Emerald Water Anglers

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

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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!

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

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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
shop@emeraldwateranglers.com
IG @ewaflyshop_seattle and @emeraldwateranglerswa

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

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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

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

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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.

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – June 15, 2020 – Summer is Coming, We Promise!

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Father’s Day is going to coincide almost exactly with the official beginning of summer. With everything that took place this past winter and spring, most of us forgot or didn’t have the opportunity to notice we had a decent snow year and are having a cool entry to summer so run off is taking a little longer than normal.

This means creeks and some rivers are a bit higher than we would like to see them for getting on them and not going for a swim or seeing fish come to our surface fly. Now streamers are a different story, even on the small streams, those wily little trout will go after smaller streamers if water is still too cold to prompt any hatch. Trout spey on the Middle Fork is a great idea and also presents a whole new way to look at the rivers you love to fish, including the Yakima and Cle Elum.

Speaking of these two rivers, the Cle Elum has risen to a pretty high state for accessing much walk and wade water so soft hackles and streamers or even riffle hitching a big Stimulator and skating that across likely water can bring some exciting takes. The Yakima is in great shape right now but we will likely see flows begin rising here in the next week or so to summer heights so get on it now. Evenings have been better for caddis especially in the Canyon.

Our preference for trout spey is the 4wt and here is why. Your line of choice, whether it be an S/A integrated, OPST or other head and running line system will be of larger grain weight and therefore be able to handle a wider variety of fly sizes, wind and of course be able to shoot longer distances. It also feels just a tad more substantive in hand which will afford you to feel how the rod is casting, maximizing your stroke efficiency.

Carp in the Columbia and surrounding lakes as well as local lakes like Green Lake. Bass are on fire in Washington and Samammish and steelhead, well, we know how that is so go swing away and enjoy the fresh air and scenery.

Any questions, never hesitate to ask, it is what we are here for.

5 Tips for High Water Steelhead

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An early winter steelhead found in very high water. Photo: Cole Leishman

1. Fish light and inside

In high water, the steelhead are going to be on the move and they are trying to find the path of least resistance, which is often right by your feet. I like to fish light and short tips, casting to the near water first and fishing it well. Using 10 feet of T-7 or T-10 will get that fly to swing into the bank. Hang down grabs are very common in high water so make sure you get that fly swinging all the way below you.

2. Go big or go home

When the water is high, it is typically dirty too. We have been fishing in 1-2 feet of visibility often recently and your smaller steelhead flies won’t do. The fish need to be able to see the fly in these conditions and they are much more likely to see a big intruder rather than a small marabou. In addition, dark flies with a lot of flash will be easier to see in poor visibility.

3. Use appropriate tackle

Put the small rods and 12 pound test away. High water means more resistance and that 20 pound fish is going to be much harder to land. Step up to an eight weight rod with a 20 pound leader. Our favorite is Maxima Ultragreen but you can use a variety of leader materials from any reputable manufacturer. Land the fish quickly and put them back on their way to the spawning grounds.

4. Fish the moving water

Focus more on the tailouts and the heads of your pools. In high water, steelhead are moving and these areas are going to facilitate more encounters with aggressive fish. Still remember to fish to your hang down!

5. SLOW DOWN

Fly speed and the way you cover water will increase your chances of connecting with a steelhead. In dirty water, I will fish a one-step approach in the likely zones. Slow your fly way down to stay in the zone as long as you can. You can do this through a proper mend in the beginning of your presentation. Let your shooting head straighten out and engage once your line has become tight. Your fly should be crawling through the insides, but not getting hung up.

Upcoming Fly Fishing Events – February 2020

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Sauk Magic steelhead fly by Nathan Keen.

Bienvenidos, willkomen, benvenuta, ようこそ and welcome…to winter steelhead season! We are writing this as nearly every river on the coastal side of the mountains is at or near flood stage, a momentary refuge for our andadromous friends making their way into the local rivers!

We just finished up our 4th annual EWA Spey Day and the buzz coming out of that was incredible. Maybe one of the biggest highlights was the time spent throwing the new long belly lines from Bridge Fly Fishing and having Tim Arsenault on hand to help take away some of the anxiety. Seems like another life when we were using rods longer than 13 feet and heads were longer than 25ft. With some Canadian encouragement, we watched as many got after the 60+ foot heads, we all felt like little kids again. Fabulous to see that level of enthusiasm on the water. Thank you to everyone who came out, sales reps, FFI instructors, friends and new spey casters, it was a blast.

Some great events still to come with us here at EWA and our surrounding area and we hope to see you at one or all of them, scroll on down and have a terrific February!

Upcoming Intro to Fly Fishing Schools – Coed – 3 students per teacher. We cover essential knots, fly selection based on entomology, casting skills, reading water, approach and line management. Equipment happily provided.
April 18
May 23
June 20

Women Intro to Fly Fishing Schools – 3 students per teacher
March 21
April 11
April 25
May 9
May 16
June 6
June 20

Women’s Intro to Fly Casting – 5 students per teacher
March 6
March 7
April 5
April 19
May 3
May 17
May 31
June 7
June 21
July 12
July 26
August 9
August 23

Tie One On – Coed Fly Tying
February 6 – Nathan Keen and Bill Marts – Steelhead and Salt
February 20 – Saltwater
March 3 – Tying Party!

