Views over the Methow

I just got back from a little vacation from the east side. We stayed with some friends in Mazama. The area is just amazing, cant wait to do some trout fishing on the Methow. I'll be running some single and multiple day trips in July - late Aug. 

Me and a buddy managed to get a day out on a small lake and do some fishing. The scenery was beautiful, and the fishing was killer. We literally caught fish on every cast. I had a 2 fly rig on for most of the day and twice I hooked and landed 2 fish on one cast. The fish weren't big, but feisty buggers. I have some other local info on some of the other lakes over there if your interested I can email it to you, just ask. Dennis is kicking around the idea of taking guys over there to do some lakes fishing with some guys. The idea would be to try to hit 2 or more lakes each day adding some variety to the guide trip.

The rivers are about to open. The Skykomish river levels are lookn pretty good right now. It sounds like the Skykomish is expecting a decent amount of steelhead to return due to a bigger smolt release than normal too.

June 9-10 is a free fishing weekend, so take a kid fishing - no license required.

I will be doing some trips to the Kalama river in July. If your interested get at me. My weekends are filling up.

Orange Tail Tube Fly

I added some killer new steelhead tube flies to streamsideflyshop.com

Happy fishing,

Mike & Dennis Dickson

The last couple weeks we have been running casting classes and fishing local lakes. Dennis has run quite a few lakes classes. Some of the upcoming casting and lakes classes have availability. We will be doing some river classes once they open. The rivers open in a few weeks, can't wait! 
If you have never fished the methow in the summer for trout check it out, it's a good time. We will be running 3 day camp trips and single day guide trips.

We just did a presentation for the north sound CCA group in Burlington. They are doing some great work, thanks for having us guys!

Please check out washingtonanglerspac.com, the CCA can only do so much legally as a non profit organization. The WACPAC was set up to endorse and provide political support, provide a voters guide for recreational fishermen, and undertake the political efforts that recreational anglers strongly oppose.

Tight lines,

Mike D

Nicks Big Wild O.P. Hen

 
I'm back home for a few days after a long O.P. stint. On the overall it was a pretty good season. Seams like the rivers had a little more fishing pressure this year. Maybe the Puget Sound rivers will reopen for a catch and release season next year to help spread out the fishermen, keep eyes on the rivers and the support local business. After all catch and release single barbless fishermen are very low impact to wild fish. We could also continue to pull out those hatchery fish from the rivers.

Most of the O.P. rivers were producing a decent number of fish.The last couple weeks didn't get much rain so we had to change up some  tactics and flies a bit.

So I gotta tell you about Nicks fish in the picture at header, it was a crazy fight. I was right next to Nick when he hooked it. It was a light take and it came at him. Nick says "it's a small one". I'm thinking the same thing till it turns away and starts heading up stream and the rod starts bending harder and harder. Steelhead for sure, then a nice cart wheel jump. "Wow, decent fish too" I think. The fish is heading up stream faster and faster. I am looking a Nicks line and he is getting deep into the backing. I tell nick to start running up stream to conserve his backing. He can only go so far till it get we get to a log jam and deeper water. As he is getting to his last few yards of backing the fish turns and starts coming back down stream. Nick starts reeling like crazy to keep some tension. The fish stops out in front of us. After a minute or so I notice nothing is happening. Nick has good tension but I realize the line is hung up on a rock or stick underwater. Nick can't feel any movement from the fish.

I tell Nick to jump in the boat and we row out to get a different angle on the line. I know this is a fateful situation but as we get the different angle the line comes off the obstacle and Nick gives the rod more tension to see if there is any pull back and sure enough the fish starts running again... lucky! Nicks dad and brother are on shore watching the action. We head back to shore and back to the fight. Once on shore the fish is straight out in front of us out about a hundred feet and in some decent current. After some back and forth the fish quits fighting and is just bulldogg'n. It wont move. This time I know we are not hung up cause you can feel it sway a little in the current. After a minute or so Nick looks at me ans says "what should we do". I know we gotta keep the fish moving so it will tire out enough to land. It will also be hard to pull the fish through the current to land on our side. I decide we should jump back in the boat and head over to the fish and get closer to see if we can get it to move. We jump in the boat and I row upstream enough to get the angle to row over by the fish. As we start getting closer I tell Nick to bend the rod to the side and keep good pressure. Nicks arm is getting tired by now. It works and the fish runs to the opposite side and into slower water. I tell Nick we better land it on this side cause we can't get it back across the current. We beach on the opposite bank and proceed to land the fish. After what was probably over a half hour we finally land it. I knew it was a decent fish but hot damn! I'm not sure but I think this was nicks first steelhead. Not many around his home state of Utah. After we take a few photos Nick looks at me in bewilderment and says "So that is what steelhead are all about, wow I get it"

Lookn ahead we are booking for sea run cutts on the Stillaguamish, methow trout, kalama and skykomish steelhead. 

