Emerald Water Anglers

Fly Fishing Seattle and Worldwide

Seattle Fly Shop - Guide Service - Global Travel Outfitter

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

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.

G.Loomis IMX PRO Short-Spey Rod Review

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From the moment you pick up the IMX Pro 7 11’11” you know this rod is different. It redefines lightweight while also maintaining a strong enough rod to turn big fish in heavy water. Where I used to think a 13′ 7wt and a 9′ 8wt with a single hand skagit line were the perfect quiver on a number of Washington rivers, I now think the compact modern “Short Spey” will take the place of both.

This is the first short spey of it’s kind and I do differentiate this from other switch rods. THIS IS NOT A SWITCH ROD! This is the next generation of Spey rods that marry’s the feel of a 13′ rod with the fast action necessary of modern short skagit heads.

The first time I cast this rod was with a 480 grain Skagit Scout line (18.5′) and 44lb Impact mono running line and there wasn’t a situation this rod struggled with. We fished the Deschutes for two day’s in high water and cast a number of tips effortlessly including: 10′ Flo Tips in the t-10 and t-14 ranges as well as straight sections up to 12’ in t-10 and t-14. We battled high winds as well as cold temperatures and were able to feel a few nice tugs on the end of our line. (Since that trip, I have enjoyed fishing the 480 grain Skagit Switch line, just a foot longer than the Scout at 19.5’.

When you cast this rod, you seem to forget how compact it is until you find yourself tucked under overhanging trees and wading deep, tight against the bank.

The other thing you can’t seem to believe is the price of this rod. Compared to other rods in excess of $1000, this rod excels. For $575, this rod is a home run and one that I can’t wait to get out and fish. A component I typically overlook on other spey rods is the reel seat. However, on this one you are drawn in by its modern looks, sleek design, and smoothness.

For those gearing up for our winter run fish, the 7wt is the perfect addition to your existing lineup or a single rod quiver for the new spey angler.

As for trout spey, I think you can stop searching once you land on the IMX Pro 4wt 11’11”. This rod has all the power you could want but still has some major play when fighting a fish. For those searching for the lightest rod, that can still throw big streamers and heavy sink tips, the 3wt can be another great option. Karlie Roland prefers the 3wt.

As for the con’s associated with this rod, it is hard to come by. We literally cant keep these on the shelf. If there was one thing that I had to change, it would be the bottom grip, I prefer a slightly larger knob but that is one that you quickly forget once fishing! GLoomis knocked this one out of the park.

Other lines we enjoy on the IMX Pro 7 11’11”: Skagit Switch G2 510, Rage Compact 450, Scandi Compact 450

Karlie: 3wt 270 Scout, 225 OPST Commando

Give us a call with any more questions or feel free to stop by the shop to see for yourself 206.708.7250.

Photo’s and text: Caldwell Rohrbach

Flinging Frozen Flies

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Well its that time of year again when all of our favorite streams are getting pretty frigid. Normally we have an over abundance of rain giving us small windows of productive days on the water. This year however the Puget Sound is cold and dry. It’s keeping many anglers off the water due to the bitter cold. I have heard it for a couple weeks now, “the water is too low and too cold to fish”. It’s true that steelhead begin to hit cold water dormancy around 40 degrees and water being its heaviest at around 36 degrees. But, it by no means precludes steelhead from striking your fly. Sudden cold snaps will put fish off, but given a little time to acclimate or a couple degrees of warming on a sunny day and it is game on.

So the rains have stopped for a while now, your river is getting cold and is below what is considered the average flow for any given year. It is by no means low and clear but it is getting there. The river is still slightly green and has visibility somewhere around 6ft. It is around this point where the fish begin to anticipate that the river is going to get low and clear. The steelhead start moving from the slow, lazy water on the edges of the faster water toward deeper and slower water. During this transition is where large flies have produced well for me. You will be chucking the proverbial frozen chickens and your spey casting abilities will be tested. But hey, so long as you get it out there, it does not have to be pretty. Most of these large flies are 6 inches or so in blacks, blues or purples with some form of flash and or colored butt. I tie a lot of my own flies now but some commercial patterns that have a home in my box for these conditions would be the Skagit Minnow with a worm weight or lead eyes, Silvie’s tube snake, Scott Howells Squidro’s and Travis Johnson’s Lady Gaga.

