Cowlitz Bottomfeeder
Life of the Party
Time for October Caddis!
Sea Run Cutthroat in rivers. What's your jam?
- Thread starter clarkman
- Start date
This thread has drove home how staggering the loss of sea-run cutthroat opportunities on North Sound "S" rivers has been. As one that enjoyed those fisheries since the mid 1960s, I have had my days enjoy this marvelous resource. In many ways the status of the resource is greater today than it was 60 years ago. However, it saddens my heart that the younger generations may well never have the chance to experience that resource in any meaningful way.
Those wonderful fall days as the leaves turn chasing those cutthroat are firmly etched in my mind and I'll take those PNW iconic memories to my grave.
WDFW's decision makers should be hanging their heads in shame.
Curt
Those wonderful fall days as the leaves turn chasing those cutthroat are firmly etched in my mind and I'll take those PNW iconic memories to my grave.
WDFW's decision makers should be hanging their heads in shame.
Curt
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Seems like the YouTube link doesn't work there either
This fly appeals to me a lot and some version of it will be in my saltwater SRC box this fall and winter.
SpeyrodGB
Life of the Party
Fishing for sea-runs in the fall was one of my favorite activities. Fishing a "S" river was always a great time, even though hip boots made wading interesting.
Curt, how far would (or do) sea runs go upstream?
Like do they follow salmon to spawning beds in order to feed on the eggs?
Or do they tend to stay in the lower in the river and not stray too far from the tide waters?
In the past, I’ve caught cutts 20 or 30 miles upstream on the SF Nooksack when chasing silvers but I have no idea if they were resident or sea runs.
The coastal cutthroat on the north Sound rivers that adapt the sea-run life history are typically fish of small, low gradient streams. Thus, they typically spawn and do their early juvenile rearing in those smaller tributaries in the broad lower river valleys. Once the tributaries become steep rainbows tend to dominate the "trout" populations. In a basin like the Skagit roughly 90% come from the tributaries downstream of the Baker though adult sea-runs can be found as far upstream on the Skagit as the Barnaby slough area and as far up as Darrington on the Sauk. On the Stillaguamish they can be found as far upstream as the Squire Creek drainage on the North Fork and Canyon Creek on the South Fork. On the Snohomish as far upstream on the Skykomish as the Reiter area and the Falls on the Snoqualmie. On the Nooksack they are found a little above Kendall Creek on the North Fork and the Skookum area on the South Fork. Obviously, there are a lot of such tributaries in the various large Rivers of the north Puget would equates in some very significant populations.
It probably is not correct to say these north sound fish are following the salmon to take advantage of the spawning. While they will and often do consume loose salmon eggs and even have been observed ramming the sides of ripe female salmon to dislodge loose eggs the vast majority of their freshwater diet are insects (both aquatic and terrestrial) with a smorgasbord of various small fish. Unlike the fish in south and central Sound these north Sound fish spend much of their year in freshwater. While the adult fish typically spawn mid-winter though spring (January to May with peak spawning varying form late February through late March) they enter the rivers well in advance of that spawning period. Once the main rivers summer flows fall to seasonal low floods one can find fishable numbers of adult sea-runs as early as late July. While those early fish are not near as numerous as the September and October fish they tend to be older and larger fish.
The other interesting twist with those north Sound sea-runs is the immature fish also return to the rivers to over-winter with most entering the river in the September to November period. Those fish do not usually return to their natal tributaries, rather holding in the lower mainstem areas (usually within 30 miles of so of the salt water. Those over-winter "maiden" fish begin moving back to the salt about the same time as the adult kelts and a little earlier than the smolts (leaving the river in late April/May/early June.
These nuances in the sea-run behaviors depending on the characteristics of their home basin is just another example that can makes them so interesting and why those that chase them can be addicted to chasing them.
Curt
It probably is not correct to say these north sound fish are following the salmon to take advantage of the spawning. While they will and often do consume loose salmon eggs and even have been observed ramming the sides of ripe female salmon to dislodge loose eggs the vast majority of their freshwater diet are insects (both aquatic and terrestrial) with a smorgasbord of various small fish. Unlike the fish in south and central Sound these north Sound fish spend much of their year in freshwater. While the adult fish typically spawn mid-winter though spring (January to May with peak spawning varying form late February through late March) they enter the rivers well in advance of that spawning period. Once the main rivers summer flows fall to seasonal low floods one can find fishable numbers of adult sea-runs as early as late July. While those early fish are not near as numerous as the September and October fish they tend to be older and larger fish.
The other interesting twist with those north Sound sea-runs is the immature fish also return to the rivers to over-winter with most entering the river in the September to November period. Those fish do not usually return to their natal tributaries, rather holding in the lower mainstem areas (usually within 30 miles of so of the salt water. Those over-winter "maiden" fish begin moving back to the salt about the same time as the adult kelts and a little earlier than the smolts (leaving the river in late April/May/early June.
