First things first I hate the new setting on my phone really hard to get to camera while fishing!!
Tuesday the 4th, I got
home from fishin at my Buddy’s private lake and was reading the paper. My wife
came in and told me that our good friend Lil Ruthie was going to start her
treatment for breast cancer on Thursday.
You wanta go see her? I asked.
Love to!! She has always been
there for us.
I’ll call Richard to see if he
would watch Sassy. (My Dog).
Within minutes we were getting
everything together and then the bubble popped.
“ We can’t leave until I get my
prescription filled and that not till Thursday morning sometime.” Ginny said.
“That OK we’ll leave as soon as
it’s ready.”
I was going through some of my
emails and ran across one of the WDFW announcements COHO to open on the Skagit
River. “Perfect” I yelled out!! Honey I’m going to get a little fishin in while
we over seeing Ruthie.
Ginny came in from the bac of the
house. “What are to yelling about?”
“The Skagit is now open for
Silvers so I’m packin up my Spey Rod and gear to take over with us.”
The wader, Pac and the gear were
all put together, now all I need are some Coho flies. I checked the internet
got some ideas and headed to the bench, dug out what I needed and put together
a dozen flies with what I had.
We got the call for the
prescription at 9:30am on Thursday, everything loaded into the truck off to get
gas , Ice and we’re off. Dropped my dog Sassy off with Richard and Wetside
bound.
We always stop at Early Winters
camp grounds for a stretch of legs and pee break before heading over the pass,
next stop is Newhalem a stop for a bit
to eat and another pee break. The head
waters of the Skagit coming out of Gorge lake.
Next stop to check out the water
Cascade River Bridge to check the river, color and flow. It all looks great.
Turn around and get back to going down river. We made two more quick stops
before getting to Lil Ruthies.
We made it there just before she
had to leave for her first Cemo shot. It had been overcast but no rain as of
yet. But the time I had our stuff out of the truck and in the house it started
to drizzle and the wind started picking up. I headed to the Skagit brewery of a
few beers. I gave my old fishin partner a call to see what he was up too. Got
the machine, left massage for him to call me ASAP.
Wayne called while we were eating
dinner. So after finishing up dinner and me doing the dishes while the girls
talked I headed over to see Wayne and Toni.
While there Wayne told me I had
to have a Discover Pass to park anywhere on the river. Bullshit I said.
He didn’t want to get up at dark
thirty go stand in the rain to watch me catch fish and maybe him catch one. He
would have to fling gear because I didn’t bring him a rod to use.
The gall.
Friday 6AM light rain dark and
headed to breakfast. My choice to eat still closed. Up river I headed with a
cup of coffee and a Cliff bar for breakfast. Getting to Loretta Creek, just as
the sun rose. Suited up put the rod together and headed out. Pretty dirty where the creek came in and up
above a gear guy.
I waded out to waist deep water
stripped out the Scandi line I had on tyed on a fly and proceeded to work my
way out farther and farther stripping and flinging I must have been casting 80-90
feet and letting it swing when I got my first tug and hook set. I must have
been too excited because I lost that fish, then the same on the next one too
and I lost the fly along with it.
Retyed on another and by the time
I was ready to relaunch two more guys showed up one jumping into my line of
swing. He was drifting something so I watched his line of path and timed it so
that we wouldn’t get hung up together. My third swing we he crossed my line and
drugged me in. a few more swings fish on and this time I was over the
excitement and was working the fish closer to me when he cast over me again.,
But this time my line was hi in the air and his slid down and on to my rod and
reel I was able to pick it up and tossed behind me. I worked my way in to shore
and grabbed the tail of a nice Silver of maybe 7 lbs. By eight o’clock there
were two more cars in the parking and not a one of them fly fishers. I then
came out of the water and headed down River walking to get away from them.
I found a spot the current was a
lot stronger than I wanted so I switched out putting on my Skagit head with a
mow tip same fly and gave it a fling after fling don’t know how many but then I
got the tug, hard and fast strong and solid, game on. With the swift current
and a steep bank to get up it was a challenge but I made it along with another
Silver, this one 6-7 pounds. Two down and more guys on the water.
