fly I have found, but any of those egg sucking marabous will get it done, too. Black Bart is awesome, as the water drops and we get some visibility back. The fly isn't as important as the presentation in the right zone.
Best of fishing,
Dennis, Mike, Darrel, & Jonathan 425 238 3537
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Skagit River - October 31st, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
RECORDED: 
45 °
FISHING: Good
Caption: Fall steelheading
"Steelhead Junkies"
You know you are a steelhead junkie when: You have just spent the past month camped out on the Grande Ronde, get home and find out you old stomping grounds is smoking, so off you go..... Poor wife.
Seems like all I have done in 2005 is travel. This fall has been particularly crazy. One of the few good things about returning from the Grande Ronde is, it is supposed to mark the last traveling away from home, for the year. Supposed to........
Typical Fall on the Seattle North Streams.
Its been raining. Rivers are a little swollen, but fish are coming. I check out my River Flows every day, that I am home.
North Sound Streams: Not a lot of spawning Pink salmon this year, but with a little luck, the eggs will make it beyond the critical egg stage. Pinks are trying to wrap it up, Coho are in, Chum are coming in, SRC will start heading up their natal tribs, Dollies will be coming down from spawning......and they will be hungry. Things are definitely on the go. Stilly North Fork: Air & water temperatures have dropped into the 40's.
Steelhead flies: As you would probably imagine, egg patterns are good with both Chinook and Pinks are in post spawn. Mikes Glue Egg-n-shuck http://www.streamsideflyshop.com/Glueeggshuck-pic.htm We are seeing Coho all the way up into the upper reaches of the North Fork, and some really large Searuns are hanging around the steelhead waters. Remember, only the hatchery steelhead are legal. Leave everything else alone.
The lower Stilly was fishing well right up to the weekend. Deer Creek and Boulder Creek both blew out, which forced the Saturday Tidewater school, to revamp into an upper river gig. Kudos' the Rod with his first steelhead on a fly. Pretty cool. Thanks to all for coming!
The Skagit River: The upper Skagit between Marblemount and Sauk River confluence is actually back up to normal flows:
The most amazing amount of summer/fall Chinook spawning I have witnessed in years is now finished. Always good to see the fish. The Skagit River Humpy run was only "OK," but at least we maintained a viable stock. Now it is time for the Chum & Coho show. We do our best chum fishing in the standard steelhead waters. Techniques differ a bit from the standard wetfly swing but they will bite. I think it is really hard to beat the egg-sucking leech patterns. I personal favorite is "Black Bart" http://www.streamsideflyshop.com/blackbart-pic.htm
The big Dolly/Bulls will be coming out soon. They will be all over the Chum spawn & carcass. (think Alaska rainbows).
Speaking of which: Check out our home page for our 2005 Steelhead, Salmon & Dolly school November 18 or 19
I need to forewarn you: Guys have been asking about this particular school since before we even headed to the Grande Ronde, back in September. The guides and I really enjoy this multiple species gig.
It's not just about the North Sound Rivers: Good time to be hitting those Hood Canal trib. mouths, as the Chum will be smelling for home. Better prepare for a jam show. That why my guides & I will be splitting time between the Stilly, Skagit and the Sauk, this winter. It's a cold time, but a quiet time........until you hook a Chum headed south.
I will write more specifics, as we get further into the home town fishing, again.
Many have read some to all of my Stories and articles. My favorite is "Charley". What's yours?
Best of fishing,
D
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Skagit River - October 21st, 2005
supplied by: Pacific Northwest Sportfishing
FISHING: Good
Back on the home front the Snohomish continues to be decent for silvers and once the Skagit drops back down I would imagine it'll have a few shiny ones in it, as well. We've fished it hard the last few days for what fish we've caught. Rains this week have had the Skagit pretty well churned up with muddy waters and even the upper river has seen limited visibility off and on this week.
We picked up our new North River Scout a week ago and are still in the process of rigging it. We'll start fishing out of it this weekend. On the water tests have proven it's a runner!
Until next week...good fishing!
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Skagit River - October 17th, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
FISHING: Good
water levels - click here
Our fall fishing is in full swing with silvers spread out throughout our North Puget Sound rivers. Fishing for coho was hit and miss until we finally got our water earlier in the month and fishing has steadily improved since. From now until late November is also the time to start using egg patterns and flesh colored flies as spawning salmon continue to take over our rivers..
