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by Dennis Dickson

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12/30/07

"A New Day"

Winter continues to have her way. The rivers are up and then they are down. If you are like many, it is not a matter of going when the rivers are optimum - you go fishing when you can.

Fishing overview:
Not so bad: Salmons are gone now. They are now replaced by hatchery winter steelhead. Not large numbers, but enough steelhead in several rivers to give you the excuse to be fishing - and fishing is better than not fishing - even in the winter time.

The key to making the right trip is checking river heights (is what I do everyday, and heck I live right above the North Fork of the Stilly.)

I am happy to report - a couple of the Sky and Skagit pool have actually gotten better after the high waters.

Winter Steelhead Flyfishing:
In my opinion, the very most important ingredient in my steelhead fishing success is fishing the right lines in the right water. Bottom Line (no pun intended): If you can't fish where the steelhead are, you aren't going to catch them - especially in the winter, when the rivers are typically high and cold. I shudder to think of all the chopping and cutting I have done over the years trying to come up with a decent winter flyline. I am relieved we finally found a commercial one in the Yancy. Trust me, when you flyfish steelhead as an occupation, throughout the year, you see pretty much every line out there.

Stilly, North Fork: Air Temps 35 degrees to 45 degrees. Water Temps around 39 degrees at 10 am. Water visibility-high above French Creek, moderate below Boulder Creek, and fishable below Deer Creek (unless it warms up. Fish below Deer Creek, if the water flows stay down. Above Hazel when its up. The winter hatchery fish are coming in pulses. Car hopping is more productive than floating, but floating gets you away from people. Here is what Jeremy had to say on Washingtonflyfishing.com about his day on the Stilly.

Jeremy's steelhead

Sauk River: Maybe never quite the grand lady she once was, but every once in a while. A noble fish in a noble river. February is a great time to start looking for the wild winter Sauk steelhead.

Skagit: Pretty good. Air temps 30-40 degrees, water temps. 37-42 degrees. Visibility excellent above the Sauk, and fishable below. I try not to get my hopes up too much. Seems like every year we get a pulse of fish and I am thinking, "Here we go!" and the bottom falls out. So far so good.

The Skagit has fish.
Water flows of course are regulated by money, I mean, the dam releases. The river has been very fishy for winter hatchery steelhead, and that's a good thing.

So many kudos for all of you Washingtonians who have come up in defense of our wild Char. You make a difference.

Best of fishing through the Holidays,

Dennis, Mike & Jeremy

www.flyfishsteelhead.com.

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

December 23, 2008

"Christmas Fishing"

"As we get older, we become more like ourselves." Seems like every year the clock turns just a little bit tighter. Time moves a tad bit faster. After so many years of playing as a Biologist and steelhead guide, I wonder if I haven't simply used my occupations as an excuse to play outside. I look at my young Dickson guides, and reflect that it really wasn't so many years ago, that was me. Amazing how life turns.

I have to be honest, with holiday and friends around, I haven't spent but little time on the water. Mike & J. do. Found a few of those cold but crisp days, between storms out on Jeff's Ponds. We get a little spoiled here, on this 90 acre property. Right now we are fishing four of the six lakes. The half day gig, is about the perfect length for this winter fishery. Mohair leeches, and dark dragonfly nymphs were the ticket this week, and all the anglers saw some lovely fish. Largest was a fatty rainbow around eight pounds.

Rivers haven't responded with a lot of winter hatchery steelhead, but the local streams as well as the Olympic Peninsula rivers are starting to get a few fish.

Skagit (4,200- 5900 cfs @ Marblemount) is one that quietly gets it done. There is just enough new steelhead coming in, to make your trip, a good reason to get out of the house. Dollies would be another, but of course we can't talk about that. Black Bart, egg-n-shuck, and the Cop Car series are the best producers.

Skykomish River (2,470 cfs. @ Gold Bar) but is a freezing level away from a real change. Water is low and very fishable as we speak. Watch out if the temps go up! Mike & J. played hooky the other day. Mike swam this nice winter hatchery fish up around High Bridge.

North Fork Stilly: (2,410 cfs @ Deer Creek) It's OK, but takes a lot of local gear action. Fish it on a falling river if you can. Somber colored flies will take more reluctant steelhead.

Sauk River: (2,750 cfs @ Sauk) Not much of a hatchery steelhead stream. Better wait until after the new year for the wild steelhead to show. (My favorite!)

Guide note: When the fish are in and I know the gear guys are hitting the steelhead hard, the "show them something different" really comes into play. Your winter flies in "Off colors" such as black, purple, and blue are great searching flies. Just remember to fish them "Low and Slow."

Kudos to Salmonfly.net Always a quality flyfishing source.

Speaking of quality sources. Puget Sound Fly Company is a breathe of fresh air. We send customers down to this fly shop, all the time. Highly recommend them.

Flyfishing Schools Calendar: "When you decide you want to be in that 10% that catches all the fish"

I have to apologize: These classes filled so quickly, sometimes Sandy and I don't have time to up date the web pages. The following is the correct dates for 2008.

As for now:
We continue to fish our winter rivers and of course our private lakes. Tying warm weather saltwater flies like crazy. Life is good.

Sound like another year is rounding the corner......

"We are here on earth to do good for others. What the others are here for, I don't know."
- W.H.Auden

Best Fishes,

Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com.

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

12/16/07

Dickson guides have been splitting time between the Stilly and the Skagit, too. Olympic Peninsula is also working. Me? Most of my water time has been up at our private lakes. Perfect. Fishing is very good.

As we were fishing the Skagit the other day, we checked out some water I haven't fished for a while.....but will again in later February. Water was low.....but fishing well. Some of the pools have changed since the high waters, so reading water is paramount.

Kudos for those who have been vocal about protecting the wild char. Don't think your efforts have gone unnoticed. Managers are quick to point out that target harvesting had nothing to do with the decline. All drought and habitat loss, they say. Yeah, they used to say that about harvesting our wild steelhead. That worked out well. I say, "I don't care how we got to protecting them, just as long as we do." Here is the Dolly Editorial I wrote a couple years ago.

I was wondering: Think we should include the Dolly/Bull as a target species during the March-April C&R on the Sauk and Skagit? That would be cool.

Rivers took a small pulse of rain last week. Snow levels are hovering in the foothills, steelhead came in on the flood waters. Everything is fishing and life is good again.

Water is cold, even for December, so bringing the fly in "Low and Slow" is the rule. Even though steelhead will lay in many types of water......there are only those pools that you can flyfish effectively. Recognize this water and concentrate your efforts there. Good Karma is a nice read, helpful when you are standing up to your wazzoo in ice water.

A concept we teach in the past ten years of winter steelhead schools is; presentation is more important than the fly on the end of your line. Also, if you thought that drawing steelhead to your fly was as simple as casting as far as you can, and throwing a really big mend, you would be wrong. Over casting sinktips is probably the number 1 mistake I see on the Skagit, and I guide it year round.

The rivers are prime, the water is clear. You have a choice. You can go fishing, or follow your sweetie around the mall. Any questions?

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. "
~Charles Dickens

Merry Christmas, Man.

The Dickson Boys www.flyfishsteelhead.com.

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

12/9/07

"Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the water"

Poor Chum. The Dog Salmon never come back in big numbers in Pink Salmon years. Coming off the flooding rivers we just took, is just not going to help.

The good news is due to cold dry weather rivers have dropped like a stone, and all are back into fine fishing shape. Even the commercial netting can't compete with amount of volume and debris the rivers gained, so the incoming winter steelhead got a free pass for a few days.

While we were out: The high rivers gave us all the excuse we needed to hole up this week at our private waters above Mount Vernon. Our spring fed lakes are protected from winter storms so guiding here was an easy gig.

The large late season rainbows are feeding on leeches and dragonfly nymphs right now. We will see the occasional choronomid coming off, but nothing to get serious about until next spring. Speaking of spring, here is a wonderful goto fly that seems to transcend the winter blues. There is 1000 names for it, we just call it our Redheaded damsel.

We generally fish it along the drop-offs and edges with floating lines at the lakes, but I have also found it effective on most lakes I fish, if fished along the weed tops.

Now that the rivers are back:

Look for the winter hatchery steelhead to be heading in. Dogs to be finishing up, Whitefish et al. to be gobbling eggs. Mike's Egg-n-shuck is still one of my favorites.

Christmas time angling: winter steelheading is a long time tradition in the Pacific Northwest. That means we are going to be sharing our waters with anglers of all gear type. As a very long time fisheries biologist as well as fishing guide, I am embarrassed at times by the attitude of fly anglers who has fished long enough to know better. Here is an article I wrote some years ago called River Etiquette. Besides, it's Christmas.

So there you have it, a guy can only tie so many Tarpon leaders and Bonefish flies while the rivers are out. Dreaming of far-off waters and warmer climes is what keeps us endurable. Such is my winters.

"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian."
— Dennis Wholey

Christmas time, and proud of it,

Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com.

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

12-2-07


If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes

Early in the week, I was fishing our private lakes. Here is one nice fish. This one was taken on a large dragonfly nymph. Leeches were also effective.



By late in the week our arctic blast came through and our Pac 1300 looked more like this.



Fishing & forecast

Rivers are low & cold as we speak. Temperatures are supposed to rise above 50 degrees by Tuesday so watch for the rivers to bounce. Should be more new winter steelhead in the systems when it does. Cool!

Speaking of cool: Our Skagit Winter Steelhead School Feb 8 or 9 hasn't even got out of the gates, and already filling for both dates. The really cagey guys are pointing their sweeties toward giving the Gift Certificate including the 2008 Grande Ronde Campout. Perfect.

Here is what Chris had to say to Mike about our latest steelhead school. So glad he had a good time. We try.

"Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."

-- Oren Arnold

Best of fishing,

Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com.

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

11/25/07

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

"Dead low" would be an accurate description of the North Sound rivers right now. The cold dry weather continues but the weather doppler says that change is coming. Rivers are marvelous. They are either rising or dropping. Nothing static here.

Skagit: Time for the early winter hatchery fish to be poking in. If you get the fishing itch for a new fish and can't make it over to the Olympic Peninsula, fish the middle river. Very pretty water in there.

Mike's favorite big water fly is his articulated Bad Dog. You know the drill. Fish it low and slow.

The upper Skagit is receiving a good pulse of Dolly/Bulls coming out right now. The 27" char one of Mike's clients released was a dandy fish. Fish any fly that is egg-sucking, because that is what the Dollies are doing.

Sauk: Very low. Not much going here.

North Fork Stilly: Last whack at the hatchery summer steelhead before the river goes to bait December 1.
Plenty of Coho and Chum around, but remember you can't fish for them. Release any one you get gently for he is almost home.

Cold Water Takes is a good read this time of year. I have heard all kinds of wives tales on steelhead bites and how to hook set. If you are happy in what works for you, go for it. We spend a lot of time going over presentation et al in our upcoming Skagit Winter Steelhead Schools Feb. 8 or 9.

Many guys are booking this very popular school through our Gift Certificates.

Because you have asked: We have now added the Grande Ronde Campout in these gift certificates.

Very cool. Nothing like getting something for Christmas you really want!

I would certainly be remiss if I didn't mention our 90 acre multiple private lakes gig, east of Pass Lake.

Triploid rainbows for 8 pounds are moving. Mostly to leeches and Dragonfly nymphs, but they are definitely up for the challenge. We continue to book, Monday through Fridays. I recommend the 1/2 day for winter fishing.

Fishing Forecast:

If the weather stays cold and clear, don't expect to many new fish entering the rivers. If these rains materialize, look for shot of early winter hatchery steelhead to head for home.

Best of fishing,

Dickson,

www.flyfishsteelhead.com

425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

11/18/07

"Dog Days of Thanksgiving"

Fishing continues as the rivers have settled back in, again. More rains are forcasted. The weather is always bumpy this time of year. We will see. All species are happening. From waiting period Coho, to upriver summer steelhead, everything is in the mix. Our guides and I are bouncing from river to river right now.

The Stilly will take a few more days to get back into fishing shape. Freezing temperatures will help. This time of year, the Fortson area is the best for summer steelhead. Careful where you step. Chum salmon are spawning now.

Only the Skagit has been down in fishing shape. Mike & Jeremy handled the Skagit Schools this time, while I took care of some family matters. Thanks again to all who made another successful set of outings. Mike and J. were pleased with the boys into Dogs, Dollies, & Silvers, while they schooled. All species doing well. Even a gazillion white fish. Think they will ever be a sport? Both floating and sinktip lines have their place. I have to tell you, after the many years of chasing these fish again; it really helps to be able to focus on the specie in front of you. I constantly marvel how each species has their own idiosyncrasies. Mike says their three top flies in the schools were
Egg-n-shuck ,
Black Bart
and the Egg-sucking Cop Car. Skagit is dropping, fish are looking up.

Orin Barlond & Skagit Chum
Guide Jeremy Floyd

If you are looking for a change of pace, Hood Canal tidewater chum fishing is fun. Here is an article I wrote a few years ago called History of the Hoodsport Fishery

I have been getting phone calls and emails asking what we can do to stem the tide, should WDFW management discontinue their summer steelhead hatchery program. Good question, wish I had an happy answer to any of our problems facing Washington steelhead. Hatchery or wild. I don’t.

I can tell you this: Take all your committees and organizations, your five year cycles and symposiums, and any discussion that doesn’t put you face to face with the Tribes, and all you have is talk. This is not about placing blame, we are passed that. This is about finding solutions.

What’s coming up:

Look for a few hatchery winter steelhead to poke their way in as we head further into the holidays. The Skagit is full of Chums now, and Silvers are pushing way up into their natal streams. That is cool.

If you do take a winter steelhead guide trip, tell your guide there will be no Dolly killing in the boat that day. We have to start somewhere.

Jeremy spent some time back over on the Ronde last week. He said the water temps were down to 37 degrees. No wonder we spend our Grande Ronde time in October!

Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in.
--Alan Alda

A happy Kudos to all of you that have made Dennis Dickson, Flyfishing # 1 in the world!
(Google search steelhead flyfishing guide)

Best of fishing,

Dickson

www.flyfishsteelhead.com

425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

11/11/07

"Careful what you wish for"

Our guide week:
We started the week mumbling about the low clear water. Boom, the monsoon hit and blew Dickson guides right off the water. Just like that, all the rivers are back and fishing. Life is good again.

Seemed like The high water early in the week brought in more new fish as we were fishing the week on the falling water. This is our grab bag time of year, due to multiple species of fish.

NF Stilly: (1,800 CFS) Stilly went out of shape the other day but fell back nicely. Boulder Creek is still putting in some color but the cold weather has made the entire river fishable. Our target is summer steelhead but all species can get in on the act. Release them gently, and careful what is biting. The purple conehead bugger and Mrs. Black are our two top flies this week.

Skykomish: Sorry, don't spent much time on the Sky this time of year but it can be a fine dog show. Too many sleds.

Sauk: No fishing this week, but it is fishable

Skagit: 4,300 > 7,400 CFS. Water jumped due to the rain but as the Skagit is dam controlled, all is good. The articulated leeches in Black, green, purple, pink and the Cop Car series, are good. Fishing is from Marblemount to Rockport is the drill. Remember to release all the Dollies. We need to do what we can to protect this wild Char.

Wenatchee River: Jeremy is over there chasing steelhead as we speak. Haven't heard from him which isn't unusual when he is fishing. Have a report by next week.

Jeff's Ponds
Private waters are fishing well. The rainbows handled the summer just fine and doing the same. Leeches along the edges are the drill for these bruisers to eight pounds.

