2023 Skagit/Sauk season is a go
- Thread starter GOTY
- Start date
Haha. I get it. I mostly agree with you. Back in the good old days (90s, on the Sky in my case) I thought all 2 handed fishermen were dumb for slashing that water that is within anchor distance. We all have been working down a run and spot a fish directly out from you, only 5 or 6 feet out. Right were you rip line on most spey/skagit casts.
I was the quiet & stealthy guy with the 9'6" single that thought I was super sneaky hitting the run a 2nd time since I had not disturbed it the 1st time.
I don't think I ever caught a damn fish on the 2nd time through. Haha!
100% I caught more fish the 1st time down a run, even if a damn jet sled had just gone through.
30 years later...I'm now one of those dumb guys rippin' my fat Skagit line out in front of me, probably doing a double spey or a snap-T. And I still see fish sitting right there! So who knows.
Is it more classy if I'm river right and do a cack-handed snap-T?
kerrys
Ignored Member
I have hooked a bunch of steelhead right after a sled has gone by. Steelhead aren’t that spooky. If anything they get agitated by shit and strike.
HauntedByWaters
Life of the Party
Ah the internet, I love it… Nobody in this thread posted that steelhead were spooky but that is the rebut to my post? I posted that stealth can matter a lot in some situations (didn’t mean exclusively steelhead either) and I know it does and you should know it too if you fish a lot. A Perry Poke and a Single Spey is a lot quieter and gentler than a Snap-T and that is enough for me to use them.
Can someone post pictures of what steelhead water looks like compared to bull trout water?
SF
SF
Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
I'll show you if you show me the difference between an incoming beach vs an outgoing beach
It's really a plot to get Brian to invite me to go fish with him, haha.
I'll take a stab at it. Some will know where both of these places are, but since there are no fish then no hot-spot right?
Steelhead water...note- he already went through it once with a lighter (weight) fly and only wading to his knees. And he's short.
Bull trout water- the deeper stuff upstream of the angler.
Steelhead water...note- he already went through it once with a lighter (weight) fly and only wading to his knees. And he's short.
Bull trout water- the deeper stuff upstream of the angler.
HauntedByWaters
Life of the Party
I’m just trying to help all these guys that don’t catch anything.
HauntedByWaters
Life of the Party
For the record, I am not saying that steelhead are always spooky, I am saying that they definitely can be, just like any other fish. Kerry is claiming that “steelhead aren’t spooky” and he is speaking in absolutes, and only Sith speak in absolutes. Take that information however you wish.
kerrys
Ignored Member
Son, I have lived through everything you are going to go through and hopefully a lot of shit you won’t have to go through.
May the force be with you…
Way back when it was all legal, or my interpretation was legal. I lived on a tributary of a renowned steelhead and salmon river. The hole in front of my house would produce springers in the spring, bulls throughout the summer up to 10 lbs, and summer run steelhead in the fall. All in exactly the same spot. Admittedly the bulls were of an inland variety, I really haven't targeted sea run bulls. This past fall I caught a large bull in a spot that has fished well for summer runs for me for over 30 years. I've caught bulls in the Skagit while fishing for steelhead, honestly I'm sure I've caught more bulls than have steelhead out of the Skagit. Maybe I'm better at finding bull trout water than I am at finding steelhead water.
Yep, caught plenty of west-side bulls in good steelhead water on the S rivers. Especially the Skagit. I will say though, many of them were in a bit deeper water. Often at the end of those top-end only type runs when you stop stepping down because it's getting to deep to wade and too slow to swing. Let's call it chum water. Haha!
And inland bulls love wood. If you can find a good run, even only a foot deep, but there's a log nearby...fish it! This big girl was caught in 18" of water right next to a big log.
A lot of Skagit bulls come in water that is only 18" deep and so clear you'd swear you could count every pebble in there. Lo and behold you find a pod of 20 inchers right under your nose. Most guys walk by this on their way to the top of the run and quit fishing before they get down to it because...it ain't classic steelhead water. Those bulls love all that shit you're kicking up with your feet.
Skagit River Shuffle!
Yadwick
Smolt
But they absolutely hate rafts and drift boats.
Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
I remember Ed Ward complaining about the noise the white rabit would make from long belly lines, I found this most amusing considering he ran a jet sled up and down the river.
If your that concerend about casting noise you might as well single hand cast!
The first time I fished summer runs on the Cowlitz, back when it was full of fish, we probably seen 3 to 5 thousand fish. They would just slide over about15 feet and after the sled passed by would slid right back to thier lie.
We hooked 28 steelhead that day side drifting, got out ot the boat to swing that riffle below the wall and got 4 steelhead on flies in about an hr.
God there was a lot of fish back then, I sure miss those days!
The cowlitz was a great time almost every time.
Decades ago we would float 3 guys in a lil 2 man raft down to the island(s) just above blue creek. Body parts hanging over the edges, me on the sticks with dustpans as blades, 1 guy with gear stacked up to his chin sitting in my lap and the 3rd would sit on the edge dangling his feet in the water, becoming our anchor upon arrival.
Floating away from the launch we would ask whomever was around the area, "how far to I-5?" A few guys would freak out thinking we were going to die that day, others laughed.
The inside seam on the upper island was such a fun run to fish.
Decades ago we would float 3 guys in a lil 2 man raft down to the island(s) just above blue creek. Body parts hanging over the edges, me on the sticks with dustpans as blades, 1 guy with gear stacked up to his chin sitting in my lap and the 3rd would sit on the edge dangling his feet in the water, becoming our anchor upon arrival.
Floating away from the launch we would ask whomever was around the area, "how far to I-5?" A few guys would freak out thinking we were going to die that day, others laughed.
The inside seam on the upper island was such a fun run to fish.
JS
Mankie Old Chum
Well, on account of standing on fish I guess….but I shouldn’t should on anyone. It’s unsanitary.
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