The Fly Fishing Show – Lynnwood
February 15 – 16
EWA will not be in attendance with a booth this year but two of our Women’s Program leaders Jenn Fluke and Bethany will be at the Women’s Meet and Greet. But if you find something you really NEED, come on in and let us know and we will get it in your hands.

TreFin Seafood’s Tuna Pick Up – 3pm – 7pm
March 1
Come by the store and get the skinny on fishing for Albacore off the Washington and Oregon coast and pick up fresh tuna from the guys who line caught it and processed it in Ilwaco. Pre Order and Pick Up HERE

Montana Fly Fishing Film Festival – Admiral Theater – 7pm
March 20
Come see some regionally focused fly fishing films to help kick off the spring season. Always a fun evening.

Art on the Water – Mercer Island Community Center – 7pm – 9pm – $25
March 27
A spectacular event joining all th elements we love…fly fishing, water and art. Join our very good friends and fellow Patagonia Ambassadors Dylan Tomine and Riverhorse Nakadate and former editor of The Flyfish Journal Steve Duda for a reading and fundraiser for The Red Badge Project supporting veterans.

Movie Night @ EWA – Tomorrow’s Fish – Hosted by AFFTA 7pm – 9pm
April 1
Come join us for a private screening of Tomorrow’s Fish, a great new film on fly fishing off the coast of New York City.

FFI Casting and Education Fair – 9am – 5pm – Mercer Island
May 2
Dave McCoy will be teaching an introduction to fly casting class at this event and there will be plenty of other instructors working on everything from beginning to advanced techniques.

EWA Fly Fest – 9am – 3pm @ Seattle Community College
May 9
Our annual event to try all the latest fly rods and lines, get personal instruction, attend seminars, ask questions and meet other local anglers. Patagonia, Thomas and Thomas, Scott, Sage, Redington, Echo, Winston, Gloomis, Hardy, Scientific Anglers, Airflo, Rio and Bridge Fly Fishing will all be on hand.

EWA Youth Fly Fishing Camp – 8 Youth Max – 8am – 5pm – $650
August 10 – 14
Finally, we are putting together a camp experience for mid teen youth to experience how we view the sport through the lens of education, stewardship and conservation while exploring and enjoying our outdoor world.

Upcoming Events – Nov. & Dec.

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Well, we apologize for not getting this up sooner, things have just been a bit crazy around these parts lately. Good news is, they are finally here, our fly fishing events for the next 6 weeks and beyond. Fly tying, customer appreciation, spey and single hand casting classes mixed with the Holidays…yep it is going to be a busy season so grab a beverage, sit down and peruse the schedule, it may take awhile!

Currently, we are booking Puget Sound trips (has been fishing very well lately) and steelhead in all forms for the remainder of the year and the winter/spring season. We will book solid this year so if you know you want to dance on the water with us, let’s get you scheduled soon!

Look for more fly fishing events to be added here soon, what is new with EWA as a company. Follow us here:

Instagram @ewaflyshop_seattle and @emeraldwateranglerswa
Facebook for Store and Travel
Facebook for Women’s Group News and Events

Fly Tying – Women’s Bug’s n Brew’s and our coed Tie One On. Click links with each event to register:

Bug’s n Brew’s – Women’s Only $25 per class per person
December 3rd: Marbou Popsicle (Intermediate)
December 17th: Skagit Mist (Advanced)
January 7th: Skwala Stones
January 21st: Blue Wing Olives

Tie One On – Coed $25 per class per person

November 29, 2019 – Black Friday
November 30, 2019 – Shop Small Saturday
We will be open normal hours those days and the store is currently STUFFED and ready for you to come pick up gifts early if that is your thing!

December 5, 2019 – Customer Appreciation Night 5pm – 9pm
Come hang out, enjoy live music from Ryan Barber, register for gifts you really want so friends and loved ones from near and far can get you exactly what you are looking for this year.

Patagonia will be in the house with the new Swiftcurrent waders to try on and size perfectly so you can take advantage of a pre order opportunity that evening to get just the right size. These are the first ever wader with a 100% recycled outer fabric so come check them out. Of course refreshments provide and this is dog and kid friendly!

December 10, 2019 – Wild Steelhead Coalition Reception – $TBD
Come join and meet the people working hard for our wild steelhead. More information coming very soon.

On River Spey School – $225 per person – Learn from our well versed professional staff of guides/instructors the fine craft of spey casting and swinging for steelhead! This is a full day, on the river school covering casting from both banks, head variations and coinciding tips, reading and cover water. 3 anglers max per school, call to reserve, equipment can be provided.
December 1, 2019 – 1 spot remaining
December 13, 2019 – 3 spots remaining
January 10, 2020 – 3 spots remaining

December 25 & 26, 2019 – Store Closed
We may have some staff available to guide on the 26th but please provide as much notice as possible and have a wonderful Holiday Season.