Fall Season Flyfishing Schools Nov 16 or 17
The classes were full, but due to a couple late cancellations we have room for two on Friday, all locked for Saturday. If you didn't get (or can't find) your itinerary, no worries, just give me a holler. We have no problem filling a fly order and bringing it to the class.

Best of fishing,

Dennis, Mike & Jeremy www.flyfishsteelhead.com

425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

11/4/07

"California Dreaming"

Just returned from a week’s fishing in Northern California. Jeremy could barely contain the superlatives as he described his hometown steelheading. I had no choice, we had to go.

Mike, Jeremy & I flew out of Seattle, destination Eureka California. Our goal was to fish the Klamath & Trinity rivers for steelhead. We have Dickson clients who live down there, so for years, I have heard of fabled stories of "half-pounders" and adult steelhead. Multiple fish & floating lines are suppose to be the rule. Interesting.

As we floated and fished for the next few days, Jeremy didn’t lie, the fishing was solid. We were in the middle of no-where. I naturally assumed northern California was like the rest of it. Wild fires, people and smog. I was so wrong.

Imagine this: We are fishing a drop dead gorgeous Klamath run at sunrise, steelhead are rolling, and it’s about 55 degrees air and water. Yesterday the air temperatures got up in the mid-seventies. I am thinking, this is my idea of November steelheading. I swear it had the look and feel of Cle Elum Washington, in mid September. It was friggin awesome, only the river is the size and character of the upper Skagit. Perfect.

I tried lots of flies in lots of presentations over the next few days of fishing, so did Mike and Jeremy, but this morning was a total grease lining show.

I fished my single-handed 5wt., our FLHS, on a 12’ leader tapered to a 3x Grand Max. flouro tippet. a # 8 Silver Hilton, dressed low water. Line and presentation complimented the air clear water conditions we faced. I won’t bore you with a lot of details, but I rose about a dozen fish, hooked 8 and brought 5 to hand. All half-pounder steelhead, which remind me an awful lot of fishing the Cowlitz Sea-run Cutthroat, but these wild steelhead run and jump more. I rose a heavy fish down in the tail-out but it came unpinned as it broke into the chute below. I had to admit, it was impressive. Jeremy didn’t say much. (He didn’t have to.)

Klamath River Fishing:
I found that: The wading was challenging at the least. No wonder the local guides fish their clients from a boat. (Mike and I kindly refused just because, but I know why they do it.)

If you fish for the half-pounders (like you would dry-line steelhead) and treat each adult steelhead as a bonus, then you are going to be really happy.

If you over gun with big rods, ski the youngsters to hand, looking for a big steelhead, you came for the wrong reason. Matching rod to fishing is everything. Always is.

Personally, I couldn’t get over the weather and the scenery. Stunning. I remember one afternoon on the Trinity River, where Mike and I were a little worn out of every day fishing. (Jeremy wasn't, he is like a friggin energizer bunny), so we just laid down in the sunbaked gravel bar, and had a nap. It was the first of November, and we were sprawled out down to waders & tee shirts. The sun was not quite hot. Perfect.

Mike & Jeremy with half-ponders

So the Klamath River reminds me of the upper upper Skagit River, in size and volume. Some amazing fly-water, but wading is slick in places. I used my wading staff a lot. The section of the Trinity where we fished was in the lower river, near the Klamath confluence. This watershed is about North Stilly size, very clear, with good substrate. With Jeremy playing the guide, we hooked both adults and half-pounders (which are wild, by the way). My only regret is I would have liked to spend a day or two more, floating the Trinity. We float and waded on the Klamath, just like we do at home. Having Jeremy there to point out every good pool, didn't hurt either.

Can I see what Jeremy gets so fired up about these rivers? Oh yeah. I couldn't help thinking how sucky the weather et al, gets back home in Washington right now. I could get used to this November steelheading down south.

Local Fishing:
I can always tell when it's this time of year. The fishing can be as volatile as the river levels. I get a flood (bad pun) of emails, from guys who know if there is anyone idiot enough to be out fighting the fall/winter elements, it has got to be the Dickson boys. Always happy to answer questions. This is what you will find.

The NF Stilly: (470-CFS) Definitely in the lower freezing levels, which have produced an early dry and cold period. The Stilly is a relatively small drainage, and can drop pretty quickly. Look for Chums & Coho in the mainstem clear to the tidewater, and a mix of older summer steelhead, with a few early winter hatchery fish in the North Fork, as the water has dropped to summer low. Sinktips and winter marabous like ""http://www.streamsideflyshop.com/pinkstinker-pic.htm"" have given way to the small and flashy like Jonathan‘s Coho Green .

Speaking of Pink Stinker:

The Skykomish (1,700-CFS) is a pretty stable watershed, and not a bad "Dog Show" but we may have to wait for the next pulse of rain to really bring them in. Right now the water is dead low. Many anglers swear by the chartreuse but it has been I experience, that cerise/purple in our "Pink Stinker" is a great Chum color combination, for the Sky fish. (Also one of my go-to winter steelhead flies, so there you go.) Fish it greaseline, with a twitch for the Dogs. If you are snagging fish, stop casting down & across, as you do for steelhead, they don't like that.

Skagit: (5,700 CFS) This river is very "IN" right now. Coho, Chum, and some big Dolly/ bulls are in there. Watch your regs for retention, though. If you are a Dickson Member, the Cop Car series, is a great dirty fly if we get that rain. Right now, I have found any of those egg-sucking flies such as the "http://www.streamsideflyshop.com/blackbart-pic.htm" is awesome, now that the water has dropped and we have the visibility. I maintain the fly isn't as important as the presentation in the right zone.

Oh Yeah: Looking forward to our annual Skagit school-winter November 16 or 17.

Looks like we just have room for two in the Friday school, Saturday is full. Itinerary is included.

So I am home. Fishing is fishing. Guys are rebooking for the Grande Ronde again next fall.

Bahama Bones & Tarpon are only a couple months away. Tuff gig.

Best of fishing,

Dennis, Mike, & Jeremy
425 238 3537 www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

Oct 28 2007


"Here today gone, to Maui"
By the time you read this, Mike, Jeremy and I will be getting ready to crawl onto a plane, this time for Northern California. These are Jeremy's old stomping grounds. He has turned into quite an excellent guide, and we are lucky to have him working for Dicksons. If he says his home waters is that good, that is something I got to see. Plan is to fly down on Monday, fish until Friday. J. says he hasn't slept since he got home from the Ronde.

After 20 some odd years in the business, my being gone doesn't even phase my good wife, anymore. Not sure that is a good thing? Mike and Jeremy's women? Hmmm, that's a little different.

Fall in the Pacific northwest:

After the big rain, we are back into dry and cold. Rivers were a little swollen, but dropping like crazy. The good news is the fish are coming. I check out my River Flows every day, that I am home.

North Sound Streams: A lot of spawning Pink salmon this year. With a little luck, the eggs will make it beyond the critical egg stage. Pinks are trying to wrap it up, Coho are in, Chum are coming in, SRC will start heading up their natal tribs, Dollies will be coming down from spawning......and they will be hungry. Things are definitely on the go. Stilly North Fork: Air temperatures have dropped into the 30's. Brrrr.....

Steelhead flies: As you would probably imagine, egg patterns are a good choice with both Chinook and Pinks are in post spawn. Mike's Glue Egg-n-shuck We are seeing Coho all the way up into the upper reaches of the North Fork, and some really large Searuns are hanging around the steelhead waters. Remember, only the hatchery steelhead are legal. Leave everything else alone.

The lower North Fork Stilly was fishing well right until the high water. Deer Creek and Boulder Creek both blew out. Tons of Coho this year, and wild ones, too! The Stilly tidewater is falling back into smoking, and this time the big bad Chum dogs, will be joining the mix. Good times.

The Skagit River: The upper Skagit between Marblemount and Sauk River confluence is actually back up to high normal flows:

The Skagit River Humpy run was "OK," but at least we maintained a viable stock. Now it is time for the Chum & Coho show. We do our best chum fishing in the standard steelhead waters. Techniques differ a bit from the standard wetfly swing but they will bite. I think it is really hard to beat the egg-sucking leech patterns.

The big Dolly/Bulls are coming out soon. They will be all over the Chum spawn & carcass. (think Alaska rainbows).

Speaking of which: Check out our 2007 Steelhead, Salmon & Dolly school November 16 or 17. Latest head count. November 17 class is full but Friday the 16th still has a couple openings.

I already forewarned you: Guys have been asking about this particular school since before we even headed to the Grande Ronde, back in September. The guides and I really enjoy this multiple species gig.

The Cascade River has a bunch of hatchery Coho in it right now. Fish the small flies for them as the water clears.

It's not just about the North Sound Rivers: Good time to be hitting those Hood Canal trib. mouths, as the Chum will be smelling for home. Better prepare for a jam show. That why my guides & I will be splitting time between the Stilly, Skagit and the Sauk, this winter. It's a cold time, but a quiet time........until you hook a Chum headed south.

I will write more specifics on the home rivers, as we get further into the early winter show. I promise to tell you all about my take on the Klamath and Trinity steelhead fishing, when we get back.

Many have read some to all of my Stories and articles. One of my favorites is "Guide Hats."

Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility and commitment.
--Ross Perot

Best of fishing,

Dicksonwww.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

10-21-07


Mike & Jeremy have just rolled in after their 20 straight days on the Grande Ronde. Mike seems to be well pleased with his 2007 Cabins & Camp-out expeditions. They wanted me to thank the 48 anglers who joined their 3 day expeditions. Good times. Here is what Dennis R. had to say about his camp-out experience, with Mike & Jeremy.

The Grande Ronde is up a little now, and the temperatures are dropping. We are already planning for our 2008 trips. To tell you the truth, we have been booking for 08' season for the last couple months. Happy to send dates & details for next year.

We will have some Chum & Coho guiding in the next week, but it is our Northern California Klamath River steelhead the next week following, that has me excited. Jeremy says as good as the Ronde was, the Klamath is better. I got see this for myself.

I guess the Stilly has been awesome for Coho in the past few weeks. The lower river is out right now, but if we hit a dry spell, the bad dogs of Chumsville should be along with them. This has got to be good.

A lot of Anglers will be hitting the Skykomish River as the waters fall back in, but my attention will be on the Skagit River. There is something about the North Cascade mountain stream.

Our Skagit Fall Salmon & Steelhead School Nov 16 or 17 is quietly one of our top schools, year in and year out. Looks like this year is no different. Our Saturday school is full but we still have a couple slots left in the Friday class. My favorite Skagit Chum fly is Black Bart. Steelhead love it, too!

So watch your river levels. We will have to fight off the local fish until next week. Tell you all about these California fish when we return.

Here is to dreaming about the Ronde for another year,

Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

10/14/07

"God didn't build enough Octobers."

Still digging the Grande Ronde dirt from under my finger nails right now. I purposely came back from the Ronde after only a couple weeks this year. Too many biology projects I tell myself. Have to tell you, it feels a little weird. I wouldn't normally be back for another week or so, but the Dickson guides are doing the Cabins & Campouts drill over there, so they don't need me. (I must be getting old).

Had a wonderful time of my own, doing a series of wilderness campouts with some very close angling clients, I have been fortunate enough to know. I so look forward to seeing them on the Grande Ronde each year. Has it really been since 1990?

As I was packing, I told my good wife I had to head over to the east side for work on the Ronde again this year.

She simply looked at me and said, "Going over to play in the dirt with your buddies?"
Wives know, they always know. So I will confess, for all the fishing from Alaska to Mexico I do each year, the GR is a huge favorite.

Jeff plays the spey

As mentioned, Mike & Jeremy are still up in the upper Grande Ronde doing the Cabins & Campouts gig. I would check in each time I came off my lower river campout. Sounds like they have been doing very well. Boys will be back on the Seattle side after Oct. 21st.

The fishing:
The Grande Ronde is still a little warm. Steelhead are coming in by fits and spurts. Our standard steelhead flies are working along with "One eyed Willy" & "Dandy's Divine."

One eyed Willy represents a small olive green crayfish with brownish orange claws, prevalent on the GR. I simply tie it up as a Woolly Bugger with small lead eyes. I then lop off a dumb bell eye which makes it swim lop sided. Gary H. called it my "pity fly." The fish hit it because they are trying to put it out of its misery. He is probably right.

Anyway, I am now back on the West side for another year. As a fall fishery, the Grande Ronde always reminds me another year is coming to a close.
"No rest for the weary."

Mike and Jeremy have exactly one week from when they return to get ready for a week's steelhead trip down into Northern California. The Klamath River Jeremy's home stomping ground. The "steelhead half-pounders" is the quarry. I have clients who live down there, and they have raved about it to me for years. Jeremy is the perfect excuse.(Here is Jeremy's Guiding profile) Keep you posted on that one.

Back at the ranch. I have a mountain of emails to go through. For those inquiring about our
Skagit Fall School Nov 16 or 17 Thank you for your patience, right back to you.

About Life:
You can understand and relate to most people better if you look at them
-- no matter how old or impressive they may be -- as if they are
children. For most of us never really grow up or mature all that much --
we simply grow taller. Oh, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and
wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the
child we always are, whose needs are simple, whose daily life is still
best described by fairy tales.
--Leo Rosten

Here is to living the dream.

Best of fishing,
Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

10/7/07


"Now there is something you don't find every day"

Pardon the interruption. All the guides are over in southeast Washington, doing the Grande Ronde 3 day campouts. If you are interested in our 2008 GR season, we have been booking it for the past month. Happy to have you.

My sweet wife Dawn will guard the fort while we are out, answering emails & phone calls.

If you are inquiring about our November 16 or 17 Skagit Schools happy to get back to you on that. Right now there are slots available for either day.

Back to you with more stories of the Grande Ronde!

Best of fishing,

Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

9/30/07

"Fishing is spelled October"

Hard to imagine another September has come and gone. Jeremy, Mike and I have all been busy on the guiding scene.

Weather hasn't been so fabulous.......but the fishing has been awesome. Multiple rivers, multiple species. Very cool. Rivers smell of salmon now. Absolutely amazing how nature works. Studies now conclude, that the very carcass of the adult fish provide the nutrient loading for the juveniles the following spring. God always seems to have an answer.

Pinks are mostly gone now from the lower rivers. Spawning has commenced. Lets hope the weather Gods are gentle.

Searun Cutthroat fishing is really good on the Stilly right now. The traditional flies aren't so hot but Pink salmon egg patterns, somber Carey Specials, and little muddlers are all killer.

Speaking of Stilly: Looks like an awesome return of wild Coho are returning this year. Seen fish already to 15 pounds!. The Skagit is flat getting it done. Here is what Craig had to say about his recent Westside flyfishing day with Mike and I.

Almost makes we wish I was around for the October show, but of course the Grande Ronde River calls. For all the fishing throughout the world I do, there must be something about the Grande Ronde. I seem to spend half my year looking forward to it, the other half reflecting back on it. May every angler have a Grande Ronde in his/her life.

We have been booking for the GR trips of 08', for the past month or so. We started doing the GR in 1990 so you can do the math. For those new to the Grande Ronde, please read The Grande Ronde and Mrs. Brown

Watch for the SRC to head up their tributaries........right now they are huddled around the mouths waiting for this rain. It is our one chance at large trout in a small stream setting, here in western Washington. Pretty cool. Salmon are in, Coho are staging.......too many choices......way too many choices.

By the time you are reading this, Mike and Jeremy are heading over to the Grande Ronde, I wander that way in a few days.

Did I mention Skagit Chums of November?

