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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

Upcoming Events – August

July 16, 2016 by adminewa Leave a Comment

McCoy_DMONG0112aWith guide season in full wing around here for the summer, we unfortunately have to back off some of our favorite events around the store.  That said, we are constantly doing other educational and informative classes.  Here is a quick look at what is on the calendar so far for the rest of July and August.

Events at EWA
August 15th @ 7pm — Mountain Streams for Summer Fly Fishing – FREE
Sam Lincoln will spend some time laying out how, why, when, with what and even some where for ending the summer in the mountains for native trout.  A great excuse for picking  up a new rod for yourself!
August 27th @9am – 4pm — 2nd Annual West Seattle Gear Grab – FREE
End of season blowout sale! 20-60% off Apparel, Rods, Reels, Packs, Waders, Boots, and More! Emerald Water Anglers will be teaming up with our neighbors at West Seattle Cyclery and Mountain to Sound Outfitters to offer a 1 day parking lot sale. All three outfitters will be closing out gear at 20-80% off. Fly Fish, Apparel, Cycle, Ski, Paddle, etc…gear for all outdoor enthusiasts and closeout prices! Located in the parking lot at the corner of 42nd and Oregon, across from Emerald Water Anglers.
August 29th @ 7pm — Fall Sea Run Cutthroat – FREE
Alex Collier will help you prepare for the fall season in our local saltwater by discussing tactics, equipment set up, addressing tides and fly selection so you can hit the beach with more confidence once the kids are all back in school!

September 8th @7pm – Getting Into Spey Casting – FREE
Join EWA Manager Reid Curry for an in store seminar on the basics of spey casting and how to take your first steps into the world of two-handed casting and fishing. If you have been toying around with the idea of getting into spey casting but don’t know where to start, this is the seminar for you!
September 22nd @7pm – Fall Fishing in Washington and Beyond – FREE
EWA Guide Staff will be talking about some of our favorite local and regional fishing opportunities for the fall season and how to take advantage of them. Fall is one of the most exciting times of the year to be an angler in the Northwest. Our guides will share info on seasonal opportunities for trout, sea run cutthroat, steelhead, and more!

October TBD — Sage Happy Hour – FREE
Come hang out with some of the gang from Sage, cast some sticks and enjoy some beverages and snacks.  Small raffle and other incentives will likely take place, as we get closer more details will be available.  RSVP at the store via email, phone or Facebook.
November 17th @ 7pm — Cuba, Now Open for Americans! – FREE
Jon Covich of Fly Water Travel will be on hand to share some great images and discuss all the viable options currently available for eager fly anglers to travel and experience in Cuba.  In the past 12 months a ton has changed and Jon is on top of it.  Please also RSVP at the store via phone, email or Facebook.
January 14th & 15th, 2017 — Spey Casting with Dec Hogan — 9am – 3pm — $280 per person — 6 Max per day
Come spend a day with a legend, Dec Hogan as he helps you fine tune your spey casting and shares stories of his colorful guiding adventures here in the PNW.  Dec is a long time friend and one of the true Ambassadors of our sport.  2 different sessions with meet and greet, book signing and beverages at the the store on the evening of the 13th.  This will fill quickly so please reserve your space now, lunch and equipment provided if desired.
January 20th, 2017 — 2nd Annual EWA 5 Minutes or Less Fly Film Fest — $5 per person, goes to Wild Steelhead Coalition
Last year we showed 18 terrific short films from some of our industries most talented filmmakers and this year will only prove to be larger and in charger…hopefully that makes sense.  Please reserve your space now as we will cap attendance at 80 people.  Beverages by Georgetown Brewing and food from Blueacre Seafood.  Woop woop, see everyone there!

$10 Casting at Lincoln Park – Limited to 5 casters, all levels welcome, equipment provided.  RSVP at via phone or email with the store.
September 10th @ 9am
September 24th @ 9am

Intro to Spey Casting @ Greenlake – Limited to 3 caster per class, all rods and reels provided.  Please bring waders and boots as we are in the water for this class. $95
September 1st @ 10am
September 8th @ 10am
September 15th @ 10am
September 22nd @ 10am

1 Day Immersion Schools – Limited to 3 anglers, equipment provided – $195 per person
August 6th – Intro to Flyfishing School
August 28th – Intro to Flyfishing School
September 2nd – Intro to Flyfishing School
September 16th – Intro to Flyfishing School
September 25th – Intro to Flyfishing School

Rowing School – Limited to 2 boats – $225 per boat
August 18th – 1 space open

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Events Tagged With: boat rowing school, casting classes, cuba, Emerald Water Anglers, Intro to flyfishing, mountain creeks, Puget Sound, Sage, Sea Run Cutthroat, Seattle, Tacoma

Trout Rod Reviews

April 24, 2015 by Caldwell Rohrbach Leave a Comment

11

Photo and Review by Alex Collier

With Summer just around the corner (or already arrived depending on who you ask), most of us have trout squarely on our brains in Washington.  Within a few weeks all of our trout fisheries will be open, and with the low snowpack this year, a lot of them will most likely immediately be in shape.  As such, now’s the time to start assessing your gear for the wide range of water types and fishing techniques we have throughout Washington and into Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Northern California.

