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Sprinting Out of 2020…Slowing to Enjoy 2021

January 13, 2021 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Wow, I could go on for…forget it, let’s bid 2020 adieu!

So long and so on to what I hope is a beloved 2021 and what to look forward to here in the Seattle area, the greater PNW and beyond. A decidedly paltry understatement would be there is much anticipation for 2021 on nearly every front…obviously!

I live, guide, photograph and travel from Seattle, WA.  I have broken rods, reels, lines some laws and bones in 40 countries and because of this I have come to greatly appreciate the incredible diversity of our surrounding fisheries. My friends, we have some extraordinary fly angling here and maybe for better than worse, little of it receives much time in any spotlight. Well here is a bit less than 15 minutes for some of them.

First and most immediately we are smack dab in the middle of our winter, wild steelhead season. Within 150 miles of Seattle lie some epic names in steelhead angling such as the Skagit, Sauk, Skykomish, Stillaguamish, Hoh, Queets and Sol Duc but we have others too!

However, this season comes with fishing restrictions unlike we have ever seen before and sadly, for good reason. Numbers of fish on many of these rivers continue to decline, enough so, we should count ourselves lucky to be fishing them at all this year. New restrictions affecting Olympic Peninsula rivers that would impact some fly anglers is no fishing from a floating device and all rivers closing at the end of March. For me and the rest of us here at EWA, this bears little impact as we have always used boats for transport and fishing upon arrival at our next run. 

That said, our rivers here in WA and OR are stunning. Arrival in the rainforest should be cherished for the soulful experience it provides.  Regardless of fish or no fish, we should be grateful for the time spent here.

Following closely and nipping at its heels will be the arrival of Chum salmon fry into the salty waters of Puget Sound. Every year, sometime in late February or early March, these migratory fry exit their birth rivers to enter the dangerous hunting grounds of the Clarki Clarki or sea run, Coastal Cutthroat trout.

Puget Sound has over 2000 miles of shoreline but as luck, or actually nature would have it, their safe haven is very near shore, the shallow water beaches of the Sound attracting our beloved SRC’s within striking distance of us, the overwhelmed by its magnitude but otherwise dauntless fly angler. 

Having toted a fly rod around the world over the past 10 years, I can say with experience and some degree of favoritism that when all 3 of these elements collide it’s just silly.

Small pods of SRC’s from 12-20 inches, aggressively pursue these fry, scattering them with wreckless abandon. Hook ups are often within 20ft and surface flies imitating injured bait draw regular attention. When it really goes off, multiple pods are going about their business all around, you have a fish on and more are jumping around you and at times it feels like a mini Nat Geo episode and you are smack in the middle, shin deep.  Did I mention migratory Coho salmon during the later summer and fall, yeah, that happens too!

Should the Sound be a bit much to wrap the mind around, our one and only year around trout river, the Yakima is awakening as well. BWO’s, Skwala and March Browns will challenge and delight. If flows are down, take the to banks, plenty of walk and wade access on this river and experiencing the high desert from a boat can be equally rewarding so choose your destiny and prepare accordingly for Mother Nature, you never know what’s in store in February, March and April.

As the Yakima moves into May however, still be prepared but have those summer shirts and pant waders available, spring can show its face on occasion and it shouldn’t be missed. Mother’s Day Caddis Hatch is on everyone in this regions calendar and while seasonally it shifts around, just plan on throwing PMD’s and Caddis from mid May through mid July and with luck, for most or all of the day.

When most fly anglers fly into Seattle on a sunny day, the obtuse amount of water visible from the air typically incites childlike anticipation of getting on the ground and stepping in, somewhere, now!

We do have a ton of water here in Washington, no doubt but it is not all created equal. We are not Montana or Colorado on steriods, at least not in the way most would think. Washington’s true treasure trove is our small creeks and streams. Those often times nameless blue lines littered across Google Earth in absurd quantities through the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges.

It’s silly. I have lived here for over 20 years and every year I make myself go learn a new blue line. I mean why not? The Yakima garners nearly all the airwaves of attention while many of these small streams boast serenity on a level I have seen people pay many thousands of dollars to experience elsewhere. Crystal clear water, spotting rising or resting native trout, surrounded by old growth forest with few if no other anglers around and within 90 minutes of Seattle…meh, forget I said anything!

We won the lottery in this respect, we really did. I always tell people around here, if you are looking for an excuse to buy a new rod, here go, you NEED a 2-3wt.

Some of the water we consider “creeks” would be in the top 10 rivers size wise in other states so you should see them regularly or you could feel out of sorts from one month to the next, as if it is new water each time, which is wonderful too!

