Monday, June 27, 2011

Sex and summer steelhead


 So there we were. Another day out flyfishing the Cowlitz river summer steelhead. New time client, long time angler, Thatcher B. poses a question:
 
"How is steelhead like having sex?"
 
Of course I wasn't sure how to respond, so I asked, "How?"
 
He said, "You don't choose them, they choose you."
 
All I said was "Ah, I get it".
 
Boy, did I get it. The water was a bit on the high side, raising and lowering by the day. Some days the steelheading was most excellent, the next day the fish were a ghost. I will be back in mid-July. Flows should be down and fishing more consistent.
 
Here is a timely write. Check it out. Pacific Salmon in Freshwater
 
Mike and I are scheduled for a most interesting July.
 
As you may have gathered form our home page, we now offer a Skagit River ecology float trip. Couple this with our ongoing steelhead flyfishing schools and guide days, and we barely put one gig down, and we off on another. They say variety is the spice of life. No lack for that!
 
As Mike mentioned in his last blog report, we are already tooling up for another big summer-fall of Humpy salmon. Goes something like this:
 
Aug 16-30 Skykomish River trips
September 1-15 Stilly Tidewater Humpy/Searun Cutthroat
September 16-*30 Skagit Fall salmon
 
(*I take off for my Grande Ronde steelhead 3 day float trips September 24, I think Mikes first GR gig is Oct 3)
 
I apologize I must sound like a friggin used car saleman, but some of these adventures are all but full. Inquire now.
 
So that's all for me. No rest for the wicked.
 
Best of fishing,
 
Dennis

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Summer steelheading is underway.

NEW* I have a client looking to share a guide trip on the skykomish river on July 5th or 6th. Let me know if your interested - Mike

The rivers have been a little high but fish able. With the high snow pack it will probably last for a bit. I prefer high with some color vs. low and clear anyways.
The Stilly started out showing a few hatchery fish but it has slowed a bit now.
The sky has been producing some nice steelies all the way up to Reiter Pond. They don't come easy but if you put in a little time you have got a good shot. I have been using a little heavier sinktips because of the higher water. The gear guys have been catching just as many springers as steelies. They are hard to come by on the fly though, I have caught a few in the past while steelheading but we just got lucky.
Dad has been down on the Cowlitz for the last few days. He has been finding some hatchery fish for the BBQ. I am headed down on Sunday to fish with him. We have a few group trips to do. I do have 1 opening that I am offering $50 off on June 23rd.
We will be doing a few schools in July - check here for Calendar. (more dates to be added soon) These are designed to get newbies into the sport at an affordable price of $89 pp for a 5 hr float trip. With Huge Salmon returns and early river openings for salmon expected this year we will be doing a limited number of 4 hr float trips for Pink salmon from Sept. 1- 15 for $99 pp up to 3 anglers and the full day trips will start in Aug. and run until the end of Sept. We will be doing beach fishing, tidewater and river fishing for them, these are $150 pp, you can make your own group min of 3 up to 6 people or join a group. We also have a few guys looking for partners on some local guide trips. Inquire about dates if interested.

Skykomish school July 16th

Cowlitz school July 23rd
Methow trout fishing from the August 11th – 15th (Dry fly fishing for beautiful cutthroat and rainbows. Good for beginners too)
Searun cutt school on the Stillaguamish August 27th
Grande Ronde 3 day camp out tips for 2011 are: October 2-4th, 4-6th, 8-10th, 10-12th, 12th-14th, 15th-17th flyfishsteelhead.com/gr.htm

Here is our general 2011 Callendar

For a couple hot fly patterns Pink salmon flies - Humpy Chaser or Pink Humpy Cherise. Sea Run Cutt flies – Roller Muddler Streamsideflyshop.com
Check for some new Killer Steelhead intruder and tube fly patterns to be added soon.

Please support CCA they are doing a lot to preserve our resource's and fishing opportunity's.

Join us on Facebook

Happy fishing,

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

Monday, June 6, 2011

Dickson Fly Fishing Summer Newslett

 Steelhead Class on the Skykomish on Saturday

Summer is starting and the rivers are all open!
Fishing Tip: Early summer steelhead are aggressive and not picky when it comes to flies. I use streamers in a variety of colors with some wiggle. Later in the summer after fish have been in the river a while I start scaling down the size of my flies and think Buggy!
In the immediate future we will be doing local summer steelhead trips and Cowlitz/kalama trips in July. We have some new lighter spey rods so we will be single and double handed fishing. I am offering $50 off a Cowlitz trip from June 19-21.
We will be doing schools on most weekends in June and a few in July check here for Calendar. These are designed to get newbies into the sport at an affordable price of $89 pp for a 4 hr float trip. With Huge Salmon returns and early river openings for salmon expected this year we will be doing a limited number of 4 hr float trips for Pink salmon from Sept. 1- 15 for $99 pp up to 3 anglers and the full day trips will start in Aug. and run until the end of Sept. We will be doing beach fishing, tidewater and river fishing for them, these are $150 pp, you can make your own group min of 3 up to 6 people or join a group. We also have a few guys looking for partners on some local guide trips. Inquire about dates if interested.

Summer steelhead full day schools – 
Skykomish school July 16th
Cowlitz school July 23rd
Methow trout fishing from the August 11th – 15th  (Dry fly fishing for beautiful cutthroat and rainbows. Good for beginners too)
Searun cutt school on the Stillaguamish August 27th
Grande Ronde 3 day camp out tips for 2011 are: October 2-4th, 4-6th, 8-10th, 10-12th, 12th-14th, 15th-17th    flyfishsteelhead.com/gr.htm

Here is our general 2011 Callendar

For a couple hot fly patterns Pink salmon flies - Humpy Chaser or Pink Humpy Cherise. Sea Run Cutt flies – Roller Muddler  Streamsideflyshop.com
Check for some new Killer Steelhead intruder and tube fly patterns to be added soon.

Please support CCA  they are doing a lot to preserve our resource's and fishing opportunity's.

Join us on Facebook

Happy fishing,

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