What is your best Beach for Silvers?

[Guillaume]

Hi guys,
I was thinking about Lincoln Park, Picnic Point, Golden Gardens...what other favorite beaches should we add? Silvers are coming soon!
Btw, picnic point has been great this week. Morning bite definitely better than the evening one (or lack thereof).

[Roger Stephens]

Welcome to this site since you are a new comer.

Do a search on this site and you will find a lot of information about some good beaches and this fisheries. Most of these beaches are on pages 78 and 79 of the Atlas and Gazetteer. The less well know locations are kept quiet for a reason as shown by the crowded conditions at many pink salmon spots.

Roger

[Les Johnson]

Coho are moving down both shorelines of Puget Sound in the fall. Today's best beach might not be the same tomorrow. Seattle Salt Water Fly Fishing Club members keep track of the good beaches for other club members. It works for us.

Good Fishing,
Les Johnson

[Guillaume]

Thanks guys - yes it's hard to mark a spot as "good" as it definitely varies from day to day. Heck, I'm still trying out to figure the best tide action. Each time I think I got it, I'm proven wrong :)

[South Sound]

The Best Beach is that which does not have a crap load of people. So asking is in essence asking someone to ruin their best beach.
It is like saying hey my wife is great, everyone should sleep with her.

[Guillaume]

It is like saying hey my wife is great, everyone should sleep with her.

That just leaves me speechless.

Earlier this summer I spent 1 hour talking to a fishing guide on a river I had never fished before. The guy pointed me to a few of his favorites spots and told me what to use. I did not catch anything, partly because I don't have 1/10th of his knowledge, but it was great. Thank god there are guys like him around to communicate their passion and share. That's right, share.

So Josh, next time you go fishing to an area you don't know and ask for a little advice, just hope that they are a little more open than you are and don't tell you about their wives, so that you too can have a great time.

[Steve Rohrbach]

My friend Roger hit the nail on the head. Part of the joy of fishing is the time that you invest to search out new beaches, estuaries and river mouths. The best advice you can get is to buy an Atlas and Gazetteer and go out and explore. There are many great sites, www.pugetsoundflyfishing.com has a shoreline mapping program with aerial photos of the Washington shoreline. There is a great book on hiking Puget Sound beaches. All of these resources will make your fishing more enjoyable. Don't expect people to give up information that they have discovered over years of exploring to a wide open post on the Internet. But show up on a beach and you will be surprised by what people will share with others that are making an effort. You may even end up with a couple of go-to flies.
One should also consider keeping a Journal so that you can remember when certain fish usually arrive on a beach, what was the tide doing, what flies worked and what was the weather. It's called fishing, not catching for a reason.
Good fishing, Steve Rohrbach

[Luke Filmer]

People tend to be a bit zipperlipped about the good spots for sure, especially after fishing in areas that people stand elbow to elbow to catch fish.
Like Brown's Point, or Dash point.
I have a couple beaches I fish that stay productive all year round, and if I announced them on the internet, that would surely be the end of them.
The best advice to offer you is to spend an hour or so using the search button on this site with keywords like "resident coho" or "Beach fishing" etc...
There is a function on the site that allows you to privately e-mail other members as well, and sometimes you can get a little more info from people when they are not posting to the masses.

I also learned quite a bit from reading books on the subject, like Les Johnson's book.
There are guides like Bob Triggs whom you may be able to hire to take you out for a day, and learn from him.
If you understand their feeding habits, and habitat requirements, you should be able to identify possible beaches based on that as well.

If you do all these things, you will find your own secret beaches , and then you will understand.
Best of luck! :thumb:

[Guillaume]

Thanks! :)

[South Sound]

what you need to realize is if I am on the river, I expect to see quite a few people. The fish are not going to go anywhere, more or less. When it comes to beaches, there are a few major spots to fish and if there are a number of idiots wading too deep, or spooking the fish, then that beach is more or less shot. Also when it comes to private beaches with understanding locals, they become much less understanding when the beach becomes a point-no-point or lincoln beach. As for methods I will share all day long, but when it comes to specific beaches, unless I see you out there or have created a trusting friendship, my lips will remain zipped. As for learning, I think this site great esp. the search button and look up books on fly fishing for pacific salmon, ie. barry thorton's book and ferguson, trotter, and johnson's book.