Best of fishing,

Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

9/23/07

"Its all good, baby"

I guess you could say, Fall has fell. Shorter days, colder nights, leaves are turning on the mountain hillsides. Ahhh.... life is good.

It is almost impossible to describe all the flyfishing scenarios right now. The saltwater beaches are showing more and more Silvers now. Clousers, Shrimp and baitfish imitation patterns will get it done. Tidewater and upriver fishing is moving slowly from Humpies to Silvers. Waters are cooling and the summer steelhead are looking up. Searuns are quietly doing their thing. Good time to start looking off the tributary mouths. With all the salmon spawning, many SRC are now moving to egg patterns.
The Sauk is finally starting to clear with the cool weather. You can finally find quality fishing below the Sauk/Skagit confluence, again. Yeah!

Skykomish/ Snohomish: Look for some tributary steelhead & SRC fishing as the water cools and rises a bit. Working around all the Humpies in the river is the trick.

Grande Ronde is our October fishing. We are booking for 2008 as we speak. Mike & Jeremy will be doing the upper river again. I will be camped in the lower Ronde, playing in the dirt.

Fall/Winter Salmon & Steelhead Flyfishing Schools Nov 16 or 17
Once this Skagit school was simply an afterthought, now it has quietly become one of our most sought after clinics. Word is still out if the Skagit will be open for a Dolly kill. We will adjust the school accordingly.

Kudos to you: A very humble thank you for making Dickson Flyfishing, the # 2 ranked flyfishing guide service in the world. (Google search Flyfishing Guide). Read Testimonials to find out why.

Best of fishing,

Dennis, Mike & Jeremy

www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

9/16/07

Bear Attack attack.

So my buddy [Steve] and I head off to Alaska for a week of fishing. We ended up fishing a bunch of rivers in Southeast. Amazing country and the wildlife was outstanding. Bears, wolves, seals, it just went on and on. Pretty cool.

We heard about this one lake that was supposed to have some monster cutthroat in it so we of course, had to check that out.

On our way out we were hiking a fairly short but steeply pitched forested game? trail. The evidence of half torn salmon carcasses, and bear feces reminded us, we were not alone. The fishing wasn't so much but the scenery was stunning. We came to a Hemlock blow-down over the trail. Steve disappeared into the foliage and I hear, "Whoosh!" then "Ahhh!" by Steve. I hear some crashing around but nothing that really sounds "animal." I yell, "Man you all right? (Notice brave Dennis hasn't gone plowing into the forested wonderland of brush and tree.)

Steve says with a gasp, "I just sprayed myself !" I think Bear Spray. I remembered he was carrying the can on his belt and apparently the trigger guard came off, and a limb had pulled the trigger. I waited a minute, but as I crawled into the blowdown, I immediately started gasping, eyes and nose were like on fire. For all the many times I had played around bear country and pepper spray. I have never seen it in action. Nasty.

So Steve has spray all up the inside of his waders and jacket. Gave him an orange hew.

His eyes, nose and lips were already swelling. I led him to a swamp, and had him rub everything down with a cake of mud including face and hands. If it wasn't so tragic, he looked pretty funny. I figured the pepper spray had done it's job, it was simply a matter now, of wiping it off. Steve had found a spring and was going to clean up.

I was gathering up his fishing gear when I hear, "Ahhh!!!" (and then a bunch of stuff I can't write down.)

I looked over and exclaimed "Steve, you didn't grab that Devils Club did you!?"

He said weakly "Yeah..." His right hand was now full of prickles.

As we stumbled him off the mountain, he looked like a Halloween party gone bad, he was nursing swollen eyes, swollen lips muck caked facial, and a hand full of stickers.

When we got to the sea shore, he stripped everything down washed up in saltwater the best he could, and even went potty.

Steve puts everything back on but you could still smell the acrid odor of pepper spray. Nasty stuff. His poor eyes were all pouched and runny, his nose was inflamed, and his lips looked like a botox job gone wrong. This of course, while he was picking stickers out of his right hand. Not good shape. Steve stands up.

He leans a bit over and says, "You know, that spray must have gone right thru my waders."

He begins flinching and stammering around like a three year old who has to go the bathroom really bad. It hits me.

"Steve!", I yelled "You didn't touch your _______!" It hit him full well why his Pee pee was on fire. The Bear Spray hadn't come off his hands.

I couldn't help it, as busted up as he was, I just started rolling in laughter. That poor guy.

As the captain pulls the boat up, one look at Steve and he says "Man, what happened to you!" Steve could "bearly" sit down.

Back at the ranch:

Mike and Jeremy have been busy fishing the Stilly Tidewater for Humpies and SRC and the North Fork Stilly for SRC.

The lower river has been excellent for the salmon but only so-so for SRC. The North Fork has produced some lovely Searuns.

Look for all the river systems to get a healthy return of the Pinks. We use primarily floating lines but all is good.

I think all the Searuns are wise to the spider patterns. The longer they are in freshwater, the more they revert back to their trouty ways. Searun Cutthroat Tactics explains it all.

Life is good. Look for more fish to enter the rivers. If you are not out fishing, you should be -

and remember, "God didn't build enough Octobers"

Best of fishing,

Dennis & Mike Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

9/9/07

Dennis is in Alaska chasing silvers till late next week so I’m holding down the fort here. That’s ok with me cause fishing is great. Lot’s of fishermen but lots of fish too. We are mostly fishing the salmon with a few src’s here and there on the Sky and Stilly. The pinks are still looking fresh and we have seen a couple early silvers too. I have to say thanks to Jeremy for helping with the schools. We had a great bunch of guys.

We are fully booked for the Grande Ronde and are looking forward to a good time there.

We have a few guys looking for partners for some up coming trips. The 13th 18th and the 29th.

Time to get caught up on the NFL I missed to day….Happy fishing,

Mike Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

September 2, 1999

Labor Day Humpy:

As a sportsman, a guide, or Biologist. Doesn't matter. Does my heart good to see the returning fish.

It's an easy time to write. All the rivers have got fish. Sure, you are always going to get those that talk about here or there, who or what is good sport, but for me, I think our best chance in saving our rivers is tied to preserving our privilege to fish. All stems from involvement. People get passionate about that which they have a vested interest. Now try to explain that to Dickson as the 100th friggin buzz bomb flies past his clients flyline on an otherwise lonely beach. I keep trying to tell myself. "It's all good."

Stilly is flat out cooking, right now. Lots of fish but the boat show may give you a better chance at a little angler separation. Don't forget the lowly SRC in all the Humpy mania. Here are a couple guide tips for Searuns.

1)SRC are probably the most "light sensitive" fish I know. It is the one fish I look for during thunder showers. Every time a thunderhead rolls in and the sky goes black, it is dinner time.

2) SRC are the only river fish in our region with yellow fins. Even if I am just floating through, if I catch a dink (pre-spawner) I always check to see if its a SRC. If it is, cast in there again. The SRC are schoolers. The next one could be Mobey Cut.

Most of the fish I release are 10" to 13." A few from 14" - 16" and only a few monster fish to 20." Large fish used to be the rule. Not now.

3) Instead of leaving a pod after your fly goes stale, try resting them for a few minutes and try something totally different, like a dry > wet or vise versa. You can really fool them sometimes.

Stilly Tidewater Schools Sept 8 or 9th. The Saturday class is full but we did have couple cancellations for the Sunday gig. Mike & Jeremy will conduct these classes, as I will be up in Alaska for a week on a different gig.

The Skykomish has a gazillion fish but the crowds are there to match them. Look for it to only become more so.

Skagit: Our new guide Jeremy Floyd was running one of our scenic tours from Dickson Outdoor Adventures the other day.

He confirmed lots of Pink Salmon already up in the Rockport area. As this section is some 50 plus miles from the mouth, you don't have to be a Biologist to deduct, this number of fish showing this high, by September 1, means for a whole bunch of fish are coming but........

The Skagit River is closed to Humpies (river sport fishing, anyway, commercials is an another matter) so anglers need to follow the rules. If you have a problem with how the river is managed, take it up with Olympia. They write the rules.

The upside is, the Skagit will open for Coho September 16.

How many times do we get to complain about having too many fish? Now that is a dilemma I can handle.

Best of fishing,

Dennis & Mike Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

8/26/07

"Next year if summer comes on a Saturday, I am going fishing"

Just like that? I mean, one day we are finally enjoying warm days and blackberry pie, and the next find the fall rains and maples are turning.

Not all bad: I love the fall. As soon as we take that first good rain, all kinds of things start happening, not the least is the different anadromous species moving into their river systems.

You have been hearing me chat about the tidewater fishing. Man, when those river bound fish smell their natal streams, they can flush through the bays in a New York minute, and head for home. Every river estuary is unique unto itself. Anglers can spend a life time, studying the when, where, what species, for each watershed. If you haven't done it, there is a whole new world for you, and here is the good part. You will be more likely to rob Fort Knox than get any of your B-B buddies to divulge their truly secret haunts. The upside is, when you find your gig, you will probably have it to yourself. Way cool.

OK, now I will give you newbies something. Take on a river system, find a few access points down around tidewater, grab a tide book and some favorite flies (you will probably end up building some of your own), and spend some float time. You can be amazed how little rod pressure is spread out in these lower river reaches. All the local boys ask is you keep it low down.

Who said anything about rain?

What it did do, was flush all the fish out of the bay, and up into the rivers.......that is good, because the netting can get pretty intense, when fisheries know the fish won't enter when the rivers are low and warm. The rain couldn't come at a better time. Even the upstream steelhead, will perk up, as the water cools.

Really haven't found a really good crossover pattern for Pinks, Coho, and SRC. Maybe somebody has. Presentation is as unique, meaning we at Dicksons don't fish Pinks like we do Coho, like we fish SRC. My advice is to know which species you have out in front of you, and experiment - then target the targetable.

North Sound Rivers:

The Snohomish system: Definitely getting it done. Good bet. Water is back down the high water on Aug 22. Lets see; we caught silvers, pinks, & SRC.......sometimes all on the same trip! We fished nothing but floating lines, both surface and wet flies. Totally cool.

Stilly: The Humpy thing doesn't kick off until Sept. 1, but our SRC forays are finding Silvers, Pinks along with the targetable Searuns, so all looks good. Stilly took another bump in the water levels from the rain, but all should be good in the next day or two if this weather pattern settles down.

Skagit: Not much to look at yet, but we will be more in tuned as we approach the Sept 16 Coho opening. Anyone who has fished the Skagit in the fall knows it is a lovely place to be.

Flyfishing meets polically correct:

"If I ran a school, I'd give the average grade to the ones who gave me all the right answers, for being good parrots. I'd give the top grades to those who made a lot of mistakes and told me about them, and then told me what they learned from them. "

--Buckminister Fuller

Best of fishing,

Dickson

www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

8/19/07

"East meets West"

Mike has been fishing the lower reaches of the Skykomish for SRC and Pink salmon. He says the fishing is excellent. Both floating line and sinktips are getting it done. Anglers should try the Humpy Chaser for the salmon, and anything that swims for the Cutthroat.

Speaking of cutthroat: A dear friend and I traveled into northeast Washington to flyfish a lovely stream for a couple days. Kind of a busman's holiday. Hoppers were moving and the rainbows and cutties were looking up. Even a Columbia steelhead decided to get in the act, wolfing a hapless Madam X. That's a lot of fish for a 2wt. (Another story)

Never thought I would glad to see the rain. Perfect timing as the Pink Salmon have been staging along the river mouths. The tidewater show is about to commence. The rain will pull them right into the rivers, and what is good for the salmon is good for the SRC. Check your regs for specific openings.

Might be a good time to brush up on your river salmon flyfishing. Check out Flyfishing Pacific Salmon in Freshwater.

Our very popular Stilly Tidewater School Sept 8 or 9 still has a couple openings. Early scouting shows fish are coming in. Better wait to see if this rain is going to do anything, before heading out. Hard to say if the rivers will go out of shape.

"And the hits just keep on coming!"

Best of fishing,

Dickson Flyfishing outfitter & Biologist www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

8/12/07


"Pick your poison?"

I guess this week's fishing report says it all. As many of you know, it is hopper time on the Yakima and Methow Rivers. Upper trib fishing for wild cutthroat and rainbows is on the money. Also great time to be doing the ocean thing. I won't try to blow you any smoke, the West coast of Vancouver Island is the place to be.

Humpies are making the scene along the Washington beaches. Staging areas adjacent to good return rivers are the gig. Finding a quiet section of water from the buzz bombs and beer parties can be the challenge. Pays to know someone with private property.

Mike was fishing the tidewater section of the Stilly the other day. He reports there isn't a lot of Searun Cutthroat (SRC) in the river yet, but certainly some dandies. Here is a how-to article I wrote about SRC fishing called Searun Cutthroat tactics

Anglers should watch for that next good rain. The SRC always seem to be on the tails of a good Humpy run, and the Stilly is projected for a fine return of Humpies.

There appears to be a misconception amongst some anglers that once the Pink Salmon are established in the river, they are not good sport. Here is a piece I recently wrote in response to an ugly "old wive's tale" that upriver Pinks are poor sport.

The question of flyfishing river Pink Salmon is as much a biological, as fishing sport.

I think it is easy to say that any anadromous species, whether it is salmon or steelhead caught in or near saltwater, is better sport than a fish taken upstream, but that is only part of the picture.

Physiological condition: Some streams are small and turbulent. Fish entering in these systems get "banged up" pretty easy. As in most species, they also concentrate on propagating instead of biting things.

Some of our larger river systems carry both water depth and volume. They are more like a moving lake. The Columbia, the Snake, the Skykomish or Skagit River would fit this bill. We have caught very bright Pink Salmon 50 miles up the Skagit, 25 miles up the Skykomish River. Nature's way of preservation.

Cindy & Dennis Humpy Salmon 50 miles from Saltwater (05 photo)

Selection: Now imagine fishing for a salmon from 4 to 10 pounds, with a 4 weight flyrod and a floating line. Flyfishing with surface flies or barely subsurface. Anglers are naturally selecting the strongest most aggressive Pink Salmon in the pool. Wonderful sport, and if anyone hasn't tried it, I wouldn't poo-poo it until you have.

Grande Ronde is October time:
Those Dam counts! Have you seen the number of steelhead crossing the lower Granite Dam? Now of course these are returning fish to the Clearwater, Salmon, and Grande Ronde but the numbers are back and everything is looking up. Speaking of which, if you have never taken the opportunity to fish the Ronde, take a minute and visit our Grande Ronde Slide show. If you are still convinced nobody was catching GR steelhead last fall, check out Mikes GR video. It was all shot from the 07 season!

"And that's all I have to say about that"
Forest Gump

Best of fishing,

Dickson Fisheries Biologist, Flyfishing Guide for www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

8/5/07


"Life is a beach"

It's that time again. Seems like it was just few weeks ago we were bundled up for coastal steelhead in the winter scene. Now it is shirt sleeves and stripping baskets. Maybe that is what makes life in the Pacific Northwest.

Tidewater Humpies is a gig unto itself. I won't go into my do's and don'ts. There are plenty of qualified gents to do that. The Puget Sound Fly Company do a nice job. If you are traveling in the South Sound region, check them out.

For those of us on the North end this year - that is going to be the waters associated to the Snohomish & and Stillaguamish River systems. Both watersheds are looking for a bumper crop of the scrappy little biters, but remember, you can't keep any river fish until September 1. (Check your regs for specific waters et al.)

September 8 or 9 is our Stilly Tidewater School. Sorry for the confusion with Deer Creek, I must be getting really old.

