Puget Sound

[Stonedfish]

Fished a beach for a couple hours this morning before heading to a Mother’s Day visit. A couple lost fish but that was it. Bright skies, flat water and little tidal movement wasn’t a great recipe for success.

This particular beach has a porta potty for visitors. Pretty disappointed with some of the sub human POS people that come out to our beaches with the nice weather. Some asshole tossed all their paper plates, cups plastic bags etc from their day on the beach into the head like it was a garbage can.
The floor of it was littered with bags of dog shit and beer cans. Just too lazy to pack it home.
SF

 

[Mossback]

Not a great pic, but arrived at a canal beach last weekend while it was dark. The clouds formed a nice opening for the moon.
SF

View attachment 64553

Always like a blurry moon pic...

 

[Stonedfish]

Always like a blurry moon pic...

He would be proud!
SF

 

[speedbird]

Happy to report my first four fly caught fish yesterday! No pictures as they were all small enough to squeeze through the net. Three were hand sized dinks, one was decent, 8-10 inches. There were some big fish around but unfortunately two other anglers were sitting at the best spot where the current was pushing all the bait, and I had to fish around them. I imagine I only got into little guys because they were trying to stay out of the big ones way.

I’m curious if it’s worth looking for or tying a chinook/coho smolt pattern. Ah my fish trapping internship, we have a problem on one of the rivers where a massive Cutthroat will sit just in front of our trap and eat the coho parr we release. I see a ton of chinook and coho smolt at the beach I fished, but even more so in the north sound. I imagine that would also selectively target the bigger and harder fighting fish

 

[jasmillo]

Happy to report my first four fly caught fish yesterday! No pictures as they were all small enough to squeeze through the net. Three were hand sized dinks, one was decent, 8-10 inches. There were some big fish around but unfortunately two other anglers were sitting at the best spot where the current was pushing all the bait, and I had to fish around them. I imagine I only got into little guys because they were trying to stay out of the big ones way.

I’m curious if it’s worth looking for or tying a chinook/coho smolt pattern. Ah my fish trapping internship, we have a problem on one of the rivers where a massive Cutthroat will sit just in front of our trap and eat the coho parr we release. I see a ton of chinook and coho smolt at the beach I fished, but even more so in the north sound. I imagine that would also selectively target the bigger and harder fighting fish

Probably worth tying some up but don’t overthink the pattern. Smallish, sparse baitfish patterns and even buggers in grey, olive, tan will do the trick for those fish eating fry. Minimalist patterns will catch fish if you get it in front of the fish. That is usually the most important piece of the puzzle.

 

[speedbird]

Probably worth tying some up but don’t overthink the pattern. Smallish, sparse baitfish patterns and even buggers in grey, olive, tan will do the trick for those fish eating fry. Minimalist patterns will catch fish if you get it in front of the fish. That is usually the most important piece of the puzzle.

From what I’ve read I bet there isn’t a fish in the PNW you couldn’t catch with a wooly bugger

 

[Zak]

From what I’ve read I bet there isn’t a fish in the PNW you couldn’t catch with a wooly bugger

Or anywhere!

 

[jasmillo]

From what I’ve read I bet there isn’t a fish in the PNW you couldn’t catch with a wooly bugger

Or anywhere!

You could be a very successful fly angler year around in the PNW, fresh and salt if all you had was a box full of buggers and clousers in various sizes and colors.

 

[Wadin' Boot]

Happy to report my first four fly caught fish yesterday... but unfortunately two other anglers were sitting at the best spot where the current was pushing all the bait

Now you know what to look for you have to either show up at that beach when the weather is worse, or earlier or later. Or better yet, because that beach sounds like it is on a bunch of people's radar, look for similar features in other locations and start learning Puget Sound's lesser known places...

 

[DimeBrite]

Happy to report my first four fly caught fish yesterday! No pictures as they were all small enough to squeeze through the net. Three were hand sized dinks, one was decent, 8-10 inches. There were some big fish around but unfortunately two other anglers were sitting at the best spot where the current was pushing all the bait, and I had to fish around them. I imagine I only got into little guys because they were trying to stay out of the big ones way.

I’m curious if it’s worth looking for or tying a chinook/coho smolt pattern. Ah my fish trapping internship, we have a problem on one of the rivers where a massive Cutthroat will sit just in front of our trap and eat the coho parr we release. I see a ton of chinook and coho smolt at the beach I fished, but even more so in the north sound. I imagine that would also selectively target the bigger and harder fighting fish

Congratulations on first catches!

Saltwater slows down by late May into June with warmer weather. By late July you can work on catching some bigger resident silvers and pink salmon, maybe a big blackmouth.

 

[Wanative]

Fished a beach for a couple hours this morning before heading to a Mother’s Day visit. A couple lost fish but that was it. Bright skies, flat water and little tidal movement wasn’t a great recipe for success.

