Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Big Dog!
The East side steelhead fishing has slowed as the weather has gotten cold. We have been fishing our local rivers the last month. There has been some late coho entering the rivers giving a angler a decent chance at still catching some bright fish.  The chum have also been a couple weeks behind schedule and have been biting pretty good depending on where you go.
On the skagit the dolly fishing has got a lot better in the last few weeks. There is some nice fish with some fat bellys. They have been feeding on flesh and eggs pretty hard and are hungry! I have been fishing our articulated cop car fly quite a bit there. Check it out here - http://www.streamsideflyshop.com/flies.htm

I am starting  to book for Olympic Peninsula Steelhead fishing for winter/spring 2014. Mid Feb - mid April is the prime time. I do a $50 discount per day for 2 or more days booked. I do have some guys looking for partners to split trips too. Let me know if interested.

Join our facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/248375167480/
 

Go Seahawks!

Mike D
streamsideflyshop@yahoo.com
425-330-9506




Tuesday, October 15, 2013


Guy & Russ  with steelhead on the Grande Ronde wilderness float trip
Dry fly: Lights Out

River are look'n good, weather is nice and trees are turning color. What a beautiful time of year. I just got back from some Grande Ronde Fishing. The damn counts are low this year for fish and fishing in September was slow but before I got there there was a heavy rain that brought some fish in and we did pretty good. I had a lot of fun, just love being over there. I know Dennis was hittn some nice fish too in the lower river. Some good dry fly action too. 
I am back home now and on the local scene fishing coho, chums, dollys, cuthroat and steelhead. It's a fun time of year cause you never know what is going to hit the fly. 2 years ago this time of year one of my clients, Chris landed all 5 species in one day! The fish were very agro that day.

I am booking some trips for Methow Steelhead now, looks like it will open in 2 days, Dates that I have open are the 25th or 28th of Oct, I can possibly do the 26th or 27th but let me know, I need to know asap if you want in.

Happy fishing,

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Kris and a Big fresh Skagit Buck
I have been steelhead fishing, cutthroat fishing and salmon fishing in the last couple weeks. The water was very low on the Skykomish and Stilly.
We took a big shot of rain a couple nights ago and the rivers are blown out. The Skykomish will probably come back into shape the fastest.

Look for a lot of salmon to shoot into the rivers now. There was already a bunch but it should be rock'n as the rivers clear up.

We are pretty much booked solid in September, just have Sept 11th open but we are booking for our Grande Ronde Steelhead fishing and Coho/chum/dolly/cutthroat fishing in October and November - some of my favorite fishing. You never know what is going to pull the line tight.

The pinks are starting to hit the rivers. Get your flies here - http://streamsideflyshop.com/flies.htm


Check out our calendar -
http://flyfishsteelhead.com/guiding.htm

Check out our schools - 
http://flyfishsteelhead.com/2002flyfishingschool.html

If your looking to do some salmon trips this year I would let me know asap, trips are booking up now with the good reports of salmon #'s. Should be a killer year. We will start our salmon trips in early August. Sept 15th - Sept 29th we will do group trips for $175 pp. Make a group or join one.

For more info check out and join our facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/248375167480/

Happy fishing,
Mike Dickson
425-330-9506


Saturday, August 3, 2013

Marks Methow Cutbow
I just got back from fishing the Methow River. Mostly dry fly action with a nymph or 2 thrown in and in a couple deep pools we swung some big ugly leaches which helped Chris get a bit of action and a big rainbow. I'll be honest on the overall fishing was ok. We had plenty of action to keep us going but we didn't find as many of the big cutthroat that we normally do. When you put that many days on the river it was a noticeable
difference. Not sure why. The weather was warm but we did get a bit more overcast than normal. Still one of my favorite places to be in the summer!

The N.F. of the Stilly is closed for a few weeks due to low water.  Not sure what good that is going to do.