And there it is, the excuse to go fish, often.

Mid summer here is ridiculous. All the creeks, Puget Sound, summer steelhead, carp in a myriad of lakes, bass in the same, high alpine lakes, pike, muskie and should you really desire it, let’s toss in a bit a Pacific Albacore of our coast. Have a 12wt with some dust on it? Bring it!

Tuna is the epitome of putting your skills to the test. Balance while casting a 12wt with 500 grain sinking head and big fly, playing a 20lb fish trying to swim to China through the bottom of the Pacific without ripping the fly out of its mouth and keeping your lunch down while 3-5 others do the same around you keeping in mind, none of you actually have control over your fish for the first 10 minutes or so…it’s good practice!

All the above stay with us into fall until we reach November when creeks close, cold precip returns and my mind circles back to winter steelhead.
Sprinting Out of 2020…Slowing to Enjoy 2021!

Somewhere in that crazy schedule of changing tactics, location, species and equipment I usually slip away to somewhere new. This is the tick in my brain I am unable shake…new water!

This past year has been rough to say the least on all of us. Looking ahead I can see NZ, Seychelles, Costa Rica, BC, AK and Russia doing their little dance in front of me like a tease. My hope for everyone in this sport is they find a way to fuel their engine to get on the water and if there is a way to do so without the liability of whether or not a fish is caught making the experience, then you have truly succeeded.

It is the adventure, the road, all the sideways occurrences from flat tires to no plug in the boat, diverted airplanes, bears/cats/elephants/shark, broken rods, lost passports, language barriers, hurricanes and the lot that are going to make up the bulk of any fish story. Think about it…

Here’s to a safe and vibrant fishing year in 2021!





Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: Cascade Mountains, Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, Fly Fishing, Olympic Peninsula, Pacific Albacore, Puget Sound, Puget sound fly fishing, Sea Run Cutthroat, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle fly fishing reports, spey casting, trout, tuna, tuna fly fishing, washington fly fishing, Washington fly fishing reports, Wild Steelhead, Yakima River

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – November 11, 2020 – Getting Cold Out There!

November 11, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Time is doing this weird thing where it feels as though it is standing still and yet passing by so fast…don’t know, just hard to explain. Seems like we were just talking about great fall fishing was and while leaves remain on many trees, snow is happening on our lower passes.

Anyway, here we are and while we have said good by to most of our creeks for the season, our main stay fisheries are in great shape and fishing very well.

Puget Sound is in prime shape right now. Resident Coho and Blackmouth lurking around amid SRC’s and not too astonishing, we have been bringing them to hand on a number of patterns from shrimp and baitfish to surface flies so pick your poison.

Lately, our very own Capt. Jeff Crosetto has been fishing these two lines from the boat and doing very well with the Rio Clean Sweep and the SA Sonar Titan Full Intermediate lines. The RIO, specifically a great boat line the SA would do great from the beach as well. If you want to be effective on the Sound you must be versatile so having a second spool/reel with a different tool is ideal.

You read that right, we are now booking Puget Sound trips from a very well equipped Boston Whaler. $400 1/2 day, $500 3/4 day and $600 full day leaving from Des Moines Marina.

The Yakima has been a bit of a roller coaster as we did get some rain recently pushing it up just a bit but it is dropping back into shape for those on foot and a perfect level for those in a boat. Hatches are few and far between but that shouldn’t keep you from heading out. With low water, dry droppers will work well across shallow water from the boat or in the riffles and streamers will absolutely move fish.

Otherwise it is bobber time OR…OR time to pick up a trout spey and begin to look at the Yakima as a fantastic swing river for trout. Should you choose that road, smaller streamers and soft hackles are your new best friends and the luxury of more thoroughly covering less water will be bestowed upon you. Keep in mind, clicking the link under our “Reports” icon on our site provides a direct link to water flows set against the flows we like to see most of our fisheries at to help you gauge when and when not to hit which watershed.

Finally, steelhead season is not just sneaking up on us, it is literally here! We are as excited as ever both for engaging with our favorite fish of the PNW and helping you get on the water and navigate the ways of steelhead in the region.

We swing for our steelhead exclusively as guides and anglers. This is simply because of our passion for the process and what comes with it. Want to learn to spey cast, swing flies and become a far superior fly angler in the process? That is exactly what we do…call, email or stop in!

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, keepfishwet, Olympic Peninsula, Puget sound fly fishing, Rio Fly Lines, Scientific Angler Fly Lines, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle Fly Shop, Skagit River, spey casting, steelhead, steelhead guides, swinging flies, Thomas and Thomas Fly Rods, Yakima River

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – October 4, 2020 – Fall Options

October 4, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Sorry for the delay in getting a report up lately but we have been slammed busy and staff has been traveling so we fell a bit behind. That being said, here we go latest report coming at you right now!