Some are in a bit of a panic due to Pink Skagit closure. No biggy. Here is what Dickson Flyfishing has planned.

August will find us fishing beaches and estuaries. SRC is the primary target, Pinks where we can.
September 1 is the official kickoff for the river fishing. We will begin in the Stilly tidewater program September 1-15

We plan a week's guiding on the Skykomish in mid September, then flit back and forth amongst the Stilly, Sky, and Skagit Rivers from September 20 - Oct 1. (The Skagit opens for Coho September 16 in the Rockport area, but the good fishing for them is normally after Sept 19.) We have an awesome trick fly for this one!

Our typical river gig for salmon is little flyrods and surface and barely subsurface flies. Why is that important? Only the brightest, strongest, and most aggressive biters come up. Best of the sport for both salmon & steelhead. The guy who has the most fun, wins!

Speaking of steelhead: Rounding the corner now for our annual Grande Ronde 3 day Campouts $579. Come see why we have the most popular October gig on the river. Our Testimonial section is full of GR people. Happy to send references if you want to talk with any. Anyway, if you are flexible we stll have room in a couple campouts.

The Humpies are showing up and the GR steelhead are around the corner! Life doesn't get better than that.

From Larry the Cable Guy:

1. A day without sunshine is like night.

2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.

3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.

Best of fishing,

Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

7-29-07

"Getting that time"

Seems a little odd that the answer to the summer doldrums would be to look downstream. OK, so the summer steelhead in the local waters has been less than stellar. The good news is the Searun Cutthroat are entering and the little anti-hero Humpy salmon will be right on his tail. I call him the anti-hero because many hard core steelheaders, wouldn't be caught dead fishing for Humpies. In Alaska, they just "get in the way." Well buckaroo, that is a nice problem for Alaska to have, but down here, it is another story.

I am blessed. I enjoy all kinds of fishing. I mean, I like carp fishing in Bank's Lake and the Columbia. I get jazzed up about shad fishing on the lower Umpqua, that is until the river goes down, and the Smallies are busting anything that hits the water. I love fishing anything that swims and eats in estuary waters, and for the lower Stilly, that usually means, SRC, Coho, and the lowly Humpy salmon. The fishing heats up in August and goes right on through September. Not a bad gig.

I enjoy fishing our FLHS for my 5wt. I think it really lets the fish show off. Different rivers have different bite periods so I pay quite bit of attention to the tides. For the Stilly, it is the incoming tide, but to be real honest, I have caught fish on all stages.

I have a favorite fly for SRC and no it is not in the spider family, but freely admit, I will use them, too. Mine imitates a baby whitefish, and that is all I will say about that. The article I wrote titled Searun Cutthroat Tactics is a timely read. I will catch the occasional Coho and Pink salmon on the SRC fly but it is incidental at best.

My favorite Coho pattern is a variation of "Mrs. Black" and my goto fly for Humpies in the tidewater is a silly little thing, Mike calls the "Humpy chaser." http://streamsideflyshop.com/flies.htm

OK, I will also admit having the best friggin fly on the planet is still only half the gig. You still have to know how the present it right to get the consistent hookups, and that varies from species to species. My advice? Either spend a day with a guide who specializes in this style of fishing, or get out there and spend some serious line time. Figuring stuff out is half the fun anyway.

That's the way I see it.

Talk does not cook rice.
~Chinese proverb

note: We have a guest that needs a partner for a trip on the stilly this Wednesday.

Best of fishing,

Dennis Dickson, Flyfishing Biologist www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

7/22/03

"Something old, something new."


Just returned from a ten day gig in Canada. I love the Fernie BC region rivers. The Elk was just coming down. Stoneflies were still the gig for the Westslope cutties but I would say the really good fishing is still a couple weeks away. Didn't get to hit my other two favorites, but a lovely stay, nonetheless. We left BC and traveled up into the Banff National Park in Alberta where I did something a little different this year. I fished the Bow River up around Canmore instead of down around Calgary. Big Stones, Goldens, and little stones were the order of the day. As usual, all I caught were browns but no big ones, this trip. Stunning country. All in all, I am officially trouted out for a while, but a wonderful diversion from chasing steelhead.

Mike of course, was running all the guide trips as well as our annual Stilly steelhead schools. Want to pay a special thanks to our newest guide Jeremy Floyd who covered for me while I nurse a sore back. (Must be getting old)
Mike says the schools went real well, but they had to extend it until today to get everybody in. I will hear this evening how the fishing went. Again, want to thank all those who came out.

Rivers are low, fish are congregating in a few areas, but probably best not to get into specifics, sorry.

On a happy note: Indications are good for a big Pink Salmon return to most Puget Sound streams. Saltwater reports should looking up. Coho are showing at Neah Bay, but it hasn't been that good for several years. Skating flies for Rockfish around the Kelp beds is a really fun fishery, and a great change of scenery. We also have some of our trick flies online at Streamsideflyshop.com My personal all around favorite cast-n-retrieve flies year in and year out, has got to be the Clouser brothers. Green & White for Coho and Pink & white for Pinks and Coho. We tie ours a little smaller and sparser than many shops. I think it gives a better action, as well as a better imitation of the Candlefish.

The flats of Hood Canal should start getting some fish. I prefer light rods and shooting heads (FLHS) but of course that's me. Where steelhead don't really care about what is out in front of him, as long as it acts right, salmon can be very particular to size and color. Fly Action is the other parameter. I wrote a bit about Hood Canal Chums (Chum Candy), and of course the Coho of Neah Bay, some day when I get so inspired, maybe I will write about saltwater Pinks. I love doing saltwater Pinks.

Seems like very year we are asked about doing a Saltwater Flats school for salmon. I am chewing on it.

In the mean time: SRC are beginning to stage around river mouths. Need anymore rain? Dollies have really taken over the show on many of our north sound watersheds. Hatchery steelhead are down, but nothing new there. Wild summers will be showing with this rain.

Speaking of wild steelhead. Fall is just around the corner. Surface Flies for steelhead is a great primer for those getting ready for our surface rising steelhead on both our local waters as well as the Grande Ronde in October.

Humpies will be coming in, the GR just around the corner. Life just doesn't get better than that.

"Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive IS the special occasion."
~unknown

Best of fishing

Dennis & Mike Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

7-15-07

Kalama dates: Booking now - 20th - 26th. For the past 4 years this has been our most successfully summer steelheading fishing, most of which is sight fishing. There is also the occasional king salmon caught too. There is camping/motel facilities nearby.

We are in full swing of summer conditions. Days like these it’s nice to grab a chest pack and do a little wet wading.

We aren’t getting as much run off and the rivers are starting to drop to usual summer lows. There are some kings around in the sky from Sultan down, in the north fork of the Stilly and up on the cascade.

Watch your regulations while fishing. There are some steelhead around and have heard a few decent reports for the stilly. Look for more adiposes to show from now on.

I usually start getting a little smaller with my flies throwing in a few rubber legged nymphs and buggy flies here and there.

We always get a lot of people out to fish for the pink salmon when they come in. We have already booked quite a few dates. If this is something you have been thinking of doing with us you will want to book as soon as you can to get the better dates. This is a great fishery for families, work partys, or buddy guide trips where there is more catching than fishing most of the time.

We will do beach fishing, lower estuary fishing and conventional river fishing (Mid-late August for beach fishing and September to October for the rivers).

We have a couple slots available for our stilly school this weekend.

Most of the Grande Ronde is booked up with a few slots available.

The North Fork of the Stilly is bouncing around 749 cfs.

The Sky has dropped to 2,660 cfs at Sultan.

Have a great summer,

Mike Dickson and boys. www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

7-8-7


"Getting that time"

Started off the week fishing the Skykomish River. Never found a good reason to leave the Sultan to Monroe area. Pick the low water pools, concentrate on the riffley heads. Type 4 sinktips and summer time marabous, Floating lines and the Crystal Caddis, riffle hitched and skated, of course. I have never ceased to be amazed, how much better the wild fish rise, than the hatchery steelhead. Congratulations Dan and Gary.

Fished the Stilly North Fork towards the weekend. Water is clear below Deer Creek, but the flows are good, and the wild steelhead are coming in. Boulder Creek is kicking a little color, but the upper river is gin clear. Way too many hatchery steelhead smolts coming out. Is that possible? A couple near misses on Thursday.

And that is why we call it fishing. Timing couldn't be better for our Stilly School. Flies? Everything that works on the Grande Ronde or the Deshutes, will work here.
Contact Mike for details @ 425 330 9506.

Here is the scoop:

Skagit River: 14,000 cfs gone, way above fishing height

Sauk: 8,000 cfs High and poor. Have to wait for Skagit system to flush the snow melt.

Skykomish: 4,500 cfs nice fishing height. Most fish starting to make it into the upper river, but lower is good.

Stilly: Summer time levels. Deer Creek area best bet. Lot of hatchery smolts in upper river

I will be fishing and hanging out in the Cranbrook BC area on a busman's holiday this following week. Mikey has the home gig.

Stilly Tidewater has really become a gig in early September. SRC, Coho and Humpies are the drill. Very cool fishing. (Space limited)

Guess we can't leave without mentioning the Grande Ronde. Everything points to another stellar year. Don't forget to make your reservations, prior to campout.

I refuse to start talking Dollies and Chum. Makes me cold, just thinking about it.

Best of fishing,

D

www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

7/1/07

"Tell it like it is"

We used to say in Alaska, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." Our weather this week in the north sound (this whole year) has been all over the friggin board. Oh well, fishing is always better than not fishing. A guy could do worse.

The rivers are in a fishing well but I would have to say the fishing is only, "so-so." The July 4 is the normal kickoff to the 2 salt hatchery summer steelhead arrival, so I guess the good news is it should be "any day now."

This is what I know:

Skykomish River @ Gold Bar: 1,960 CFS Steelhead filter in, better fishing in the upper river. A few wild fish beginning to show. Water is at a good height. More fish would be nice. Try a Blue/purple marabou on the sinktip. Let the waters warm up for the surface show. My favorite fly is one I originated for the Grande Ronde. I call it Crystal Caddis

Skagit River @ Marblemount: 9,700 CFS Water visibility 6', Dollies (closed) & Kings, few steelhead. Fish throughout system. Water was down but the dam guys are back to releasing again.

Stilly NF 1,050 CFS Stilly took a shot of rain yesterday. Steelhead remain in lower system, few Kings to Fortson. SRC beginning to show. Huge Dollies in a few pools. Water is quite clear above Hazel slide. Another rain would bring in more fish?

Sauk River: 6,230 CFS. Water Visibility 3', Dollies from mouth to the Whitechuck.

Story: I think one of the funniest episodes I have witnessed in some time happened the other day.

I remember being out with three delightful anglers from Hawaii. Fait, Les, and Barbara were not only new to steelheading, but new to flyfishing, period. As luck will sometimes happen, I was demonstrating the Yancy sinktip to Fait, in what I thought was innocuous water, and a steelhead grabs, fish on. I kind of shrugged my shoulders while the fish is pulling line.

I say "Mind taking over, here?" Handing rods off in flyfishing is kind of bad form, but it wasn't intentional fishing, and (she was more than happy to)!

So Fait is fighting this steelhead and Les comes running out of the water, races over to the boat for his camera, and starts trying to take pictures as he comes. He's fiddling and playing, playing and fiddling with his toy, while Fait plays the big fish, like she has done it all her life.

Les finally gets close to us, a little frustrated he can't get this bloody camera to work, and I look over and say,

" Er, Les?" "The pointy end goes out the front."

He was trying to look thru the view finder with the camera pointed backwards. Now that is what I call, excited! We had a lovely day.

Stilly NF Steelhead School: July 20 or 21st. Classes are filling nicely. Thanks for joining. If you aren't able to get into this class, contact me for our next or if you would like to put together one of your own group.

Our next schools will be later this fall.

Neah Bay black rockfish are happening. Great fishing around the Kelp beds when the friggin weather decides to lie down. Humpies will also be showing in the next few weeks. If you are thinking about heading out, check out our how-to article on Neah Bay.

Yup, Mike even has some of our pet patterns at www.streamsideflyshop.com

If I can get enough time to breathe, I will try to write a How-to article on Pink Salmon-Flyfishing beaches.

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

-Mother Teresa

Best of fishing,

Dennis & Mike

www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

6-24-07

"So there you go"

Mike is out on the Stilly North Fork again, today. So many memories tied to our home river. More on that. My wife went with me to Vancouver Island by way of the San Juan Islands. I saw some new places, revisited some old. Some of the fisheries are a little sensitive, but suffice it to say, it is a lovely place.

Anyway. Boys have been out fishing. Rivers are all over the board for this time of year, but there are steelhead and Kings around if you can look in the right places.

Stilly North Fork: (1,050 CFS)

The 4th of July is the unofficial start of the hatchery 2 salt steelhead as well as the Deer Creek native steelhead, for the Stilly basin. Here is a funny episode about swimming dogs for steelhead.

These Stilly wild summer steelhead will show soon, and simply improve through out the summer. Searun Cutthroat are a fall fish. Watch for the consistent fishing to start in August.

Right Now: Focus your fishing from Deer Creek downstream. These wild summer fish take surface flies very well so if you have never taken a steelhead on top.......well, you're just letting the best part of life, pass you by. Our Grande Ronde Favorite, *Crystal Caddis, works as well as any.

The Skagit system (11,600) is pretty high right now. The big snow pack does not allow for upper tributary exploration but the gear boys are getting the hatchery Kings. These fish are not great biters but if you do chase them, try pink marabous. They seem to like pink. The Skagit below Rockport is surprisingly fishable as we speak, with the Sauk flows down. Our guides say the fishing is so-so.

The Sauk (5,870 CFS) and holding. It has dropped in nicely, but I won't run off to the tributary mouths as yet. Wait until August for the upper river native trout fishing to get going. A #14 Royal Wulf, with a Hears ear dropper can be golden on a 2 wt. August show.

Skykomish system: (4,400 CFS) Water was down but bumping up a little due the rains in the last 24 hours, with a few kings around, steelhead is spotty. Good time to fish the salt. Speaking of which.

Neah Bay continues to get it done. Very weather dependent. Rockfish are the drill, but Ling cod and Kelp Greenling are fun, if you don't mind going down for them. If you haven't skated surface patterns for the Black Rockfish, it is really fun. Look for current edges that push the bait right up into the kelp. We have had fish come completely out of the water after our flies. Too cool.

Had the WDFW had been on the ball a few years ago, they would have realized the world class recreational fishery potential, and saved this slow growing fish, in the process. When somebody turned the commercials loose to harvest this fragile ground fish resource in the metric tons, for pennies a fish, somebody should have went to jail. Enough said.

Southwest Washington Waters: Seems like every year we spend a little more time down fishing the southland waters in the summer. Fishing pressure can be intense in places and times, but generally predictable. Think Zig & Zag. It works.

Flyfishing Schools:

North Fork Stilly Steelhead Flyfishing Schools 2007 July 20 or 21 A very popular mid summer school

Hey, seems like the new wave is our Custom Steelhead Schools. Smaller class size, flexible schedules, and more personal attention. Cool.

Fishing Forecast:

Look for the best summer steelheading in July to come from the Southwest Washington streams. If it is anything like last year, it should be pretty good. The OP summer streams are over rated, in my opinion, but I really like it out there.

Odd year fall means Humpies and they can be really fun in salt and fresh. Humpies on surface dries? Leave it to Dickson. Too many scenarios to count. Mike has the trick flies at http://www.streamsideflyshop.com/

Kudos: It is because of you "Dennis Dickson Flyfishing" is rated in the world's top 3 under "fishing guides." (Google search) Thank you so much.

