Puget Sound

Stonedfish · Dec 29, 2023

As @jeradjames mention, super warm and humid today. I way overdressed and sweat my ass off. We are coming up on my two least favorite months to fish searun cutts, so expectations were low today and they were met.

Man these king tides sure bring in the trash. It’s really sad how much garbage is floating around out there.
SF

Gary Knowels · Dec 29, 2023

A buddy and I fished 2 new-to-us beaches 11-4 today. No fish were caught but it was warm with no wind and rather pretty out.

We ran into @Divad today, nice meeting you! We stayed at that beach until 4, no fish were spotted, but there were 4 seals working the point at the north end of the beach pretty hard.

Divad · Dec 29, 2023

Gary Knowels said:
A buddy and I fished 2 new-to-us beaches 11-4 today. No fish were caught but it was warm with no wind and rather pretty out.
View attachment 97200
We ran into @Divad today, nice meeting you! We stayed at that beach until 4, no fish were spotted, but there were 4 seals working the point at the north end of the beach pretty hard.

Nice meeting you guys! I need one of those PNWFF hats, sure does make it easy to recognize and interrupt a backcast. About 60ft out from where that good looking far caster is standing and a little north just by the property line is a man made reef I was told. It seems to be a hangout for lockjaw coho in fall, so maybe it turns on some residents here soon.

Two beaches and no fish, one newly explored. No complaints, it was warm and pleasant as Gary mentioned.

jasmillo · Dec 30, 2023

Hit the sound with @Kfish today. Pretty slow day. We fished some really good looking, new to us water with only a few fish to show for our efforts. Good to get out and explore some new places. We’ll be back under better conditions for sure. Probably my last two fish of 2023.

Bring on the New Year!

Stonedfish · Dec 30, 2023

Kfish · Dec 30, 2023

Slow today but just as expected, was nice to have caught a few under that mix of rain/partly sunny/squall. Some underwater release clips, @jasmillo 2 cutts and my one little rezzie.

Stonedfish · Dec 31, 2023

Another slow day with a few fish hooked.

I’m not a hunter, but do they make a biodegradable wad for shotgun shells?
Maybe made of some type of thick paper?
Found these along a quarter mile stretch of beach.

I’d say someone likes Jim Beam. Smirnoff’s, Crown Royal, Bacardi and Corona as well.

SF

Wanative · Dec 31, 2023

Stonedfish said:
Another slow day with a few fish hooked.

I’m not a hunter, but do they make a biodegradable wad for shotgun shells?
Maybe made of some type of thick paper?
Found these along a quarter mile stretch of beach.
View attachment 97435

I’d say someone likes Jim Beam. Smirnoff’s Crown Royal, Bacardi and Corona as well.
View attachment 97437
SF

And a good time was had by all.

Paige · Dec 31, 2023

Stonedfish said:
Another slow day with a few fish hooked.

I’m not a hunter, but do they make a biodegradable wad for shotgun shells?
Maybe made of some type of thick paper?
Found these along a quarter mile stretch of beach.
View attachment 97435

I’d say someone likes Jim Beam. Smirnoff’s Crown Royal, Bacardi and Corona as well.
View attachment 97437
SF

A foggy memory, but I thought I've seen cardboard wads back in the 70's?
@Roper might know better?

Merle · Dec 31, 2023

Stonedfish said:
I’m not a hunter, but do they make a biodegradable wad for shotgun shells?

I was wondering that too… thinking I could reload shells with Moss Out granules and a really light powder charge to get the product up on my really high and steep roof. I don’t want the roof covered with the plastic wads though.

Greg Armstrong · Dec 31, 2023

Paige said:
A foggy memory, but I thought I've seen cardboard wads back in the 70's?
@Roper might know better?

I think you remember right. I had the same thought.

Roper · Dec 31, 2023

Paige said:
A foggy memory, but I thought I've seen cardboard wads back in the 70's?
@Roper might know better?

There are both biodegradable and felt wads. Getting folks to use them is another issue.

RRSmith · Jan 1, 2024

Roper said:
There are both biodegradable and felt wads. Getting folks to use them is another issue.

It was the transition from lead shot to steel shot for waterfowl hunting that changed the wads to a heavier plastic, primarily to protect shotgun barrels. Lead is malleable and steel, not so much. I've been away from the waterfowl hunting scene for awhile now but I do know that biodegradable steel shot wads were introduced four or five years ago. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Stonedfish · Jan 1, 2024

Nice first day of the year at the local.
Lots of folks out enjoying the day with their kids and dogs. Some swimmers

and a lone jet skier enjoying the flat sound.
SF

Vandelay Industries · Jan 1, 2024

Stonedfish said:
Nice first day of the year at the local.
Lots of folks out enjoying the day with their kids and dogs. Some swimmers and a lone jet skier enjoying the flat sound.
SF

View attachment 97558
View attachment 97559
View attachment 97560

Pretty sure you saw this guy on the jet ski.

The man beneath the fin

Sketched June 28, 11:46 a.m. It's all in a day's work for Seattle's newest superhero. OrcaMan stands tall on a West Seattle dock, ready to jump on his Jet Ski to chase ferries, wave at the passengers and scoop up...

www.seattletimes.com

Phil K · Jan 1, 2024

From my traditional New Years Day bike ride. We live in such a cool place!

There were a number of people swimming. Well, mostly jumping in and quickly out of the Sound. I passed one group that had it figured out; they had a mini school bus with a woodstove cranking away and a bunch of people sitting around inside. A regular mobile sauna. I think they was nekikid!

roger stephens · Jan 2, 2024

roger stephens said:
IMHO you are seeing resident coho feeding on amphipods. Resident coho in the northern part of marine area 13 often can be feeding on the water surface as they eat these amphipods in the winter and early spring. However, I have occasionally seen resident coho feeding on amphipods in the southern part of marine area 13. The amphipods are a little large than 1/8 inch in size and are a reddish/brown color.. They look like a fresh water scud. If amphipods are seen up close, they will often be seen slowly spinning around and the whole water surface will be cover with them. Schools of 20 to 30 resident coho will be seen slowly sipping/dimpling the water surface as they feed on the amphipods. A school of resident coho feeding on them were very spooky as the fish would skirt either side of my boat 20 to 30 feet away.

I had a little success using a #12 hook to tie an amphipod pattern. I used a floating line and a strike indicator and tried to dead drift the pattern into a school of resident coho feeding that was approaching my boat. Every few seconds I would give the line a slight twitch( called amphipod hop by les Johnson) to give the pattern a little movement. It was hard to hook fish so I usually gave up and would go to looking for more aggressive schools of jumping resident coho.

Roger

Here is a photo and write-up of the above amphipod pattern which is on page 135 of Fly Fishing for Pacific Salmon II By Les Johnson and Bruce Ferguson.

Roger