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Yesterday on the Skagit

3K views 21 replies 19 participants last post by  clarkman 
#1 ·
What a beautiful, glorious and sunny day it was on the Skagit yesterday. I took two of our shop rats out. For one of them, Liam Voorhees, it was his 15th birthday and first time casting a two-hander. I put 14 year-old Nicholas Romano in the sweet spot and took Liam upstream to show him how to cast. The boy was a natural and picked up the double spey in less than an hour. All I did was show him the basics of the cast and correct a few things every now and then. It also helped that Tyler Kushnir, a champion caster from Vancouver, BC, was fishing. Sitting down and talking to a student caster while someone is making perfect casts in front of you is a wonderful way of teaching. Meanwhile, around the bend and out of sight, Nicholas was in the process of hooking and "el-dee-aring" four bull trout and losing one steelhead on the beach. After a nice lunch, prepared by Nicholas' mother, in the sun we went to a spot where Tyler had caught 15 dollies the week before. It was pretty bright and the fishing was slow but I was totally content with sitting back and smoking a cigar while watching two of the nicest young gentlemen casting and working their runs on my favorite river.

Leland.
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#12 ·
An illustration of an important and rarely talked about step in the development of an angler. That of course is when we get as much or more enjoyment of introducing new folks to the sport that is so important to us.

Well done Leland!!!

Great to see a new generation of "fly bums" developing.

Curt
Curt, I couldn't agree with you more.
 
#5 ·
Thank you for taking the time to teach these kids! That's so awesome we need more people like that in the world
 
#9 ·
Today on the Skagit no bull trout nor steelhead were harassed nor harmed in the making of a day long outing. Some gas was run through the outboard. Sandwiches were eaten, and beer and Scotch were drank. Much fine Spey casting was demonstrated, whilst fishing extremely good looking holding water, that wasn't holding, apparently.

The Salmo report; no more at 11.
 
#11 ·
It has been tough out there recently on the Skagit. I think it is mostly the conditions with the cold in the morning and sun all day.

Look for an afternoon bite. ;)
 
#14 ·
The Saturday and Sunday report:

Action picked up both days, in the form of bull trout harassed. That is, they kept harassing my innocently swinging fly. It's colder than a witch's . . . tooth in the morning, but the sunny days hardly seemed like winter fishing.

So goes another 3-day season on the Skagit for me, skunked again. But thinking back to when the river was open all winter and through April, I never fished it in January. It wouldn't have made sense. The only fish in possibly respectable numbers were hatchery origin, the tribes net in Dec. and Jan., and what few wild fish might have been around were simply more numerous after mid-Feb. The only reason I've fished the Skagit in January this year and last is because after January, it is closed to fishing. OS.

Sg
 
#15 ·
Fished the Skagit and the Sauk with WW yesterday. Nada. Not even a bull harrassing my fly. We started late so we could enjoy the warmth of the sun knowing full well it wasn't worth freezing one's ass off in the morning.

In the past we would fish the river in January but those trips were mostly recon in nature. January usually brought the first low water conditions after the rainy and flood season of December and November. January was a good time to see what changes were made to the river during high water and, although rare, the occasional early steelhead could be caught. I didn't get exited about Skagit steelhead until the 2nd or 3rd week of March. When you can see the twinge of green on the trees as the new buds were just beginning to form was the signal for me to start hitting the river hard. The days are longer and warmer. The river temps increased ever so slightly but enough that the fishses' activity level increased and they became more willing to chase a fly. The increasing number of fish moving up the river at this time also helped. Occupy Skagit.
 
#16 ·
January used to be for working the hatchery hole with gear and tying flies for spring. As Salmo says the only reason to fish it now in January is because it closes before the thousands - yes! -thousands! of native steelhead show up... Occupy Skagit

Occupy Olympia Commissioners Meeting April 12th 2014
 
#17 ·
Fished with a friend on Friday. It was a beautiful day on the water. At times it felt like a Vitamin D bong hit. The effects of the sun going directly to my head. There were a number of people that I knew on the water which made the day even more enjoyable. Although the fishing is spotty at best in January, we all need to get our Skagit fix. The day was a bit like a class reunion. Some anglers had hooked a few in the last couple weeks wich gave me more hope, not only for today but for the future. The day ended with me listening to 3 biologists discuss the potential for a spring season.

Some of the water felt so perfect to swing through that I was actually surprised not to hook fish even knowing that the run had literally just started and there is only fraction of the run in the river. As the day went on, I could not help but think how I wish it were March or April. I could be fishing multiple days with an optimism and excitement for fishing a river that can only be matched by a few BC rivers. The weather is so much nicer that I could possibly share it with my daughters. There is a feeling of determination that characterizes fishing the Skagit in January and February. March and April give the feelings of optimism, hope, and calm. Occupy Skagit.

Go Sox,
cds
 
#18 ·
I was fortunate enough to hook up yesterday. (To be honest, it was more dumb luck than anything.) How I wish the C&R season was still an option.

Fisherman Fish Fishing Glove Recreational fishing
 
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