Conference wahoo::fishing

    You have plenty of choices.  The closest river to seattle are
    the Skykomish and the Snohomish.  Both have excellent steelhead
    fishing.  To the North you will find the Skagit.  This is probably
    one of the 2 0r 3  best rivers for steelhead in the state.  We're
    talking about a 2 hour drive.  
    
    Snohomish is the closest @ 1 hour travel time.
    
    My spot on the Skykomish is about 1.5 hours from the city.
    
    Of course, timing is everything.  Steelheading is closed for the
    month of April for spawning purposes.
    
    There doesn't seem to be a day in Washington where you can't
    have a great fishing trip soemwhere.  What they consider to be cold here
    a real new englander should be able to do in shirt sleeves.  That
    is with the exception of the record cold spell last week.....that
    was $%%##%$%^ cold.
    
    Hope this helps,
    
    Brett.

    Ole Coonass spent 2 1/2 years op dere in B.C. Had a 26' boat an
    went fishin ebery weeken. Places lak Stuart Island, Minstrel Island,
    Texada Island, and Desolation Sound, Georgia Straight, Port Townsend,
    and Powell River and  Campbell River. De mos beautiful place in
    de wurld!!! Som weekens I wud catch 200-300 pounds ob salmon. All
    de oysters chew wont an lots ob crabs.
    
    Neber tried de fresh water tho. So cant hep chew. To get to de bes
    salmon fishin, treiler chore boat on de ferry op to Campbell River
    an put in dere. Chew kin sleep on de deck ob de ferry an de food
    is good.
    
    Chore met some good folks op dere, dem Canajuns!
    
    Coonass

    Port Townsend is one of our favorite spots.  Love that 
    Mid-channel Bank at dusk.  Got some 20+ pounders out there last
    year.  
    
    Not sure if you get many 200-300 lb weekends nowadays.  Limited
    to two Kings per day most of the year and three Kings per day 
    this time of year.  Also, three Coho or a maximum combo of 3
    salmon.  But like you said, bring the nets and you can pick up
    lots of Dungeness Crab after you limit out, eh?
    
    Tell you what Coonass.  I haven't been up to the Campbell River
    yet but I hear a lot about it.  If you make it up this way again,
    we'll take my boat up and give it a shot.
      
    
    If any of you wind up in Seattle, I can usually be persuaded to take the
    boat out for a few pigs.  If they're out there, I'll get you over em.  
    
    Brett (Tyhee chaser)

    
    Thanks for the info, Brett and Coonass.  I visited lasted year and
    fished the Upper Skagit and Cascade rivers, I didn't have any luck.
    Here in Michigan I generally catch 1 or 2 Steelhead during a weekend
    what's the frequency like in Washington ?  I saw steelhead on the Cascade
    river, but when I would cast to the fish, before the fly or bait
    reached the fish I hungup on the bottom !!!  Any suggestions on
    avoiding the problem for this year.  Brett, I also took a Sunday drive 
    along the Skykomish, it looks great, but do you simply pick a ramdom spot
    and fish ?  I would like to do some fresh water fishing in BC, but
    I don't have an idea on where to go.  Are the Babine and Skeena
    rivers in BC ?  Are they accessable by road ? Thanks again for all 
    the help!!!
    
    Doug
    

    Yea Brett,
    
    Dats de bes offer I had since I left dere!! De limits chew are talkin
    bout are fresh water, right. Cuz deres no limit on salt water.
    
    Used to go don to Silshore Harbor on som weekins an den to Port
    Townsend an Victoria on long weekens.
    
    Tank for de offer,
    
    Coonass

    Coonass,
    
    The only time I've been in the salt and out of the sound is
    off of Westport.  The regs there are pretty tight also.  I think
    it was a 2 fish total limit last summer....not 2 kings plus
    1 silver.  See....there is this roaring controversy here between
    native Americans with tribal fishing rights, Herschel the
    sea lion that's just ripping up the salmon population etc and then
    the truly good natured sportsmen........
    
    Doug,
    
    I'll be the first to admit that I am no expert on Washington steelhead.
    I've stood out ther in my waders, but that doesn't make me an expert.
    There are a few spots along the Skykomish that I fish.  One is pretty
    good.  I hear the Skagit is the best at this end of the state.
    
    I know nothing about BC river fishing.
    
    Recently, I have considered hiring a guide to take me fishing on the
    Sky.  I am hoping to pick up some of the tips.  Supposedly some of
    these guides have a pretty good hit rate.  They get about $55 per
    day.  Thing is, you can go by driftboat or shore fishing.  I think
    I would want to go shore fishing for two reasons:
    
    1)  I don't have a driftboat (driftboat :== a special kind of dory for 
        river fishing ($$$)) and would like to get better at bank fishing.
    
    2)  I don't want to find out what it is like to fish from a driftboat
        because I can't afford another boat and I am running out of places to
        park boats and around the house.
    
    :-)
    
    Let me know when you are coming out here.  Maybe we can "hook up".
    Maybe I'll know more by then.  