[Roger Stephens]

Guillaume:

As you have probably noticed, nobody has given you names of their good beaches for reasons will stated by Steve, Fish-art, and Josh. Those of us who have been fly fishing for quite a while on Puget Sound have put in a lot of time and effort to find our "own special" spots. Hope that you will be able to "discover" some less well-known beaches on your own which will become your "home waters". The journey down that path will be a never ending one of learning and discovery which will reward you with great enjoyment of this fisheries.

Best of luck on your quest!

Roger

[Old Man]

I don't fish in the Salt but I could probably find plenty of places to go by just using the search engine on this site. Or by going to the home page and read up on several articles on fishing for Searun Cutthroat's. These places are not hard to find,it just takes a little driving and searching.

Jim

[papafsh]

I have come to believe that the best solution, for any die-hard salt water flyfisher, may be to own a 12 to 14ft flat bottom skiff with a 25 hp outboard and electric troll motor :thumb:
Then any beach would be reachable and parking, or trespass and such would no longer be a problem and you wouldn't be subject to late opening public access points.

LB

[Nick Andrews]

Good idea, or in my case you just let your fishing buddy buy it and then you can use his.

[Guillaume]

They have this porta-bote http://www.porta-bote.com/
That and a decent electric trolling motor should be great :)

[cascade kid]

Dear Josh,

You were right 1000% Blabbing about specific places in a Pugetropolis of millions of people to every dork with a computer is very much like offering your wife to someone (or everyone) else.

James

[Jefe Oso]

"It is like saying hey my wife is great, everyone should sleep with her."

Bingo Josh.

I had a good day fishing for SRC last year but didn’t give up the location, you would have thought I had personally insulted the ancestors of everyone in the group by their scathing responses. So be it life goes on.

[Florian Leischner]

The best beach in the entire Puget Sound is that one with the gravel beach, those overhanging maple trees and that bulkhead around the point. You can't miss it, it has that little feeder stream and those sea gulls always hang out there. The current rips their during out going tide and man do the fish stack up there. Man, I have had a blast their last year and c&r's about 25 coho in a day. ;)
I couldn't resist....

[Calico Keta]

I respect others and how they share information; it is their prerogative.
My reason for sharing this information is to help out; for those who don’t have the time or resources it can be a great short cut and get them some quality fishing time, especially if they have family and don’t get to fish as much. Yes, they can get a Map and do some research, but tell that to the guy who works 60 hours a week to support his family and trying to spend some quality time, sure he can sacrifice a little sleep to find a hole that’s not even a secret just to find out he needs to be home to take the kids to soccer practice.

Before I list some of the areas, I just wanted to vent or express my thoughts.
I am really sick and tired of the greed I witness daily, the lack of etiquette, manners and general respect. People claiming certain parts of the water as to their own or it’s only for their clique (this applies to fly and gear fishermen).
To the label whores. Just because you have the best gear, it doesn’t make you better. I am lucky enough to be privileged to have good gear and not have to worry about the cost, but I have been out fished by many; from Freddy’s bargain rod to the best. It’s not the equipment that makes the man and if you believe that, then you must have low self esteem, and should ask your mom for a hug and some self assurance that you may be lacking.
I say teach and share and you will get less of the rambunctious crowd in time.
One of the main reasons I have witnessed as to why people don’t like to share is not only because of crowds (soon or later they will show anyways, no matter how secret you think it is) but they fear competition and comradely. Please don’t just blame snagging, littering, rudeness or any other excuses; as it is now this shit happens every day, no matter what!


