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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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Skagit River - September 11th, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
FISHING: Good
"Zig & Zag"
All over the place, really. Lower Stilly has good numbers of salmon.......even the Coho are showing.
North Fork is quite good for Searun Cutthroat. Maybe not the numbers as the tidewater, but good nonetheless. Flies: All types of baitfish patterns are working. Less is more. Keep them small. The Humpies are moving in. Glue Egg patterns will turn on here for the Cutthroat, as the little salmon starts spawning. Try fishing the riffley heads that drop into significant pools. Fish will start to congregate around the mouth of their tributaries soon.
Lower Snoqualmie will take some SRC after this rain. Lower Cowlitz is smoking. Not all hatchery programs are bad.
Lower Skagit has some color but the salmon are in. If you were thinking the fishing was going to be like two years ago, you are going to be disappointed. If you have to catch Pinks, head over to the Skykomish. That is what everybody else is does.
Upper Skagit can be a real sleeper for the Marblemount bound steelhead, fishing the surface will avoid most of the salmon. I riffle hitch the fly and keep it small. Some days you will find them, some days you won't that's why it is called "fishing."
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Skagit River - June 28th, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
FISHING: Good
water levels - click here
Skagit: The upper river hatchery Chinook fishery continues from Marblemount to Rockport. As much as I love fishing, this bait & barb fishery, has me worried about the impact on the Dolly/Bulls we were catching since Christmas.
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Skagit River - June 4th, 2005
supplied by: John's Guide Service
FISHING: Good
River Levels - click here
Skagit River:
River Conditions:
Normal Flows.
- Skagit above the Sauk has 6-9 feet of visibility right now.
- Skagit below the Sauk has less 4-6 feet of visibility below the Mixer.
Fishing Report:
Although closed during the month of May, reports already coming in of Kings in the upper river along with quite a few downstreamer steelies.
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Skagit River - May 1st, 2005
supplied by: John's Guide Service
FISHING: Good
River Levels - click here
Skagit River:
River Conditions:
Normal Flows.
- Skagit above the Sauk has 4-5 feet of visibility right now.
- Skagit below the Sauk has less than a foot of visibility below the Mixer.
Fishing Report:
Fishing has been fairly good on the Skagit over the last few weeks for steelhead and we've already seen and caught a couple of Springers as well. Dollie Varden / Bull Trout fishing has drastically improved as the smolt & fry are now out and about.
Spring run off has started and the river is cloudy.
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Skagit River - May 1st, 2005
supplied by: Dickson Flyfishing Steelhead Guides
FISHING: Good
water levels - click here
"Spring Run-off"
Finished up the Sauk / Skagit Catch & Release. More fish are coming now. The Sauk has been blown for the last few days, and of course that put everybody on the Skagit. I do want to thank you Mr. WDFW for allowing us an opportunity to fish. Sure, we had our tuff days, and there were times it seemed we were All out there.....but hey, sometimes it is the bad days that make us appreciate the good ones. We were fishing, and we did find some big fish, memories. Maybe next year, we can open up more native release waters.......it took all of us out there to demonstrate, we are not just an after-thought fishery. Kudo's to all that worked so hard to make it happen. Remember, 90% of what happens in steelhead management is politics.....glad to see those who view us, "as helping". We are the future.
Speaking of back......I floated the North Fork Stilly from Fortson down to Whitman Bridge, the other day. Winter floods were not kind. You are going to see a lot of changes in the stream corridor. It is going to take a while before this snow water, allows the flows to recede to summer levels. Last year it came a month early......this year should be the same. Pray the snow pack comes off slowly.
I was emailed the other day, where would I look to find early summer steelhead in 2005. This is what I wrote: I would fish the hatchery waters around Fortson, first.....seems like every year, the hatchery steelhead shoot on up to their imprinting waters, faster than the year before. With the volume of water the fish will get, to help travel.......they will jet. The summer wilds will coming later, when the water drops and warms.....this is a good time to fish below Deer Creek.....of course, any time the water is clear enough to fish, its a good time to fish below Deer Creek. My favorite water in early June is the Skykomish.
I get asked all the time, if the spawning escapement is so poor......why are we catching so many dark wild winter steelhead in the Sky and Stilly, when it opens in June? When management has killed off the early portion the runs, year after year........nature responds by producing later fish. The other explanation of course is perhaps, the steelhead population wasn't as small as hoped......I mean "projected."
Anyway, I look for good summer steelhead returns in both hatchery and wild, for both the Stilly and the Skykomish Rivers. For you North Fork floaters......be careful! As I mentioned, there has been many river channel changes, and with the flows up.....you better be good on your sticks.
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Skagit River - April 22nd, 2005
supplied by: Pacific Northwest Sportfishing
FISHING: Fair
Just when you think you've seen it all something new pops up that totally blows your mind. Buzz, Joe and I were sitting in the pouring down rain Saturday morning watching the rods wiggle and wishing the rain would let up when suddenly the center rod launches straight out of the boat. It cleared the bow and hit the water 10 to 15 feet downstream of the boat, racing off downstream with a rooster tail behind it. Acting quickly Joe and Buzz grabbed the other two rods and swung the plugs in front of the missile to try to hook it up and save the rod. Joe must've been livin' the clean life lately because his plug with one single hook on it latched onto the reel and we pulled the rod in with fish in tow. After all that I attempted, several times, to knock it off with the net and we still miraculously landed the fish, which was somewhere around 16 pounds. Holy schnikeys!
Thankfully the rest of the week was a lot less eventful than that. The warm weather has put color back in the Sauk and with that steelhead have been moving again. We've spent most of our time either on the Sauk or on the Skagit below the Sauk, though we pulled one day this past week on the upper Skagit that I'd rather erase from the log book. Clear and spooky up there, as usual. Fish are moving and you're likely to find them in anything that remotely resembles holding water. They've seen every plug in the book by now and drift fishing seems to be drawing more strikes than anything
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Your search returned 172 items (most recent reports for all waters in )
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