If you are just getting into the sport, or if you are interested in exploring a new rod that will cover a different situation better than a rod you currently own, we’ve tried to take some of the confusion out of the equation for you–or at least provide a starting point for you in your search for a new rod.  Below we have the trout rods we carry in store broken down into the water size they cover best.  You’ll also most likely notice that this also separates the rods into weight/length and rod action to a certain degree.

A quick word about what we mean by the different river size designations we’ve listed.  For the purposes of this listing we’ve broken it down into Small, Medium, and Large Water:

By “Small Water” we mean rivers and creeks where casts of 10-20 feet are the most prevalent, and where the flies of choice are mostly dry flies or lightly weighted nymphs.  The rods in this range are usually in the 2 and 3 weight full to mid flex categories (or slow to medium action), and are usually on the shorter end of the spectrum.  The small mountain creeks of Washington are a great example of this water type, as are the small brook trout streams of the East Coast.

“Medium Water” is going to be rivers where casts of 15-30 feet are more of the norm, or where dry/dropper rigs, slightly heavier nymphs, or smaller unweighted streamers are common.  These rods are often a bit more versatile because of slightly more backbone and length, which gives you the ability to mend and control line on the water easier, while also maintaining the ability to delicately present dry flies in small spaces.  Rods in this designation are going to be 3 and 4 weight mid flex (or medium to medium-fast action), and are going to be in the 8-8’6″ range.  These are great rods for the Cedar River outside of Seattle, bigger stretches of the Middle Fork of the Snoqulmie, and some of the smaller rivers of Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.  A lot of these rods would also be good dry fly rods for fishing out of drift boats.  By and large, most of these rods will handle quite a few scenarios in the trout world.

“Large Water” is going be everything else for trout–bigger, deeper water where dry/droppers, heavy stonefly nymphs, or streamers are the common fly choices and longer casts are necessary.  These rods will also handle casting in the wind better.  Most of these rods are going to be in the 4 and 5 weight mid to full flex category (or medium fast to fast action), and will be in the 8’6″ to 9′ range.  Where these rods normally excel in generating higher line speeds and longer casts, they sometimes sacrifice a bit of feel at closer ranges or when going for smaller fish.

And with that, on to the listings:

Small Water

–Echo Carbon:  7’3″ 2 wt ($170) — Small, light weight rod with a lot of life that is also an absolute bargain!  This rod has a lot of life, excels at closer ranges, and is a blast as a very small stream rod.  The Carbon definitely qualifies as a slower action rod, and might take some getting used to if you’re new to casting or have a more aggressive casting stroke, but the trade off is a really fun rod to fish in small, tight situations.

–Echo Glass:  6’3″ 2 wt.; 7’4″ 4 wt; 7’10” 5wt ($200) — Fiberglass is making a comeback in a big way, and these rods are a great value if you’re trying to get in on the action!  Full flex, and designed to excel fishing in tight quarters.  These rods are a bit heavier in hand than their Scott counterparts, but they have an great feel when casting them.  The 6’3″ 2 wt. makes just about any fish feel like a real bruiser!  A great WA Mountain Creek rod series.

–Scott F2 (Fiberglass):  7’7″ 2wt.; 8’4″ 3 wt. ($645) — In all honesty, a remarkably smooth and lively rod that is amazingly light.  These rods feel like they’re flexing all the way into the cork when casting, and are a blast to fish.  These are real game changers when it comes to fishing the mountain creeks and other smaller trout rivers in this area!  Worth every penny when it comes to the smile you’ll have on your face fishing them.

–Scott G2:  7’7″ 2 wt. and 8’4″ 3 wt. ($745) — A shop favorite!  Extremely light weight, incredible performance and feel, and a beautiful looking rod as well!  Lots of technology goes into the making of this rod, but what you need to know is that it’s amazingly smooth, tracks really well without any extra movement (even though it flexes pretty deep into the rod), and is really light in hand.

–R.L. Winston WT:  7′ 2 wt. ($750) — Winston’s classic all-graphite small water rod.  Slightly heavier in hand than the BIII LS, but with a smooth medium to medium fast action.  All of the Winston feel you expect in a fully graphite package.  Really, really nice small stream rod that a lot of people consider one of the best all-graphite rods ever made.

–R.L. Winston BIII LS:  7′ 2 wt.; 8’6″ 3 wt. ($795) — While technically listed as a “medium-fast” rod on Winston’s site, we find these rods to be much more “medium” than “fast” (and a bit softer than the WT).  These rods are really light in hand, have the buttery smooth action you expect from a Winston, but finish the cast without a lot of wobble in the rod.  Classic details and the boron addition to the rod blank makes up a classic Winston rod that delivers great accuracy and responsiveness.

