Sauk/Skagit open for CnR 2/1

Whoever showed up at commissioners' meetings and casted yarn balls off the Rockport ramp I salute you.

A friendly reminder that the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe contributed to this management plan. Without their legal involvement and agreement there wouldn't be a fishery. Please try to appreciate them if u tail one.
 
I have only ever caught one winter fish on the swing and that was ages ago. So I am just throwing it out there into the Universe that if anyone has room on their vroom vroom jet boat, or wants to team up for small boat float, please let me know! When the river gets crowded I seem to just flail, it leaves a bad taste, and I fade away from trying. I could use the additional motivation and encouragement of just being around fishers that have game plans and some confidence.
 
Matt B said:
I have only ever caught one winter fish on the swing and that was ages ago. So I am just throwing it out there into the Universe that if anyone has room on their vroom vroom jet boat, or wants to team up for small boat float, please let me know! When the river gets crowded I seem to just flail, it leaves a bad taste, and I fade away from trying. I could use the additional motivation and encouragement of just being around fishers that have game plans and some confidence.
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You just have to time the flotilla madness, first isn't necessarily best. A boat is essential to thoroughly work the log jam holding spots.
Scout the river, do a float first and mark hike in locations with good fly runs. Then work these spots on free days as weather & crowds allow. Basketball sized boulders = big steel.
 
DimeBrite said:
You just have to time the flotilla madness, first isn't necessarily best. A boat is essential to thoroughly work the log jam holding spots.
Scout the river, do a float first and mark hike in locations with good fly runs. Then work these spots on free days as weather & crowds allow. Basketball sized boulders = big steel.
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Oh, I mean, I know all that and all. Good advice for a motivated DIYer for sure. I've seen fish caught right in front of me more times than I care to admit. I think I got something else going on.
 
Matt B said:
Oh, I mean, I know all that and all. Good advice for a motivated DIYer for sure. I've seen fish caught right in front of me more times than I care to admit. I think I got something else going on.
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Another good piece of advice I tell everyone is take advantage of the long days in late March and April. Very few people fish hard from 5AM to 9PM like you can towards the end of the season. The morning is always the huge surge and it’s crickets late. There is an evening bite too. I like to get to the river at 6PM and fish until dark on a piece of water I know has fish.
 
Matt B said:
Oh, I mean, I know all that and all. Good advice for a motivated DIYer for sure. I've seen fish caught right in front of me more times than I care to admit. I think I got something else going on.
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This was the case for me for a few years and I fished hard back then. People hooked fish in front of me or on the other side of the river etc. I really broke that cycle when I started ding what @HauntedByWaters adviced above. At that time, I took afternoons off for a week at the end of my local rivers season (not Skagit). Back then the local season ended at the end of Feb. I fished until 1:00 till dark and magically started hooking fish, often in the same run or behind the same rock.

Walk in spots are the lifeblood of many steelhead flyfishermen because they can fish those prime times, especially if the river condition is optimum. A float is enjoyable in it's own right. It is a lot of fun to have a whole day carved out on the water. Walking in can be more efficient once you have located the run to fish. I learned to find those spots by folloowing @DimeBrite advice above. When I first fished the Skagit out of a sled, it was with this board's favorite retired NMFS bio. I remember watching him stand up and peer into the water as we drifted through runs muttering to himself things about speed, size of rocks and adjacent water.

The fish below was my first winter fish after a a few seasons of not catching at all. I landed a hatchery fish the next day from belhind the exact same rock. They come easier after you hook one from my experience.

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I hope to get out more this spring so I'm happy to go with you again. I have watermasters and a small drifty. The places we fished last time were all pretty good as I recall. A man could use OnX and figure out some walk ins.
 
Hell yeah, y'all are lighting the flame of stoke just by tapping some plastic buttons. I won't be out there this weekend, but if you all can manage not to use up the whole allotment too dang fast, I'll start making some plans for later on and figuring out how to enjoy not being in the glut of the throngs but still be in the fishy water when the fish are around.

charles sullivan said:
I hope to get out more this spring so I'm happy to go with you again.
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Let's do it! I got a frameless Commander that is easy to set up, take down, and drag around.
 
Superfishial said:
Whoever showed up at commissioners' meetings and casted yarn balls off the Rockport ramp I salute you.

A friendly reminder that the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe contributed to this management plan. Without their legal involvement and agreement there wouldn't be a fishery. Please try to appreciate them if u tail one.
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I think that there is a lot to learn about how to cooperate with the tribes from the OS experience for both fishermen and hunters. It was a bit easier with OS because we shared a common need (impacts). Trust is difficult to come by between the sportsman's groups and the tribes but I do believe that whenever a common goal or need is found that cooperation is possible.
 
Matt B said:
Hell yeah, y'all are lighting the flame of stoke just by tapping some plastic buttons. I won't be out there this weekend, but if you all can manage not to use up the whole allotment too dang fast, I'll start making some plans for later on and figuring out how to enjoy not being in the glut of the throngs but still be in the fishy water when the fish are around.


Let's do it! I got a frameless Commander that is easy to set up, take down, and drag around.
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We must make it so. I amy up my camping gamne a bit too. It's always been a goal so that I can hit an evening and then a float.
 
Matt B said:
Oh, I mean, I know all that and all. Good advice for a motivated DIYer for sure. I've seen fish caught right in front of me more times than I care to admit. I think I got something else going on.
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For real, when a fish is caught in front of you, make a note of where it came from. Highly likely another fish will be in that spot in the future, possibly even later that day.
 
Superfishial said:
Whoever showed up at commissioners' meetings and casted yarn balls off the Rockport ramp I salute you.

A friendly reminder that the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe contributed to this management plan. Without their legal involvement and agreement there wouldn't be a fishery. Please try to appreciate them if u tail one.
Click to expand...
I agree whole heartly, the Co-managers were a huge part in us and them getting allowable impact resources to fish the Skagit. I have never met any of their Bio's, but I know some friends that have, and they speak very highly of their knowledge and willingness to work together.

we got lucky ...............................
 
what was the first year the Skagit was open in the Spring for a CnR fishery - I remember it being 1984, could someone confirm that for me
thanks

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