Puget Sound

Switching too soon from a two handed-strip set to fighting the fish with the rod may have cost me my one shot at a good fish during my last MA9 session of the season on Friday, but I was 2/2 on turning the heads of the anglers flanking me with the words that followed. Thanks to the strong numbers of fish this season if not the size, there will still be ample smoked salmon to share with friends and family the rest of the year and into the next. For better and worse, both sides of Admiralty Inlet are roughly the same amount of time from home and I divided my efforts about equally between them.

My favorite thing about fly fishing is standing in clear water where time melts and the experience feels at once completely removed from and deeply entwined with the rest of life. I may or may not target coho again before the year is out, but I can’t wait to experience that feeling in MA9 again.

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Nice work with the coho today Fred, that fish fought well. I will always remember those 4 big coho that exploded out of the water after you hooked them up. Next time... NO ESCAPE!
Thanks Tim, with the no escape hooks you gave me they don't stand a chance! 😎
Thanks again for those hooks.
 
Headed to the canal this morning to fish for cutts. 40° and foggy when I hit the beach.
As the tide starting going out, I started to notice some golf balls. Then a few more. Then a lot more. I picked up another dozen after this picture. Some folks may think this is cute, but it is nothing but litter to me. I want to see oysters, barnacles, etc when I go beach fishing, not golf balls. You know damn well even on a minus tide they’d never pick them up. I thought golf balls were expensive like fly fishing gear. Apparently not.
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This isn’t exclusive to this beach either. I find them on a number of beaches. My wader and boot tote is starting to fill up with various types of balls found on the beaches.
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I also found a message in a bottle while doing litter patrol after fishing. I couldn’t get it out of the bottle down on the beach.
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After I got home, I cut the bottle open to see what the note said. I was expecting a note from a kid. It was kind of hard to read, but this is what I believe it says.
“Help Me. Fell in to some blonde hoe and can’t get out, but it has teeth. Send help ASAP” 😂
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As far as fishing goes, ended up with 8 cutts to hand. Some targets to cast to, but not a lot. This was the best one. Fishing will only get better as we move further into fall. Lots of staging coho jumping. A few boats fishing for them. Not worth the effort in my opinion to try and time perfectly being there the 10 minutes they decide to bite. Some nice big fish though. 3,884 summer chum counted.
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SF
 
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Headed to the canal this morning to fish for cutts. 40° and foggy when I hit the beach.
As the tide starting going out, I started to notice some golf balls. Then a few more. Then a lot more. I picked up another dozen after this picture. Some folks may think this is cute, but it is nothing but litter to me. I want to see oysters, barnacles, etc when I go beach fishing, not golf balls. You know damn well even on a minus tide they’d never pick them up. I thought golf balls were expensive like fly fishing gear. Apparently not.
View attachment 84350
This isn’t exclusive to this beach either. I find them on a number of beaches. My wader and boot tote is starting to fill up with various types of balls found on the beaches.
View attachment 84352

I also found a message in a bottle while doing litter patrol after fishing. I couldn’t get it out of the bottle down on the beach.
View attachment 84355

After I got home, I cut the bottle open to see what the note said. I was expecting a note from a kid. It was kind of hard to read, but this is what I believe it says.
“Help Me. Fell in to some blonde hoe and need to get out. It has teeth. Send help ASAP” 😂
View attachment 84358

As far as fishing goes, ended up with 8 cutts to hand. Some targets to cast to, but not a lot. This was the best one. Fishing will only get better as we move further into fall. Lots of staging coho jumping. A few boats fishing for them. Not worth the effort in my opinion to try and time perfectly being there the 10 minutes they decide to bite. Some nice big fish though. 3,884 summer chum counted.
View attachment 84359
SF

Fishing across form Gold Bar one time I found about a dozen golf balls. The next float I was fishing there and balls were droping around us. I called the cops, heard sirens and the balls stopped. I seen the cops looking over the rip rap. I never heard if they arrested the guy, but haven't seen them there again.
 
Headed to the canal this morning to fish for cutts. 40° and foggy when I hit the beach.
As the tide starting going out, I started to notice some golf balls. Then a few more. Then a lot more. I picked up another dozen after this picture. Some folks may think this is cute, but it is nothing but litter to me. I want to see oysters, barnacles, etc when I go beach fishing, not golf balls. You know damn well even on a minus tide they’d never pick them up. I thought golf balls were expensive like fly fishing gear. Apparently not.
View attachment 84350
This isn’t exclusive to this beach either. I find them on a number of beaches. My wader and boot tote is starting to fill up with various types of balls found on the beaches.
View attachment 84352
Not surprising that a high percentage are stolen range balls. Just another bipod who knows rules don't apply to him. Seems there is a rash of that going around.
 
