Sea Run 101

[M_D]

This fall I decided to focus on troutski's rather than salmon but I've been getting my butt kicked while trying to find some sea runs in my local river, so I thought I'd ask for some pointers.

For background, I live in Whatcom county/NW Washington. Maybe this makes for different SRC fishing than those who live in the south sound and maybe elsewhere...I don't know. I've only tried for them a handful of times in years past (in the salt) but gave up rather quickly after not finding many....and they were only a by catch once the salmon were in the river. So this fall I challenged myself to make a valiant effort, but my ego can only take so many skunkings and four outings in with little success I'm trying to figure out how badly I suck or if it's the lack of fish or both.

I know very little about these guys. I have Chester Allen's book and evidently need to re read it...but even so I recall he was more focused on the salt and currently I'm focusing on the fresh water side. So here we go...
- At this time of year, will they spawning be up in the smaller creeks/tributaries? and therefore not in the main stems or bigger river forks?
- OR, will they more likely be scooping up loose eggs behind spawning salmon?...so find salmon and likely find SRC?
- and will they go dour after periods of lower water or lack of freshets?

So far I've focused on about a 2 mile stretch of river in my outings. Mostly, I'm either stripping/twitching reverse spiders or swinging muddlers or a small baitfish streamer. I've spent time at the pools surrounding log jams and swung entire runs. I think I've found 2 fish in 16-20 hours of water time.

On the plus side....
-I've gotten to see a bunch of ouzels, which are one of my favorite water birds.
- saw what I believe are black bear tracks




dragged my dog like a suitcase through deeper water so she wouldn't swim into a water hazard



got the crap scared out of me by startling a small herd of elk... and MAYBE spooked a Sasquatch....but it would be really cool to start hooking a few more fish....have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Mike d

 

[Jake Watrous]

Most of my experience targeting them is in salt water (which should still be decent through the end of December), but in my limited experience chasing them in the rivers I find that:

1. If there are salmon spawning or carcasses, they may be onto eggs.
2. They often tend to get pushed into the less desirable (for a fish) water.

 

[Stonedfish]

I don’t know which river you are fishing, but if it is deep enough that water behind your dog is the type I’d be fishing. Not always the case, but they do like woody frog water.
SF

 

[Smalma]

Some north Sound sea-run Cutthroat basics.

They are late winter/spring spawners (January through May with peak typically mid/late March). Their preferred spawning/early juvenile rearing habitats are small (think being able to step across) low gradient streams. For those north Sound rivers, the majority of that habitat is found in the lowlands. This means in your home river that majority of the cutthroat will be spawning downstream of the forks.

Our sea-runs will take advantage of the loose eggs and dislodged insects associated with salmon spawning on the whole targeting those opportunities are low down on my list of strategies in targeting the sea-runs.

The cutthroat definitely do not become "dour" during low water. In fact, the best fishing always occurs during the period of lowest flows usually associated with the low fall flows. While in-river cutthroat success can happen from mid-July through much of the winter by far my highest catch rates happen during that fall low flow period or when similar flows occur in the early or later periods of that window of opportunity. This recent cold/dry weather may provide a short window of November cutthroat opportunities in the next few days.

Like all of our native salmonids our sea-run cutthroat have their own unique habitats and behaviors. As mentioned, it is common to find cutthroat in unexpected water which is a reflection of the species preferences. You are more likely to consistently find they in water typically used by holding coho than where you expect to find a rainbow or steelhead (not there will not be over-lap).

Have fun with your cutthroat explorations and know it can be both addictive and constant learning experience.

Curt

 

[Brian Miller]

Our sea-runs will take advantage of the loose eggs and dislodged insects associated with salmon spawning on the whole targeting those opportunities are low down on my list of strategies in targeting the sea-runs.

For the OP, in the S Sound region[/I] I have observed Cutts (unknown if Sea Runs) schooling up in a big "black ball" a few yards behind spawning Coho and resident fish behind spawning Kokanee. Casting a GRHE downstream of the salmon and through the "ball" has picked up 2-3 fish before they begin to refuse it.

The cutthroat definitely do not become "dour" during low water. In fact, the best fishing always occurs during the period of lowest flows usually associated with the low fall flows. While in-river cutthroat success can happen from mid-July through much of the winter by far my highest catch rates happen during that fall low flow period or when similar flows occur in the early or later periods of that window of opportunity. This recent cold/dry weather may provide a short window of November cutthroat opportunities in the next few days.

On fall days during low water conditions on smaller rivers & creeks I have observed Cutts (resident, Sea Run) schooled up in pools that are deep enough to appear darker than the average depth. Those fish have been extremely spooky. I have had to approach known pool locations very carefully; slow-low, using boulders or other cover and even on my knees (I love knee-shin pads). 1 fish; landed or missed, a sloppy cast, showing yourself... and the pool is done, time to move on. Freezing or moving off and resting the pool or lie for at least 5 minutes (I actually time it) to 15 minutes then reapproaching low-slow has worked.

 

[Salmo_g]

MD,

Smalma's got you covered. Unlike south sound, where the streams are small and the SRC enter them just prior to spawning, in the north sound (Nooksack, Skagit, Stilly, etc.) where the rivers are large, the SRC enter freshwater beginning in late July or August and are present in fishable numbers until the big rains of autumn. Those rains came the first week of November this year, and the cutts seem to scatter to who knows where after that. I've only found occasional SRC when fishing the Skagit after the big rain and river rise. IMO, the SRC season is over in north sound until spring when the fish begin heading downstream back to salt water. Of course, most rivers are closed these days during that season.

