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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 – 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
shop@emeraldwateranglers.com
IG @ewaflyshop_seattle and @emeraldwateranglerswa

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 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 18, 2020 – Freestones

June 18, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Freestone – A river with no man made impediments. In other words, no dams on it.

As we arch our way towards summer, we are still holding our breath for our favorite freestone streams to come into shape. Well, we can exhale a bit as there are a few in a state of readiness if you will.

The Naches among others is definitely approachable for you to step in and safely get around…for the moment. Keep an eye on flows as warm weather will definitely melt some snow and raise flows again but otherwise.

As water warms and clears the trout will become more active in these rivers as they have to become opportunistic. Reason for this is their world is in a constant state of change through most of the year through rising and falling river flows.

During high water seasons, these watersheds can be dramatically altered scouring much of the insect life from the river bottom. You can see by the graph above of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie that it looks a bit like a roller coaster right now and will for some time still. Flows will rise considerably during the day and drop again at night when temps cool. This up and down will repeat in consistent weather conditions while there is still snow to melt, which there is.

On streams like this you may see the full spectrum of hatches throughout a day beginning with BWO’s in the early AM, leading to PMD’s by late morning and early afternoon ending with caddis and stoneflies.

Even so these hatches can be quite sparse even in the summer forcing trout to make quick decisions on what they will take or not take. Some anglers may call these trout “dumb” but really they are simply acting in their own best interest by trying to eat everything that looks like food because their options are limited.

We like to throw slightly larger dry flies this time of year such as Rubber Leg Stimulators, Chubby Chernobyl’s, Golden Stoneflies and even grasshopper patterns will create an agreeable silhouette for these trout. Early in the AM, maybe use the buoyancy of these bugs to drop a Lightning Bug, Copper John, Bloody Mary or caddis pupa off until you see enough action on top to remove it.

Want more insight on what other freestone streams in our area are ready for you, give us a call or stop in, we would be happy to show you where to go.

Filed Under: Reports Tagged With: Emerald Water Anglers, ewareports, Freestone Rivers, Naches River, Seattle fly fishing reports, Seattle Fly Shop, Snoqualmie River, Washington fly fishing reports

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

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – June 13, 2020 – Choices Galore

June 13, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Sea run cutthroat from Puget Sound.


As we prepare this Seattle fly fishing report this morning from here at the store, the last 7 people in have been headed to 7 completely different places to chase almost as many different species of fish. We live in a mecca for those curious and adventurous about where and what to fish for.

Here is the rundown for the weekend…

Forks of the Snoqualmie are a bit high yet again. We had a couple of days with warm weather and we still have snow to melt. And so it is doing. That being said, the fish will be looking up more and more, especially in the afternoons and evening as water temps rise during the day hours.

The Yakima River is in maybe perfect shape flow and water color wise for caddis activity, especially in the lower reaches of the river, in the canyon. Upper river still expect to see a bit of a smorgasbord of bugs from PMD’s to March Browns and Drakes with caddis and stoneflies tossed in for good measure.

The Cle Elum River is up pretty high for wading now and it may be that way for the remainder of the season so be careful and choose your access points wisely. Similar bug and fishing expectations as the upper Yakima but with a few more cutthroat trout in there, would hedge our bets on surface flies first…we always do that anyway! Employ the trout spey on both rivers with streamers, this is why you have one and if you don’t yet, let’s talk!

Cedar River is still a bit high was well but if you pull up google earth you will see a ton of public access points to get onto the river. Streamers in the scour holes below log jams are a great way to move some of the bigger trout in here. Definitely a skill not widely needed in WA but a good one to have so come in and we can give you some pointers. We also recommend having a bike and utilizing the path to more quickly and easily get to places on the river some anglers on foot won’t get to as easily. Bring it down to the water and lock it to a tree.

Puget Sound is fishing so so right now. Kelp is working against you to some degree and can definitely be frustrating. Stripping baskets and intermediate lines can make a huge difference but more than anything, know your beaches, fish ones with a relatively fast moving current across it and as often as possible, fish outgoing tides as often as you can. Not because it “takes” the kelp away but because on incoming tides, it lifts the kelp resting on the shore back into the water and then you are surrounded by it! We are entering the time of year where early and late are usually better if possible and there are more and more baitfish of varying sizes out there so have a variety of fly patterns as well. Build your library!

All the lakes and warmwater species are active right now in more lakes that we can begin to mention. Callibaetis in the east side lakes for trout, frogs, mice and baby duck imitations working great for all else on our west side ones. Carp are an increasingly fun species to chase if you enjoy sight casting, stealthy approaches, subtle reaction to your fly and ultimately a visual refusal!

Steelhead rivers are actually in pretty good shape and this is a great time to encounter an early arriving summer run or late arriving winter fish. With water still a bit turbid, we recommend staying for the moment with what you would use in the winter. T-7 should be fine with smaller winter like flies in color of choice would likely work well. We would hit the Skykomish or maybe the Sauk/Skagit but really any would be good right now including the Green, Snoqualmie and Cowlitz.

Mountain creeks are a bit big and unruly but some are approachable now. We usually encourage people to wait until late June at the earliest as water levels can fluctuate during the day on some of these and water will be COLD still so the fish won’t likely be looking up just yet. Give it another week or two and we should be green light go on these little gems.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: Cedar River, Cle Elum River, Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, fly shop, Puget sound fly fishing, Sea Run Cutthroat, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle fly fishing reports, Seattle Fly Shop, Snoqualmie River fly fishing, spey casting, steelhead fly fishing, trout fishing, Washington fly fishing reports, Yakima River

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