Now we separate the men from the boys. It has been really cold and dry and your river has hit the low, clear and frigid phase. As your fingers are going numb and you wonder what you are doing out in this cold you remember that Mr. Steelhead has had time to acclimate to his new conditions and is willing to strike. He is by no means as active and full of vigor, as he is above that 40 degree mark. But he is looking ahead, with unlimited visibility, for any predators coming his way. He will now park his fins on the slowest, deepest, darkest water he can find, this way he can expend less energy and find water that is degree or two warmer. Mr. Steelhead may also be found at the beginning of pools where the riffle flattens and smoothes out if he needs more oxygen with temperatures being in the 30’s. This is where we break the mold by putting away those big, bright, gaudy intruders you were told winter steelhead just love. Steelhead can count each feather and strand of flashabou under these conditions, so its time to scale the flies down. Leave the super bright flies in the box in exchange for whites, greens, browns and tan flies in the 2 inch or so range. I like to tie various temple dog and arctic fox flies for these conditions. As far as commercial flies look online for similar flies as listed, many flies meet the criteria. I have even been known to tie some summer steelhead flies on size two hooks for uber spooky steelhead.

So grab a couple friends, some warm drinks and go have a good time. If you have any questions just let us know.

Tight lines,

Eric Sadlon

Steelhead Fishing is Hard…Simply Put!

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What you do at work when you are bored depends on a myriad of criteria: where you head is, what your passion is, what did or didn’t happen last night, what is coming up in the next week or two and so on…the list is long! Well when you pretend everything revolves around a two handed fly rod, your favorite dance is the swing and your partner is always a native fish named Mykiss, this is one possible tangent your mind might travel down on a lack-luster day at work, from Ted McDermott:

Hey guys,

From this data:

Seattle Times Article

I did some math. Check out the attached spreadsheet for details and river specific data, but here is the overall analysis: This was fun.

Based on Data from 12/1/12 to 1/6/13 on the Major OP Rivers for all fishing styles:

Steelhead caught per hour: .0805
Native steeelhead Caught per hour: .0167
Hours spent on each steelhead: 12.42
Hours per Native steelhead: 59.95
Steelhead per fisherman: .3917
Native steelhead per fisherman: .0812

Would love to compare this to other watersheds during the same time (Puget Sound!!??) and also different times of year on the OP and see what we come up with. The analysis doesn’t take into account weather, so take the data with a grain of salt.

Either way you can use this to casually tell clients that steelhead fishing is hard. Now you have the numbers to prove it.”

Doubt most the catch were from swinging steelheaders so if that is your zen…these numbers might look really good to you. Either way, steelhead fishing is hard, and we love it!

Todd Scharf Spey Video

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This is my best effort, but Scharf puts me to shame. The video below is awesome.

Check this video out.  It is a few years old but I came back across it the other day and remembered how cool it was:

Todd Scharf Talks Spey

This BC guide says it perfectly when he describes why we fish for steelhead the way we do, listen to him talk.  Love the philosophy, could not have said it better myself.  Some killer casting in here and some of Beattie Outdoor Productions best work.  Love the shot at the end!

Getting wet on the O.P.

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I picked my brother in law up at the airport at 9:50 pm. He was on a flight in from LA where he spent the day with his son at the beach. It was 82 degrees when he left. Now, in Seattle, it is raining, 44 degrees and we are heading for the Hoh River.

We drove most of the night and reached the Hoh at 2:30 in the morning. It was pouring rain by now and the campground that we found was more lake then ground. We opted for sleeping in the back of the truck and waiting to see what the light of day would bring.

More rain. Steady, cold, hard, rain. The river was chocolate milk and raging. It had been on the drop all week and I was having pretty high hopes till that moment. We decided to move up and see if we can find a river with some visibility. The Sol Duc seemed to offer us some good chances so we drop the boat and fish. That day was fantastic. A couple hard tugs and a nice dolly kept us pretty happy and even warmed us up a bit.

We finally set up respectable camp. We ate well and crashed early. One more chance to float the Sol Duc in the am kept us feeling pretty optimistic.

Although the river has very little swinging water where we were it is super fun to row. There are some nice rapids and enough waves to keep you on your toes.

No fish that last day but we did see bigfoot drinking beer and played a ton of guitar.

New Year Fishing

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In the recent issue of The Fly Fish Journal there is an article written by Jim Hepworth where he says that “guides tend to make lazy, spoiled, indolent fly fishers, needy and dependent, especially in a crisis, and flyfishing is nothing but one crisis after another. In that sense, even for those who can afford them, guides can be downright dangerous.”

Well, while I agree with much of what Jim says, my fellow guides and I aren’t lazy.

Here is why:
It’s Saturday morning January 1st. We are having a cold snap here in Western Washington, the high is going to be in the upper 20’s and I had three bottles of Champagne last night bringing in 2011. Now I’m twenty minutes from meeting Charlie and Ted (fellow EWA guides) to fish the Skykomish for early run winter steelhead. As I cross the West Seattle bridge there isn’t another car on the road. I stopped atop the bridge to snap a few pictures of the moon coming up over Mt. Rainer. I can feel my heart beat in my Temples.