"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Best of fishing,

Dennis Dickson B.S. Fisheries

www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

6/9/07

Mike here,

Dennis is up in B.C. for the week. Well It's week two of our opener. The rivers popped up with some run off and a little rain. They are on the drop right now.There should be a few more new fish starting to show. We have seen a few old winter steelhead around in the tail outs and heads of the runs but didn't bother with them.

We caught a cutt on the upper north Fork of the stilly that was a nice surprise. Little early to count on them. But really looking forward to getting into them in a month or two.

This time of year I still use my bigger flys when I have even a little bit of color in the watter. Good searching patterns. Most of the new fish haven't seen much pressure and will hit a lot of things might as well give them something they can see good. In the real clear water that gets pounded day after day you can scale the fly down and get tricky.

If you do get into situations to where you can see fish I have always done best nyphing a fly right at them making them hit it or move out of the way of it.

The Stilly flows were at 1,190 yesterday which is pretty good. I like them below 1600.

The Sky has dropped to 4,990. Not sure what the latest with the clarity is. Was a little dirty last I saw. Generally the higher you go the clearer it gets.

It's that time of year that we have 5 months or so of weather where you don't freeze your ass off. Get out side and make the most of it.

Happy fishing,

Mike D and boys. www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

6/3/07

"And then there was Snowmelt"

There is something about a river. Lakes are fun, the saltwater is fine, but wading a stream for steelhead. Now that defines me. Only another hopeless steelhead bum can appreciate it. How is it, we just get our rivers open again, and immediately hit with a big snowmelt?

June is always a magical time, if not volatile. Seems like we can usually count on a nice little pulse of new summer steelhead as the season turns to summer.

Our local rivers opened Friday. Fishing found us guiding the Skykomish & N.F. Stilly for steelhead. I thought I was doing well with Bill releasing a nice summer hen one day, and a lovely buck the next on the lower Sky. Now with the warm days come the snowmelt, snowmelt means swollen rivers, and we are back on the beach, again.

The hot weather that has been kicking the snowmelt is affecting each watershed little differently. We focus our fishing on the above-mentioned Sky & Stilly in the summer months. The Skagit, not so much.

Fishing Rundown:
Skykomish River: 12,000 CFS Morning temperatures, Lower 50's. The fishing was at "High Prime" on Friday. Saturday was getting iffy, and now the river is out. The top end of Sky fishing for us is 10,000 CFS, so you may have to chill a bit to let the Sky come back into shape. Too much snow water right now.

Top flies: subsurface winter patterns. Low and slow.

A bright spot: The Stilly North Fork
Mike had a good day floating the upper Stilly last Friday. Access is the key, and most of it is private. The river is a little high but the visibility is good. It doesn’t get the snow pack the higher elevation streams do. He and his client were the only floaters he saw. Caution when floating above Deer Creek. Regs say no fishing from a the boat.

Stilly, North Fork: 1,750 CFS, Morning temperatures mid 50's

Stilly is fishing well above Deer Creek. Flows are up, but the canyon is good. Fish are spread out so best to cover a lot of water Hazel to Fortson is summertime clear but don‘t let that fool you. That water is moving! Yes, there is life beyond dink bobbers and jigs, but keep moving to find the next pod of fish. Mike says some of the pools are better, some changed for the worse, such is the life of the Stilly after winter floods.

Skagit: 10,700 CFS. Warm weather has triggered the runoff so again we have to wait a bit to flush some snow water. The upper river will clear the quickest. Look for fishing above the Sauk confluence.

It doesn’t seem to matter how much you mention, of all the factors that effect steelhead success, or how the fly on the end of your line, usually isn’t one of them, everyone wants to know which fly you are using.

Here is an article I wrote a few years ago on my views of steelhead and flies. I hope you enjoy it.

Dolly Politics: Or, I don’t care how we get there.
The Skagit now has a closure until Sept 28 2007, for the keeping of the Dolly/Bull. WDF&W biologists swear is isn’t from over-harvesting. Who cares how they get to the right answer? Last year all you heard was how great this wild char population was doing, all of a sudden we don’t have enough. Sound familiar? So here is the drill. All this is just noise if they don’t stop the kill season from October through March. It is during the winter months when few hatchery winter steelhead are around, that the guides are filling the cooler with Dolly/Bulls so the client can go home with something. Do this: Tell your guide you will not kill any Dollies on your guide day next winter. Spread it around. Guides catch on pretty quick.

Humpies:
I never bring up Humpy Salmon to my clients from Alaska. Up there, they just get in the way. Down in Washington, the fish are bigger, all fish populations are smaller, and given the opportunity of catching fish or not catching fish, this little salmon fills a wonderful void. I marvel how everyone thinks they have Humpies figured out. That is until you see the guy down the beach out catching you 10:1. River fishing becomes even more so as Dickson’s have even developed surface skating patterns for taking Humpies in the surface. Humpies have quietly been the most popular gig we do this side of the Grande Ronde. Think August & September.

It is hard to imagine but the Grande Ronde Campouts are only a few months away.
If anyone wonders why out 3 day expedition is only $579/angler trip, it’s easy. We at Dickson’s guide year round. We don’t have to make all our money in October. We simply pass the great deal onto you.

That's about it, all guiding from here. It's a tuff life but somebody has to do it, right?

Best of fishing,

Dennis & Mike Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

5/27/07

"Another day on the pond"

Ahh, a quiet week of trout fishing before the rivers open again. It’s pretty hard to to go elsewhere when we are swimming the large Rainbows at Jeff’s Ponds. For those that know these lakes, I would have to say Trophy & Rockhouse are probably the most productive. Caddis, Calebatis emergers, micro leeches, and choronomids in black/red are all working. Damsels have been a day to day, thing.

Looks like I may be able to check out some Rainbow/Brown Trout waters over on Vancouver Island in a couple weeks. Looking forward to that. Here a pic I took last fall.

Rainbow on a bead

Fishing forecast:

The north Sound streams should get some summer hatchery steelhead. I look for a strong run-off in snowmelt this year. Fish your high water lies as you would for winter fish and you should be fine.

Skykomish River: 7820 CFS @ Gold Bar An excellent choice for early season. The Sky gets a good early return of summer steelhead. This is Mickey's favorite early summer stream. Try a blue/purple marabou on the cloudy days and the Pink Stinker on the sunny.
Streamsideflyshop.com has the trick stuff.

N.F Stilly: 1,620 CFS Winter runoff has been held off due to cool weather patterns. The Stilly is in fine shape. The early steelhead race for the hatchery waters met primarily by the bobber and jig boys. There will still be some late native steelhead spawning in the C-post to Fortson area so be careful where to step. Visibility is excellent above French Creek. Fine below Deer Creek. Same flies as the Skykomish.

Skagit: 6,400 CFS The hatchery King gig will get going in the upper river. Surprisingly good fishing down around Grandy Creek for the occasional steelhead. Lovely waters to fish and the flows are right if you don’t mind fish in the dirt.

Here is a Fisheries Biologist view of the steelhead picture on the North Fork Steelhead.
I wrote this story years ago. Still timely today.

Jeff's Ponds: We anticipate closing by June 20. With the cold wet summer, we may extend a few weeks. It is all about the water temps/ dissolved oxygen levels. If you haven’t been up there, yet, last chance until late fall.

We look forward to our next steelhead school. This is our ever-popular N.F. Stilly Summer Steelhead schools July 20 or 21.

"If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies." Remember Memorial Day.

-Moshe Dayan

Best of fishing,

Dennis Dickson Fisheries Biologist for www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

5/20/07

Mellow, Mellow

Just returned from a trip to the northlands. Still a little soggy around the ears but as I meet the same guys to doing a little R&R fishing, life was good.

Mikey and the boys have been pretty much laying low. The private lakes have been fishing well this spring. Should be getting more damsel action as the well as the consistent mayfly hatches.

This is the time of the year my Dad and I usually head for Canada for a week or so. We have some favorite waters in the Merritt B.C. area that is fun. Weather forecast is for snow showers in the foothills so that may temper things a bit.

It won’t be long before the rivers will open for the summer season. Seems like the years just go a little faster as I get older.

Fishing forecast:

The north Sound streams should get some summer hatchery steelhead. I look for a strong run-off in snowmelt this year. Fish your high water lies as you would for winter fish and you should be fine. The smaller rods and the floating line presentations should be postponed until water temps improve into the 50’s.

The southern Washington streams off the Columbia always get the early steelhead, Mikey and I may go down there and play for a few days. Ahhh..... Too many fishing opportunities.

Here is a funny story I wrote a few years ago. I titled it, "Guides are professional Liars"

May is a mellow month for us. At least on the fishing scene. May all your trout dreams come true.

" Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration; I choose laughter cause there's less cleaning up to do afterwards."
-Author Unknown

Best of fishing,

Dennis www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

Fishing report May 6, 2007



May is always an interesting month anyway. It always gives the Dickson guys a chance to get away from steelhead at least until the rivers open again in June. Trout fishing is fun.

This week was special because we got to play with a few of our closest friends and clients and do it in the name of a good cause.

I guess what particularly touched me was the setting. You see, most of these guys are confirmed steelhead junkies. They (like the Dickson Guides) and me live and breathe steelhead. Anything else is a step down. Nothing pious here. Just the way a steelhead junky lives and thinks.

Many of these guys have a very limited experience with trout, especially trout in a lake complex. These boys probably came to the contest for two reasons. We were donating to a good cause in the Boys & Girls Club of North Seattle. They also came because I asked them to. I was touched. Steve is on the board of directors. This is what he said about the outing.

We stationed a guide on each of five lakes. The guys came in fishing teams and rotated from lake to lake under a 30 minute time period. Fish were calculated into points. Boys said it was fun but intense. How close was it?

Jeff O. and his father-in-law Mike, tied with Saul B. for first, with 179 points (length + girth) 2 fish/lake, and had to count first fish), lose your fly and had to start over. Keith & his buddy Mike came in second with 178 points! Now that is close.

Maybe the funniest episode happened on the lake that I was judging. Saul was fishing a little bay and he decides he needs to fish his nymph a little deeper. He makes a cast and runs back to his vest to grab a micro shot. His rod jumps, line squeals, and a huge trout splashes out on the lake. Saul comes running back, but the only thing that saves his rod, was that the rainbow throws the hook on the jump! Jeezz... that was close. He learned what every trout guy knows. You always secure your rod.... always.

I think the boys, as a whole, learned that this trout fishing, matching hatches, swimming bugs et al, is a little more involved than they thought. I am sure they all now have a new found respect for lake anglers. Will it ever replace steelhead? Nah, but it was cool. I hope every one participating had as much fun as we did, putting it on. May have make it an annual event. We will see.

Fishing Forecast:
May continues as a trout month. If you can hit some of your trout rivers pre run-off, that good, but that snow pack is coming off.

Lakes will be fishing off and on. We really need to get beyond the unsettled weather that has plagued us this whole friggin year. Such is life.

Look for good fishing as the summer steelhead enter in June and July. Salmon returns will be summer-fall.

Of the 40 articles & stories I have written on the subject of flyfishing, I am probably queried about which boat is a good boat for me, may be the most popular topic of all. Here is Rafts VS Hard bottom Boats.

A lot of boats have come and gone since I originally wrote this piece but the concept is the same.

I have seen a lot of flyshops, clubs, magazines, and flyfishing guides come and go over the past 20 years. Here is a thought.

"You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there."
-- Edwin Louis Cole

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
-- Marilyn vos Savant

Popular is fleeting but good will stay the course of time. Be your best. No one can take that away.

Best of fishing,

Dennis & the Dickson Boys @ www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

4-29-07

" First & last"

The winter/spring steelhead season comes to a close for another season. So many memories, so many friends. I think I can speak for the Dickson guides. Thank you.

We no more than finish with the early steelhead season and it is time to switch gears and think of trout fishing.

I remember a few years ago that my wife and I were driving past the twin lakes south of Arlington. The parking lot was jammed with cars, trucks and people for the weekend.

My good wife asks, "What’s going on there?"

I said, "It’s opening day of fishing."

She pauses for a minutes and then says, "So when is it closed for you?"

Hmmm.....food for thought.

I guess our flyfishing highlight this spring is also our safety valve this year in Jeff’s ponds. As the weather has been all over the board this winter-spring, we have retreated onto our leased 90-acre complex on more than a few occasions. Not to mention our designated trips. Sometimes it pays to have a backup plan.

Mikey had a stellar steelhead season, mostly on the coast, so while me and the other Dickson guides have been holding down the fort on the local waters, he has been taking some muchly deserved time off in southern California (again).

My dad helped me out the other day with a dear friend and client, Blake and friends, up at the private lakes. Blake has been with me for a dozen years or so. I would love to tell you the weather was decent, but it wasn’t. It basically sucked, but as we fished five different lakes over the course of the day, we found enough shoreline lees, and enough willing rainbows to keep us occupied. It was a sobering thought that even Pass Lake would have been in rollers, that day. The Choronomids and Mayflies we enjoyed so much the past few weeks were down for most of the day, so we fished mostly leeches and dragonfly nymphs. Tom put on a clinic for his four buddies, but they took it in good humor.

Conrad & Dennis during a "Rock house Lake, Mayfly hatch.

"One Fly, Flyfishing Contest" May 4 up at Jeff’s Ponds. We are all excited for our "Give something back" non-profit flyfishing event. The ten teams should all have the itineraries but I will pass along our last minute reminders early this week. Let me thank you in advance for joining. The Boys & Girls Club will certainly appreciate it.

Fishing Forecast:

Many lowland lakes will be open as we speak. Good luck out guessing the weather patterns fishing lakes in Eastern Washington. Plan on getting blown off if you guess the wrong day! With winter clinging on, look for high lake levels, low weed growth. Typical of early season fishing. Hopefully, at least the choronomids hatches will be moving. Mayflies will wait for the nice day.

Here is an episode that my brother and I stumbled into flyfishing a local lake in the early season, years ago. I still haven’t come up with a really good bat fly imitation. It is called "Flyfishing Ducks: 101 Matching the hatch."

I mentioned last week about the 2007 year Humpy Salmon fishing. With August just few months away, it won’t be long before the Pink Salmon will be moving along our beaches and estuaries. Many hard-core steelheaders won’t like to admit it, but it remains some of the most consistent flyfishing, we have.

As both the Stilly and the Snohomish systems are forecasted for an above average Pink Salmon return, Dickson flyfishing will be there to greet them. August is good in the tidewaters; September is the timing for the top river action.

Best of fishing,

Dennis Dickson
425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

4/21//07

"Some like it hot"

Kudos to Mikey and his clients from the past few weeks out on the Olympic Peninsula. Many of the streams have now closed, with a few notable exceptions.

The coastal rivers are down and fishing well.

The Hoh @ 101 Bridge has decent visibility and what I would call medium low @ 1,730 cfs. The Queets (now closed) is low at 2,510 cfs but the Soleduck has great visibility and good numbers of steelhead. "Fish any color you want as long as it is black" is the order of the day. Bunny leeches, prawn patterns, and marabous get the nod.

Wytold's Clearwater Hen

The Skagit flow releases are high but steady @ 8,000 cfs. With some color coming in from the Sauk, the traditional pools below the confluence are fishing nicely. These are new fish so it isn't who fishes them best, just get there, first. They would probably bite your kitchen knife, if it were what they saw at first light.

The Sauk River is down to low; visibility is excellent about the Suiattle confluence @ 4-6 feet, and fishy below with visibility @ 2-4 feet.