Headed to the canal this morning to fish for cutts. 40° and foggy when I hit the beach.
As the tide starting going out, I started to notice some golf balls. Then a few more. Then a lot more. I picked up another dozen after this picture. Some folks may think this is cute, but it is nothing but litter to me. I want to see oysters, barnacles, etc when I go beach fishing, not golf balls. You know damn well even on a minus tide they’d never pick them up. I thought golf balls were expensive like fly fishing gear. Apparently not.
View attachment 84350
This isn’t exclusive to this beach either. I find them on a number of beaches. My wader and boot tote is starting to fill up with various types of balls found on the beaches.
View attachment 84352

I also found a message in a bottle while doing litter patrol after fishing. I couldn’t get it out of the bottle down on the beach.
View attachment 84355

After I got home, I cut the bottle open to see what the note said. I was expecting a note from a kid. It was kind of hard to read, but this is what I believe it says.
“Help Me. Fell in to some blonde hoe and need to get out. It has teeth. Send help ASAP” 😂
View attachment 84358

As far as fishing goes, ended up with 8 cutts to hand. Some targets to cast to, but not a lot. This was the best one. Fishing will only get better as we move further into fall. Lots of staging coho jumping. A few boats fishing for them. Not worth the effort in my opinion to try and time perfectly being there the 10 minutes they decide to bite. Some nice big fish though. 3,884 summer chum counted.
View attachment 84359
SF
Scary to think that the story described in that note in the bottle is the future course of events cursed upon whomever opens it. I mean you may be the one who writes that plea for help in the future!! o_O
Keep your distance from all blondes, just in case!

Nice looking cutts.
 
Headed to the canal this morning to fish for cutts. 40° and foggy when I hit the beach.
As the tide starting going out, I started to notice some golf balls. Then a few more. Then a lot more. I picked up another dozen after this picture. Some folks may think this is cute, but it is nothing but litter to me. I want to see oysters, barnacles, etc when I go beach fishing, not golf balls. You know damn well even on a minus tide they’d never pick them up. I thought golf balls were expensive like fly fishing gear. Apparently not.
View attachment 84350
This isn’t exclusive to this beach either. I find them on a number of beaches. My wader and boot tote is starting to fill up with various types of balls found on the beaches.
View attachment 84352

I also found a message in a bottle while doing litter patrol after fishing. I couldn’t get it out of the bottle down on the beach.
View attachment 84355

After I got home, I cut the bottle open to see what the note said. I was expecting a note from a kid. It was kind of hard to read, but this is what I believe it says.
“Help Me. Fell in to some blonde hoe and need to get out. It has teeth. Send help ASAP” 😂
View attachment 84358

As far as fishing goes, ended up with 8 cutts to hand. Some targets to cast to, but not a lot. This was the best one. Fishing will only get better as we move further into fall. Lots of staging coho jumping. A few boats fishing for them. Not worth the effort in my opinion to try and time perfectly being there the 10 minutes they decide to bite. Some nice big fish though. 3,884 summer chum counted.
View attachment 84359
SF
Stay off Aurora Ave. on your way home.😆
 
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Fished MA10 with @jasmillo this morning until 4pm or so, long day. Perfect water condition to take my boat out to try this new Minn Kota spot-lock, it performed perfectly holding tight to the spot it promised. I friggin love this thing! How sweet it is to cruise right into the spot you want and press a button, voila! The boat will weathervane with current and wind but the bow will stay put despite the really strong rip in the narrow passage, I love it!

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Spot lock doing its voodoo dance.

Fishing wise it was slow, 4/4 but one was foul hooked. Got my biggest coho of the season, this hen was an even 6 when I weighed at home. Jason estimated 6.5 on the boat, maybe thats correct, before the acute blood loss :)

Probably could have got a few more fish had we stuck to one place and wait for the pods to come by but we got antsy and ran all over exploring some new spots with little to show for it.

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Fished MA10 with @jasmillo this morning until 4pm or so, long day. Perfect water condition to take my boat out to try this new Minn Kota spot-lock, it performed perfectly holding tight to the spot it promised. I friggin love this thing! How sweet it is to cruise right into the spot you want and press a button, voila! The boat will weathervane with current and wind but the bow will stay put despite the really strong rip in the narrow passage, I love it!

