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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 – 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 15, 2020 – Summer is Coming, We Promise!

June 16, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Reports Tagged With: carp, Cedar River, Cle Elum River, Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, Green Lake, Puget sound fly fishing, Renton Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing reports, Snoqualmie River, spey casting, steelhead, trout spey, Washington fly fishing reports, Yakima River

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