This particular beach has a porta potty for visitors. Pretty disappointed with some of the sub human POS people that come out to our beaches with the nice weather. Some asshole tossed all their paper plates, cups plastic bags etc from their day on the beach into the head like it was a garbage can.
The floor of it was littered with bags of dog shit and beer cans. Just too lazy to pack it home.
SF

And they think they're upstanding members of society because they didn't leave it on the beach. SMFH.

 

[Dr. Magill]

Fished a beach for a couple hours this morning before heading to a Mother’s Day visit. A couple lost fish but that was it. Bright skies, flat water and little tidal movement wasn’t a great recipe for success.

This particular beach has a porta potty for visitors. Pretty disappointed with some of the sub human POS people that come out to our beaches with the nice weather. Some asshole tossed all their paper plates, cups plastic bags etc from their day on the beach into the head like it was a garbage can.
The floor of it was littered with bags of dog shit and beer cans. Just too lazy to pack it home.
SF

Assholes

 

[speedbird]

Congratulations on first catches!

Saltwater slows down by late May into June with warmer weather. By late July you can work on catching some bigger resident silvers and pink salmon, maybe a big blackmouth.

I’m excited for September-early December where I know a beach near me that consistently holds big Cutts. I know a pink beach, but I’m gonna have to see if my 50-60ft casts are enough. Hope the answer is yes

 

[Stonedfish]

I’m excited for September-early December where I know a beach near me that consistently holds big Cutts. I know a pink beach, but I’m gonna have to see if my 50-60ft casts are enough. Hope the answer is yes

Longer casts are better if possible, but you’ll catch fish in that 50-60’ range no problem. Just remember to strip to the beginning of your leader because some fish, especially coho will act like they want to eat your rod tip.

As far as buggers go, I had a friend who has since passed and that is all he ever used in the sound. Either a solid white or olive bugger and he caught a lot of fish on them.
SF

 

[Divad]

No indicators of fish on todays two beaches with one small cut landed and a couple other grabs. This helps me regain confidence/optimism for beaches that show no movement.

90 degrees, wading deep in the cold water was enjoyable



Now to get home for game 7, go Kraken!!

 

[rotato]

A local clam expert

 

[dfilippetto]

Took a little camping/SRC trip monday-wednesday and had some difficulty. I've been reading up on all the information you guys have put on here and others elsewhere and put in what I considered to be the hours and effort to get to untrafficked, unpressured waters in the south sound. I was with 2 friends and none of us had a fish to hand. We were up at 5 fishing the outgoing, tried the later incoming and then outgoing as well, threw everything from shrimpy stuff to gurglers and baitfish patterns, but nothing worked. At every single beach we tried (at least 2-3 per day), we saw tons and tons of baitfish, presumably fry (or smolt, idk my terminology) and always a number of sea lions. My father put our abyssal lack of fish to hand down to the sheer amount of food available to the cutthroat already. As a beginner at fly fishing and cutthroat I was wondering what you all thought/what your experience has been regarding this time of year. I've been able to get to the right place at the right time for these guys in previous months, and this was an interesting experience. Any suggestions about what to try next year when this time rolls around?

 

[Wadin' Boot]

Walking pace tide? fist-sized barnacle covered rocks? oyster bed sorta nearby? waters between 0-15 feet deep (not deeper dropoffs)? Eelgrass verges? in-water structure that tide has to move around? Float plane and fancy anglers just landed?

I guess the only other thing is if Stonefish and Jasmillo and Nick Clayton are walking back to their rigs high-fivin' while you guys are walking out there may be nothing left to catch for a while...

 

[dfilippetto]

Walking pace tide? fist-sized barnacle covered rocks? oyster bed sorta nearby? waters between 0-15 feet deep (not deeper dropoffs)? Eelgrass verges? in-water structure that tide has to move around? Float plane and fancy anglers just landed?

I guess the only other thing is if Stonefish and Jasmillo and Nick Clayton are walking back to their rigs high-fivin' while you guys are walking out there may be nothing left to catch for a while...

I'm talking small creeks, oyster beds, solid structure, drop offs, barnacles galore, perfect depth, nice rip within casting range, all the right things you guys have made clear should line up...

 

[dfilippetto]

Walking pace tide? fist-sized barnacle covered rocks? oyster bed sorta nearby? waters between 0-15 feet deep (not deeper dropoffs)? Eelgrass verges? in-water structure that tide has to move around? Float plane and fancy anglers just landed?

I guess the only other thing is if Stonefish and Jasmillo and Nick Clayton are walking back to their rigs high-fivin' while you guys are walking out there may be nothing left to catch for a while...

sorry didn't make that clear, drop off past casting range, we were fishing that 0-15 ft deep water