Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Let Summer Begin!


I just got back from a trip to Tofino, B.C. We did a little kayak ocean fishing and we did some lake fishing from paddle boards. One of our friends is a rep for Starboards and let us borrow a few. They actually make some designed for fishing from. Worked pretty good but we needed a anchor system. 
Dennis has been spending his time lake fishing. With the rivers about to open we are gearing up to do some local summer steelheading. We will be doing schools on most weekends in June and a few in July (June 11 & 12 are the earliest openings). These are designed to get newbies into the sport at a sale price of $89 pp for a 4 hr float trip. We will be introducing spey and single handed techniques.
Looks like we are supposed to get a huge run of Pink salmon this season. Some Rivers are opening up to a month early and have a limit up to 4 fish pp. We will be doing some 1/2 day and full day trips doing beach fishing, tidewater and river fishing. We are booking these now.

Methow trout trips dates are 11-15th. 
Searun cutt school August 27th
Grande Ronde 3 day campout tips for 2011 are: October 2-4th, 4-6th, 8-10th, 10-12th, 12th-14th, 15th-17th   

Check for some new intruder steelhead patterns to be added to Streamsideflyshop.com soon.

Happy fishing,
Mike Dickson
Head Guide
Flyfishsteelhead.com
Streamsideflyshop.com
425-330-9506

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mike Here, I just got back from Florida and the Bahamas for some much needed sun. I was only able to fish 1 day this past Monday.
A good friend and client Dallas is from Florida and gave me some tips on where to look for some bone fish. Me and the Wife woke up early to rent a car and head off to one of the Keys recommended.
We got to the general area and we started snooping around looking for some flats. I didn't see much and followed the shore till we came across a light house. It was part of the public park and open for viewing. We decided to go up and get some pictures. We get to the top and look around, snap some pics ect.

While looking around I look down and see a group of fish right down bellow us. I didn't know what they where but the area looked fishy so when we got down I thought I would investigate. There was a little sea wall that I was fishing off. I line up to make a shot at the school of fish (30 - 40 fish). I could also see a few barracudas and snappers around. The water is about waste deep with a little bit of chop on it. The water was clear but hard to tell what these fish were.


I make my first cast and I see a few fish from the group turn on my shrimp pattern. As I start stripping the fly. I start thinking, these fish kinda look like Bones. I get a hook up and the fish turns and pops my fly off. ?? - not sure why it popped off. I hook up another shrimp pattern and cast to the side of them and let the current drift my fly into them so I didn't spook them. My fly drifts right into the middle of them and I start stripping. Right away a bunch of fish turn on my fly and I get a hook up. The fly didn't stick. By now I am pretty sure these are bones and my excitement level is through the roof. I know bones can be as spooky as cats in a dog pound. I do know fish in a school will feel comfortable around each other and very competitive for food. I throw my fly back into the water and it drifts back into the active group of fish. Again a few fish follow my fly and then another hook up. Fish on! These fish weren't big bones but this one felt good on my 6 wt. I get a few runs out of the fish. As I am getting close to landing the fish it runs back and forth through the school of fish. They realize something is wrong and the school takes off. I land the fish and my wife takes a few pics of my fish.

I know bone fishing in Florida can be pretty tough so I was more than happy to just get that action.


I fished the area pretty hard for a few more hours hoping for the fish to return with no luck.


We left the area to check out another flat that a local had told me about when I fist got there.


We got to the flat to see a few other guys fly fishing. At least I'm probably in the right spot. Long story short I hooked a big bone about a hour later that broke my heart cause as my line was zipping through my guides I noticed my line had flipped up and looped around my reel. The fish broke off before I could clear my line free. I saw and spooked a few other fish before I hooked another big fish that I had on for about 10 seconds before my fly broke off again. I couldn't decide if that was a big bone or a barracuda. It acted like a bone but it could have broke off cause off the barracudas teeth. It wasn't a tension break. The water had some chop on it and was just deep enough so I couldn't really tell.


Either way it was a blast and I am re-addicted to Bones and flats fishing.

Dad is off fishing up north. Here is a pic that he took while fishing on the Cowlitz with Jackie last week.
Happy fishing,

Mike D