I headed back to my truck and
headed up river to another spot I knew about farther off the road and has some
good water in the past. While on the way the rain started coming down. I parked
my truck up way above the path to the hole walked down to it and headed in,
half way in I heard a truck pull up and stop, two doors slam and I just keep
walking. When I reached the sand bar it looked prefect and if they were gear
guys we should have enough room for us to fish I’ll take the low end and have
plenty of room to swing.
I was in the water waist deep
when they came up on the bar. They saw me and headed up away from me. after
10-20 swings another tug then nothing just a bump, then striping in I turned to
see another guy coming in through the woods and Bam a heavy tug and fish on.
This was no little Silver it was pulling hard and taking line rod bent deep,
moving farther out into the river stronger current. Then out of the water not
slowing down out of the water again and I get a good look at it big King Yup
BIG KING there is no turning this fish, my reel was singing rod bouncing and I
knew I had to get it off or I was going to loose all my line. With the rod tip
down almost in the water I was able to get my hand wrapped around my backing
and give it a hard pull but it didn’t bust off two, three tries still on
backing wanting to cut my hand, then another jerk and it’s gone. Thank God. I
get the line back on the reel and it was broke off from where the 8lb Maxima
was tied to the 2 ft of 12lbs Maxima. Lucky that all I could say.
Back at shore I retyed on more
leader another fly and headed back out. And with just a couple of swings
another hit and fish on this time a Dollie release it and started over again
soon another hit and nothing guess I tried to set it to fast set the tip down
again and tickle tickle tickle, tug, set game on again. I made my way bac into
shore with another nice Silver, releasing it and hearing some shit about
releasing fish from one of the guys that had just come on the bar to fish. Him,
telling me that if I don’t want them he’ll gladly take them home. I wanted to
go bac out but the smart ass that wanted my fish headed out to my spot with his
gear.
So I walked out and headed for my
truck to go up to Pressentin Creek and just maybe get a spot, hoping with the
rain it wouldn’t be to crowd, or ???????
Pressentin was pretty much clear
when I got there. Just one other guy and he was workin some slow water with a
spoon. I walked way above him and out on to one of the sunkin sand and gravel
bars. Knowing that it would be tuff to land a fish if caught be I’ve caught’m
here before and landed them.
The guy throwing the spoon hooked
2 fish and landed one. I got out to where I needed to be stripped out line
flipped it out there about 60ft and let it swing. Then another then the tug and
then the rain really started coming down. My fish was hopping and jumping up
and out of the water three four time and I di have a hell of a time getting back
to shore to release the fish just as I was ready to put my hand down to grab
some tail a log hit me in the back almost knocking me down a scaring the shit
out of me. and I lost the fish but not the fly. More and more stuff was flowing
down river the wind was picking up the rain coming down in buckets and the
spoon guy was running to get out of it.
I headed for the cover of the
trees to get out of the down pore until I could hear branches falling; I’ll be
safer in the water I figured. So I headed down below the creek and found
another spot. It seemed as if the rain was getting heaver but it wasn’t going
to stop me. I dug out the Cliff Bar ate it and had a chew back in my lip heading back out
to fish. Thirty minutes of swinging nothing rain not letting up wind blowin up
river harder, hard to keep the belly out of the line, Yes I bagged it in.
All in all I had a good time on
the Skagit once again. Maybe I put in if’n I find another spot down river it’s
almost noon now and I’m sure that it can’t be raining this hard down below.
I didn’t find that spot down
below bac at Loretta Creek I stop to get out of the waders, I watched the gear
guys for a short bit they throw there shit over one another even NO RESPECT for
others.
My day 9 fish landed 5being
Silver, 3 Dollies and 1 off the wall Humpie, lost 3 don’t know what and had to
bust off a big King before he spooled me, could have been in a couple of fights
but you know it’s just not worth it.