The local boys must have figured out the upper run because we are seeing the same rigs parked right day after day. Lets hope they have the sense to release them alive.

The middle run we hit a lot. Many of the pools have changed but a couple are just money if you can get on some rested fish. Early and Late are the times to go. Pray for cloudy weather in between.

Hal's Fish Pic.
Here is a nice fish taken by Hal down by the Baker River. Kudos on that.

Lakes:

Work took me past the Pass Lake the other day. A lovely day. By the number of rigs in the yard, things must be moving. That's cool.

Jeff’s Ponds: is way too much fun right now. Midges, mayflies, cranefly, and leeches are all on the prowl as we speak. We customarily fish 5 different waters in the course of the day, so the rainbows never get above "strong as a bull, smart as a tractor". Just right if you ask me.
"One Fly, Flyfishing Contest" May 4 up at Jeff's Ponds. We are all locked and loaded for this non-profit event. It is for a good cause. What can I say?

Fishing Forecast:

Closing in on that last week of the winter steelhead season. Great time to be out on the rivers as many of the anglers have already turned to the trout lakes. In review I would have to rate the steelheading slightly above average. The Skating Dolly show, below.

Good luck getting into any of the higher lakes this summer. Our snow pack is back, and as much as some don't like the admit it, that's a good thing.

The big noise on the odd year is always the Humpy Salmon fishing. Without going into a lot of particulars, Dickson's will start off into Beach Fishing in August, and move to estuary/tidewater salmon/SRC flyfishing by September 1.

Many inquired about out September fishing as the Skagit River has been forecasted into a river closure. With both the Stilly and the Snohomish systems boasting a above average Pink Salmon return, we will take our little skating flies and head to congenial waters. Same gig, different waters. Think September for the top river action.

Grande Ronde Steelhead Campout ($579)

I promised to a run down on what Cabin & Camp-out 3-day trips we have planned for 2007. As we speak we have:

Oct 5-7 2 slots available
Oct 8-10 full
Oct 10-12 full
Oct 12-14 2 slots
Oct 14-16 4 slots

"When you get serious about taking steelhead on the on fly"

Best of fishing,

Dennis, Mike, Jonathan & Darrel www.flyfishsteelhead.com
425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

4/15/07

"Best of both worlds"

Quite the week for Dickson Flyfishing. Jonathan & Darrel have been quietly fishing the Sauk when it is in, and Skagit when it is not. Mike just finished an awesome two week steelhead flyfishing gig out on the Olympic Peninsula, so of course I will have to tell you all about that.

We got blown off the Skagit River last Monday's trip, so Chris B. and I retreated to the private lakes and managed some lovely rainbows. The mayflies began popping in the afternoon so we caught trout on both nymphs and dries. Strictly a floating line show, so that was cool. I have an Orvis Rocky Mountain 2wt. I like a lot, but the really big trout do have their way on it.

Tuesday thru Thursday was guiding the Skagit again, with a little Sauk action thrown in. That was fun. There are fish around, but as it happens sometimes, the big ones seem to get away...unless you are Mikey.

Friday I met Mike S. a yacht skipper from Australia. After 20 years of guiding, I don’t do a lot of new clients, my son Mike and the other guides do that, but I had the day open, and this Mike S. sounded like a pretty cool guy so we arranged a 1/2 day up at the lakes. I won’t bore you with the details but he really is wonderful company. Here is his synopsis of the day. Mikes Testimony. We fished nymphs under a big stonefly dropper. Mike hadn’t really seen this, dry fly as the strike indicator, gig. I find I fish it quite often in both river and lake fishing. Works well. Weather sucked that day but we were too busy fighting off the rainbows to notice.

Meanwhile, Mikey D was out chasing coastal steelhead while dodging weather fronts from Forks to Amanda Park on the Olympic Peninsula. This kid (30 years old in May) can friggin fish. His clients swam lovely native steelhead from the Queets on the south, to a 20 pound Soleduck buck on the north. His favorite low water stream is the Queets, while the high flows found him on the Clearwater or the Soleduck River. Flies didn’t seem to matter. Never does. Just fish something you have confidence in, let the steelhead do the rest. That is our adage.

Here are three of Mike’s favorite winter steelhead patterns.
Little Bruise
Black Prawn
Hal Smith Special

Caution: watch your regs. Some the coastal rivers close mid April. Don’t want to be fishing where you can’t.

Mikey tells me he has some awesome video footage of some of the OP steelhead flyfishing including the big pig that took them way down stream. Reminds me of the early Sauk River days. That video is something I have got to see.

The Skagit system closes April 30. My favorite fishery each spring season has become the
surface Dolly show, but it simply hasn’t developed this year, and so sadly we have no choice but to abort the Dolly Schools. My apologies for all those who were looking forward to this fishing, as was I. Maybe next year, we won’t have those devastating winter floods. Maybe next year, some guides won’t kill the Dollies just because it is legal.

"One Fly, Flyfishing Contest" May 4 up at Jeff’s Ponds. Thanks to Steve S. for representing the inner city Boys & Girls Club, sponsoring this non-profit event. Kudos also goes to all those for coming up with the "rules" and of course the guys & gals making up the 10 teams to participate. Should be a friggin hoot. A special thank you for the Landowner for letting us fish up there and of course to the Dickson guides whom will run the event. Keep you posted.

Fishing Forecast:

As April turns toward May, more and more steelhead move into our local streams. This is a magic time for the steelhead bums because as the fishing attention moves off the steelhead rivers and onto to the trout waters. The occasional angler leaves the river and its steelhead to the hard-core angler. With the weather improving? and more steelhead and water available, well, life is good.

I have to admit it is getting time for the lowland lakes of BC to begin. Reminds me of a funny episode up on Roche Lake that happened, many years ago. I call it Mouth to Mouth Combat

Grande Ronde Steelhead Campout ($579)
You were wondering if there is still time to be thinking of that lovely fall steelhead fishing on the Grande Ronde? You bet. Check out our 3 & 4 day GR campouts in early October. You won’t find a better way to spend some quiet time steelhead flyfishing the Ronde. Thanks for the rave reviews for both the slide show as well as the steelhead video!

" There are no winners or losers in life, only choosers."
--- Author Unknown

Best to all,

Dennis, Mike, Jonathan & Darrel www.flyfishsteelhead.com
425 238 3537

Note: We have guest who is in need of a partner for the 25th on the sauk for steelhead

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

4/8/07

Spring is spelled "too many choices"

This is a really busy time for us. The weather this past week has been stellar, and the fishing not far behind.

The steelhead fishing is all about the Skagit River and its primary tributary, the Sauk. The Skagit is running very clear in the upper reaches with just a hint of snow water in it. The river below the Sauk is a very green all the way down to the Baker. The happy news on the Skagit is that there appears to be an above average steelhead return in the upper river. The high water we took, shot these fish out of harms way, and up into their natal waters. That is good.

Not seeing the chum fry coming out like I hoped. Those friggin back to back to back floods we took in November took their toll, but the Dolly/Bulls we are seeing are big. Not as many as last year, but big.

The upper Sauk River I told you is a friggin mess, but the visibility is decent. The Sauk below to Suiattle is fishy but if the warm weather continues, the glacial water will kick in.

The fishing: I would fish medium sized flies on the Skagit in soft colors like burgundy, purple/pink, light pink, blue/purple and jet black. For some reason this year, the big steelhead seem to like jet black.

The Sauk fish hit about anything, the key is to find their migrational path, and slow it down in front of them. As the water temperatures rise, a guy can look forward to the "Sauk yank." Got a love that stuff.

While Darrel, Jonathan, and I are puttering along the North sound streams, Mike is over doing his drill on the Olympic Peninsula. I guess one of his guys hooked a really big fish on the Queets yesterday. Bad Dog is his favorite fly over there. He will fish Queets until the rains chase him over to the Clearwater and the Chosen rivers. Mike is booked until these river close, then he returns until our rivers finish up April 30.

If that isn't enough, this spring weather has our private lakes rainbow triploids feeding like crazy right now. The other day we even saw a # 10 March Brown hatch come off. Here is widebody taken on a floating line and a # 12 BH Pheasant Tail nymph.

May 4th we will host our first "One fly flyfishing contest." 10 teams will compete on five of our lakes. Thanks to all who helped formulate the rules, as well as the participants coming. Should be a kick in the pants. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the the North Seattle Boys and Girls Club. All proceeds will go this inner city youth club. We couldn't be happier. Stay tuned.

Seems to be a lot of noise about what makes a good steelhead reel. I wrote an article on steelhead reels nearly ten years ago now. Since that time, there has been a lot of water under the bridge, and many good and not so good ones (in my opinion).

Function Vs tradition: I think the first thing you have to consider is your skill level. Yes, you may prefer a double pawl Hardy (I love my Zenith) but it may be last reel I put in the hands of a novice. Reels for Flyfishing explains why. Spend the last twenty years guiding steelhead newbies and you will understand pretty quick. You may find you would take an efficient reel over a romantic every friggin time.

Mystery Lakes Class April 20 or 21. Matching hatches meets today's electronics? See how. Classes are filling on our east sides best kept secret lake.

So now that you are completely befuddled on whether to seek out your steelhead stream in pursuit of the big one, or a favorite trout water, well I guess that is a decision you will just have to make on your own. Tuff gig, I know.

Enjoy your Easter,

Dennis & the Bad-Boys of Dicksonhood www.flyfishsteelhead.com
425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

4/1/07

"April Fools"

Man, I just love the spring. Mike and I had business down in the Cowlitz country over the weekend. As a wildlife biologist, I kind of keep track of how nature is progressing in the Pacific Northwest. After spending the past week up on the Skagit River with long time friends and clients, I marvel how the southwest coastal scene is so far advanced in vegetation than the rugged mountain drainage of the upper Skagit drainage. A healthy snow level and a water temperature of 42 degrees confirmed the fact that it may be spring in the lowlands, but it is still late winter up above.

We just came off a pretty good high water which fortunately had some fish in it and now the waters are down and our rivers are back to fishing - sort of.

The Upper Skagit has excellent visibility. (Almost too good for large winter native steelhead.) Unfortunately, the Sauk hasn’t fared so well. Due to poor visibility above the Suiattle River, and zero vis. below, the fishing waters open to fishing, has jammed most anglers above the Sauk confluence on the Skagit. Not good.

Now with the Sauk River back to normal flows, the Skagit below the Sauk confluence will fish again so at least the boys have a better chance to spread out a bit.

I would love to tell you the winter flies & techniques have changed this winter, but never does. Fish clear water as clear water and dirty water as dirty water conditions. Continue to fish your favorite flies with confidence, and do it where the steelhead live, and the rest is golden. One of the biggest mistakes I see is anglers not adapting their gear and chosen water, to the conditions of the day. Water clarity, lighting conditions, and fishing pressure all play into where and how you should approach a pool. The last thing I worry about is which fly I stick on the end of the line. Steelhead Security is number one. Learn to think like your quarry. After reading water, and good line presentation (which is not about casting really far and throwing a big mend), I think one of your greatest assets is your own mental attitude. Read "Good Karma."

Mike is heading back out to the lower Olympic Peninsula the fish the park waters on the Queets. This coastal fishing was very good again last year when the waters were in and now the optimism is running high. If you haven’t spent some time down there, you should. The Queets is a lovely flywater with a large aggressive native steelhead. Friggin cool. We like to fish marabous, bunny leeches and General Practitioner prawn patterns.

While Mike is out fighting off the OP steelhead, Jonathan & Darrel will be quietly probing the local steelhead waters. As steelhead guides, I think they are some of the best in the business. I am lucky to have them.

Me? Not so much. Spent most of last week on the upper Skagit fishing a couple I mentioned, from Hawaii. I also have a faithful following who enjoy the skating show, and its that time now, so I am looking forward to more of that. We have seen Dolly/Bulls to 25 inches in the past few weeks. Sorry, The Skagit Skating schools are now officially closed. Happy to talk about 2008!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our favorite waters when the rivers are blown, Jeff’s Ponds. These large rainbows to eight pounds are definitively now on the prowl with early Mayflies and choronomids working, but the lowly woolley bugger in blacks and green are also getting it done. Good luck trying to get a date on these waters. Seems like the same boys book year after year.

A few of you may have heard about our "One Fly flyfishing contest" we will be conducting with 10 teams made up of some of our VIP anglers on the 90 acres of private lakes this spring. All proceeds will go to our selected worthy Non-profit organization. Kind of excited about this one. Mike will be there to catch it all on video!

Our "Mystery lake-school" April 20 or 21 are filling. Most anglers never learn to use portable electronics for zeroing in on their trout lakes. It has revolutionized my approach to lake fishing. Come check it out.

Oh, Here is hoping you remembered to obtain your 2008 fishing license!

If you are a little late on the Grande Ronde 3 day adventure ($579), we still have openings in the Oct 10-12 & Oct 14-16 trips. Whether you watch the slide show or the steelhead skating video, one thing you will come away with, the Dickson guides really know the Ronde.

"Think of managing change as an adventure. It tests your skills and abilities. It brings forth talent that may have been dormant. Change is also a training ground for leadership. When we think of leaders, we remember times of change, innovation and conflict. Leadership is often about shaping a new way of life. To do that, you must advance change, take risks and accept responsibility for making change happen."
- Charles E. Rice, CEO of Barnett Bank

Best of fishing,

Dennis Dickson, Fisheries Biologist, Flyfishing Guide

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

3/26/07

"Better Late than never"

As of this writing, the rivers are still swollen. I have clients coming in through the rest of the week to fish steelhead & surface Dollies, so I am hoping the weather Gods cooperate for a few days.

Poor Mike. He went all the way out to the coast to put in some Queets days, and hasn't been able to step into the river, yet! If it doesn't turn around, our OP school days will go with it. Bummer!

So the rivers are out, but the freezing levels are dropping. Skagit should be in by Tuesday or Wednesday. The Sauk is so friggin out, Mike says it might be another week!

I guess the good news is we are taking refuge at our Private Lakes, a 90 acre complex, east of Mount Vernon. Rainbows to 8 pounds are on the prowl. Woolley Buggers, and Choronomids are the bugs. We fishing several different lakes each day. Good fishing.



Salmon outmigrants are heading out. Dolly/Bulls are looking up. This will only improve at we get closer to our Dolly Skater School April 13 or 14 http://www.flyfishsteelhead.com/school-dollie.htm

I apologize I haven't talked much about this sleeper fishery. You really have to see the Skagit Skater in action to believe it. Mike is hoping to get some video footage soon. Pretty cool on your single handed 5 wt.

Fishing forecast:

"It's that time" Spring is breaking in the lowlands, but it is still winter in the mountains. Everything in between is warm one day and cold and blustery the next. Early April can be like that. Wild fish are moving in on the high waters. Good time to plan a trip to head them off along the way.

If you have been scoping out those high-water lies along the Sauk and Skagit rivers, this is coming the time to fish them. I notice many anglers wading too deep, casting too far, when rivers are swollen. For many years, I made the same mistake. I now call these river conditions, "willow fishing" because right now, the soft water seams are right up in the vegetation. Good to remember, steelhead tend to swim in the water you can't quite see in. When waters are up and dirty, that is usually right near shore. Careful where you fish.

Really big steelhead flies seem to be the rage right now. Good, in the high water condition, this is the time to throw the big silhouette. Watch for many of your takes to come at the end of the swing. It is where the steelhead are holding.

I have seen, (and tried) so many strategies for hooking steelhead who take the fly, in the "hang-down." I wish I could tell you some amazing revelation I have come up with after the many fishing years I have put in. Sorry, isn't one that works all the time.

