2 inches of snow here in Omak, more expected with a new PNW storm. We deiced to leave early to beat the storm. We needed to be in Mt. Vernon for pre op. on Friday the 4th. We made the drive with on incidents; the traffic really sucks on the Wetside.by the time we got to Index we were into the rain and everybody trying to get home from work. Interstate 5 was bumper to bumper, rain coming down from Everett to Mt. Vernon it was close to an hour and a half. We pulled into Lil Ruthie’s.
It had been raining since the first of December, with more rain predicted for the rest of the week. I called my Buddy Wayne when we go into town, to see what kind of fishing report he could give me. Nota hadn’t been to the river since the last time I was there in August. He also told me that I needed to get his Discovery Pass in order to fish most of the spots that the tickets were being handed out and that all the best fishing spots were being patrolled pretty heavy up and down the river.
Thursday 12/3
Yup! More rain and windy to boot, steady wind from the north northeast with gust to 45mph. I called Wayne 8am no answer, again at 8:30 still no answer finally at 10 o’clock Toni answers she just got up. I asked if I could come by and get their D Pass, and to see if Wayne wanted to go up river with me, I’d be there in 20 minutes.
When I got there Wayne was just getting out of bed and didn’t want to go in the rain and wind. Told me the river was to blown out for him.
Now its almost noon by the time I get up to Loretta Creek, and yes the wind is blowing, but not that bad the sky is dumping liquid sunshine I get suited up, string up the Winston. Where I was standing this time compared to when I was here in August I was now in waist hi water where in August it was ankle deep but the water still had the light green tint with a good two or three feet of visibly to it. Fishable
With a Barbie Special tyed to short 7ft leader, MOW head on 540g Skagit I stripped out about 45-50 ft of running line and gave it a fling I made it just past the outside seam. I tried this for a while then got hung up on a piece of wood floating down stream and was broke off. I guess I was there just about an hour when I got my first tug and hook up. A very nice, Dolly. Then hung up again, and broke off. Retie on another Pink and purple thingy and gave it a fling. On the fifth fling I got the real tug that I was looking for, but it happened on the strip in, I relaxed my stripping gave it some slack and it was hit again this time hard. Set the hook deep hard, my rod bent and the game was on. Twenty five / thirty minutes later and a great game of tug a war. I move my rod up river and lower to my hand the tail of a Ugly Chum, maybe close to 13/14 lbs. big teeth and shaking it’s head. The hook is broke off on a tooth and I let him keep my fly.
I hadn’t noticed but the wind had pick up quite a bit while I was workin the Chum. By the time I got back out into the current and casting again the wind was blowing much stronger and getting hard to cast. I gave it a few more as I worked back to shore and Hooked another Dolly.
I didn’t notice but there was a guy in a truck watching me and when I released the Dolly he honked his horn and gave me the thumbs up. I stripped out some line to straighten it out on my reel and as I reeled it back in I had a smolt almost as big as my fly. So 1 Chum and 2 Dollys not bad for the river being blown out.
On Friday the 4th
We had re-op. and that was at 11:30 am. So after dropping off Ginny at Ruthie’s and the rain and wind blowin, I decided to take the drive up to Bellingham and check out the Confluence Fly Shop. I had met Scott a couple of years ago while at the Fly Fishing Show in Lynwood. Scott was there in the shop twisting up a couple of flies when I walked in. He looked up, smiled and said Hello Putmbac good to see ya on this side of the mountains.
The shop has a good lay out, great products like Rods from Sage, Echo, Redington. Reels from Able, Echo, Redington, Sage, Solitude. Lots of tying materials and hooks, vices. Lines from Rio and Airflo. Full line of Simms. They also do casting lessons in single hand and spey. They'll get you dialed in on the right shooting head with your casting style. Recommend what flies to use for the body of water your headed out too. Do a blog, and a great fishing report. They have some good guides that know the waters, from the Nooksack, Skagit, Sauk, and also do a report on the Vetter in BC. They cover the lakes like Pass and Ross. I was impressed with their knowledge, friendliness, wanting to help other with what they know and show others what a great sport that we love and enjoy. I will be seeing more of them in the future for any of my needs, and be glad to support them with my $$$$ everytime I go over Fish or just to see friends.
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