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Trip of The Week
Chris made it out to the coast on Monday to do some saltwater fishing. The weather forecast was favorable heading into the day but often predictions are not 100% The weatherman got the sunshine and swell height right, but missed on the wind. The prediction would have provided lots of windbreaks inside the Strait, but the actual winds were blowing from the Northeast, which makes fishing inside the Strait much tougher. 
Luckily the rocky areas just south of Tatoosh Island were out of the wind. The aggressive black rockfish wouldn't stay away from the large six to seven inch lingcod flies. The wind eventually made it's presence known in the Skagway area so Chris searched for other places either out of the wind or where he could use the engine to back into the wind to allow his fly to reach the 15-40' depths. 
Neah Bay offers the best bottomfishing in Washington State. We want it remain a great fishery so we recommend anglers be more conservative than the regulations allow. Rockfish are tasty and many anglers enjoy bringing some fresh fish home to eat. There have been pushes to close the waters inside the Strait in recent years so we must be vigilant to make sure we not only can fish but still have abundant stocks of rockfish. Besides the fishing, the northwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula always delivers when it comes to wildlife. The Cape Flattery area is a bird watching paradise as well as a great place to see marine mammals. Chris missed getting a photo of the grey whale he sighted but the sea lions like performing for the camera. 
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Opening Day
April 27th is opening day for the majority of lakes that are not open year round. There are numerous lakes on the Olympic Peninsula with hungry trout that have not seen a hook since last year. Anderson Lake, which is often closed due to algae blooms, will open on the 27th.
Besides our local waters this is a great time of year to head over the Cascade Crest and fish the productive lakes of Eastern Washington. Our large in-store fly selection of lake patterns will have you ready to conquer your favorite stillwater.
The primary hatches this time of year will be chironomids and mayflies. Subsurface patterns such as leeches and damselfly nymphs are also great searching patterns.
Here are some must have products for lake fishing.
1. Quick Release Indicators are one of the best strike indicators for fishing chironomids with long leaders.
2. RIO's Aqualux Clear Intermediate Line - A clear intermediate line has become the standard for stillwater anglers stripping baitfish, leech, damselfly, and dragonfly patterns. RIO also makes a bunch of other great Lake Lines to fit every situation on the water.
3. Woolpower Layering - The weather in Western Washington this time of year is often chilly and wet. Staying warm equals comfort and being more comfortable means more time fishing. Woolpower is the warmest stuff we've used. Stay warm all day in your float tube.
4. RIO Fluoroflex Plus - Fluorocarbon tippet is almost invisible to fish and perfect for subsurface presentations. RIO's Fluoroflex is strong and incredibly supple.
5. Water Master Boats - These watercraft are mostly mentioned as great on moving water but they excel in lakes. You sit above the water (which helps keep you warm) and can maneuver with either the oars or fins.
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Gamakatsu Hooks
We carry a large selection of Gamakatsu hooks. They are sticky sharp right out of the package and come in a number of styles perfect for all of the fishing on the Olympic Peninsula. Whether you are tying a Steelhead Caddis, Intruder or a large Clouser Minnow, Gamakatsu has the right hook. Click the pictures below to purchase .
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We recommend these hooks
for steelhead wet flies. They
are an up-eye, with a tapered
return loop and a long
shank. Sticky sharp hooks
that hold fish. In either
Nickel Black or Red.
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Rising a steelhead to a dry
fly is a rush. Landing that
fish is even sweeter. This
hook is our favorite for
surface and low water flies.
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The L11-3H is a multi-
purpose hook. Works as a
tube fly hook in smaller sizes
and is a great choice for wet
flies. This hook is excellent
for fall salmon flies.
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Gamakatsu Octopus Hooks
are the standard for trailer
hooks. Comes in 8-10 or 25
packs.
CLICK HERE for the barbless
version
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This hook is becoming
popular for tubes, shanks,
and string leeches. Lighter
wire than the Octopus, but
very strong. Fish stay
hooked with the Finesse
Wide Gap.
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The finest glo-bug hook. It
is not only great for egg
patterns but is a great small
tube fly hook. Also perfect
for rigging below a bead.
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The B10S Stinger hook is the
hook for hair bugs and
streamers for bass and pike.
Super sharp 1X strong.
Works well behind tubes in
the smaller sizes.
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This non-fly hook has many
fly fishing uses. Great for
rigging Waddington Shanks,
and tubes.
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Bait fishermen may call this
hook a light-wire hook, but
for fly fishing it is perfect for
rigging tubes for large king
salmon as well as a larger
Glo-Bug hook.
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Double hooks are not often
used because of regulations
that require single hooks.
Where legal they work great
as a tube fly hook and for
classic Atlantic Salmon flies.
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Tube flies are becoming
more popular in the salt. The SC15 is a great tube fly hook as well as a general
purpose saltwater hook.
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Gamakatsu's SL11-3H is a 3X
strong saltwater hook. We
like these hooks the flies we
want to sink, whether for
sea-run cutthroat or snook.
The perfect Clouser hook.
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The SS15 is our favorite hook
for our local saltwater fish.
Light wire makes it ideal for
surface flies. We carry the
SS15 in size 4-12, which are
perfect for our local salt-
water fisheries.
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