The pinks are starting to hit the rivers. Get your flies here - http://streamsideflyshop.com/flies.htm

Check out our calendar -
http://flyfishsteelhead.com/guiding.htm

Check out our schools - 
http://flyfishsteelhead.com/2002flyfishingschool.html

If your looking to do some salmon trips this year I would let me know asap, trips are booking up now with the good reports of salmon #'s. Should be a killer year. We will start our salmon trips in early August. Sept 15th - Sept 29th we will do group trips for $175 pp. Make a group or join one.

For more info check out and join our facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/248375167480/

Happy fishing,
Mike Dickson
425-330-9506

Monday, July 22, 2013




Summer Steelie fly: Metal Detector
 So much has been going on lately. I have been all over the place.

I have a guy looking for a partner for fishing the Methow July 29th and 30th. Let me know if interested.

The Sky has been fishing decent. It gets a little tougher as the water drops. But when the water drops you see less jet boats on the lower river. I try to avoid it if I can if the water is over 3000cfs on a weekend. The upper river looks good but there are lots of spots I skip now cause the water is low.

The Stilly has had some problems. There is some sort of slide that boulder creek is leaching from that is real dirty creating some pretty dirty water from there down. If you fish above there the water is real clear. From boulder down is fishable but I wouldn’t use skaters. Deer creek adds a little clarity and I have found some fish there. I keep thinking that boulder will clear up as the water drops but after a few weeks and not budging. I’m starting to think the color will hang around for a while.
C-post road has been gated, I’ve heard cause there has been some losers dumping trash back there. Seams to be the usual amount of fish this year, last year had a bunch more hatchery fish.

Last week I got a couple days fishing on the Methow. The water is starting to drop and the fish were looking up. Felt like the fish wanted dries vs. nymphs. I fished a hopper dropper rig the first day and just the dry fly the next day. Weather was beautiful and we had a blast.

I fished Pass Lake yesterday for a few hours. Choronomids and leaches were the ticket. It was a little windy and fishing picked up around 6:30 pm. Before I fished Pass I made a few casts on a beach on Whidby Island for pinks. Nothing was going on so I didn’t waste too much time. I have heard a few areas are starting to get them though. Just spotty right now. Fishing should get better soon.

Check out our calendar -

http://flyfishsteelhead.com/guiding.htm

Check out our schools - 
http://flyfishsteelhead.com/2002flyfishingschool.html

If your looking to do some salmon trips this year I would let me know asap, trips are booking up now with the good reports of salmon #'s. Should be a killer year. We will start our salmon trips in early August. Sept 15th - Sept 29th we will do group trips for $175 pp. Make a group or join one.

For more info check out and join our facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/248375167480/

Happy fishing,

Mike Dickson
425-330-9506

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Summer loving

Scrappy little wild fish
Summer is here, and the rivers are in nice shape.
As the rivers opened the Sky has been a little busy with anglers and jet boats but that should mellow a little as the summer goes on. There are good numbers of chinook showing and normal numbers of steelies.


The Skagit was a real sleeper, not a lot of guys and some fish. The tribe has started netting due to the sockeye so that has mellowed.

There is a few fish in the Stilly but that will get better for the wild fish the closer to july we go.

Check out our calendar -




http://flyfishsteelhead.com/guiding.htm

Check out our schools - 
http://flyfishsteelhead.com/2002flyfishingschool.html




If your looking to do some salmon trips this year I would let me know asap, trips are booking up now with the good reports of salmon #'s. Should be a killer year. We will start our salmon trips in early August. Sept 15th - Sept 29th we will do group trips for $175 pp. Make a group or join one.

For more info check out and join our facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/248375167480/

Happy fishing,

Mike D
425-330-9506

Saturday, May 25, 2013

The rivers are about to open for summer steelhead on the 1st of June, I can't wait.

We have been fishing the local lakes and doing classes. The other day when we fished on my favoite lake we started the day trolling leaches and did the best with olive leaches. We saw a small callibaetis hatch and caught one fish on a cripple but with the cooler weather there wasn't a lot of  bugs on the surface. The surface fly they wanted was small, like a # 20.
After that we flipped back and forth from leaches to choronamids.