These nuances in the sea-run behaviors depending on the characteristics of their home basin is just another example that can makes them so interesting and why those that chase them can be addicted to chasing them.
Curt
This fall has developed into one that is providing ideal conditions to chase cutthroat that looking at long range forecasts is likely to continue through October. It is the kind of fall that long term cutthroat chasers long for, but we only see once or maybe twice a decade. On my home water, the Stillaguamish, the dry weather has continued to produce the low flows that are essential for consistent fishing, the leaves are turning, water temperatures have dropped into the low 50s, caddis and BWO are active, fresh coho are playing in their typical haunts. In short, the table is set for a wonderful day of some the best cutthroat fishing the PNW. Here would be my plan and expectations for my day on the water.
After a pre-dawn breakfast and the making of my traditional lunch of peanut butter and jam sandwich and an apple, I'll take Teal (my current lab) for our morning walk (likely will cut our usual 4 mile route a bit) I'll load the truck my gear. Can help but notice Teal's disappointment that the gear does not include a shotgun (sorry girl maybe tomorrow). Its a gray day with air heavy with moisture with the promise of light shower or two. By 9:30 I am putting my waders on, my 5-weight Sage SP strung, and orange spider tied to the tippet I am hiking up the river. After a mile or so I begin fishing my way down to the truck. It takes me a hour to reach my target pool but along the way from a nice pool and couple pockets I have 6 cutts to hand, include couple nice fish with that golden hue typical of fish that have been in the river for a while. I stop at the top of the large pool to watch for a minute or two and yes the BWO hatch is starting and there are fish moving into the shallow riffle. I make a change of flies to a small (size 14) soft hackle that experience has shown early in the hatch the cutthroat will readily accept. I fish the fly on the swing across the shallow riffle water. More and more of the fish are moving from the deeper downstream water looking for the BWOs. After a couple steelhead parr I get a nice cutt and the game is on.
Shortly after noon I'm in the truck eating my sandwich as I move to another location that has consistently produced during BWO hatches. I the second spot there is a nice pocket and 1/4 mile above the target pool. That pocket produces 2 more cutts include one better than 18 inches on my orange spider. Get to the target pool just a drizzle starts and fish are rising to the BWOs (about a size 18) so I make a fly switch to a size 14 dry. I have found that if the cutthroat have not been pressured, I can get away with the larger fly though future trips will likely require matching the hatch in both pattern and size. I see a fish rise which takes on my first cast. 3 more quickly follow and then I miss a fish and then another. What is going on. Quickly check fly and it looks fine, wait I know what is happening. After a couple drifts another fish rises to the fly, this time I wait a beat before sitting the hook and sure enough it's a nice whitefish. I catch a couple more just to prove the first wasn't a fluke. I have been watching an eddy where a mixed of steelhead parr and cutthroat rising. After wading to shore I loop around to the bottom of the shore side current. With the same size 14 dry I begin watch the rising fish try to pick out the cutthroat. In that situation the cutthroat are kind of goofy, they rise confidently to the hatching flies but after each rise, they return all the way to the bottom while the steelhead parr/rainbows often cruise much closer to the surface. After couple refusals by what I think are cutthroat I change to a small (size 16) BWO. The cutthroat like the change. As I continue fishing up the eddy line I see a nice fish beside a boulder just as the eddy water splits from the main current. In the 50 feet or so that I cover before reaching that boulder another handful of cutts have come to hand. I make a couple presentations to where I think that boulder fish is working without any success but decent to make that "just one more cast" this time with a reach cast to extend the drag free drift a bit sure, sure enough the fish takes the fly and, on the hook, sit comes flying out of the water; it's a rainbow of about 18 inches. After releasing the fish I decided it was a nice fish to quite on. As I'm driving down the river after reflecting on my day on the water, I get greedy and decide to stop to fish the main stem a bit.
On the main stem (which is open for coho) after running through my options I decide to fish the back side of an Island that typically has some cutthroat and maybe a coho. This part of the system also seems to have more small cutthroat (fish of 6 to 8 inches that I think are a combination of parr and sub-adult fish) than I find upriver. Sure enough the first several fish are those "babies" but as the channel deepens a nice cutthroat takes the spider (this time it's a black spider). By the time I reach the downstream tip of the Island another handful cutts (10 to 16 inches) have taken the black spider. I change back to the orange spider (size 4) hoping for a coho in the deeper water. After covering some water (maybe a dozen casts) I get a solid take resulting that heavy head shakes of a nice fish (a coho?). No as the fish rolls I see that golden hue of large cutthroat. As I release that fish of the day I'm think what a wonderful resource these cutthroat are. I'm lost in my reflections as I automatically cast and fish my fly with quick stripes when I'm jolted from my musing by the solid take from a coho. As I release that truly last fish of the day --- I awake from my dream!
