PNW Visit Nov 24

Part 1 of 3:

I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the Whidbey Island area late last year and happened to be there over the Thanksgiving long weekend.
I lived there for a short time some years ago and had returned to my love of fly fishing over the last few months during that time. Most of my opportunities were spent in a little plastic boat on Pass Lake but I made the occasional trip up to the Skagit or Cascade Rivers to swing flies ... with limited success.

So, with 4 days off I booked a small cabin, put a hold on the cheapest hire vehicle available (Dodge Ram 1500 - how can that be the cheapest?) and packed my fishing gear. I arrived in the PNW to the expected cold and rain but boy was it beautiful!

Flying into Seattle (via Dallas / Fort Worth):


I'd become particularly interested in spey casting (7 weight switch rod) but had never mastered the technique on the few occasions I'd tried - what the hell, time to give it another go. After an early knock off on the Wed I took a drive up to Bellingham to visit the guys at The Confluence Fly Shop. Brandon was super helpful, doing me an awesome deal on a new reel fitted out with a Skagit shooting head and some running line. Ready to go.

Up early the next morning and off I drove up the beautiful Skagit valley to try my luck.

Looking up the valley from Anacortes:


First stop was down on the Skagit where I fought through the blackberries and bush to reach the main river where a smaller creek entered and a channel cut away. Pretty imposing - the channel was deep enough to deter me wading across so I decided to try my luck where I was, if only to practice casting.
Luck was on my side and after 40 min or so I managed to hook a lively little Cutthroat - my first ever. The lack of a landing net turned out to be an annoying limitation and resulted in the fish releasing itself after my attempts to grasp it in the shallows rather than drag it onto the bank.

Connected with a Skagit Cutthroat:


Some average go pro footage:


Well, that certainly made my day.
After sticking it out there for a while longer and glimpsing my first spawning salmon, I pressed on through Rockport and headed south towards Darrington where I had booked accommodation.
I pulled over a little north of the town to explore a nice looking stretch of the Sauk and once again was mesmerised by the many salmon (Chum?) in their last throes of finding a mate and exhausting themselves. I clumsily flailed my rod in the failing light without success and then called it an evening as I still had to find my accomodation and eat a decent Thanksgiving meal.

My first exploration of the Sauk:


Schooling salmon in a channel:


Departing for the evening:


More tomorrow...

 

[Aussie Fly]

Part 2 of 3:
The following morning I drove a little upriver and wandered in to what appeared to be a nice stretch of water near a creek junction. I was blessed with another beautiful day but needed the coffee thermos to warm my hands every now and again.
After a little flailing I managed to get a few casts going amid enjoying the scenery and manoeuvring my line out of the way of a group of kayakers.



Thankfully my beginners luck from the previous day continued and before I knew it I had a chunky little Bull trout tugging on my line. Day made.


A little farther down the river, and about an hour later, I snagged up on something and gave a decent pull, expecting another lost intruder. This time the weight stayed on but there was definitely movement so I tugged away until this guy came into view!

Foul hooked!


Coho?


First salmon but the fact that I seemed to have somehow snagged it while trying to free my hook from a rock (!!) was a little less fulfilling. Awesome to have the encounter anyway.

I snuck off for lunch and then made my way to the north of Darrington to try a couple of stretches I had researched on the maps. Not so good. Lots of silt / sediment on one section and a wide, slow straight run at the next - time may have been better spent going to the nearby Casino!

With a little light left I decided to make my way up to the White Chuck boat launch and throw a line in. No luck but another nice spot.



The pizza and beer at River Time Brewing was pretty good that evening.
One more day to go...

 

[Aussie Fly]

Part 3 of 3:
Final day on the rivers.
I decided to push across to the North Fork Stilly to start off. Possibly the last day some of the sections were open prior to the 01 Dec shutdown.
Great looking river in stretches but also plenty of areas with lots of sediment due to the landslides I guess. Case in point - this location had suffered a recent slide into the stretch below but the upstream portion was quite stoney and held a good number of spawning salmon.



No luck here but enjoyed sitting on the bank and watching the salmon jostle for position and swim back and forth.



With a few hours of light remaining post lunch and coffee in Darrington I decided to drop in at the original location on the Sauk, where I'd tried on the way in, 2 days earlier. Levels had dropped, skinnying up the side channels where the remaining Chum gathered to offer their nutrients back to their birthplace.



I walked a little further upriver than previously - the drop-off was less severe and I was able to wade out into a nice run with a steep bank and some fallen trees on the adjacent shore.
30 min or so in and I felt my first tug. A nice sized Bull trout had taken the fly.



I continued swinging my way down the river, content that this little adventure had already far exceeded my expectations. Hell, I even felt like my casting was becoming somewhat more predictable and consistent.
Just then, to top it off, I connected with another Bull trout. I couldn't be more chuffed as I removed the fly and released it back into the river.

This was the streamer that did the job:


With a rendezvous for Mexican on the way back to Whidbey Island I headed back to my car, but not before snapping a couple more shots of this amazing part of the world.

Goodbye PNW. My dream of one day encountering a Steelhead from your cold waters continues. Approximately 400 casts down...600 to go...although I hear they're more the 'Fish of two thousand casts' these days!

 

[rotato]

Nice work!
Stoked for your trip

 

[Evan B]

My dream of one day encountering a Steelhead from your cold waters continues. Approximately 400 casts down...600 to go...although I hear they're more the 'Fish of two thousand casts' these days!

If steelhead is the target, then March/April is the better time on that river system. Not many steelhead around there when the salmon are pushing through. There's more than 0, but not enough that anyone is really targeting them. Targeting the bull trout like you seemed to be doing is the best thing you could be doing there in November.

 

[albula]

Refreshing to see someone spending time on the water when body count is not the decider between failure and a most enjoyable success. Hats off. Please feel welcome to come back any time.

 

[Aussie Fly]

If steelhead is the target, then March/April is the better time on that river system. Not many steelhead around there when the salmon are pushing through. There's more than 0, but not enough that anyone is really targeting them. Targeting the bull trout like you seemed to be doing is the best thing you could be doing there in November.

Yeah, I dream of coming across for a dedicated Steelhead expedition at the optimal time but that's not going to happen. I knew my chances were slim but was just stoked to be on a river swinging a fly. The fish were a bonus and Bull trout are definitely fun!! Overall it was a nice break on a 'work' trip.