It’s not a habit of mine to divulge so called sensitive areas on the internet but I will share knowledge of certain particular area.
It’s not a secret, I really don’t care if other fly guys show up, as it is now, it gets plenty of gear guys just down the corner who snag and fish legally.
I have only seen a few fly fishermen in the past 8 years. Some years are incredible (30 plus fish in an hour, and you can see them swim by in hundreds, back and fourth); other times, I wonder why I am wasting my time at all.
You can thank the Muckleshoot in part for this great opportunity, as well as curse at them when they stretch the net in front of you as you cast. I am hoping for a good year but the past few years have been dismal at best. I target this area around mid Sept to late October, but every thing is dependent on the season (I pray this will be a good year).

I really don’t want to hear any gripe from people saying this was a great hole/secret till I let it out of the bag; because that’s not the case. I live up the road and I have been fishing here only with the gear guys and a few fly guys once in a blue moon.

Myrtle Edwards Park- All the way from Pier 70 down to Pier 90(especially the inlet in late fall when and if the fish show up.)
If you can cast from the rocks, without gouging the eyes and head of the runners and walkers along the trail you should be fine. I prefer the Pier 90 inlet since they concentrate in here; a lot of them will die in here as well, they have no river to call home other then the drain at the end. Near pier 70 can be good at times.
There is a fishing pier (pier 86) near by as well.

For those of you, who have never caught a King on a fly rod, try Hoodsport.
Although the season is pretty much over, they get a great run of kings in front of the hatchery. A lot like the Chum run, without the Asshole or at least not as many.
Again, you need to be there at the right time but when they come in, well let’s just say getting your limit is not a problem if that is what you wish.
If you are interested look me up for next years run.

Enjoy

[Nailknot]

Myrtle Edwards Park- All the way from Pier 70 down to Pier 90(especially the inlet in late fall when and if the fish show up.)

Enjoy

Is this area open? Inner Elliott Bay regs? Curious.

SALMON
ENTIRE AREA 10
June 16-June 30 Catch-and-release. Open only north of a line from Point Monroe to Meadow Point.
Handling Rule in effect for all SALMON.
July 1-Sept. 30 No min. size. Daily limit 2 (combined) plus 2 additional PINK. Release CHINOOK.
Handling Rule in effect for CHINOOK. Release CHUM Aug. 1-Sept. 15. Handling Rule
in effect for CHUM Aug. 1-Sept. 15. See Duwamish Waterways Special Rules on
previous page. See Shilshole Bay Closure on previous page. See Elliott Bay
closures below. See Inner Elliott Bay Fishery and Sinclair Inlet Fishery below.
Oct. 1-Oct. 15 No min. size. Daily limit 2 (combined). Release CHINOOK. Handling Rule in effect for
CHINOOK. See Duwamish Waterways Special Rules on previous page.
Oct. 16-Nov. 30 CHINOOK - min. size 22”. Other SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 2
(combined). No more than 1 CHINOOK may be retained. See Duwamish Waterways
Special Rules on previous page.
Dec. 1-Jan. 31 CHINOOK - min. size 22". Other SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 1. See
Agate Pass Closure on previous page.

Inner Elliott Bay Fishery
(see below)
July 8 - Noon Aug. 22
Open Fridays through
Mondays ONLY,
except closes Noon
Aug. 22.
CLOSED AFTER NOON MONDAY AUGUST 22. CHINOOK - min. size 22". Other
SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 (combined) plus 2 additional PINK.
Release CHUM Aug. 1-Sept. 15. Handling Rule in effect for CHUM Aug. 1-Sept.
15. See Elliott Bay closure below. See Duwamish Waterways Special Rules on
previous page.


Elliott Bay Fishing Pier at Terminal
86, Seacrest Pier, Waterman Pier,
Bremerton Boardwalk, Illahee State
Park Pier
Year-round CHINOOK - min. size 22". Other SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 2
(combined). No more than 1 CHINOOK may be retained. Release CHUM
Aug. 1-Sept. 15.

[Richard]

Lots of great comments here regarding restraint on giving out great fishing spots.

A case in point: I was teaching a buddy about fishing from beaches, and drove by a public beach I've fished for years, and asked him not to share it with anyone. He got a little irritated, and responded "Hey, it's a public beach, and anyone could go there". But after I pointed out that there were may be 2 good spots to fish and it could only accommodate maybe 4 fisherpersons, and no one was fishing there and it was listed as a spot to fish on Kaufmann's board or in the Seattle Times, he then understood.