It does remind me of an episode which happened to me some ten or twelve years ago, guiding on the Stilly. I call it The New Zealand Connection.

It is well to consider when taking advice - is this an "expert" who fishes all the time and happens to write? or a dude who writes all the time, and happens to fish? I am constantly amazed by the amount of steelhead fluff I read, by someone who is supposed to know better.

"Successful angling is nothing more than fishing every day and paying attention." So is guiding.

Dickson www.flyfishsteelhead.com



Mike will hopefully get in some good OP days before his rivers close.

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

3/18/07

As Dennis is out of town I’m doing the report this week.

Well I was on the river last Sunday as the Skagit was going out of shape. We were able to make a day out of it until about 4 pm and then the river colored and rose way up. I was able to get back onto the upper Skagit the last two days with some successful fishing. The visibility was anywhere from 2+ to 3+ ft. Some times you take the chance and drive up and not getting to fish but if you can hit it after a high water and the river comes down with 2+ ft of visibility it can be real fishy. Fish move around becoming more aggressive to the fly. I’ll take that over low and clear any day.

We have done only a little surface dolly fishing due to the visibility but as soon as the Skagit clears a bit more it will be in full swing. If you haven’t tried it you would like it, it can be a fun way to break up a steelhead day. I’ll be headed over to the peninsula this weekend. I moved the 6th O.P. steelhead class to the 8th. The 7th is still a go and have a couple openings. I have a guy on the 6th that needs a partner for a regular steelhead guide trip on the O.P. if anybody is interested.

Skagit River: (11,400 cfs @ Marblemount) Look out for the closures in the lower river. It is running low visibility until you get above the Sauk. The vis from the sauk up is at around 3 ft. Most of the local fishing pressure has been concentrated on the upper Skagit. It has been on the high side the last couple of days but fishable.Areas to fish would be from Bacon creek to the Sauk. There is some new steelhead up there right now, the report pic with Walter was taken up there yesterday. Also Jonathan hooked a fish on the fly bar on Friday fishing on his own. That bar has been fishing well but you have to get there early.

Sauk River: (10,000 cfs @ Sauk) It has been blown out all week and will take at least 3 day if not more to settle down. Look for it to be fishy when it comes back in……new fish and no pressure in over a week! If you do the upper float keep your eyes out for sweepers, it’s kinda nasty up there.

Have fun fishing and good luck! www.flyfishsteelhead.com
Mike Dickson

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

3/11/07

Snow Melt:

My wife and I were out with long time friends the other night. Even my close friends who don't fish seem to keep track of things in my life.

"They say the freezing level is supposed to go up to 8,000 feet, Scott said. He knew my rivers were probably going to be blown out.

"Yeah, I heard that too." I felt more for my guides. Mike and the boys are the ones that will lose guide trips this week. I am still up to my wazzo in a Fish & Wildlife study due next Wednesday. From there, I have a gig in California next week so my timing is good. My long time clients start filtering in the following week through the end of April. Life is good.

Experience has taught me over the years that although April is when the most steelhead enter, March is a big fish month. I have reflected on some of the big fish encounters, I have seen. It simply isn't fair to attempt encapsulating all large steelhead by a single event. I have seen large fish which all but swam into shore. This is most common coming off a big water. I imagine the fish has been swimming and simply tired before he touches the fly. I also remember an episode when my close fishing compadre, Hall hooked an exceptionally large steelhead, (it belly flopped right front us on the hook-up) at the top end of Thunderbird pool on the Skykomish River. I was using a Lavro drift boat back then. This fish covered so much water on it's initial run, I had to race for the boat, before poor Hal got spooled. This large steelhead finally settled down 300 yards downstream, as I rowed like crazy just to keep up. I finally pulled the boat into shore below and across from the fishing shack and Hal continued to fight the huge buck. Just when I figured we were winning the fight in this frog water section, this dang fish got all excited again, and headed off downstream again. And again, we both piled back into the boat and tried to follow. This friggin steelhead broke Hal's line as he left the Thunderbird pool tailout. This is like a 1/2 mile away from where he was hooked! Some fish just refuse to be caught. It's why we fish.

So the fishing:

Skagit River: (9,000 cfs @ Marblemount) is already on the rise. If this pineapple express comes through, we will be out of the water for a bit. Dam guys are already releasing water in anticipation. Visibility is excellent above the Sauk. Good vis., below. The rain should provide a great shot at moving these large early steelhead upstream. That's a good thing. The good fishing is down in the lower river until it closes (if it doesn't get blown up). The lovely flywater is down around Birdsview until it's closure in mid march.

The conservative closure of this lower river section each spring has baffled me, and I am fisheries biologist for some 25 years. Something about "a staging area," whatever the heck that is supposed to mean. We could really use this section to open up the Catch & release to spread the fishing pressure, but whatever......

This section of lower gradient large majestic pools are well suited for the double-handed rods. All three of my guides have these sticks. In fact, we have now incorporated double-handed fishing as part of our steelhead schools. Work very nicely for this lower Skagit fishery.

My steelhead fishing predates the advent of the Northwest Spey fishing, so being an old school, Yancy & I just developed the Yancy Line System. We can do all the stuff as the long rods do, and still enjoy the fight and feel of the single hander. Here is an article I wrote some 5 years ago, referring to fishing back some 10-15 years ago. I marvel how timely this article is today. Double Handed Rods - Advantages and Disadvantages http://www.flyfishsteelhead.com/stories/spey.htm

Some of you are not going to want to hear any critique of the big rods, and that is your choice. Remember this, For the last umpteen years, these steelhead rivers have been my office. I don't have a vested interest, either way. My point? Flyrods are just a piece of equipment. They don't make you better, you do.

Sauk River: (7,000 cfs @ Sauk) and heading out. As many of the normal timing steelhead will be heading up the Sauk River, this spring C&R stream should get it's fish as the rivers bounce and cooler weather returns. Good luck finding a rock to fish on, when the word gets out that the fish are in. This river isn't in the shape it was a few years ago, but it still remains a spring favorite when I can't make it to the Olympic Peninsula.

Mike says there is still a couple openings for his Olympic Peninsula schools April 6 or 7. If you haven't learned the lower OP steelhead rivers, Mike and Jonathan were getting rave reviews, from their Skagit & Sauk River schools. They both love the OP.

Thank you so much on all the great feedback on Mike's Grande Ronde Video. It really is a special place.

"We are far more liable to catch the vices than the virtues of our associates."
-Denis Diderot

We have a guy that needs a partner on the OP for the 3-29th.

Best of fishing,

Dennis Dickson Fisheries Biologist, Steelhead Outfitter @ www.flyfishsteelhead.com
425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

3/4/07

How weird is that?

Well, I think we all survived the last bit of winter. This cold season has got to be right up there on the weird meter. Snow one day, spring the next, then back to cold. Like I said, weird.The latest weather forcast calls for freezing levels to be going up, again. Supposed to.

Right now, the two North Sound rivers open to fishing are in prime shape. Mike & Jonathan clients ran into a lovely pulse of fish hooking 6 Sauk steelhead in a 3 day period. Around here, that is pretty good fishing.Now that the Stilly and Snohomish systems are closed, the focus will be on these rivers to the North.

Mike is off on a working vacation in warmer climes, as we speak. He is scheduled to be back in the middle of this week.

Speaking of Mike: While me and mine were playing down in the Lower Grande Ronde last fall, he and Jonathan fished their 60 guests in a 20 day period last October in our popular 3 day Cabins & Campouts. We have been running this outfitter trip since 1990.

Anyway, Mike packed along his video camera last October and shot some wonderful footage, while his boys were fishing the steelhead of the Grande Ronde. He has since condensed it all down into a 16 minute video. Here is a 4.5 minute Grande Ronde trailer of that steelhead film. Who knows, if you were fishing with Mike last fall on one of these trips, maybe you are in it! I still promise to fill you in on available Grande Ronde dates. Cabins & Campouts has developed over the years into the most popular gig we do.

Back to the fishing:

Skagit River: (4,640 cfs @ Marblemount) at the time of this writing. This river is dam controlled so watch your levels before you make the trip. Visibility above Rockport is too clear, and a lovely emerald green, below. The Regs are always a little confusing for the lower river so pay attention, there. I have to say the lower river is your best shot at large wild natives. Good luck working around the sled boys. They can't stand the "flyfishing attitude." In a word, "Everyone could work a little harder at "Being nice."

You don't need a heavy tip for these long lovely Skagit pools. Unless the steelhead have been pushed off the bars by guys wading too deep, these fish love to swim in the softer flows. Water is cold so I would still fish the bigger flies. For clearer waters, go to the softer colors. Pale pink over fire orange. burgundy over a fiery red. Black, purples and blues are always good. You get the idea.

Sauk River: 3,200 cfs @ Sauk) River has gone to Catch & Release, so any fish that has made it in, is supposed to stay there. I wrote about the conditions of the Sauk last week. Water is cold so you winter sinktipping applies. I have written tons on this if you want to check out our Stories & Articles section. For some reason; Rafts VS River Boats Is a timely piece, I wrote a few years ago. If you are looking to get into a new boat, might want to check that one out.

Cascade River: Closed

Stillaguamish System: Closed

Snohomish System including the Skykomish River: Closed

Olympic Peninsula: Mike is our also our OP guru. This year his focus will be on the Queets as they look to have another fine native steelhead return this spring. Mike is planning on capturing a OP Steelhead video by next year. Friggin cool. Oh, we also have our annual OP Steelhead Schools April 6 (Queets) or April 7 (Clearwater). Right now it looks like we have 2 slots available for each day. Mike's guide days out there looks good.

Best of fishing,

Dennis, Mike, Jonathan & Darrel www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

2/25/07

"Low & Slow"

Winter one day, spring the next. Feels good to be back into the action again. Mike & Jonathan are just finishing up with their two days of Sauk schools, today. Me? Home sick with a flu bug. Great fun.

Steelhead fishing right now is a mixed bag of early winter native steelhead and up and downstream hatchery steelhead. Freezing levels have dropped the rivers into shape. Here is the scoop.

Skagit: (8,500 @ Marblemount) Upper river is running high and clear. Not an easy fly gig for steelhead as the fish will move off into the heavier waters as soon as the light hits the water. Dark days are better. Not a lot of wild steelhead in the upper river anymore, but it does have its moments. This is my favorite Surface Dolly show.

Rockport to Birdsview: Visibility is good. Many of your early steelhead will be headed for the Sauk. Mike's guys tagged a nice native in this section the other day. Downstream hatchery steelhead are very aggressive but they don't fight well. Steelhead tend to hold in the water you can't quite see in. That is why in early morning you don't want to fish (or wade) deep. As the day brightens, we go to our heavier tips, heavier flies. I like fishing "off colors" in winter fishing. There is real merit in the "Fish any color you want, as long as its black." Same could be said for purple. Just really hard to go wrong with a fly with some purple or black in it.

Birdsview to Lyman: Very nice flywater. Good place to find that big native but big time sled show until the river section closes. I like to tell myself the motors push the fish in closer to shore.

FYI: We are coming up on the February 28 WDFW River Closures: There are several in the north sound region, so be sure to check your regs.

Sauk (4,450 cfs @ Sauk) Upper river is a friggin mess. Nasty water up there with blind alleys, bad sweepers, major channel splits. Does it pull the wild fish? Oh yeah, but unless you are patient and really good on the sticks, you have no business floating up here. The good news is, the bankies can't scoop you. Most of good water is simply too far to walk. Dollies & steelhead are the gig. Fishing improves as the natives move in during the March 1, Catch & Release.

Suiattle confluence down to the Government bridge: The Suiattle River got torn up pretty badly in the winter storms. Open exposed glacial slides will have you guessing whether this section is fishing from day to day. Hikers all over this section of the Sauk. Good luck trying to find new water when the fish are in.

Government Bridge to Skagit confluence: Unfortunately, much of winter silt ended up in the lower Sauk. There was only a handful of good holding pools in the lower Sauk before the high waters, and now there is fewer yet. The walk-ins have figured how to scoop the morning fish, and that is if you can beat the sled boys coming up from the Skagit. A power boat fishing during the spawning season on the Sauk? Most anglers know I have never agreed with this regulation. Good luck trying to get it changed.

Stilly North Fork: Probably the best winter hatchery steelhead season I have seen in years. So why wasn't I talking about it? Got to fish somewhere. Let's hope the wild steelhead return as well. Most pools between the slide and Deer Creek are silted in. Few pools between Deer Creek and Cicero, but much is private property. Good luck finding put-ins & takeouts. Mine are leases.

Flyfishing Schools: Come see our new format!

Olympic Peninsula Flyfishing steelhead schools April 6 or 7 Popular classes on a couple lovely flyfishing rivers. The Queets & Clearwater do not get the attention that the upper peninsula streams do. Wonderful way to learn the waters and steelhead at the same time! (We have had guys asking about these OP schools since Christmas)

Mike is our Olympic Peninsula guru. He spends much of his spring over on OP fishing the Chosen, Queets and it's tributary the Clearwater. If you are more comfortable with a typical guide trip than a school, think March & April. If you are date flexible, he can probably fit you in.

Speaking of guides: Check out Choosing a Guide

So there you have it. When the rest of the flyfishing world zigs, zag......

Best of fishing,

Dennis & the Boys www.flyfishsteelhead.com

D

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

2/18/07

"All in a day's work"

Lovely week as winter can't decide it's done or not. I love these little warm spells in the winter scene. Poor plants can't decide if they are coming or hiding.

Mike is our top guide and spent the majority on the Sauk this week. Not a lot of steelhead showing as yet, but the lower Skagit is swimming some wild steelhead, so this rain should have them pushing for home on this rain.

The Darrington down to the Suiattle has better visibility but, the lower Sauk will have more fish. The Dolly population looks healthy, and big ugly streamers is the fly of choice. The bigger ones will lay right in the steelhead waters so makes for a fine "crossover" if you don't over rod them. It's raining as we speak so watch your river flows.

The Skagit has some big steelhead in the lower river if you know where to look. If the Sauk goes out, then the upper watershed is a good place to look. I tend to spend a lot of time up there, but most of my time is skating surface flies so it is kind of a gig unto itself.

The Stilly North Fork has been surprisingly good this winter, but the wild fish tend to enter well after they close the season, so once was a great fishery is left pretty much to the poachers. Again, watch your water levels. Stilly is out as we speak.

Sauk River Steelhead Schools:

I know you. You are wading a favorite steelhead river pool. You have just spent the last two hours, waist deep in the frigid winter flows. As you have worked your way down into the tailout, you realize you are finished, again. No takers, no bites, no love. So you left to wondering as you reel up your line. Are there simply no steelhead in this river, are am I just not fishing it right?

Our Sauk schools just like our Skagit schools are full. They fill every year. Why? Because we cut through the bull and get to the fishing. Wouldn't it be nice to at least know you are doing it right? We promise a two year apprenticeship in a single day of fishing. After over ten years of monthly classes, I guess we can say we do a few things right. Mike again will be our expedition leader. He & Jonathan put on a really good gig for both single & double handed anglers. Please check out our 2007 Flyfishing School Calendar.

The Private Lakes of Jeff's Ponds is another of our hide-outs. I notice we will be conducting a Lakes School up here on March 15 or 16. We don't fish the weekends due to a landowner agreement but I would look for leeches and midges to be doing their thing. This 90 acre Mount Vernon gig is kinda fun, and certainly a shorter haul than to Pass Lake. Same boys come back year after year, so it must be pretty good for these triploid rainbows. Bookings are always quietly doing well. Spring is good.