View attachment 84375

Spot lock doing its voodoo dance.

Fishing wise it was slow, 4/4 but one was foul hooked. Got my biggest coho of the season, this hen was an even 6 when I weighed at home. Jason estimated 6.5 on the boat, maybe thats correct, before the acute blood loss :)

Probably could have got a few more fish had we stuck to one place and wait for the pods to come by but we got antsy and ran all over exploring some new spots with little to show for it.

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Those trolling motors really are game changers. Easy to use and the ability to hold in heavy current or control drift is huge. This was the second boat I’ve fished the sound with this year with one. I need to get that figured out for my boat ASAP!

As Lou mentioned, slow today. Only landed two cookie cutter coho but did one hell of a job sliming the nice varnished wood seats on Lou’s boat :).

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Headed to the canal this morning to fish for cutts. 40° and foggy when I hit the beach.
As the tide starting going out, I started to notice some golf balls. Then a few more. Then a lot more. I picked up another dozen after this picture. Some folks may think this is cute, but it is nothing but litter to me. I want to see oysters, barnacles, etc when I go beach fishing, not golf balls. You know damn well even on a minus tide they’d never pick them up. I thought golf balls were expensive like fly fishing gear. Apparently not.
View attachment 84350
This isn’t exclusive to this beach either. I find them on a number of beaches. My wader and boot tote is starting to fill up with various types of balls found on the beaches.
View attachment 84352

I also found a message in a bottle while doing litter patrol after fishing. I couldn’t get it out of the bottle down on the beach.
View attachment 84355

After I got home, I cut the bottle open to see what the note said. I was expecting a note from a kid. It was kind of hard to read, but this is what I believe it says.
“Help Me. Fell in to some blonde hoe and can’t get out, but it has teeth. Send help ASAP” 😂
View attachment 84358

As far as fishing goes, ended up with 8 cutts to hand. Some targets to cast to, but not a lot. This was the best one. Fishing will only get better as we move further into fall. Lots of staging coho jumping. A few boats fishing for them. Not worth the effort in my opinion to try and time perfectly being there the 10 minutes they decide to bite. Some nice big fish though. 3,884 summer chum counted.
View attachment 84359
SF
Range balls are cheap. Really bugs me that people think it's ok to just launch a piece of plastic into the sound.

And obviously, the retriever genes are getting slim. I can't stand when I see dog people trying to "teach" a dog to water retrieve in the sound. Go someplace where you know you can get that sinky tennis ball back! I know, I know...I'm asking way too much of the average "responsible" dog owner.

Thanks for picking them up!
 
Range balls are cheap. Really bugs me that people think it's ok to just launch a piece of plastic into the sound.

And obviously, the retriever genes are getting slim. I can't stand when I see dog people trying to "teach" a dog to water retrieve in the sound. Go someplace where you know you can get that sinky tennis ball back! I know, I know...I'm asking way too much of the average "responsible" dog owner.

Thanks for picking them up!

Used range balls are really cheap. They have a limited lifespan, and golf ranges sell them off to avoid having to dispose of them themselves.
 
Range balls are cheap. Really bugs me that people think it's ok to just launch a piece of plastic into the sound.

And obviously, the retriever genes are getting slim. I can't stand when I see dog people trying to "teach" a dog to water retrieve in the sound. Go someplace where you know you can get that sinky tennis ball back! I know, I know...I'm asking way too much of the average "responsible" dog owner.

Thanks for picking them up!
Used range balls are really cheap. They have a limited lifespan, and golf ranges sell them off to avoid having to dispose of them themselves.

I’m not a golfer, so I don’t know the difference or cost between a range ball from a regular golf ball.
Regardless of what they are, I’m not a fan of people driving them into any body of water and then being lazy pieces of shit for not making the effort to pick them up. Seems totally idiotic to me to litter up your own beach front property.
SF
 
I’m not a golfer, so I don’t know the difference or cost between a range ball from a regular golf ball.
Regardless of what they are, I’m not a fan of people driving them into any body of water and then being lazy pieces of shit for not making the effort to pick them up. Seems totally idiotic to me to litter up your own beach front property.
SF

Agreed!
 
I’m not a golfer, so I don’t know the difference or cost between a range ball from a regular golf ball.
Regardless of what they are, I’m not a fan of people driving them into any body of water and then being lazy pieces of shit for not making the effort to pick them up. Seems totally idiotic to me to litter up your own beach front property.
SF
Fishing across the river from Van Horn the other day and picked up 37 that had been launched from the campground onto the bar I was fishing.
 
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