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Pink Recon

30K views 169 replies 68 participants last post by  wetline dave 
#1 ·
went to the south tacoma and did recon for pinks. results negative, no pinks south yet. i did catch a bunch of 10-12 inch kings and 8-12 inch cutts. ALL RELEASED FINE. sadly no pinks yet.

talked to a guy that had just returned from the striaght up north and said they r in thick. made it difficult to fish for kings kept getting pinks. said they are larger this year average 6-7 lbs.
 
#130 ·
8/2 Dash Point 5:30 - 8:00 AM - Tide was UP

Dock was 1/2 full

About 12 gear guys wading

9 fish taken by gear guys on the beach plus 5 on the pier over the duration of time I was there.

Quite a bit of salad in the water = annoying.

No jumpers

Still on the slow side .... maybe a few more days.
 
#131 ·
I don't post on here very often because once you have been through a season the threads are all the same. Topwater you have it exactly right, I also agree with Ibn. Part of the fun for me is standing on the deck with my friends all casting to, lets say Tuna, fly lines all over the place, and three or four of us hook up, the chaos is so much fun. Just for the record GT you are a dick.
 
#133 ·
Went fishing with a friend from our kayaks around Port Townsend and down in the Canal, due to the shitty weather on the straits. Lots of guys out, not too many fish. A few pinks where rolling by the mealhole on the Canal, but no hook ups from the plethora of fisherman. We had a great time regardless, got some nice crab and oysters!
 
#134 ·
Each return year we seem to hit the Pink Salmon right about 4th of July weekend while we are out Sea Run Coastal Cutthroat Trout flyfishing, up here in the Port Townsend area, south down to the upper Hood Canal etc. And from then on it's just about every trip, every week thereafter through the run that we catch them. Not every trip, but most trips.

Without doing anything extra special; nine foot six weight rods, floating lines, nine foot tapered leaders, 3X to 4X tippets, with trout flies like Muddlers, Sculpin, Miyawaki Beach Poppers, Gartside Gurglers, Stimulators, Bill McMillan's Steelhead Caddis, Baitfish Clousers, Chum Babys and Beach Babys. We catch them using our usual and unusual trout presentations; mostly an old school wet fly swing or greased line drift, but all with a little more action to the fly, especially on the retrieve. So many of these fish hit our flies on the "hang" or "dangle", at the end of a drift or swing. Pink Salmon are very fun and hard hitting, fighting fish.
 
#135 ·
Hit the water with Steve Saville this morning. Steve hooked up within a few mins of arriving, but the ldr came too soon. I hooked up as we were contemplating calling it a day. Nice, big, bright pink. Got it up to the boat, missed the net, and broke him off as he made a mad dash straight to the anchor rope.
 
#138 ·
After 3 days of skunk in MA 9, 10, and 11, this morning I caught 2, had a bigger one break off, and had a few other pecks that I missed. MA 10 this morning.

I haven't seen that many yet of course, but all the ones I have seen caught are quite big, these 2 were both chunky, and the one I lost was definitely bigger. Here's to hoping that pattern holds and we have lots of 6-10 lb humpies this year.
 
#150 ·
Evan, was unsure of the truth to your tale until Mr. Seville chimed in. My hat is off to you man, you got that single hander figured out?

Troutrageous, nice pair!
 
#152 ·
Nick, sorry to break it to you, but you are not looking all that well. I think you should rest up with a long reaching fly rod in the morning and work after that.
 
#153 ·
If only, Ed. If only. As it was it was sheer torture to tear myself away from the lake with Ira today.

If I was working my normal swing shift it wouldn't be a problem to get out, but I have to go in at noon tomorrow for some training so that cuts way down on my available time. Oh well, I can't complain as at least I have steady employment. Plenty aren't that lucky.
 
#154 ·
I call bullshit. You need to be on the beach by Five and off by Eight, eat breakfast, socialize with the family, post a report for the WFF membership then roll to work.
 
#160 ·
Hit the beach this afternoon and fished the incoming tide until dusk. Certainly was a beautiful evening. No pinks to hand, although another fly angler said his friend had picked one up earlier in the day. A single bullhead kept the total skunk off.

I purchased one of the Orvis stripping baskets today and introduced myself to Leland. My integrated head line casting is slowly improving, and with the basket I was amazed how much of that Airflo 40+ line can be launched with just a bit of a tail wind. My lesson learned for the day was that "less means more". Less force; better timing, let the rod do the work. Less casting; roll cast to get the head back out, then make just one cast. The results were more distance and more fishing time with the fly swimming.

Don't you just love that rebound bump when you unexpectedly shoot more line than what you have in the basket? Learning. Thanks for the tips guys!
 
#161 ·
Thats exactly right Greggor. It took a long time for this meathead not to overpower the rod when using a shooting head. Not overpowering on the forward cast was quite the challenge, but like you said, LESS IS MORE. Thanks for the report on the beach.
 
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