Honestly, it's hard to take a bad pic of Hood Canal!Northern your landscape shot above is stunning.....
But thank you
Honestly, it's hard to take a bad pic of Hood Canal!Northern your landscape shot above is stunning.....
Looking good!Here I am after the long walk in yesterday trying to light my cigar, ( i bet you can't sit like that with right leg) HA!HA!
Managed to long distance release a nice hatchery coho after two runs into the backing, earning its freedom.
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I've been noticing new Sea Run Cutthroat behavior on the two north sound beaches I've been frequenting the last few weeks. Lately, there has been a lot more freshwater type behavior I haven't noticed before. I've been seeing less jumping and more sipping on the top water like trout in the freshwater sipping a dry fly. My usual baitfish patterns are still getting hook ups but the fish are short striking a lot more and as a result I have been changing flies more frequently to figure out what works. It's been a lot of fun trying to figure this out. This morning's best pattern was a muddler minnow with a brass hook. I'm going to get a spare spool with floating line and start experimenting with small top water patterns and see what happens.
Brian beat me too it. I love winter with the 5wt, a floater and some euphosid or amphipod flies. Catching SRC or rezzies that are sipping these bugs is a nice, but sometimes very frustrating, changeup from the normal strip and rip. The reward just feels better.What you are seeing with the sipping action is likely them taking euphausiids or amphipods which gets more prevalent as we move from fall into winter.
SF
Sounds like the perfect opportunity to experiment with Steve Raymond's "Cutthroat Candy", his go to cutthroat dry fly and often the only fly he fished. While he usually tied it in a size 8 I think I would include some smaller versions as well.I've been noticing new Sea Run Cutthroat behavior on the two north sound beaches I've been frequenting the last few weeks. Lately, there has been a lot more freshwater type behavior I haven't noticed before. I've been seeing less jumping and more sipping on the top water like trout in the freshwater sipping a dry fly. My usual baitfish patterns are still getting hook ups but the fish are short striking a lot more and as a result I have been changing flies more frequently to figure out what works. It's been a lot of fun trying to figure this out. This morning's best pattern was a muddler minnow with a brass hook. I'm going to get a spare spool with floating line and start experimenting with small top water patterns and see what happens.
Tried a new ābeachā (75% mud) in Oly this evening and the chum have arrived in force awaiting the rain. Tailed 3 out of a bunch, all fair eats.
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Last 3 outings chasing these fish Iāve learned a lot. They like a very slow retrieve, a steady flutter from an unweighted fly with a sink tip. The simpler the pattern the better as well, as long as itās tied on a very strong hook. I switched to Owner No Escapes and am only using fiberglass after hearing folks rod horror stories when I walked back.
Good fish to kick off the Halloween night.
Hot spotting? Are you okayTried a new ābeachā (75% mud) in Oly this evening
If fishing a top water pattern, is strip setting not the way to go?Brian beat me too it. I love winter with the 5wt, a floater and some euphosid or amphipod flies. Catching SRC or rezzies that are sipping these bugs is a nice, but sometimes very frustrating, changeup from the normal strip and rip. The reward just feels better.
Thanks for the tips Curt. I'll try and tie up a few this week and see what happens.Sounds like the perfect opportunity to experiment with Steve Raymond's "Cutthroat Candy", his go to cutthroat dry fly and often the only fly he fished. While he usually tied it in a size 8 I think I would include some smaller versions as well.
The fact the fish seem to be getting picky (short strikes and refusals) about the fly they want. It is often the case that we are fishing over the same fish regularly thus they become more difficult to fool. A pattern change or going smaller can sometimes be effective. While a freshwater example it is common to see BWO hatches on the waters with the mayfly being pretty small (often an 18). When I first encounter a hatch in a given pool even though the fish are taking a size 18 I fish a size 14 with success. If in a few days later or next week I'm fishing the same water I may need to drop to a 16 and then an 18 for success. When fishing over a pod of fish after the bite stales a fly change (different pattern, color or size) will produce a few more fish. However, if I'm going to fish that water more than once every couple weeks I don't change up when the fish go stale, rather keep those change up patterns for the next visit. Experience has taught me that on frequently fished waters have a "new" pattern for each trip results in more fish overall.
Curt
Some interesting stuff in here. Hopefully the increase in funding can help out. Additionally, it's fascinating to see how much money is going to behavioral change. There are so many people coming to the Puget sound region that still don't get close to it to understand the kids impact their own actions may have. Total uphill battle, but it's one reason why I always try to take newbies out on the boat to try to show the beautiful place we live in and how we all live in it.SFstateofthesound.wa.gov
stateofthesound.wa.gov
Tried a new ābeachā (75% mud) in Oly this evening and the chum have arrived in force awaiting the rain. Tailed 3 out of a bunch, all fair eats.
View attachment 88447
Last 3 outings chasing these fish Iāve learned a lot. They like a very slow retrieve, a steady flutter from an unweighted fly with a sink tip. The simpler the pattern the better as well, as long as itās tied on a very strong hook. I switched to Owner No Escapes and am only using fiberglass after hearing folks rod horror stories when I walked back.
Good fish to kick off the Halloween night.