Cascade Mountain creeks, blue lines or mountain streams, whatever you want to label them as are still fishing well though water temps have certainly dropped and put a pretty good hold on hatches. We don’t usually nymph these waters but you could. Otherwise we recommend a casual start time, allow the sun to peak out and warm the stream just a bit and continue to toss Caddis, BWO’s or October Caddis. Dropping a Lightning Bug off the back wouldn’t hurt at all either but bottom line is, most of them close at the end of the month so get on it here fast.

Yakima and Cle Elum Rivers are in their typical fall fashion with leaves changing, bugs hatching and fish rising. This IS the month to fish the Yakima in our opinion so drop in the store and pick up the essentials for whatever approach you are going to make over there. Trout spey right now is a fantastic idea for swinging soft hackles, small streamers or, our favorite, skating big caddis patterns. Water is low for the season so wade anglers are back to having plenty of access as well. Same as creeks, October Caddis imitations, BWO’s/Blue Winged Olives and maybe some caddis on a warm evening but they are mostly gone now. Streamers are always a good bet too…

Puget Sound is still a bit littered with kelp but they water is cooling and the sun is lower in the sky so we are back to fishing moving water both in coming and out going tides at favorite beaches all up and down the Sound. Shrimp down south baitfish up north and surface flies like the Sound Searcher, Cutty Buddy, Surface Spider or Muddler variation will be welcomed with voracious takes so pick your tool and put it to use. Migratory Coho/Silvers still arriving here and there so keep an eye out for them as well, they should be happy to take a swing at whatever fly you might have on for cutthroat so be prepared. We fish 7-8 foot leaders to 2x most of the time, give or take a foot and an “x” rating. This turns flies over a bit better in the wind and has you ready for hard strikes so as to not leave flies in fish…too often anyway.

Summer steelhead are few and far between but there have been good numbers on the Bogachiel and other OP rivers lately. Puget Sound rivers water is all low and clear but cool so those fish that are around are apt to be very excited to follow whatever you swing across their face. Klickitat has been pumping out some fish lately too so that is an option in the opposite direction and of course the Grande Ronde is one of the most beautiful rivers in our region to chase steelhead on and if you are that place in your steelhead evolution where “how” you take one is more important to you than actually catching one, they by all means, Scandi up and skate away!

Bottom line, fall is absolutely fantastic around here, please let us help you find your Shangri La…we are always here to answer whatever question you may have and with a staff of guides, we aren’t just talking about it, we are doing it!

Shop – 206-708-7250
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Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: coho salmon, dry fly fishing, Fly Fishing, Klickitat River, Puget sound fly fishing, Sea Run Cutthroat, Seattle, Seattle fishing reports, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle fly fishing reports, Seattle Fly Shop, silver salmon, Skykomish River, Sound Searcher, spey casting, steelhead, summer steelhead, swinging flies, Washington fly fishing reports, Yakima River

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – August 19, 2020 – Ahhh-gust

August 19, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Every year we enter summer looking forward to the days when weather is predictable, water levels are down and approachable and fish are looking up! Now that we are here we can’t wait for water and air temps to drop like a winter sun and fall freshets to perk up our finned friends.

So that said, the Yakima River is HIGH, hovering around 4000cfs and the wind has been howling on some days but the hoppers are out and about for a bit more time until we get our first couple of cold nights. So take advantage of it or wait for a few weeks until the flows drop and walk and wading is a bit easier/safer and fall hatches begin. Either way, get out there because summer is almost gone!

We went from many creeks being high and cold to now all of them are super lower, clear and often quite warm. Fish have navigated their way to either very deep holes, log jams or are sitting in faster moving semi deep water where oxygen is more plentiful, cover is there and water temps are a couple degrees cooler. This means slightly altered approach to your favorite small stream both in fly selection and presentation. Bigger dries look more enticing and will more easily suspend small droppers but matching sparse hatches will become more necessary as the fish become more selective in these low, clear water situations. Yes, even on the small streams!

Puget Sound as been kicking out some migratory Coho up north and for those with boats, Blackmouth have been around in good numbers as well. Most of the baitfish have gained considerable size including Herring and Sand Lance so larger profile flies for the salmon will often do the trick with an ever so slightly slower, more deliberate retrieve. Not a bad time to employ an intermediate line as well and that will require a stripping basket. Cutts are out there too but likely most other fisheries, early has proven better than mid day in most cases.