January 9, 2020 – Coastal Cutthroat Coalition Event –$35
Annual fundraiser for this organization doing good work for our local wild sea run cutthroat both in the salt and fresh water. Will be at Hula Hula again, please bring your liver.

January 29 – 30, 2020 — F3T West Seattle — Admiral Theater — $16
This is the season opener to get hyped about this sport and all it encompasses. Filmmakers travel to all corners of the globe to pursue exotic fish like GT’s, Arapaima, Payara, Taimen and even Rainbow Trout! Always a great time tickets available online or at the store. Tickets available soon!

January 25, 2020 — EWA Spey Day — Snoqualmie River under Fall City Bridge — 9am – 3pm — FREE
The premier spey event in western WA, come cast the latest and greatest in two handed rods and lines with our staff, sales reps and special guests. This is the perfect opportunity to hone your skills, get some one on one instruction or figure out the optimal match of line and rod for the winter season.

February 15 & 16, 2020 — The Fly Fishing Show — Lynnwood — $16
We will be attending the show again this year. Great opportunity to hear Dave McCoy talk on Puget Sound and fly fishing around Washington. See his all new photos and insights on how, when, where and with what on some of our most dynamic fisheries. We will not be attending this year…sorry!

May 9, 2020 — EWA Fly Fest — @ Location TBD – 9am – 3pm — FREE
Our annual kick off of summer event will be better than ever with more classes including spey casting, more guest speakers and more reps from the industry and of course the guide cook off.


*VIDEO* Patagonia and Danner – River Salt and Foot Tractor Wading Boots

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If you fish and wade around slick boulders, basalt ledges, heavy pocket water or just need the most stability a wading boot can offer, you owe it to yourself to try these boots!

Footage: Caldwell Rohrbach
Edit: Caldwell Rohrbach
Copy: Greg Fitz

Talent: Tom Mahan & Andrew Burr

EWA Fly Fishing Events – May

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EWA Fly Fishing events coming up in May and beyond…here are some things to put on your calendar for sure!  As we head into summer, now is the time to freshen up your casting with some private casting, finally pick up fly tying or join us on one of our many fishing excursions we offer throughout the summer.  Creeks, Yakima, Puget Sound, bass and summer steelhead are all on the table, we know them all and are excited to get on the water with you. 

Yakima May Day’s – May is maybe the month to be on the Yakima as caddis are out, fish are focused and the sun is usually shining.  Here are some dates in May we still have open to get you out throwing dry flies on the Yak:

May 9th
May 27th

May 8, 2018 — Christmas Island Revisited! — 7pm @ EWA Store — FREE
Come listen and watch as Karlie and Caldwell revisit their trips to Christmas Island this past spring.  Beverages will be provided and good times will be had for sure!

June 2, 2018 – EWA Fly Fest @ Me Kwa Mooks Park in West Seattle – FREE
What has become quite an event continues to grow.  Cast every rod available from Winston, Sage, Scott, Loomis, Epic, Echo, Fenwick and Thomas and Thomas.  See the latest in reels from Nautilus, Bauer, Lamson, Sage, Tibor, 3 Tand and more as well as put new lines on your favorite rod.  Instruction, classes, seminars and our 11th Annual Guide Staff Cook Off.

July 20-21, 2018 — 2nd Annual EWA Carp Tournament @ Banks Lake — $75 per angler/50 Max
If you haven’t pursued carp on the fly before you haven’t lived!  Sight casting to these selective and strong fish either by foot, from an SUP or $60K boat, either way, they live up to what fly fishing is supposed to be…fun!  Sponsored by Sage, winners will walk with some extraordinary prizes and all with leave humbled for sure!  Please call the store to book you space, few slots left.

December 1 -2, 2018 — Dec Hogan Spey Clinic — $295 per person/6 maximum
The man, myth and legend, Dec himself will be back in the PNW to enlighten and answer questions on all things spey and steelhead.  Whether just learning or well seasoned, Dec is always a pleasure to spend the day with.  Please call the store to reserve your space.

Bug’s ‘N Brew’s – $20 – EWA Store @ 7-9pm – Women Only!
May 3rd – 7-9pm
May 17th – 7-9pm

1 Day Intro to Fly Fishing Schools – $225 – Forks of the Snoqualmie – 3 people max
June 23rd – 1 spot open
July 11th – 2 spots open

2 Day Fly Fishing Immersion Schools – $425 – Forks of the Snoqualmie -3 people max
May 5-6 – 2 spots open
June 20-21 – 2 spots open
June 23-24 – 1 spot open
July 14 – 15 – 1 spot open

Drift Boat Rowing – $250 – Snoqualmie River, 3 people max
June 23rd
July 7th

Emerald Water Anglers

4502 42nd Ave. SW
Seattle, WA 98116
10-7 Mon-Fri, 10-6 Sat, 11-5 Sun
206-708-7250

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