The big hubbub about Jim Teeny got me thinking about an episode that happened to me some ten or twelve years ago. I finally wrote about it in Steelhead Dogs. The story is not what you might think, but it actually happened.

So there you have it.

Guides & Cars:
Before I bought my 4-Runner, I was out shopping the cars and trucks. Seems like everywhere I went, every dealership was comparing their rig to Toyota and Honda. Now? I drive a Toyota & my wife drives a Honda.

My point? If everyone on the web seems to have the Dickson Flyfishing on their radar, I guess we can take that as a compliment. You owe it to yourself to find out for yourself. Our clients did.

Be the Toyota,

Dennis, Mike & the Boys of www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

2/11/07

"Never enough time"

First of all, I would like to thank Mike for holding down the fort, while his Mom and I have been a way for the past couple weeks. Second, Kudos to Mike & Jonathan for conducting the Skagit schools, (more on that).

Oh, I wish I could say it is nice to be back, but after a 14 days on the warm climes of Florida & the Bahamas - well, I would just be lying. I know this is a fishing report about the Pacific northwest but: You know, everyone should have the opportunity to fish that fish that makes your heart race and your hands shake.

I have been fortunate. Over my 54 years, I have traveled some, and lucky enough to flyfish all kinds of fish. I won't bore you with when, where and what kinds. Suffice it to say, as long as I am flyfishing, I have enjoyed them all. In freshwater, I will admit a real weakness for steelhead, particularly skating flies for surface rising fish. I have also spent a good deal of time on both flats & lagoon saltwater fish, as well as bluewater fishing in the open waters. Life has been good. I can also tell you for all the saltwater fishing I do, I have decided I have another weakness in flyfishing. Juvenile Tarpon. We call them "Poons".

Now, I have spent my time on the front end of a flats boat. I have hooked some "tow arounds" that were friggin amazing. But for me, fishing off my feet in some backwater for multiple younger Tarpon, and I am talking the 20-70 pound class, is to saltwater, what steelhead dry flies is to fresh. It cranks my passion.

Anyway, My good wife & I took a working vacation with some "friends," and headed south. We snorkeled, we swam, we kayaked, and we ate way to much. My personal best day of "Poon" fishing was jumping 7 Tarpon, landing 4, in an afternoon. Now how does life get better than that? We did it in January. Some day when I get inspired I will write the article of chasing "Poons." As in many types of fishing, it kinda has its own gig. Specialty lines, flies, and rods. You know the drill. Oh, and you don't have to go the Bahamas to find it. If you are willing to wait until the water warms, Florida has some knockout fishing, too. I will tell you everything but where. Think I am nuts?

Ok, I am back: Skagit Flyfishing Schools. Mikey and Jon did SO well in the Skagit schools, we have repeat guys coming back to take the Sauk school as well. I guess I am happy about that. Just kidding, my guides are some of the best in the business. I am lucky to have them. And thanks to all the boys who joined us on the Skagit. We have only been doing these classes for about a gazillion years. Never gets old.

Sauk Steelhead school : Feb 23 or 24 Mike tells me the Saturday class may be full, but Friday has a couple openings. Mike also showed me his new Sauk Steelhead Video. Pretty cool, but he has this Grande Ronde video that he shot from 20 days of guiding last fall that is frigging amazing! I have asked him not to release it yet, but I know it will revolutionize our Fishing Club power point Presentations this year.

The Skagit has some hatchery steelhead & Dollies, but the early native steelhead will be coming in. Jonathan & Darrel will spend their guide time on our local waters, but Mike will again split between the Sauk and the Olympic Peninsula. (He had some stellar days out there, last year.) If you are looking to book this trip in the up coming C&R fishery, I would do it now. Boys are getting busy.

Me? Me and mine are booked to just poke around the Skagit again this winter/spring. The last few years I have really gotten into the Skating Flies, thing during the juvenile salmon outmigration. No big deal but nobody is doing it and a real hoot on a single handed 6 weight.

The Skykomish & Stilly will probably close again the end of February. Might want to watch for that. If you are looking for a light read in this "Off Season", check out A Cranky Client. Every guide has had them, only a few will ever admit it.

Back in the saddle, Dennis & the bad boys of Dicksonhood www.flyfishsteelhead.com 425 238 3537

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information.

2/5/07

Well it’s February already. Dad is still enjoying the weather in Florida and the Bahamas. Things have been cold and it looks like we will get a little break from Jack Frost. The clear cold days on the water are the worst. Along with the warmer weather we are supposed to get a little bit of rain witch will help to get some fish moving around and make the rivers a bit more “fishy”. Most of the rivers are low and could use a bump in levels. We are in the Middle of the two different runs; the hatchery fish vs. the wild fish. Typically the hatchery fish will show from mid November to early Jan. The wild fish usually start to show in mid February. In both runs of fish there is always early and late fish. The best time to fish is when you can and some of the best is yet to come.

The Skagit is at a nice height because it is dam controlled so it is the most stable river around. It is running at 7,800 cfs. From Marblemount down to the Sauk it is running very clear. Once it hits the Sauk you start picking up a little color but doesn’t get the real nice color till you hit the Baker River. There are some steelhead around but it slowed a bit with the cold conditions. Even the dolly fishing slowed a bit. It should pick up a bit this next week with some rain.

The Sauk is a bit low running at 2,300 cfs but the water clarity looks great. Nice 3+ ft of visibility. Some of the runs have changed a bit over the fall/winter so really focus on finding some nice rocks and structure in the runs you fish. Those silty bottom spots are a waste of time even if the run looks good.

We figured out how to get some video on the site. Here is a clip of a nice buck Mel caught on the upper Sauk last spring.
http://flyfishsteelhead.com/video.htm
No animals were hurt while making this video (besides a sore lip)? We have a bunch of Grande Ronde video and some bone fishing video to be added soon.

The Stilly is a bit low at 1,300 cfs and could use some water. It is running clear up at Fortson down to below C Post road.

The Sky is running very low at 1,300 cfs too. It could really use some water.

For those interested we do have some dates for the O.P. and may add some trips in Mid April if guys are interested.

Keep those flies wet,

Mike D and the Boys.

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

As Dennis is off to warmer places chasing tarpon for the next two weeks I'll be fishing the usual stuff, holding down the fort. The schools for the Skagit are full and we are looking forward to doing those. The Sauk school will be next and still has a couple openings. There has been a decent # of fish showing in the last couple weeks, some late spurts of hatchery fish.

The stilly is still producing fish; I pulled up to one spot this last week just in time to see
an angler finishing his fight with a 32+ inch fish. Still a little busy but not bad if you are willing to walk or go mid week. CFS: 2,100

The Skagit and a few tribs have got a shot of fish in the last two weeks. There are
descent #'s of dollys around and we will start fishing them on the surface soon.
CFS: 8,200

The Sauk's clarity has got better with the nice weather. I have been really looking forward to getting into some of my favorite spots. Hopefully I can get on it this next week. I have some video of a nice wild buck that a good friend Mel got with me last spring that I hope to get online so people can see. With the many functions of the web these days it's about time to upload some video files if we can figure it out. CFS: 3,200

The sky is fishing ok at the usual spots. The river is a little low at the moment but was at a nice flow mid week. CFS: 2,200

The O.P. fishing has been good, I have a few openings for the next trip in March from the 29th – 31st.

Streamside Flyshop on-line

Pink Conehead string leach – A great winter steelhead searching pattern with lots of wiggle.

Till next week, hope everyone stays safe and has great time fishing.

Mike D and crew. www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

1/21/07

"Back at the Ranch"

Finally, winter has lost it's grip. at least for a few days. The ice and cold have left the rivers down and "in"
A good mix of steelhead & Dollies are in the rivers. Life is good.

The Skagit (7,200 cfs) is still running high and clear above the Sauk. Dollies are coming out. Good place to run up and hide. The main stem below the Sauk confluence, is a real fishy green right now. Some hatchery steelhead are to be had, and even heard of a wild fish or two, are being taken in the lower river. Simply too many choices!

The Sauk is low, (3,000 cfs.) but coming up slowly. Visibility is excellent above the Suiattle and decent below. Pretty much a Dolly show, but the wild steelhead will be coming. Year in and year out, the really big wild steelhead we swim, are taken in February and early March. I would look for that.

Most of the food source of Chum carcass & eggs is gone now, so any fly that swims well with a good profile will be a ticket. Check out: Steelhead Flies: Fact and Fiction Personally, I think guys make way too much of the fly, and not enough about what really matters. Reading water & line presentation.

Flyfishing Schools: "A two year apprenticeship in a single day on the river" Skagit Schools are full. You can receive your itinerary directly from the Skagit Page. If you aren't able to join us on this 10th annual school, we are now offering our Sauk River Schools Feb 23 or 24. Mike will be again be the expedition leader. If you read this before we can get to you, please send Mike your emergency phone number in case the river blows out. Sauk School is filling.

Jim Teeny: Years ago I shared a booth next to Jim at a sportsman show. I found him to be gentle, passionate and very professional. I will admit, I have never fished with him personally but a very close client friend, spends a week flyfishing with him in the Alaskan bush each summer. So I ask Hal about the Mr. Teeny and his rock throwing & "mouth snagging." Hal just turned and said, "Just an urban legend, Dennis."

So it makes me wonder:
Is it found in all sports or just in Flyfishing, where we have those self proclaimed, who feel it is their obligation to teach the fishing masses of who we should like, and who we shouldn't? So much for popular opinion.

Best of fishing,

Dennis, Mike, J. & Darrel. www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

1/14/07


"Looks like friggin winter from here"

What can I say? The good news is, the rivers are at the right height to fish. The bad news is, the weather leaves you feeling like a popsicle before your wading shoes get wet. Trust me, this is a really good time to curl around your fly tying vice and the wood stove.

When the fishing itch needs to be scratched:

The Skagit (8,200 cfs) is running high and clear above the Sauk. Pools may have changed since the last time you have seen it, so if you float, be careful.

Winter hatchery steelhead are around but I think the best fishing is down around Grandy Creek, so it is a haul down there, from the upper river. Visibility is marginal in the lower river, but the good news is the returning steelhead will be swimming past your feet. Don't wade beyond your knees. (With a water temp in the mid 30's you are not going to feel like it, anyway) Watch out for floating ice.
Anyway, there are Dolly/Bulls in the upper river, so gear to them with you lighter rods and sink tips. Eggs are gone, but flesh flies are golden, so there you go.

Sauk: (3,500 cfs) Water levels are prime but visibility is as down as the temperatures. The Sauk doesn't get much of a hatchery return, but if you are lucky enough to bump into an early dominant male native steelhead, well, that is why you fish. Fishing above the Suiattle is better than below but floating is only for very experienced. Try high vis. colors like Black, purple, white and hot orange. Keep the flies big. Mine are size 1 or 1/0.

N.F. Stilly
North Fork Stilly is also at prime. Best fly water right now is above the slide, and best visibility is above Boulder Creek confluence.

A question I am asked quite often this time of year is: What is your favorite sinktip flyline for winter use?

Answering this question is a bit like asking a golfer, when you play on XYZ course, which is your favorite iron or club to play? Now I am not advocating you have to micro manage, changing heads every time you step downstream, but it is important to know when, where, and why, you need to make a change.

I would recommend reading Flylines are what catch fish. It is as pertinent today as when I wrote it 5 years ago.

Speaking of learning: Some would say I am lucky to do what I do. Others would say I am blessed. I have fished in fabled waters from remote streams of Alaska, fabled waters of B.C. and the Washington streams, of yesterday. I been fortunate enough to see 50 steelhead days, and I have seen my share of skunks. I am not sure how much I have learned in the really big days nor the fishless days, but over the years and many many steelhead, even I learn a few things.

I would never say I have learned it all. That would be sad. I like to think I either reinforce a concept or learn a new idea each time I am out.

I am a biologist. I am interested in "cause and effect," "stimulus and response." "You do this and you get that." There is many ways to approach steelhead. Some would swear that if you don't swing your flies, you are not flyfishing. Others claim, this approach is too limited, and dink bobbers and jigs are the way to fish.

Me? I really don't care how a guy fishes, as long as he puts the fish back into the water. But that is me.

I really do think it takes 100's if not 1000's of steelhead to your fly, to understand steelhead well enough, to call yourself an expert. I can also tell you there are way too many fish caught at the computer, or behind the counter. I will let you decide who is who.

My point? Don't believe everything you read or hear, even from me. My guides are some of the finest anglers who fish. Each one has their own style. Some rules are hard and fast. Others simply evolve from the doing. Fish enough to know the difference. Try to fish with someone who is catching fish, consistently, but keep an open mind. That's half the fun!

Flyfishing Schools: Every year our Skagit Schools fill up before we get there. Yup, the 2007 Skagit schools are full. We are back to offering our Sauk River Schools Feb 23 or 24. Mike will be again be the expedition leader. If you had your heart set on fishing the Skagit, no worries, inquire about our custom schools. Happy to talk.

So tie a fly and watch our Seahawks. Nothing to lose, we are playing on house money, baby.

Best of fishing,

Dennis, Mike, J. & Darrel. www.flyfishsteelhead.com

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

1/7/07
Happy New Year!

Everyone is back to work and getting back to normal except pops, he’s just got back from a ski trip to come home to his 5th power outage in a month so I’m doing the fishing report. Thanks for some great memories to all the guys that fished with us in 06. It’s a new year with New Year’s resolutions in mind – winter steelhead, better yet Big winter steelhead. I’ll get the nitty gritty cuz there is football to watch today.

Skagit/Cascade: One of the few rivers fishable in the area because of the rains on Tuesday. The river went from 17K to 6,000 cfs right now. The Sauk and Baker both had hardly any visibility so it makes the Skagit with low vis from the bottom of the mixer bar down. In the lower river, look for some fish around some of the usual spots and tributary creeks when it clears. The upper river looked great with vis to 5-6 ft. I fished it yesterday with a couple of guys. We came up with double digit dolly numbers but no steelies. Darrel got one early in the morning fishing just above Rockport. The cascade was looking good. Lots of early a.m. anglers with a couple of fish around. We walked into one spot before our float that fished great just didn’t have any rod benders.

Stilly: Was fishing great before the river blew out to 25K. Jonathan had a great day just before the new year that produced the report pic. She has come down to 3,300 now. The pulse of water should make for some great fishing as the water comes down and clarity goes up. There are quite a few anglers in the usual spots, if you don’t mind hiking around you can get some 1 on 1 time with the river.

Sauk: It is not looking good right now. With the high waters we have been getting it has silted up and changed some runs. It is running low vis and will take a bit of dry cold weather to clear up. The first upper river float should be interesting. It was real braided last year. Take caution your first run at it this year. Can’t wait till the nates show and the water clears, it’s one of my favorites.

Sky: Went to 30,000 cfs on tues down to 6.5K today. Drove by it a couple days ago and it had low vis. Look for some new fish as the river heals.

Look for a Sauk school to come in late Feb or early March dates to be scheduled soon.

Go hawks. Seahawks win a crazy nail biter thanks to some good receiving, tough defensive and Romo.

Happy fishing,

Mike Dickson and the Boys.

For information on booking a trip see Rates and Booking Information

Archived Fishing Reports - lots of good infomation

January 2006 - December 2006
January 2005 - December 2005
January 2004 - December 2004
January 2003 - December 2003
January 2002 - December 2002
January 2001 - December 2001
January 2000 - December 2000
January 1999 - December 1999
Sept. 98 to Dec. 98 reports here
May 98 to August 98 reports here
January 98 to April 98 reports here