 

[M_D]

Darn it...why can't it just be easy !

Just kidding. Thanks for the information. It's a lot for my old melon to process.....and what a conundrum to unravel.

For example from my last outing, I fished the water behind my dog as @Stonedfish noted but I got nuthin'. That said, even though I thought I was being stealthy....it was such a bright clear day, I suspect I was not truly as sneaky as I thought I was. Plus, this section had a more confusing current to deal with and it took me a bit to get the drift I wanted.....so I very easily could have spooked any fish that were present as @Brian Miller mentioned.....

...or maybe there were no fish in this pocket to begin with, based upon @Salmo_g 's experience

...or maybe they were simply doing their unique coastal cutthroat thing as noted by @Smalma and were someplace else

...like maybe they were further up river, chowing on eggs from the silvers stacked up below the hatchery ( an area I avoid)

...or maybe it's simply a high percentage of 'I just suck'

shitohdear what's a guy to do?

guess I'll have to put on my stubborn old guy hat and try again

and then whine about it should I get skunked some more

but at least there will be ouzels and sasquatches around


Thanks again,

Mike d

 

[Brian Miller]

I fished the water behind my dog as @Stonedfish noted but I got nuthin'.

Here's a thought. When I fish with my dog, he's not very stealthy. If he decides to step into-cross a fishy-looking section before I fish it, I might as well sit down and wait for that 5 minutes I mentioned and hope he entertains himself checking out interesting smells and doesn't come back through again before I can fish it.

Plus, this section had a more confusing current to deal with and it took me a bit to get the drift I wanted

This brings up one other thing to think about. I do have some decent graphite and bamboo fly rod & reel outfits but over the last 5 years I have fished for (and landed) Sea Runs and resident Cutts to 16" in streams year-round that are 50 ft wide when they are at a "safe to wade cfs", and streams that are 100'+ wide in wadable low water conditions almost exclusively with 12'-13' Tenkara rods (wet flies, dry flies) and a 14'-17' Keiryu rod (weighted nymphs); both are fixed line, no reel. Because of the high rod tip presentation the casting distance is typically my line length; usually = rod length, + rod length x 0.75 or 2x rod length x 0.75, +3'-4' of tippet. That works out to about 19'-29' with those rod and line lengths.

It really shines for controlling my fly in complex currents and around obstacles (boulders) with precise drag free drifts without surface-disturbing mends. I can also "anchor" the fly in an eddy, and use traditional subtle strike-enticing movements (sasoi or manipulation) in ways that I simply can't duplicate with a western rod and reel.

With the tight line presentation, high-vis line off the water, and flexible tip I also get superior strike detection. The long rod lengths and increased flex also provide great leverage to fight fish yet protect 5X - 6X tippets that make up for the absence of a reel.

Sea Runs in the salt are an altogether different story.

 

[clarkman]

Can't really help you on the fishing side of things there as I rarely target them, but those Ouzels are awesome little birds to just sit and watch. A number of years ago (probably close to 20) while winter steelheading, mid-swing, I had one land on my fly rod (brown nondescript) and hang out there for well over 5 minutes gradually working it's way closer to my hand on the grip. I thought I had the [mostly] blurry pic around but can't find it. Really cool experience....

 

[Keeks]

If you want to read more about targeting cutthroat in rivers, check out "Fly-fishing Coastal Cutthroat Trout" by Les Johnson. It's the second edition of his classic "Sea Run". It covers both rivers and salt, and has a lot of great fly patterns that, in my experience, you don't see much in fly shops or more recent discussions of SRC patterns.

As other folks have said, N Sound cutthroat start to clear out of the main river or forks after the the first really big rains of November, whereas the first rains of Sept/Oct will bring them out of the salt and into the rivers. Unfortunately, it's a pretty small window where you can really count on finding cutts in the rivers. If only every month were October! That said, I have caught sea run cutthroat on north sound "S rivers" through early December, and have had pretty good days (3-4 fish) in mid to late November. My highly anecdotal experience is that the ones I catch later in the season tend to be bigger, and hang out in especially "cutthroaty" water. In late September and October, I definitely catch them in the classic frogwater and back eddies, under snags, cut banks, etc, but also in faster water and more classic "rainbow water". Later in the season, though (like now), I almost exclusively find them by casting right against rip rap, large snags, or stripping my fly along root wads on cut banks (you know, all the things that will make you lose your fly ). And by "right against" I mean a matter of inches (or cm), not feet.

Another thing I've noticed about cutthroat in both the salt and rivers is that they can tend to follow your fly. Sometimes they will aggressively take it the second it hits the water, but I've also had them follow it almost all the way to my rod tip. As a result, I never pick up my line to recast until I can actually see my fly.

FWIW, my favorite freshwater SRC flies are a size 8 Silver Hilton and size 8 Doc Spratley (both unweighted). I've also caught coho, large rainbows, and bull trout with these. In the winter, I also bring along some streamers with beadheads in case they're hunkering down lower in the water column. I've also seen people have good luck fishing with egg flies this time of year.

 

[M_D]

Man! What good information. Thanks everyone for taking the time to share. You all make this a really cool forum/place to be part of.

Mike d