Mike's Wild Buck

For our schools we are doing casting classes, lakes classes and 5 hr river classes all links are on the homepage.

2012 Grande Ronde dates are: Oct 1-3rd 3-5th 6th-8th 9th - 11th or the 12th-14th inquire for single day trip availability.

Check out our facebook page and become a member. Check out the video's Maxx uploaded. 

As Matt would say "pull heavy",

Mike D 

Flyfishsteelhead.com

The rivers are taking it in the shorts right now. We are breaking records for the amount of rain we have got in March. Most of the O.P. rivers are showing good returns of wild fish. If you could hit the river levels right you could have a pretty fishy day. There is usually a fine line between a blown out river and a killer day. One of the best days we had was as the river was dropping right after it had blown out.

Looking ahead we have 5 hr river schools, 4 hr lakes classes, and casting classes. For guided summer trips we are booking puget sound sea run cutts on local rivers in mid august - late sept and Methow trout from mid july - early September. We will fish summer steelhead on the puget sound rivers, Kalama, and Cowlitz.

I was talking to a lady that works for the Park Service that does a fish survey.  One of the questions they ask my clients is "do you prefer to catch and release wild steelhead or keep them". After my clients answer catch and release I ask, "does anybody say they want to keep them?". I was shocked when she said that it's about 50/50 for C&R vs. catch and kill. As we are loading up the boat and putting gear away, sure enough she ask the question and they answer "catch and kill".
I'm sorry we just don't get enough wild steelhead on any of our Washington rivers for a Kill fishery even on the Sol Duc. We do have some rivers and fisheries for wild salmon at times that can handle a kill fishery but NOT Wild steelhead. We just don't have enough fish, and the fish we do have should be released to sustain our future runs.

Tight lines and please be nice to our wild fish,

Mike D

Kurt's O.P. Steelie

I have a couple days rest due to some higher river levels. I have been hittn the O.P. pretty hard with some great guys. Guiding isn't always easy but when you meet such amazing new people it just makes this job sooo rewarding.
Most days have been a little wet but we did manage to round up some beautiful weather on the 6th-8th.
The Queets has been a little slower than usual this last week possibly due to the netting schedule but we still managed to hook fish everyday. Yesterday we had 2 hookups and landed a hot, hot 14lb hen (in picture). That was a real thrill to watch. We hooked the fish next to a long jam and had to jump in the boat to run down stream with the fish. We ended up landing it on the other side of the river. We had the fish pretty much whipped and as I was helping net the fish at some point I hear the line snap and see the fish just pause for a second and I raced to scoop it up knowing that he can easily slip away. Luckily the fish didn't move and was able to knab her up so Kurt could get a pic of the biggest steelhead he has ever caught. Get's me pumped every time.

I have also been fishing the Clearwater and upper Quinault a little here and there. Both are nice back ups if the Queets gets too dirty.
I'll be headed back out in a couple days hopefully this higher water brings in a nice pulse of fish. A few 20+ pounders would be nice.

Tight lines,

Mike D

Matt's first fish of the day was a zingger.

Looks like my favorite O.P. river is off to a good start. It has fish, the hard part is just hitting the river levels right. The rivers are taking a little beating right now, February can be like that. A good back up is the Upper Quinault though. With as much water as we got last night and today it still had 6+ ft of vis when we left it today. I'm back home long enough to dry out and head back for more. 

Fyi - I have a couple partners looking to split a O.P. guide trip. $200 bucks March 22nd or either day April 10th and/or 11th. Let me know.


Come get some,

Mike D.

O.P. Steelhead

I’m getting ready to head out and hit the peninsula (Dennis is off to Puerto Rico). I was pretty disappointed that WDFW decided that they are going to allow a 1 fish kill of WILD Steelhead in most of the Peninsula rivers, especially on the Hoh. The Hoh has had a few years where they have to shut down due to low numbers. The numbers still aren’t stable enough to allow for any Wild fish to be killed I don’t know what WDFW was thinking. Just goes to show the thinking mentality. We call it Kill and close vs. keeping a river open and allowing catch and release.

Being that the Queets in the National park you can’t keep any there. This has helped the good returns we have been seeing in the past 5 years. This should be a good season. I’ve tied lots of flies and am ready to hit it. I have 2 weekend dates that are open due to a cancellation that I will give a discount on for last minute booking. Dates are 17^th and 19^th of Feb, let me know if interested.

Also most guys start thinking of other fish come April but April is just as good if not better than March. The Queets closes on April 15^th but I’ll flip over and hit the Bogi or Sol Duc till May. By the time May hits most fish are spawning and I’m done.

We are now booking for our  Methow trout Camp. Early booking prices are $599 PP plus a dozen flies for 3 days 2 nights fishing. Perfect for any skill level.

http://www.flyfishsteelhead.com/methow1.htm   July – September. Summer trout dry fly fishing!

Also check out our new book -
http://www.flyfishsteelhead.com/stories.htm

Tight lines,

Mike Dickson