Summer Hoh River Closure
Olympic National Park just announced that they will be closing the Hoh River to protect chinook salmon from May 1st – October 31st. We’re working on getting more information from the Park.
Neah Bay Report
You never just find yourself out at Neah Bay. Highway 112 twists and turns around 60 miles from Port Angeles before the road ends at a small tribal fishing village. There are few fishermen that make the trek prior to the halibut and salmon seasons.
Fly anglers will have to wait until July for the incredible salmon fishing this town is known for. For those willing to hit the windows between storms springtime offers loads of rockfish and a shot at lingcod. Chris made the trip a couple days ago and found good fishing even if the wind limited where he could fish.
The conditions made it difficult to keep a fly right near the bottom for lingcod, but the black rockfish suspend in the water column and provide excellent sport on a cast fly. No fish were seen boiling on the surface so that meant throwing sinking lines and baitfish patterns like the clouser minnow.
Another upside is the wildlife viewing on the coast. You will always see marine mammals such as sea lions and seals and most days you will see a whale, porpoises, or sea otters. There are also thousands of sea-birds nesting and feeding around Cape Flattery and Tatoosh Island. It is worth spending time there even without a fly rod but catching a few fish on the fly makes it just that much sweeter.
Coastal Salmon Seasons Are Finalized
WDFW just announced what this summer’s saltwater salmon seasons will look like in Area 3 (La Push) and Area 4 (Neah Bay). They also gave us an idea what the seasons inside the Strait of Juan de Fuca will look like. The seasons should be finalized in the next couple weeks.
Salmon will be open for hatchery chinook for a few days in May and from June 22-28th. The season for coho and pink salmon (which are the primary fly fishing targets) opens June 29th and runs until the quota is caught or mid-September. The local fishing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca looks good with similar seasons to last summer and a couple extra pinks added to the limit. We have not seen the exact dates yet but the pink salmon fly fishing should be great for boat anglers from Sekiu to Ediz Hook and the Eastern Strait in July and August. The coho will follow and we should remain open into October. Bank anglers won’t be left out as those same salmon will pass close by the points and beaches around Port Townsend and Hood Canal.
Stay tuned for more salmon season news along with tackle tips in the next month or two. Then the trip reports should start pouring in.
Are Your Ready For Lakes
Local fly tyer John Gort let us look at his Cliff’s Bugger Beast as he gets ready for spring lake fishing.
This should give us all a ton of motivation at the fly tying vise to get ready for our favorite fisheries.
Doug Rose, A Celebration…
Doug Rose, A Celebration Of A Life Well Lived and Fished
A chance to Talk Story with friends.
Sunday April 7, 2013, 1 p.m.
Meet at Indian Island Park, Scenic Route 116 , across from Entrance To Naval Base Port Hadlock, wa. 98339.
Please bring: your own lunch and beverage for yourself and extra if you would like to share, your rod and reel and your version of a Keta Rose or a fly of your choice with name and contact information.
Indian Island and Marrowstone Island were places that Doug often fished for Sea-Run Cutthroat and Coho Salmon.
See you Sunday
Signs of Spring
Curt spent some time on the West End Rivers recently and got us these Springtime shots. The rivers are currently rising but there should be a nice shot of fresh fish when the rivers drop in to shape early next week.