Pacific Albacore are WAY off the coast still, making jaunts to chase these longer than most are capable of in a day. With any luck ocean currents will bring these beasts closer to shore here sooner then later.

Summer steelhead have been few and far between but the Lewis, Kalama and Cowlitz have definitely had some numbers around and the broken record here is…water is low and clear! Longer leaders and small flies aren’t a bad idea and if on water super early, super late or anytime for that matter, go for skating one up. Guarantee this will change your life should you raise one to your fly.

Cedar River closes here in less than two weeks so get out and hit it now before we say good bye till next year. Water is low so gain your access and then hike up or down stream to get away from people and find fish that have been pressured a bit less. Water is warm so be kind, keep fish in the water if caught and fish early as possible.

Enjoy everyone and remember, we are here to assist in that enjoyment any way we can so don’t be afraid to ask.

EWA Staff

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: 5050 on the water, Cedar River, Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, Orvis, Puget Sound, Puget sound fly fishing, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle Fly Shop, spey casting, steelhead, women's fly fishing, Yakima River

Haida Gwaii – by Greg Thomas

August 15, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

From good friend and long time Seattle resident Greg Tomas, you can read more of this work on his blog Anglers Tonic. We see summer beginning its annual sunset into fall so naturally out thoughts immediately go to winter steelhead and though this was a great read to cool everyone off a bit here in August. Enjoy…

I first felt a need to step on the Queen Charlotte Islands back in the 1980s when a friend and I steered a 42-foot long wood troller, called the Cape Cross, from the West Wall in Seattle through the inside passage to Petersburg, Alaska.

The trip took five days and went according to plan, except when we sailed into Queen Charlotte Sound, which is a wicked expanse between the north end of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island and the southern tip of the Charlottes. It’s fully exposed to the Pacific Ocean and has, over the centuries, swallowed its share of marine craft. We tried to cross the sound before weather pushed in, but were caught in a gale and spent hours navigating giant waves while stumbling about the cabin, picking up stray gear and hoping that our haste wouldn’t cost us our lives. By the time we cruised into Hecate Strait, which lies on the lee side of the Charlottes and offers protection from the Pacific, I wanted to be put aground on the nearest terra firma, which at that point was Moresby Island, the Charlottes’ second largest and most southerly landmass. However, there was nowhere to land, the coast of the island being composed of jagged rock, nearly impenetrable forest and wicked cliffs. Studying the shore I remember thinking, Well, that’s about as wild as it gets. So we steered on to Alaska.

The next time I heard about the Charlotte’s, which are now officially called Haida Gwaii, representing the desires of native Haida people, I was couch surfing in Seattle, resting at my parents’ house watching way more fishing shows than I should have. In one, some lucky dude had flown to the islands and was catching oversized native steelhead on a fly rod. By that time Pacific Northwest steelhead runs were failing miserably and I’d gone a season without even hooking one. I sneered at the TV host’s I’m here/your not attitude and thought, Hey, gloat now, I’m coming up there to catch your fish.

It took 15 years to follow through on that promise, but in early March 2009 my Pacific Coastal Airlines flight touched down in Masset and I was greeted by Jin Chong, who at that time was running a self-guided steelhead operation out of a lodge called Masset House. This was the deal: Chong, a Malaysian who used to cook at upscale Vancouver hotels, prepared breakfast, a sack lunch, and killer evening appetizers and meals. Between breakfast and dinner I used a shiny-black F-250 Ford pickup truck to cruise around Graham Island and access the Yakoun River at various points. I’d leave before light, drive for an hour and a half, hike through the forest and throw for steelhead all day. Then I returned to Masset House for a couple ice-cold Canadians, a dip in the hot-tub, and a feast on whatever Chong prepared as our meal, usually local fare, including razor clam chowder, grilled weathervane scallop, even octopus or Dungeness crab salad.

The arrangement was great, but skulking around the coastal forest alone while accessing a river that is only visible from the road in two places, scaling downed trees that match the dimensions of a 747 fuselage, sliding down steep banks and weaving around cliffs, all snow and ice covered, made me nervous. I kept thinking, If I snap a leg out here, who’s going to find me? And I feared an encounter with resident black bears, some of the largest in the world, which don’t necessarily hibernate and might be seen any day of the year.