The fish were really onto a small red chironamid. Boring way to fish for me but if your catching fish it keeps you going.

If your looking to do some salmon trips this year I would let me know asap, trips are booking up now with the good reports of salmon #'s. Should be a killer year. From Sept 15th - Sept 29th we will do group trips for $175 pp. Make a group or join one.

For more info check out and join our facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/248375167480/

Happy fishing, 

Mike D
425-330-9506

Monday, April 22, 2013

What's Next!

Thanks for all the guys that fished with me this winter/spring steelhead season. I hope you had a good time as I know I did. Looking ahead we are offering a few extra trips and schools this year especially since this is a pink salmon year. If your looking to do a trip let us know, some dates are already booking up. 

New - Lakes guide trips and classes on Pass Lake. Now till early summer.

New - We will do a beach fishing and river class/trip for Pink salmon This will be a goood run!


New - Methow River trout dry fly school Aug 3rd (small class 2-4 anglers)
 


If you are looking for a partner on a trip I have a guy that said he will do just about any trip – he is flexible and just wants to split the cost.
We will be guiding summer steelhead on the Stillaguamish, Skykomish and Kalama River. We have a Sky steelhead school scheduled for July 6th.
Full day school schedules for 2013: Click here
Sea run Cutt school on the Stilly – Aug 31st. (2 spots left)
Methow River dry fly trout fishing will start Late July to mid August.

Pink (humpy) Salmon trips will start Aug 15th.  We will do regular (1-3angler) and group trips for pink salmon with up to 6 anglers and 2
guides. Create a group or Join one. This is a great trip for families too.
 
Grande Ronde river 3 day camp out Sept 30th - mid Oct.
Join our Facebook page for more up to date info and reports.

Happy Fishing
Mike Dickson
425-330-9506

Thursday, April 11, 2013

A nice O.P. hen (minus the net scars)
I'm home for a couple days before I head back out to the coast. It will be my last couple trips on the Queets before the river closes on the 15th. I will fish for a little bit on the Forks rivers before I wrap up the season.
This has been considered a big fish year with a solid run size and I would agree with that. The Forks rivers started the late winter season a little slow but from late feb till now I got some good reports. The Hoh fished pretty good too. There where 3 storms that knocked the rivers out of shape for a total of 9-13 days depending on which river you fish. During that time I checked the Skagit flows and not once did I see the river out of shape. Being a damn controlled river makes it very stable.

I'm sure the Skagit hit it's escapement goals again this year. I think we should demand the fish estimates before the season starts instead of getting the numbers at the end of the season - If anybody gets the numbers when they come in let me know. I'll admit I'm bias but I believe C&R single barbless anglers have a very, very minimal impact on the Wild steelhead. (1-3% of a impact not 10%) If something has to change it should be the things that DO HAVE a impact..... hmmm like the Commercial fishing, not on our sport fishing. Alaska makes sure they have met there escapement goals first and then allows for the nets to harvest a river. We need to spread anglers out instead of everybody having to fish a handful of rivers, keep eye's on the river (there is poaching going on now! living on a river I see and hear it more than you think) Our successful fisheries will help our local business and economy. If we have to I wouldn't mind paying extra like you do on the Columbia Rivers to help support our Pacific NW and our spring fishing. We are hoping that the CCA can help us here. They are watching this issue now.
Ok.... starting to rant, back to the report.

We went to the Everett CCA meeting last tues. Tom Nelson gave a great presentation on salmon and puget sound fishing. I'm more of a river rat but I especially enjoyed his interesting points on ocean fish behavior.
He also gave a good power point slide show that showed the different salmon specie's estimated run size for this year. Bottom line; Last year was a pretty good year and all of the numbers across the board look better than last year not to mention about 3 million pinks coming to our local "S" rivers. One number I particularly liked was the number of Coho coming to the Stillaguamish, I believe 30+K so there will probably be a 2 fish limit.