While the above trip was dream it is fairly typical of the fishing I have expected and experienced under these conditions on my beloved Stillaguamish. Unfortunately, the river is closed. While we never know when Mother Nature will give another fall like this it is probably that WDFW will not let us fish it. Don't know how new anglers will build the memories that these glorious fall produce. The few days of the year we may get to fish have shown the fish are still present if only ....
"that's my Jam"
Curt
After a pre-dawn breakfast and the making of my traditional lunch of peanut butter and jam sandwich and an apple, I'll take Teal (my current lab) for our morning walk (likely will cut our usual 4 mile route a bit) I'll load the truck my gear. Can help but notice Teal's disappointment that the gear does not include a shotgun (sorry girl maybe tomorrow). Its a gray day with air heavy with moisture with the promise of light shower or two. By 9:30 I am putting my waders on, my 5-weight Sage SP strung, and orange spider tied to the tippet I am hiking up the river. After a mile or so I begin fishing my way down to the truck. It takes me a hour to reach my target pool but along the way from a nice pool and couple pockets I have 6 cutts to hand, include couple nice fish with that golden hue typical of fish that have been in the river for a while. I stop at the top of the large pool to watch for a minute or two and yes the BWO hatch is starting and there are fish moving into the shallow riffle. I make a change of flies to a small (size 14) soft hackle that experience has shown early in the hatch the cutthroat will readily accept. I fish the fly on the swing across the shallow riffle water. More and more of the fish are moving from the deeper downstream water looking for the BWOs. After a couple steelhead parr I get a nice cutt and the game is on.
Shortly after noon I'm in the truck eating my sandwich as I move to another location that has consistently produced during BWO hatches. I the second spot there is a nice pocket and 1/4 mile above the target pool. That pocket produces 2 more cutts include one better than 18 inches on my orange spider. Get to the target pool just a drizzle starts and fish are rising to the BWOs (about a size 18) so I make a fly switch to a size 14 dry. I have found that if the cutthroat have not been pressured, I can get away with the larger fly though future trips will likely require matching the hatch in both pattern and size. I see a fish rise which takes on my first cast. 3 more quickly follow and then I miss a fish and then another. What is going on. Quickly check fly and it looks fine, wait I know what is happening. After a couple drifts another fish rises to the fly, this time I wait a beat before sitting the hook and sure enough it's a nice whitefish. I catch a couple more just to prove the first wasn't a fluke. I have been watching an eddy where a mixed of steelhead parr and cutthroat rising. After wading to shore I loop around to the bottom of the shore side current. With the same size 14 dry I begin watch the rising fish try to pick out the cutthroat. In that situation the cutthroat are kind of goofy, they rise confidently to the hatching flies but after each rise, they return all the way to the bottom while the steelhead parr/rainbows often cruise much closer to the surface. After couple refusals by what I think are cutthroat I change to a small (size 16) BWO. The cutthroat like the change. As I continue fishing up the eddy line I see a nice fish beside a boulder just as the eddy water splits from the main current. In the 50 feet or so that I cover before reaching that boulder another handful of cutts have come to hand. I make a couple presentations to where I think that boulder fish is working without any success but decent to make that "just one more cast" this time with a reach cast to extend the drag free drift a bit sure, sure enough the fish takes the fly and, on the hook, sit comes flying out of the water; it's a rainbow of about 18 inches. After releasing the fish I decided it was a nice fish to quite on. As I'm driving down the river after reflecting on my day on the water, I get greedy and decide to stop to fish the main stem a bit.
On the main stem (which is open for coho) after running through my options I decide to fish the back side of an Island that typically has some cutthroat and maybe a coho. This part of the system also seems to have more small cutthroat (fish of 6 to 8 inches that I think are a combination of parr and sub-adult fish) than I find upriver. Sure enough the first several fish are those "babies" but as the channel deepens a nice cutthroat takes the spider (this time it's a black spider). By the time I reach the downstream tip of the Island another handful cutts (10 to 16 inches) have taken the black spider. I change back to the orange spider (size 4) hoping for a coho in the deeper water. After covering some water (maybe a dozen casts) I get a solid take resulting that heavy head shakes of a nice fish (a coho?). No as the fish rolls I see that golden hue of large cutthroat. As I release that fish of the day I'm think what a wonderful resource these cutthroat are. I'm lost in my reflections as I automatically cast and fish my fly with quick stripes when I'm jolted from my musing by the solid take from a coho. As I release that truly last fish of the day --- I awake from my dream!
While the above trip was dream it is fairly typical of the fishing I have expected and experienced under these conditions on my beloved Stillaguamish. Unfortunately, the river is closed. While we never know when Mother Nature will give another fall like this it is probably that WDFW will not let us fish it. Don't know how new anglers will build the memories that these glorious fall produce. The few days of the year we may get to fish have shown the fish are still present if only ....
"that's my Jam"
Curt
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