The northern forests, ranging from western Washington north through southeast Alaska, capture my imagination—so inviting, peaceful and cathedral like on one hand, entirely mysterious and menacing on another. I don’t believe in Yeti, I don’t subscribe to alien-abduction theories, and I probably don’t believe in Kustikaw, a devilish little cantankerous creature that starred in a sweet little book about southeast Alaska called The Strangest Story Ever Told. But, I still entertain hope that somewhere in the temperate rainforest, under 200 foot high spruce, hidden by impenetrable underbrush, and fueled by any magic that is left in this world, Sasquatch may exist. And, if that beast is real, it’s likely stalking around Haida Gwaii, just out of sight of anglers, puzzling over why those those strange humans expend so much energy to catch a fish that they simply release.

I ask the same question when steelhead are scarce, when throwing so many casts without a grab that I wonder if there aren’t other endeavors in this world that make more sense. But challenge and reward, patience and suffering, have a lot to do with what makes steelhead such a worthy pursuit and the capture of one much more memorable than, say, landing a 12-inch hatchery rainbow trout straight out of a stock truck. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long while fishing Haida Gwaii to capture that satisfying feeling.

Steelhead begin their spawning run in early November and continue to push into the Yakoun, and many other smaller streams, through mid-March. Steelhead populations on Haida Gwaii aren’t remarkable. Some have declined for years. Others, however, are stable and offer some of the best fishing in the Northwest for impressive 10-to 20-pound specimens. Even 30-pounders are possible.

The first fish I hooked on the Yakoun, five or six hours into my first day, was a silvery hen that stretched well past 30 inches and probably weighed 15 pounds; I’ll never know for sure, however, because it swam away with an orange and white marabou fly in its mouth. I cursed its early departure—my fault for wanting it too badly and trying to beach it before she was ready. But, my confidence soared, knowing that fresh fish were about and that I had four more days to throw at them.

On the third day, I was fishing a now familiar run where I’d hooked a steelhead on the first day. By this time I knew the current, the drift, the angles of submerged rocks and logs, and I swung my flies within inches of those obstructions, hoping to tempt another steelhead into a take. I’d been there for an hour when I heard a strange noise, a low growl. It was unlike any sound I’d ever heard in the forest, irritated, threatening, dangerous. At first I didn’t believe what I was hearing. But my ears weren’t lying. I yelled, “Get out of here.” And another growl came from the forest, just across the stream on the far bank. I grabbed some pepper spray, peered into the forest, and held my ground. But I never saw the source of that sound. Could it have been Squatch? A black bear? Something else? Who knew. Later, I checked the area for tracks and couldn’t find anything more substantial than squirrel prints. It was as if an animal had dropped from the sky and retreated the same way.

Magic. The locals believe in it and there’s tangible reason for them to do so. For instance, the town of Port Clements, near the mouth of the Yakoun, harbored an incredibly rare resident white raven that entertained locals and passerby’s until 1995 when it winged into a power-line and was electrocuted. Stranger yet was a 165-foot tall Sitka spruce tree that grew brilliant golden needles, instead of the standard issue green. The Haida people wove the tree into their mythology. Biologists described the spruce as built by magic. For the rest of us, standing in front of the golden spruce let us believe that anything is possible.

Then, in 1997 an eco-terrorist named Grant Hadwin decided that the best way to draw attention to British Columbia’s consumptive forestry practice was to saw down the miracle tree. He travelled to Haida Gwaii in the middle of winter, crawled into a wetsuit, strapped a chainsaw to his back, and swam down the Yakoun. He placed other gear—wedges, gas, files, etc—in inflated plastic bags and floated those to the golden spruce. During the night he sawed irreparable, lethal cuts into the tree, then wedged those slashes so that the golden spruce would fall across the river, instead of into the forest, where it would be easily seen and his protest announced. During the next windstorm the tree fell and all hell broke loose. By that time Hadwin had contacted the authorities and media and was validating his act. He was arrested and a court date was set. Threats to his life were common. Despite those threats, he promised attendance in court. To reach Masset from the mainland, however, he set sail in a sea kayak from Prince Rupert and tried to paddle across Hecate Strait. He hasn’t been seen again. Wreckage of what is believed to be his kayak was found farther north in southeast Alaska. Many believe he survived and is now living in Russia. Others say someone killed him on the way to Masset. Either scenario seems plausible.

Hadwin isn’t the only interesting criminal to have set up camp on the islands. Another, Stephen Reid, was part of the Stopwatch Gang, a group of men who robbed 100 North American banks in the 1970s and 1980s, including a score of six gold bars, worth $700,000, from the Ottawa airport in 1974. He and his partners achieved folklore status for their considerate treatment of civilians, but the authorities weren’t amused and sentenced him to 14 years in prison, where he penned the fascinating book, Jackrabbit Parole. That caught the eye of the rebellious Canadian poet Susan Musgrave and the two later married in a penitentiary, surrounded by razor wire. After Reid was paroled, he and Musgrave spent much of their time on Haida Gwaii, just a few miles east of Masset, or in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, living in a tree house. Reid was crime-free and family oriented for years, but in 1999, drug-fueled and dressed as a police officer, he strapped a sawed-off shotgun to himself and robbed a branch of Victoria’s Royal Bank. He fled with $92,000, but was taken into custody shortly after and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was paroled in 2008 and again spends time with Musgrave on Haida Gwaii.