 

Medium Water

–Echo Solo:  7’6″ 3 wt. ($120) — A great entry level rod for those wanting to get into the sport, or wanting a lighter weight rod to add to their quiver.  An fairly light rod with a nice action to it.  It doesn’t have quite the feel of the Carbon, and would tend to be more on the medium action end of the spectrum, but for $120 with a lifetime warranty you can’t beat the price!

–Scott A4: 8′ 3 wt. ($395) — The A4 is a nice rod series that doesn’t totally break the bank.  And while it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that the G2 does, it is still a really fun rod to fish.  Even at an 8′ 3 wt., this rod still has enough backbone to cover some slightly bigger water and throw some slightly heavier flies.  Light and responsive, this rod will cover quite a few different situations for you, and will be a rod that you can grow into if you’re new to the sport.

–R.L. Winston Nexus:  8’6″ 3 wt. ($475) — Don’t let the 3 wt. label fool you:  this rod is a medium-fast 4 wt. at heart.  A great rod for throwing dry/droppers, or for bigger dry flies from drift boats or on bigger water…but with the lighter weight of a 3 wt. rod.  You don’t get the classic Winston Green color, but you get a rod with the ability to fish multiple water types at the slight expense of the feel you would normally associate with both Winston rods and 3 wts. as a whole.

–Hardy Zenith Sintrix:  8′ 3wt. ($599) — A nice medium action that strikes a balance between feel and strength.  A bit softer than the Scott A4, but more responsive than the Echo Solo.  Also very light in hand with a slender taper.  Still has enough backbone to turn over some dry/dropper rigs, but might struggle to step up to much more than lightly weighted nymphs.

–Scott G2:  8’8″ 4wt. ($745) — A slightly faster version of the above listed G2 offerings.  Fantastic dry fly rod on bigger rivers that would also be well suited to step into dry/dropper and even some unweighted or lightly weighted streamers.  Fantastic feel and action despite a bit more backbone makes for a really good all-around trout rod.

 

Large Water

–Echo Solo:  9′ 5wt. ($120) — An overall nice rod with a pleasant casting action for a great price!  This rod can cover the Yakima, Puget Sound, and other larger trout fisheries.  It doesn’t have all the technological advances and is slightly heavier in hand, but is still a rod with a lot of good things going for it.

–Scott A4:  9′ 5wt. ($395) — A step up in backbone and speed from the 8′ 3wt. that maintains all of the other positives of the shorter version.  Solid value for a smooth medium to medium-fast action rod.

–R.L. Winston Nexus:  9′ 5wt. ($475) — If the 3wt version is really a 4 at heart, this 5wt. is a 6.  High line speeds, bigger flies, and windy conditions are the name of the game for this medium-fast to fast version of the Nexus.  What it lacks in traditional trout feel, it makes up for in backbone, while maintaining a pretty soft tip for turning flies over and delivering them with a bit of touch.

–Scott G2:  9′ 5wt. ($745) — While the bread and butter of this rod series is in the lighter weight versions, the 9′ 5wt. still delivers a nice medium to medium-fast feel that doesn’t feel too stiff or clunky.  Slightly more heavy feeling in hand than other rods in this class, but with the responsive action that runs throughout the G2 series.  Still a really nice trout rod.

–R.L. Winston BIIIx:  9′ 5wt. ($795) — Simply put, a spectacular trout rod.  Buttery smooth, medium to medium-fast action but with enough backbone to handle bigger situations, this rod can handle a lot of different things:  small flies with delicate presentations, dry/dropper, and streamers alike.  The BIIIx could even step down and feel really good fishing some more medium sized waters because of the soft, but strong tip and mid section.

–Scott Radian:  9′ 4wt and 9′ 5wt ($795) — Strength.  Finesse.  Feel.  Lightweight.  This rod really does a little bit of everything, and does it all really well.  The 5 wt. has enough power to make long casts on the Sound and then deliver delicate presentations with small dries in the freshwater.  Plus, the lightweight nature of this rod makes it a joy to cast, and the responsive nature makes it easy to feel the rod loading, even at short distances.  If you were only looking to invest in one rod that would cover a lot of different locations, it’d be hard to argue against either the BIIIx or the Radian in the 9′ 5wt.  range.

 

We hope this review/listing has been helpful to you as you explore new options to cover different fisheries in the area.  But, we also know that reading our thoughts on these rods will only go so far.  So if you would like to cast any of these rods at any point feel free to swing by the store where we are more than happy to throw a line on a rod and let you test cast them for yourself!

 

Thanks for reading!

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Emerald Water Anglers, mountain creeks, trout, trout rods, Washington

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