A lot of people wouldn't put Washington on a list of top trout destinations but it deserves more credit than it gets. This report details my recent experiences on a few of my favorite streams. All are within 3hrs of Seattle but I won't tell you their names or general location. Not to be a jerk but only because no one told me about them. I had to study maps, drive for hours, and hike my ass off to find them. Not to mention it's small water that won't be helped by hoards of fisherman. It will be more rewarding when you find them yourself anyway. First the mountain streams. This is a pic of my buddy Mike casting to some huge bows, brookies and browns. We didn't manage to land any of the big guys on this outing but we saw some monsters and have caught them earlier this summer. A nice rainbow This bat was eager to take my fly as we fished until it was to dark to see. This is probably the most beautiful hole I've fished. Fishing was tough here due to gin clear water. Danny fishing some pretty water. A decent brookie any day. Stopped and did some creek fishing on the was home. Cutt-bow. Caught this lil guy in a small pool. Put up a good fight and was fat n healthy. Caught about 30 this size in 4hrs. Prettiest fish of the day. Now for what is my personal favorite stream in Washington. Most of the rainbows in this stream are around this size. A nice westslope cutty. This was the nicest cutt I caught. He had the most blood red throat slashes I've ever seen. I believe this is a westslope/rainbow hybrid. This is the first one I've seen on this stream. Hole after hole like this. Saw a few steelhead and salmon in these holes. More pretty water. I love desert streams like this. I caught an uncountable number of rainbows mostly 8-10 and pulled the fly right out of a 16-20 cutt just downstream from here. Luckily the one in the above pic almost made up for it the next day. Hope you enjoyed the report and happy hunting!
I agree, Washington has rivers and streams teaming with small fish, and some not so small. It's just a matter of getting out there and exploring. I've fished a ton of streams and I still have a huge list of moving water that I haven't even seen, but I know holds trout.
Simply great post! I appreciate everything about it. I will say that your desert and my desert don't look anything alike......but I like them both.
Stuff like this gives me hope for the future of my ten year old son. Its good to know that the world isn't as completely effed as it seems. Thank you very much for sharing.
Wouldn't be the first time someone caught a bat. They sure love eating dry flies as much as the trout.
Great report and I love the pics! Those rainbows you are catching may just be steelhead smolt especially if you are seeing steelhead up in there! Nice Job! B_C
One of the best reports (photo show) I've ever read. Your research and exploration have resulted in some real gems. Next time someone comes looking for a hand out....posting - "where can I catch big fish in small streams in WA?"... we should simply link to this post and say "Do Your Homework." Time for me to whip out the maps and Goggle Earth and look for some new spots. Thanks for the motivation.
LOVE your first photo. You're at least as good a photographer as you are an angler. Nice, nice work, dude.