While walking around Masset one day, shooting photos and taking a break from the redundancy of swinging flies for steelhead, I ran into an artist who showed me a necklace. It was a rendition of a traditional Haida fishing hook, with a V-shaped wood structure tipped with a narrow, pointed, sharp piece of bone. One portion of the V was carved out of traditional Sitka spruce. The other piece was carved, he said, from the golden spruce. I continued my trek and saw traditional native coastal art wherever I looked, some in the form of totems, some in jewelry, some in painted murals on the sides of cedar houses, some in traditional canoes, some just carved out of tree stumps. I even saw a custom cut, stainless-steel radiator guard, embellished with a traditional eagle design, on a supped-up Dodge Ram pickup truck. Later, when traveling from Masset to Sandspit to catch an Air Canada flight back to Vancouver, I stopped at the 53,000 square foot Haida Heritage Center, which opened in August 2008. The center consists of five cedar longhouses and a carving shed where local artists craft traditional canoes, totems, canoe paddles, and even bentwood boxes, which are four sided containers crafted from a single piece of cedar that is steamed and bent. Those boxes were used to house treasured gifts and given away at potlatches. Today, those boxes are purchased by collectors and fetch between a couple hundred and a few thousand dollars. I grew up in southeast Alaska and have seen a lot of coastal art, but never the quantity or quality found on Haida Gwaii.

As the week progressed the Yakoun continued to drop and the fish became almost nocturnal, leaving their secure lies only late in the day, as light faded. Each afternoon brought two or three steelhead to the bank and the bonus of a couple sea-run cutthroat trout. Some were chrome bright, others painted reddish/orange by their spawning run and time in freshwater. Each, I considered a treasure, fish of merit based on their beauty and fighting ability, coupled with an element of challenge and reward. You know, it’s not easy casting all day to a fish you can’t see, while standing in nearly freezing water, blowing on your hands to make them function. I fished in solitude, far from any town, by myself, in a wild forest, with the risk of injury riding on each step. At times I fished hard, other times I sat on the bank of the Yakoun and counted my good fortune. I even visited the site of the golden spruce, contemplating Haida Gwaii history, culture, outlaws, and that compelling art. And I thought specifically about Hadwin’s act. The tree was gone, for sure. But the myths survive, along with a strange sensation—hidden by that forest, where you could willingly wander off and disappear, anything still seemed possible.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Events Tagged With: Anglers Tonic, ewareports, Greg Thomas, Haida Gwaii, PNW, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle Fly Shop, spey casting, steelhead fly fishing, swinging flies

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – August 6, 2020 – Warm to Hot!

August 6, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Amazing over the past decade or so how different our entry into summer has been in the area. Read more deeply into it or not but when summer hits it has been landing with water temps reaching higher levels, what seems to be sooner than before.

Many of our smaller streams have seen flows drop quickly with high water temps so the importance of fishing early, landing fish fast and using appropriate gear to do so has never been more vital to the livelihood of the fish we love to chase so much.

Cedar River, Snoqualmie Forks and the rest of the Cascade small streams are low and clear. Fish are opportunistic and will likely chase anything that looks like calories for them so identify their holding water and put your Stimulator, Wulff, Humpy, Adams, Caddis or Trude’s in there and have fun.

Puget Sound is beginning to welcome migratory coho and certainly the residents have been out in numbers so not really a better time to get on the water. Light is still early, around 5am or so so get up and get out for a couple hours before the mad rush to work from homers hit the road…so to speak. Baitfish are bigger so go with larger profile flies and absolutely do not be afraid to fish on top…coho and cutts are more than ready to investigate surface flies, always!

Summer steelhead of the hatchery variety are in the Cowlitz in good numbers currently as well and if you are a swinger, this is a great river to hit with the spey rod. TONS of good swing water and the opportunity to fish smaller intruder patterns, true summer hair-wing flies or go traditional.

They Yakima is high for another few weeks and it is hot over there too, not surprisingly so fish caddis and hoppers through the day, fish early if possible and if fishing the evening, caddis should be your game right up to dark.

Because it is hot, warm water species are as hot as it can get. Sunny days and little wind will help with spotting carp and your choice of small to large surface flies will bring smallies to hand as will subsurface streamers.