The Skagit River has now settled in nicely after experiencing the effects of run off from up high in the system. The visibility above Rockport has finally improved and the color is dialed in up there. Look for fishing to improve on this river and only get better. As the kings and pinks finish their spawning on the Skagit, the dollies appear to have had their fill of eggs and are moving towards leeches and more traditional streamer patterns.
The Stilliguamish has some fish as well but small tides have brought smaller pockets of fish. Look for fishing to improve with better tides later in the month. Darrel has reported some success finding late returning summer steelhead that moved up after the last high water.
Mike and Dennis continue to work the Grande Ronde - while Darrel and I probe our streams here for salmon, steelhead, and dollies. Best of fishing,
Jonathan & Darrel
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Skagit River - October 9th, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
FISHING: Good
water levels - click here
" So here we go, again"
The GR got its shot of rain about the same time we started getting ours. The river rose and the fish responded. Fishing was a bit slow late September early October but has steadily been getting bettter. The weather finally began to stabilize just before I left. Mike and Dennis will be over there while Darrel and I run trips over here. On the Ronde, the boys will fish surface presentations in the evenings, while swinging flies along the bottom during the day.
Might as well keep an open mind.
Some rivers change little after high waters, some change a lot. Personally, I like some change, (gravel recruitment) but scouring and channel change is bad. I enjoy reading new water, and consider it to my fishing advantage.
Anyway, now that the high waters are over for now, I will be out fishing again this week. Fishing should be good. Watch those river flows. The Skagit and Sky along with the upper North Fork above Boulder Creek will come in first, then the Sauk and the Lower Stilly. There are so many species available now. It is good to know each species preferred flies, lines, and holding water.
Presentation is the other key. The better you can understand a species, the better to get next to him.
Watch for Mike to put up our Fall Season Sampler which is a compilation of our best Dolly, Steelhead, Coho, & Chum Salmon flies by Nov. 1 at www.streamsideflyshop.com (Hmmm..... The other day I was asked an age old question.
Life indeed, turns on a dime.
Best of fishing,
Jonathan, Darrel, Mike & Dennis www.flyfishsteelhead.com
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Skagit River - October 2nd, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
FISHING: Good
water levels - click here
Just another day on the pond"
Rain - be careful what you wish for!! Check out the river levels -
As another Humpy season comes to a close, we say good-bye to the Pinks for another couple years. As we have been chasing them since the second week of August, you would think I would be tired of the Humpies by now. I just never tire of fishing the Skagit. It is that cool.
Humpy days are in transition now. In another week or two, and the Skagit River will be taken over with spawning Pinks. I swear there are as many King Salmon in the river as Pinks. All those fish crowding our pools will ripen, and fill the riffles with spawning fish. These are all wild salmon. Didn't cost us a thing. Just had to let them spawn. What a great concept.
If the early hatchery Coho are any indication, looks like the Silvers are going to have a good year. The Stilly has a bunch as does the Skagit and Snohomish in the lower rivers. Better take your heart medicine. The hatchery Coho are so-so biters at best, and they can drive you nuts. Fish jumping and playing all around you. Almost makes you want to fish with a net. Heck, I probably have more guide notes on lower river Coho than I do any other species. One day you will nail them, the next day with the same conditions, you don't get squat. The keys to the game seem to be: avoid the crowds (fishing pressure knocks them off the bite) fish an incoming tide in the lower rivers, and concentrate on wild fish. Wild Coho, as in most salmonid species, are much better biters than the hatchery pukes.
With this rain, look for SRC to squirt up into the tributaries. These little waters that are open will have some of the finest small river fishing of the year, because generally only the spawning sized SRC will make the final run. Fall colors, big SRC in small streams, pretty cool.
Mike, Dennis, & Jonathan will be fishing the Ronde for the next few weeks. Mike has been selling the GR flies like crazy.
Flies: He still has a few Grande Ronde Samplers, left.(www.streamsideflyshop.com). These are our own pet fly patterns for the Grande Ronde, Deshutes, and Methow River steelhead.
Yancy & Brent Carlson are headed back from the Dean and soon to arrive in BC to fish the K. and the Bulkley. Crystal Caddis, GR, and Mrs. Black are just a few of the flies they will be packing up. Mike and I hope to fish the Dean & Bulkley with the boys next year. Just have to work it around our guiding schedules!
If you get a chance, check out Surface Flies For Steelhead. I know it may sound uppity, but once you get your confidence up for raising steelhead, I swear it will make sink-tipping feel like trolling. Try it, you will love it.
