Wetside adventure part II

Saturday 12/5 Stillaguamish River    

I put calls out on Fri. to see if anybody I knew was up to doing River fishing in the rain, wind and hi water. Shawn couldn’t make it work. Dan doesn’t fish the rivers no more, gave no reason. ( musta fallen down once or twice and is scared I figured ) wouldn’t say. Jon was getting off at 7:30 am and needed to sleep, but would meet me for breakfast at Denny’s off the I 5 next to the Stilly. Jamie was up for it but couldn’t make it till Monday.

8am it was just getting light out the rain was coming down and I pulled into Denny’s parking lot. Wanda, Jon’s wife pulled in right behind me and parked next to me. Surprise to see her!! She had just talked to Jon he was running late with the traffic and the heavy rain. Jon showed up about twenty minutes later and he looked beat. Rough nite at Boing.

I guess it was getting close to 9:15 Jon was ready to fall asleep sitting at the table. We said are good byes and I headed off to the water.

The Stilly at Big rock just east of the I 5. The rain had let up just a little and long enough for me to get into my waders with- out being soaked, Winston put together, I walk thru the silt muck and get down to the river and it’s CRAP. I walk back out find a deep water puddle to rinse off the muck before getting back into the truck with rod broke down and in the front with me. Up river we go Stop at Haller Park to check the river, just as bad. Continue up 530 along the North Fork of the river get past the slide from a couple of years ago.  Man that was something to see just how much slide away. I found a spot that I fished many years ago it was full of trees and debris. Keep moving east and check out the Sauk.

 Sauk River. 1PM

   My first stop on the Sauk was before the Sulattle dumps in the rain once again let up. I grabbed my rod and headed for the hole. The water looked real good and fishy from the road above, the wind was calm and it didn’t look like anybody had been on the old trail to the hole yet, but there was a truck parked just up on the road.  My old trail had grown over quite abit, but I made it to where the hole use to be the river had changed and shifted the bar was now up river. I made my way up and found a guy Tim working the water with a float and jig he had pulled out a nice wild hen SH he said about a hour ago but nothing since. And he was about to leave. He also said. “That one of his Bud had pulled out a couple of big Bulls out of here in the last few days

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    I dug into my box found a fleshy looking fly tyed it on and pitched it out in to the flow after 7 or 8 swings, I moved down to get by a boulder in the water and just as my line went behind it Boom a hard take and dogged down no movement just head shaking, I kept the pressure on and slowly moved down river. He moved into the current and and took a short run down, then back out of the current but closer to me I moved down a little more and was able to retrieve line and then another short run at me I back up as I was reeling and soon felt the shooting line to head connections made it thru the first few guides, then a couple more, with the pressure at the right point I laid the rod to the up side of the river and got another big move. The leader was out of the water, I could see the Bullhe turned and saw me and took another short run but he was spent. I was able to he down river from him and bring it to hand. NICE Bull about 30 inch long and maybe 12 lbs.  My wet day is not shot. I went back up to the top of the run and worked my way thru 3 more time with nothing.

Time to move on down River. I came to Government Bridge and saw that the gravel bar was still out of the water the river is still fishable. COOL! I jumped out put the rod back together and went out on the bar. The water was pretty dirty but not brown. After an hour nothing and it was getting late. I pulled the Winston all the way down wiped it off and put it in its tube for the day. Wrap the Nautilus. Pulled off the wading gear. Poured a hot cup of coffee from the thermos and headed to Rockport to check on the water heath. Color looks good a bit high if it doesn’t rain to hard tonite I just might fish it tomorrow.  

Sunday 12/6    A NO FISHING DAY

    It rained hard all night long at 6am I checked the river flows up on the Skagit at Rockport the flow jumped up from 5.20 to 6.10 overnight, But the Skykomish was still looking good. I made a call to Ray up in Sultan to see if he could give me any kind of a report.

Ray: Lots of hatchery some natives, weight range from 6 to 10 lbs on the hatchery fish and some natives in excess of over 15 but few and far between. I wouldn’t recommending coming and swinging a fly on the weekend just way to many gear guys to deal with. The last weekend he was there  must have been over 40 – 50 guys working the 100 yds close to the hatchery, and if you get caught crossing the train trust to get into the ponds count on having a $500. fine. I told him thanx for the info and asked if he was free from work on Monday or any other day this week? Nope headed for Mexico on Tuesday and won’t be back until the rain stops or the first of March. He wished me the best of luck and hoped that we could get together some time in the spring.

Monday 12/7

    I pick up my good Buddy Jamie in Everett, He called into work said he was feeling to well to come in and he was going to take a fishing day. His boss understands

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  Jamie told me. “Best not to leave Mt. Vermin. (Yup vermin not Vernon,) at least until 8 am otherwise I’d be in traffic all the way.” So I left there at 8 and he was ready when I got to his house.  We quickly loaded up his gear and we were off heading up the Snohomish River past Monroe and up the Skykomish to the Reiter Hatchery

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    9:20 we pull into the parking area and find a open spot.  We walk down to see if there is any room for me to swing a fly among the gear flingers. Jamie stayed while I went and suited up and by the time I got back Jamie had already hooked his first and was just landing it as I walked up.  I found a spot down river open enough for me to swing had to get out in the current pretty far started out with a black Woolly Bugger with a purple hackle wrap. Swung this for a while then went to a Skykomish Sunrise and before long got my first tug in close to the weeds, but no hook up. After a few more swings the tug and take. Game on I tried to work my way back to shore from being in the heavy current and more than waist deep water. Watch the rod bend and the reel drag I set off the reach shore the SH took a run at me I keep up the tension, he headed out to the heaver current, I brought him in closer, 10 feet from shore and still in thigh water I slip on a rock and almost fell in rods still bent and out of the water he jumps. Not just once or twice, but four, now five times he’s piss off and doesn’t like being pulled around. He takes another long run out into the current, I almost fall again. My Nautilus was doing its job well. I make it into knee deep water I feel the running line and the first connection past the tip into the other guides I see the leader the Winston is bouncing and held high the connection to the intermittent tip is thru the tip now move the fish up above me thru the brush sticking out of the water go to grab the tail and gone.  It’s OK was a wild Buck maybe 30 inches long and 12-13 lbs. I got my fly back didn’t have to get my hand wet all was good no great lost. We spent another hour or so up there. Jamie had another hit and no hook ups I didn’t try that much the current was a bit strong for me I will admit. I got my thrills with the one.

  We bugged out and headed back to Everett for lunch at Scuttlebutt Brewery. They had moved since I was last there into a nice fancy new building the menu has grown the beer is still the best in town and the food is awesome.