All in all, fishing is good all over right now so enjoy it because fall will be here soon and then the fishing will be really good!

Have fun and as always, ask us questions, we are here to help you find your success, grow your skills and deepen your passion…we are here.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: bass fly fishing, Carbon Neutral, carp fly fishing, Cedar River, Cowlitz River fly fishing, Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, keepfishwet, Puget sound fly fishing, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing reports, spey casting, steelhead fly fishing, trout fishing, trout spey, Washington fly fishing reports, Yakima River

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – July 23, 2020 – Ready, Set, Fish!

July 22, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Well anglers, summer has officially arrived…feels like we have been saying that for sometime now but with all fisheries finally at a place where we are comfortable with anglers of all age and skill level exploring the waters around here, it finally feels real.

Creeks are low and fish are looking up. Parachute Adams, caddis, Stimulators and other attractors like Humpy’s, Wulff’s and Trude’s are all working well so there really shouldn’t be too much need to drop anything off the back any longer.

Yak is high for the next 7-9 weeks so look else where for walk and wade options like the Cedar, Puget Sound and the Snoqualmie Forks. If you are headed to the Yak, late evening caddis will be good all summer long along the banks so pick a spot and hunt them down, otherwise streamers and subsurface during the day will also produce fish but please be careful wading/float the river if you are unfamiliar with it.

Puget Sound is fishing OK. Nothing exceptional to write about here. If you are in a boat and can get out in the channels then there are some blackmouth to be had but SRC’s have been a bit slow, water is super warm in many areas so please be careful of over playing/handling these fish. Bait is getting larger as they prepare to collide with early arriving migratory Coho/Silver salmon. Flies should be a bit larger in profile but do be careful here. SRC’s/Sea Run Cutthroat will try to inhale anything they think they can and fatally wound themselves on too large of hooks. You can hook, fight and land big Coho on size 10 hooks, have done it many times, size 2 or larger not necessary, especially from the beach.

Skykomish and other Puget Sound rivers as well as the Cowlitz are as good as they will get for mid summer steelhead. Have been having a lot of fun dusting off the old longer belly lines like original Skagit and Delta lines as well as some other closet extra long lines in the 60+ foot range. Good reminder of the importance of knowing how to cast well before allowing technology to take over.

Warm water species are on their game right now. Bass, carp, pike and muskie are all in season. If you are unfamiliar with where, when, how, why and what to do in this arena, please come by and let’s chat. We are here for you and opening new doors in the sport will make you a better angler on those familiar ones…period! Unfortunately, our 4th annual carp tournament has had to be cancelled though Bill will be at Banks Lake, fishing and otherwise unofficially hosting those who would like to join. Any questions, let us know, happy to get you in touch with Bill.

Have a safe and wonderful rest of summer everyone, call, email, text, stop in with questions and remember, we sell what we as guides on the water use and believe in.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: 5050 on the water, Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, fly fishing photography, Fly Fishing Seattle, Puget sound fly fishing, Sea Run Cutthroat, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle fly fishing reports, Seattle Fly Shop, spey casting, steelhead fly fishing, Washington fly fishing reports, Washington Lakes

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – July 6, 2020 – Fireworks Are Done!

July 6, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Alright, the 4th of July weekend is nearing closure and we are finally beginning to see water levels drop on many of our small streams in the area meaning it is time to break out the 5x and the dry fly box…it’s about time!

The other fishery we should be paying more attention to is our multitude of bass fisheries we have all over the area. Most of our local Seattle area urban lakes are home to the “Ditch Pickle” and while many consider them a lesser species to chase, it could very well be because they haven’t run across a 14 inch small mouth before. These fish hit hard and fight harder and are absolutely worth your attention.

The lower Yakima, Lake Alice, Greenlake, Lake Tapps and the illustrious and giant Lake Washington have fantastic bass fishing on them. Surface flies like frogs, poppers, mice and even the Sound Searcher are always a first picks for us but fishing deeper with crawdad’s and streamers can find some of the larger specimens hanging out near the bottom.

Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Holiday weekend with family and friends. We look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: bass fly fishing, Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, fly fishing photography, keepemwet, keepfishwet, Lake Washington fly fishing, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle fly fishing reports, Seattle Fly Shop, Washington fly fishing reports

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – June 29, 2020 – Cool Weather/Low Water

June 29, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Well we finally coincided summer with some cool weather resulting in some nice low water flows on local rivers and streams which means…time to fish!