Charlie and Ted are right on time, we load our gear into my car and head out. The day never get’s above freezing, we never see a fish, we fish till dark, and it is great!

Mr. Hepworth goes on to say that “A guide will spot your fish, select your fly, help you to your casting position, teach you to cast, tell you when to “set” the hook, how to play the fish, net the fish for you, and the snap your photo. In return all you need to do is hand over a big wad of sweaty bills.”

And then, on days off we fish, in the freezing cold with frozen feet, casting to nothing. So, Jim, I don’t think all guides are lazy, spoiled, or indolent, especially the ones that I know, but yes, fly fishing can be one crisis after the next and fly fishing guides can be dangerous.
Here is to a fantastic year on the river and the sound. We look forward to fishing with you!

Christmas on the Wenatchee

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My Brother-in law and I have formed a very enjoyable Christmas tradition. Fishing. For the last three years, after meals, presents, breakfast, and pots of coffee, Devin and I head out to a river. This year, after never casting a spey rod and betting me that if I can put him on a steelhead he will give me his eight weight single hand rod and reel, Devin steps into the top of the first run we come to. On his forth cast, fish on!.

For Christmas this year I got a nice 9′ 8# and my brother in law caught his first steelhead on the swing. Here’s to a great holiday season and fishing in the snow!

Fall Steelheading…Oh Yeah!

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As fall arrives in our region, some anglers begin to feel a bit anxious, almost hormonal in a way. It’s the change in the air as we walk downtown to work or while trout fishing one day late in the summer, we can smell it, even sense the change of season upon us.

It is fall and my absolute favorite time of year to fish and not only fish but to swing flies, both dry and wet for steelhead.

For some, it is the time of year when they will marginally consider going out fly fishing, only if the weather is “cooperative.” For those anglers it is the last chance at a steelhead for the year as they won’t endure the winter conditions to pursue these fish, their disease hasn’t set in — yet!

Fall steelheading is pure serenity on the water. Cast, mend and step, watch the line swing, or not, take a deep breath and feel the cool crisp fall air deep in your lungs — repeat. Paying more attention on the next one because you know you are headed for the bucket or something grazed your line on the last pass, nearly impreceptible in this perfect piece of water, a mere hesitation that brought you back to your senses.

As those of us who are hosts or carriers of this affliction/affection for steelhead wander or sprint our way into this time of year, we inevitably question ourselves on every facet of the pursuit. This is the game and we love it. It drives many nuts to even open this proverbial can of worms with someone like us because there are no absolutes with one exception — you must be in the water with your fly to even have a chance, this we can all agree on.

I don’t wish to delve into the minutiae of the rest, only want to open a door here for those who haven’t yet had it cracked. Without question, this time of year will drive those whose heart is not owned by a particular river insane — way too many choices!

May favorite question from my regular and new clients is “Where should we go to get a steelhead?” My mind says “HOLY CRAP, did you really just ask that!” Because I can only come up with about 20 absolutely beautiful, serene, sexy, fantasmical (word unsure?) rivers to watch water pass on. Especially if 7 hours drive isn’t too much and for those afore mentioned anglers, this is not a problem.

Here is a brief list of my favorites with candy:

North Umpqua River, Oregon


Grande Ronde River, Oregon, yes Oregon


John Day River, Oregon


Deschutes River, Oregon


Snoqualmie River, Washington


Cowlitz River, Washington


Hoh River, Washington — Yeah, there are summer fish here too!


Skykomish River, Washington

I think you get the point and the scary prospect is this barely scratches the surface. Imnaha, Clearwater, Rogue, Willamette, Toutle, Wenatchee, Methow, Klickitat, Sol Duc, Salmon, Kalama…if it happens to be a tributary to or even a trib to a tributary of the Columbia or any of these other rivers, it likely has steelhead in it this time of year. And don’t let anyone tell you you can’t catch steelhead on the swing in these either, you can you just have to actually do it. Please do not let someone tell you they are going to have you swing then after an hour of half hearted effort be like, “Well, good thing you have that long rod because it sure makes managing your indicator easy from the boat!” Choose your path and stick to it, make it a mission and it will happen.

One item to note, so as not to make it even worse, I haven’t even mentioned leaving the U.S. to the north, even I can’t take it once we bring those lovely waters into the picture.

So to summarize, where will you find yourself this fall? Here maybe:

“Where is this?” you ask. Anywhere you want it to be, you just have to get yourself there!

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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