Even though they are better than last year, 2 runs that concern me are the Stilly chinook and the Skagit Chum. I know that since the "local commercial" fisherman have found a market for the chum roe the once thriving and fun fishery has took a nose dive.

tight lines,

Now booking: Methow trout fishing, summer steelhead, pink salmon fishing and Grande Ronde steelhead.

Mike Dickson
425-330-9506
Join us on Facebook



Sunday, April 7, 2013

 
Note: This article  was first posted on February 15, 2013.
 
 
 
The bitter sweet:

The good news is: A very nice pulse of late winter native steelhead have shown up in the lower Skagit river, just before the season closure. Big brawly steelhead. The kind that when you see them you think,

"Must be Sauk fish with their thick caudal peduncles and broad shoulders." The kind of steelhead you can't get your hand around the wrist of their tail, nor take your eyes off that big male shovel nose. The kind of fish, you are willing to stomp the twilight chill just to make it onto first water. Where anticipation is pumping  adrenalin so hard through your veins, you don't just feel, you can taste it.
February has always been a big fish month for me. Of the seven Washington state steelhead I have taken over twenty pounds on a fly, five have come from February 10 to March 10. God created large dominant male steelhead to enter first, it's just the way it is.
It used to be; Valentines was the unofficial kick off for another great Skagit River Catch & Release season. Life just didn't do better than March & April. That is why nature built the season Spring right?

But a Skagit steelhead's life has reduced itself into a political football. Those that destroy it's habitat still blame the harvesters, the harvesters still blame habitat.  The hapless angler stares from the shore at the vacant memory of another lost opportunity. The burden is so painful, he can barely drive along the river roads during those early months of the year. It simply hurts too much.
He tells himself it's for the best. Certainly for the greater good. Even as I point my truck & trailer towards the coast, I try to convince myself, it's better for business. Maybe someday I may even believe it.

I hear the Skagit numbers finally came in over escapement for last year. I don't know. It's what I've heard. I know this. I didn't fish. Perhaps the final tally will come in well again for 13.
So I wish I could explain to the powers-to-be, that my being out on the water, transcends the dragging around a hook with feathers. Maybe if you and I could get out on the river, we could call it Fising, or hookless casting. I do find myself conjuring up in my head, hookless fly patterns that would take the pull, but hold no fish. Would that be enough? I wonder.

So maybe this pulse of fish means the ocean survival is up and it will bode well for the few Washington rivers that remain open. That would be nice.
And what does that do for the fish that swim in Beaver Flats or White Creek along the Sauk? The Mixer, Larsons, Chapel or the Power Line pool on the Skagit. Oh don't mind him. He just doesn't get it.

So as I ready for a trip to the coast, I get on line to get a beat on what's going on. I stumbled onto a site that was so foul in language, so rude in commentary, it prompted me in digging up a piece I wrote. Please read River Etiquette.

So there you have it. The North Sound rivers are closed, the coastal waters will be heating up. Watch for that next good rain. The  O.P. rivers shouldn't have anything less. Come join us, maybe we can share a story about the days on the Skagit.


 Best of fishing,

Dennis & Mike Dickson
www.flyfishsteelhead.com

Monday, March 11, 2013


Dave's Chromer Guide: Mike
New - O.P. Partner needed for steelhead trip : March 27th or 28th or April 2nd.
What a beautiful week on the peninsula. One day we literally floated past 2 walk-in guys that both had there shirts off. I'm not that hard up for a tan. Looks like a lot of rain is on it's way though. There seams to be a decent amount of fish in the rivers. Fishing was great to good last week. Dianne was the quickest to ever get a hook up. I threw some line out and handed her the rod and before I could show her how to cast she yelps with "I think there is something on". She ended up landing a nice little 6 lb. hen.
We had one slow day on one of the busier weekend days on a float I normally don't do. I had one of the guys out the day before so we wanted to hit something different. We had one good pull but it didn't stick. The first trip this year we didn't get fish out there :(
The biggest fish we hooked this week broke Tim off in a little tree snag. There was literally nothing around for a few hundred yards except for this little damn snag on our shore and the fish screamed off into his backing and on his 2nd run made a b-line straight to it. I was standing fairly close to it when the fish hung up on it, the slab made a few splashes and rolls, then broke him of before I could do anything about it. Man what a hot fish!... heart breaker.