Mountain Creeks – We always suggest using high water time to do some due diligence on new places to get on the water and now that time spent should begin to pay off. Looking at the flows today, the Forks of the Snoqualmie are in great shape especially the South Fork. Water will still be cold but fish should be looking up more and more so mid sized stimulator (stimi) with a dropper of your choice should do the trick. If you start getting strikes on top, take the dropper off and just play on top and don’t be afraid to get yourself close to some of the pocket water you are trying to fish either. These fish live in a volatile world so someone standing in the water 10-15 feet away is not likely to spook them…yet! Later in the summer when water is lower, slower, clearer and warmer it will be not so much now.

Puget Sound – Sand Lance have arrived and they are close to shore so make first casts near the bank before stepping into the water. As we move into the summer, many of the bait the SRC’s (Sea Run Cutthroat) will be predating upon are becoming larger in profile so slightly longer flies will be beneficial. With all the kelp in the water, intermediate lines MAY get you below it to some degree but not a guarantee as it is drifting throughout the water column. Stripping baskets are definitely more relevant these days so look into one of those, we have 4 versions beginning at $45 and our rules for engagement are as follows.

1. Cover water methodically when you can.
2. When fly is around fish but not getting any takes, change retrieve first and then fly if this persists.
3. Tip in the water pointed at fly line while retrieving.
4. Outgoing tide, early in the AM if possible, otherwise fish when you can fish.

Yakima and Cle Elum Rivers – These are heading towards their summer flows which will remain high for the summer until mid September most likely. This means caddis in the evenings will be a good bet, nymphing through the middle of the day is always solid and if you have access to a boat, use it! Access will be severely diminished for the walk and wade angler until fall. Trout spey will give you a bit more advantage in these high water times too, just saying!

Bass and Carp – This is the time of year for both. Big surface flies near any and all structure such as docks, rocks and lily pads are going to be sure things and during the heat of the day, get down with any of your trout like streamers in those same locations. Carp Tournament is coming up fast, let us know if interested in signing up for it.

Steelhead – Now is a fabulous time to switch out those heads from winter Skagit to summer Rage or Scandi heads and if you have a long rod from the days of old, let’s chat long belly lines from Bridge. Nice delicate, long tapered heads are a joy to cast and handle smaller summer type flies with finesse. Get out and swing away everyone, great time of the early summer to possibly come into contact with our state fish.

As always, questions in this complicated Seattle area world of fly fishing, don’t wait, just call – 206-708-7250

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: bass fly fishing, carp fly fishing, carp tournament, Emerald Water Anglers, ewareports, FFI Certified, Puget Sound, Puget sound fly fishing, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Snoqualmie River fly fishing, spey casting, spey casting classes, steelhead fly fishing, trout spey, Washington fly fishing reports, Yakima River

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – June 22, 2020 – The Time is NOW!

June 22, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Welcome to summer! We have seen an incredible insurgence of new fly angling interest over the past few months and why not? If done in the way we enjoy doing it, it is the epitome of social distancing outdoors. Long expanse of beach to yourself, intimate mountain creeks or long classic steelhead runs to swing your new spey rod through.

Well, summer is here but water levels are still a bit high. Water is in good shape clarity wise on many rivers but the creeks are still big and cold. As of now, best bet is Yakima River from a boat though that is going to inflate a bit for the summer so we recommend Google Earth and WA Fishing Regs book. Find some small streams you haven’t heard mentioned in the airwaves, see what is close to you and go check it out. Some will likely be tough with over hanging flora but others may surprise you.

Skykomish, Skagit and Sauk are in good shape flow wise and not really on most peoples radar so these are great options to consider. As we move into the summer season with low water, we encourage transitioning from those winter Skagit heads into more elegant, fun to cast Rage or Scandi heads. These simply come off the rod tip with more ease, feel smooth and generate beautiful loop shapes. If you happen to have an older, longer spey rod gathering dust, maybe give one of the Bridge Long Belly spey lines a try and see what spey really is. Come in and ask away, we are pretty into this stuff!

If you have tried to fish the Sound recently, you have possibly noticed a significant increase in kelp, maybe even a frustrating level of increase. 2 suggestions to help mitigate this issue.

1. Intermediate line or shooting head/beach line such as the Airflo Beach. Helps get below some of that kelp for a better fly presentation.

2. A stripping basket. We have 4 great options at different price points in the store, come by and check out the differences and pick up the one that suits you.

Have fun out there everyone and remember, we are here to help you be successful in, on and around the water.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: Emerald Water Anglers, mountain creeks, Puget Sound, Puget sound fly fishing, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle fly fishing reports, Seattle Fly Shop, Skagit River, Snoqualmie River, spey casting, steelhead, trout, washington fly fishing, Yakima River

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