Don't forget our Tidewater Chum & coho school Oct. 28 or 29. Classes are filling already.
Have a lovely fall.
Best of fishing,
Dennis, Mike, and Jonathan
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Skagit River - September 25th, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
FISHING: Fair
"It won't be long now."
As the Skagit Pink season draws to a close, I guess one could reflect on the good as well as the bad.
It was a poor showing of a Pink return this year. But after the devastating flood of Oct 2003, we were lucky to get them back, at all.
We were plagued with low water this whole year. Somehow, fall has made it through, again.
Searun Cutthroat are down a bit in the 13"-17" year class, for the Stilly. The recruitment class for next year looks really good.
Some people don't like fishing the low water Chum and Coho. This is the perfect scenerio for probing the tidewater gig. Our next flyfishing school (October 28 or 29) is all about the lower river fish, milling with the tides. Always a popular gig.
I was fishing the other day with my son, Mike and some guys. After twenty years of guiding, you think you see everything. You don't. Reminded me of my day with Allen .
Fall is here, Life isn't perfect but lovely none the less. Pray for the people on the coast. Help as you can. I know you will.
Best of fishing,
Dennis & the boys www.flyfishsteehead.com
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Skagit River - September 18th, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
FISHING: Great
"Must be that time again"
Days are shorter, nights are cooler, and the fish are moving. Seems like it doesn't matter how the rest of the year has went, there is something very right about the fall.
Gosh, there is so much fishing to be had right now, it is hard to say what would take center stage.
Searun Cutthroat & Steelhead: From Vancouver to Vancouver, there is fishing to be had. Mike just returned from some stellar trips down on the Kalama for steelhead. Both Floating & sinktipping was consistent for steelhead. The SRC of the Cowlitz are flat getting it done, and the North Puget Sound streams are after it, too. All your typical breather patterns are working as well as the egg patterns as the Kings and early Humpies are spawning.
Salmon: As with the trout, Game regulations vary from system to system. Also good to watch for any emergency closures.
Humpies: The Sky is open as well as the Skagit. Sky has a bunch of fish but they are getting older, and the Skagit numbers are down.
Stilly Coho are clicking. You will probably be releasing a SRC or two, as you fish for them, so best go small and barbless. Release everything, then you don't have to worry what bites your fly.
Chinooks are spawning like crazy right now. Numbers are actually up in some systems. Does my heart good to see the fish. You don't have to fish to appreciate nature in action.
Dollies are heading up, but they are certainly not above pulling in behind a Chinook redd to take a snack along the way. Many of these fall spawning char are either in their creeks, or staging out front. Anything that wiggles or looks like an egg will take them.
I have been outfitting long enough to know there are those who simply don't like guides. I understand. Heck, there are too many anglers that think all flyfishers are pompous poops. All we can do is try to be nice.
This time of year, Dickson's is blessed to have anglers come visit, from all over the world. Guess this happens over 20 years of outfitting. There are plenty of waters if we work at it just a little. Here is what some anglers mentioned, who have actually fished with our guides
Stilly Tidewater Schools Oct 28 or 29 We are getting a lot of attention for this late season school. Fall always bring a multiple species, gig. Way too much fun.
Quietly getting it done,
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Skagit River - September 15th, 2005
supplied by: Pacific Northwest Sportfishing
FISHING: Good
We're getting back in the swing of things after a few weeks off. The lower Skagit has been very good for pinks when the rivers been in. The entire river opens on September 16th and anglers will find plenty of pinks spread throughout the entire river system. Very few silvers have shown in the river thus far, though there are fishable numbers of both hatchery and summer silvers in the upper river right now. Getting them to bite, however, can be a bit tricky. The tribes have started picking up some decent numbers of silvers on the lower river the last couple of days, which could mark the beginning of the run for the Skagit. Down on the Snohomish the pinks are fading quickly. We've gotten numerous reports that the numbers of fresh pinks entering the system have fallen off dramatically in the last week. Lots of fish in the system and great action, but poor eating quality. The Snohomish remains slow for silvers and we've only heard of a few being caught down that way. A very brief shot of rain is likely all that will be needed to get them runnin' for the river, however, and it could turn on any time now.
We picked up our new North River Scout a week ago and are still in the process of rigging it. We'll start fishing out of it this weekend. On the water tests have proven it's a runner!
Until next week...good fishing!
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