Puget Sound

I've read that coastal cutthroat evolved to spawn and spend a portion of their life cycle in smaller creeks and tributaries to avoid competition from larger anadromous salmonid species. That suggests to me that the smaller size is due to genetics. They've also been documented spawning with steelhead so there are a few hybrids around. Somewhere in the bowels of my computer, I have a digital copy of a Master's Thesis from a Humboldt State student that documented these hybrids in tributaries feeding some of the coastal lagoons along the Northern California coast.

Several years ago while fishing for SRC in CA's Smith River estuary, I stopped and asked permission from a dairy farmer to access the upper tidewater adjacent to his property. We chatted awhile and when he found out what I was fishing for, he waved over his milker who showed me a photo of a 24 inch long coastal cutthroat which was caught at Lake Earl, a large coastal lagoon just south of the Smith.

Many years ago, I had a conversation with one of my staff at Lake Earl Wildlife Area. He showed me a photo of what he said was a 5 lb coastal cutt he had caught at Lake Earl. He claimed large cutthroats were (and still are) common there. Lake Earl typically breaches every winter so these fish have access to the ocean - but usually during the winter and early spring months. I'm with Brian, skyriver and others, those big fish are out there.
 
Our western Washington coastal cutthroat can achieve significant sizes, especially in lakes or large beaver ponds. Over the decades seen several such fish that were in that 26-to-28-inch range (even caught one). However, the cutthroat that adopt the anadromous life history (our sea-runs) typically grow at slower rates reducing their opportunity to reach such sizes. Any sea-run that actually measures more than 20 inches is a true trophy. I suspect that those few fish that are much larger have a life history that is more complex than the typical sea-run.

It has been my observation that on North Sound rivers sea-runs of more than 20 inches occur in the population about as frequently as a 40-inch steelhead or a 32-inch bull trout. Any such fish should be respected as the special treasure they are.

Curt
 
Insert Mike Kinney hand measurement reference here.
 
gwb72tii said:
So here's a question for you SRC folks, how big do SRC's get? For the most part, what I see posted here are in the 2lb range.
Reason for asking is some years ago my father-in-law was fishing a buzz bomb off the Fox Island beach below our house, and caught what I believed to be a SRC. The fish was 5lb's easy, big and fat. We were fishing for coho and had caught a couple, and his fish was not a coho.
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I know it's a poor pic, but this was not the biggest cutt I've hooked - just the biggest I've landed. And I have large hands for a chick ;)
They're out there! I've seen some monsters jumping this year

Post in thread 'Puget Sound' https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/index.php?threads/puget-sound.50/post-143826
 
Northern said:
I know it's a poor pic, but this was not the biggest cutt I've hooked - just the biggest I've landed. And I have large hands for a chick ;)
They're out there! I've seen some monsters jumping this year

Post in thread 'Puget Sound' https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/index.php?threads/puget-sound.50/post-143826
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How did I miss this? Wow, that is a true trophy SRC. If you had to guess...how long? I know, I hate that question too, especially when you're just trying to make sure the gorgeous thing gets back safely. But if you had to guess. Haha!
 
in the mid 60's before my arrival, my dad bonked 2 Steelhead from the lower stilly, 6# and a 8#. At home he showed his neibor who stated that the 6# Steelhead was instead a Cutthroat. Ive looked for picures as dad said there were pics taken but I've never seen anything that looked like a CC.
 
Hit the canal today with @Scudley Do Right
Ok day, with some fish caught. Scudley lost a jumbo on a jump near the rod tip.
Ran into @Vandelay Industries and @tyler on my way to a different beach getting ready to go at it.
Always interesting when fish are keyed in to what I’d consider a nondescript section on a long area of beach with no bait visible, at least baitfish. Did see a bit of amphipod or euphausiid taking type surface activity. Scudley got fish on a nice looking shrimp pattern.
SF

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NRC said:
It’s that time of year where historically rezzie fishing has gotten going. Anyone seeing them in numbers yet? I haven’t been out lately.
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Haven’t seen or caught any myself this fall, though it is kind of hard to get too excited about them right now when there is good cutthroat fishing to be had.
Back in the day though when fishing for them was excellent, they filled a nice void when the winter doldrums set in on cutt fishing.
Resident coho fishing hasn’t been good for a few years now in my opinion.
SF
 
Took the day off since work was dead yesterday and headed south to the canal. Started at 7 and called it a day at noon, to beat the pre thanksgiving holiday traffic rush, which was building rapidly. Stopped and took a few casts at another beach while on my way home, but with a 15’+ high, not much beach was left.
Fishing was ok, with some fish around but not red hot. Caught everything on a small gray or white high tie clouser.
Nice day out and better than working…..😉
SF

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