A few years ago I read a fishing report posted by a guy who was crowing about the best two days of dry fly fishing he's ever had. He was ecstatic about the amount and quality of fish that he caught, and that he encountered only one or two people during the time he fished. I was a more than a little dismayed at his posting because, although the water was public and written up in some fly fishing books, it wasn't heavily fished, and I enjoyed the water for precisely the reasons he stated. Now several hundred of his closest online friends knew about it. He obviously didn't connect that maybe the lack of people and his fishing experience were somehow related, and when I pointed this out to him (offline), he became resentful and angry. He just didn't get it.

As someone else noted here, there's a huge difference between soliciting information online for hot spots or information as opposed to obtaining information from someone when you are on the water itself. I suspect you understand the difference, and begrudgingly can admit that Josh was correct, though Josh did state it a little directly and maybe a little harshly. :)

The point here, a little restraint is important in sharing information, particularly on line. But, it sounds like you already have a pretty good list of places to go or have gone! The best way to find out new places: find others who share your interest, try to spend some time around or with them, hang out at shops that have the similar interests, and invest some time exploring.

You'll pick up a lot that way (worked/works for me!). That beach-caught coho I BBQ'ed last night sure tasted yummy!

Fish on!

[Calico Keta]

Is this area open? Inner Elliott Bay regs? Curious.

SALMON
ENTIRE AREA 10
June 16-June 30 Catch-and-release. Open only north of a line from Point Monroe to Meadow Point.
Handling Rule in effect for all SALMON.
July 1-Sept. 30 No min. size. Daily limit 2 (combined) plus 2 additional PINK. Release CHINOOK.
Handling Rule in effect for CHINOOK. Release CHUM Aug. 1-Sept. 15. Handling Rule
in effect for CHUM Aug. 1-Sept. 15. See Duwamish Waterways Special Rules on
previous page. See Shilshole Bay Closure on previous page. See Elliott Bay
closures below. See Inner Elliott Bay Fishery and Sinclair Inlet Fishery below.
Oct. 1-Oct. 15 No min. size. Daily limit 2 (combined). Release CHINOOK. Handling Rule in effect for
CHINOOK. See Duwamish Waterways Special Rules on previous page.
Oct. 16-Nov. 30 CHINOOK - min. size 22”. Other SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 2
(combined). No more than 1 CHINOOK may be retained. See Duwamish Waterways
Special Rules on previous page.
Dec. 1-Jan. 31 CHINOOK - min. size 22". Other SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 1. See
Agate Pass Closure on previous page.

Inner Elliott Bay Fishery
(see below)
July 8 - Noon Aug. 22
Open Fridays through
Mondays ONLY,
except closes Noon
Aug. 22.
CLOSED AFTER NOON MONDAY AUGUST 22. CHINOOK - min. size 22". Other
SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 (combined) plus 2 additional PINK.
Release CHUM Aug. 1-Sept. 15. Handling Rule in effect for CHUM Aug. 1-Sept.
15. See Elliott Bay closure below. See Duwamish Waterways Special Rules on
previous page.


Elliott Bay Fishing Pier at Terminal
86, Seacrest Pier, Waterman Pier,
Bremerton Boardwalk, Illahee State
Park Pier
Year-round CHINOOK - min. size 22". Other SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 2
(combined). No more than 1 CHINOOK may be retained. Release CHUM
Aug. 1-Sept. 15.

The way I read the regs, it is.
(prior years) It seems that the Game warden read it the same way as I, since they asked for my license and asked what I was fishing for.

I see no difference this year.

As to this year, I have not fished it yet but plan on it very soon, dependent on the fish.
I will bring a copy of the regs with me.

[dmoocher]

I agree with Calico...there are enough jerks out there flipping gear and staking out their territory...I don't want to be one of them. I fish with the friends I have and the friends I haven't made yet...life's to short.

Calico...did I see you at hoodsport for the pinks this year? I'll definately look you up for the kings next year.