Dave's 2nd fish.
Couple float warnings: On the upper Queets there is a tree all the way across the river. It's passable but a pain. Stay on the left braids, the right braids have low water and logs/sweapers.
On the float on the Hoh above Oxbow there is also trees across the  river.

Looking forward: I am booking Methow trout trips in late July/early August and Pink salmon trips will start on Aug 15th and go till October.

Tight lines,

Mike





Saturday, March 2, 2013

Can you spell rain?

 

The Queets River is an absolute jewel to flyfish. This gentle stream flows through the lower section of Washington's Olympic National Park. Towering Sitka Spruce have lived here for generations as has herds of Roosevelt elk. For all it's splendors though, all this simply becomes the back drop for the late winter native steelhead that calls the Queets river, home. Big, brawly steelhead, hours away from tidewater.
 Yup, if you were looking for that steelhead that can stop your heart while it stops your fly, Queets river steelhead are built for that.

The good news is: the Queets is off to a grand start this year with already fine numbers of returning steelhead headed for home. The fish run doesn't even peak until the end of this month, and some the best fishing continues until the river closure April 15.

The bad news is: The poopy weather lately hasn't allowed for much fishing the last few days. Bummer but when you fish out on the coast, you get to expect it. it's just the way it is.

Flows:
The Queets fishes best from 2,500 - 8,000 cfs. Right now, it's at 15,600 cfs.

Fortunately, the soils out here are "excessively drained", which it a fancy way of saying, the river can come up in a hurry, but also drops just as fast. Welcome to free-stone streams, it's what they do. Mike will be keeping his eyes peeled, because when the Queets drops, it always full of fish.

Last week I mentioned a few of my favorite flies for fishing these waters. That part isn't going to change much.

Here is an piece I wrote discussing the sink-tip leaders I use for chasing cold water steelhead. It's called, Leaders-the steelhead connection. I hope you enjoy it.

On the home front: casting classes will commence as well as our Lakes classes. Mark March 9 in your calendar as I will lead our next lakes class to one my favorite local haunts. You can call me directly for details. Cost is $59./angler, and I will arrange for all your needs in this 4 hour crash course. Sorry, I will only take the first six anglers.

 

Best of fishing,

Dennis Dickson   Fisheries Biologist/Flyfishing Guide
www.flyfishsteelhead.com
425 238 3537

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Fresh OP fish

UPDATE - NEW O.P. steelhead School added on March 24th. Contact Mike For info.
"Careful what you pray for"

Mike has been chaffing at the bit, gearing up for another early spring season out on the O.P.'s , Queets river. Not many anglers and fewer guides work these Park waters.

The word out, that the fishing has already heated up. We were just looking for that rain. Never say that about out there! There is real reason they call this area a rainforest.

Should you venture out, here are a few of our favorite winter steelhead fly patterns.

Articulated Pink Leach
Articulated Egg sucking Cop Car
Purple Egg Articulated Sucking leach


Keep them big and wiggly. Big native steelhead are not shy. Especially the tidewater Queets fish.

As far as the equipment goes, bobber fishing does work, but not like it does in the canyon rivers further north. The Queets is a gently flowing big time swing water, so if you have a passion to fish your sink-tips, this is a river to do it.

I like the versatility of the multi-tip system. Just as not river flows the same, neither do the pools that live there. Knowing when and where to change up your heads can spell the difference of a big fish or no fish.