    
    Brett, 
    
    If you happen to hire a guide on the Sky before this fall I would
    appreciate a response in the note file.  Seeing the Skagit last
    fall convinced me that it would make life easier if you had a drift
    boat, since the Skagit is a very wide river.  The Cascade river
    is much easier to wade, similar to many small rivers that are in
    Michigan.  I think I'll probably come out in the fall again, I
    will try to contact you before I leave.  Thanks for the assistance.
    If you ever make to Michigan during the Steelhead season (October
    thru April) look me up I'll happy to share my knowledge of Michigan
    rivers.
    
    Doug

    Ya know, Brett, I did see som ob dem Injuns net fishin once. We
    come don de inside passage goin to Seattle an went by Skagit Bay,
    onder day bridge an don by Everett. Dat wuz some shallow water!
    Chew hadta stay rite in de channel real close, but wen chew got
    to dat riber, wow ! If de tide wuz runnin out de river mouf cud
    be REAL fun!
    
    De rest ob de time I wen to Seattle, we wen de outside route, de
    ferry route, aroun de San Juans, between Port Townsend an Camano
    Island, Deception Pass.
    
    De Injuns op in BC jus did mosly crabbin. We lived jes past a group
    ob dem, includin Chief Dan George. Dey wuz all crabbers.
    
    Another popular ting wuz to anchor chore boat an take wun ob dem
    inflatable-type boats ashore. Den climb op de side ob de mountin
    an fish in de fresh water lakes op on top. Dere wuz plenty ob dem
    cuz chew cud see de water pourin down into de ocean. Some ob dem
    neber been fished.
    
    Good luck wit chore fishin,
    
    Coonass

    re: .7
    
    Michigan, eh?  My uncle lives in Port Huron.
    
    The rivers *are* deep.  I decided I was gonna cross one once
    since I had my hip waders on and the fishing was *definitely*
    better on the other side.  I could see every rock in the
    river so I figured it was about 4 feet deep.  Turns out it was 
    about 40 feet and I didn't get too far.  :-) :-) :-)
    
    My fishing buddie from MA is coming out in March and we'll try
    and figure some of this out then.
    
    In september, I'm affrain I spend all the time I can on the sound.
    This is when the Coho, Chinook and Chums are all over the place!
    You're welcome to join me for a jaunt on the sound if you want.
    
    re: .8 
    
    True.  Washington is a fisherman's paradise.  I hear the bass fishing
    is *okay* but nothing like the salmon, trout and steelhead fishing.
    
    Regarding what you were saying, the indians puttheir nets all along
    Shilshole Bay and into the locks.  Before dawn, all you see is this 
    little tiny light at the end of the net (if the battery isn't dead).
    It is very nerve wracking weaving between the nets which go right into
    the channel.  Here's the real kicker, if you run over a net, trash
    your boat etc etc, you owe the indians a new net!  Ever price one of
    those nets?  Ha!
    
    I have a 17 footer and I put in up at Edmonds, which is across from Point 
    No Point  at the South end of Widbey Island.  No nets, more fish.
    
    Brett.
    
    

    Doug,
    
    Got a little info for you on a place to fish.  If you are interested
    in BC, you might try the Gold River on Victoria.  It's about 250
    mile from Seattle by car and by ferries.  There are some good guides
    up there that can help you find some spots that don't get fished
    much.
    
    As for me, I'm coming out of my skin with excitment right now.
    It has not stopped raining here since sometime in December......
    until Friday.  It is now in the 70's.  Weather is supposed to last
    through next weekend.  My F+H buddy from Mass is coming on Wednesday.
    His outfitter (yours truly) has set him up with a truly great fishing
    opportunity.
    
    We will be taking the ferry over tonight to Kingston and dragging the boat
    over to Port Angeles.  Here we will camp out.  We will have the boat
    on the water at 5:30 AM for some Salmon fishing.  Reports say Springers
    from 8-25 are hitting pretty well right now.  We'll try to get over the
    Salmon on the "Humps" and bring a few home.  
    
    We should have the boat off the water at 10:00 AM and be heading for some
    of Washington's finest Steelhead rivers like the Hoh.  There, we'll
    fish from about 12:00 to dusk (Washington dusk is 8:00 PM) for steelhead.
    The steelhead season closes on April 16 until June first.  We'll fish
    for 3 days.  I'll let you know whether or not we get one tham mean
    ole metalheads this time round when we get back.
    
    /brett
    

    Brett,                                                        
    
    Thanks for the info on the Gold river, maybe I'll give it a try.  I
    bought a book called "Western Steelheading"  it is full of info on most
    of the steelhead rivers in the Washington, Oregon, Cal area.  
    
    Regards,
    
    Doug

    Okay, it finally happened.  Now that Doug has been in washington for
    6 months, we're finally getting together to go fishing.  Tonight,
    we're heading over to the Penninsula to fish for Steelhead in
    the Bogachiel or Sol Duc or Hoh or Quillayute  or all of the above.
    
    According to the local rag "hunting and Fishing News" aka "Hunting and
    Fishing Lies", "Steelhead are really running in the Bogachiel after
    last week's flooding.  Anyone who knows what they are doing should
    be able to limit in an hour or two".
    
    I guess we better stay away from the Bogie.
    
    Doug has promised to bestow his great experience and knowledge upon me
    so that I too may have steelhead for dinner......finally!
    
    ;-}
    
    /brett