I could write a whole article on leaders but suffice it to say, my rule is; a foot of leader length for every foot of visibility. Fortunately, the Queets is glacial so a short and stout leader is just fine. Twelve to fiften pound tippets are good. Forget the florocarbon stuff here. Go for the an abrasion resistant leader like Maxima or the like.

The Queets wading is relatively easy in most runs, but the casts can be moderate to long. Mike will have the spey rods along so if you haven't done this yet, you probably will. I am just saying!

Back on the home front:
I will be handling the flyfishing newbies in both out casting classes & the Lakes. around Arlington.
Trout are starting to move now. Micro leeches are the order of the day. Remember; "the Ledge, the edge, the hedge". The humingbird 120 is a wonderful horizontal fish finder. You should see it in action!

Guys can't talk about their waters without a serious discussion about their boats. For  the 40 stories and articles on fishing I have written over the years, here is one of the most popular yet controversial. Rafts VS hard-bottom boats

Fishing is already taking off in both lakes & rivers so it looks to be a fine spring. Spring: My second to my most favorite time of the year. Life is good.


Best of fishing,

Dennis & Mike Dickson
www.flyfishsteelhead.com

Wednesday, February 20, 2013


Quick update - The reports for peninsula steelhead are looking great. I have a couple guys looking for partners on March 6th and 7th to split the trip with. I also have some great dates open in late march that I'll give $50 off on. Due to popular demand I am adding a O.P. School on March 30th. Also a lot of guys over look fishing in April. The weather is a bit nicer and there is still some nice fresh fish.
Let me know if interested.

Mike D
Streamsideflyshop@yahoo.com
425-330-9506

Wednesday, February 6, 2013


 
 
February 6 2013
 
And so it goes.
 
Well, I am back to writing weekly fishing reports again. I hope you find them informative if not entertaining.
 
The Puget Sound river season is coming to a close early, again. The bright news is, The Queets on the Olympic Peninsula is posed to have another stellar year. If you have a large steelhead in your horizon, you might want to hook up with Mike ASAP. His dates are booking fast. 425 330 9506
 
Me? I get to guard the home front conducting the Casting classes & Lakes Schools for the next few months. You can read all about it in the Flyfishing Made Easy program. Teaching 300-500 fly anglers a year. Guiding isn't All we do!
 
So the river reports:
 
The Skagit in the Rockport area is fishing the best. (5000-6000 cfs. @ Marblemount). Hatchery winter steelhead was short lived at best but the Dolly fishing has held up. Its hard to beat Cop Car for taking these fish, but anything big and wiggly will get a bite. 
 
So many fly anglers have gone to swing fishing with tips but I maintain it is still the most misunderstood technique for taking winter fish. Here is an updated article I originally wrote some 10 years ago called Flylines are what catch fish.
 
Next reports will be relayed from Mike out on the coast.
 
Speaking of which:
 
Dickson Flyfishing will host a second seminar at Cabelas
Topic: Swing Fishing for winter Steelhead, Olympic Peninsula and beyond.
 
We have decided to make this one into a workshop with 10 different displays covering everything from fly-tying to spey rods & equipment. We will have plenty of experts there to answer your questions, plus lots of hands on do-dads.
Mike will be on hand to show his Queets River video, while I will host the show. Here's the Scoop.
 
Where: Cabelas @ Tulalip
When: February 23
Time: 5-7 PM
 
Come as you are. It's free!
 
Best of fishing,
 
Dennis & Mike Dickson
 

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Sky Hatchery Steelhead 1/7/13

Been fishing the local Puget Sound rivers. They are in pretty good shape and showing a few fish.
I'm Starting to get geared up for some Peninsula wild steelhead. Tying up those big articulated flies and updating my fly lines. Should be another great year. There are still some weekend dates available. We are also doing a few full day steelhead schools.

We are doing a presentation at the Tulalip Cabela's on January 26th at 5pm. Join us!

Join our Facebook page! 

Want to get schooled? Check out our fishing schools http://www.flyfishsteelhead.com/2002flyfishingschool.html 





Happy fishing,

Mike D