Peter Kovah
Active Member
Hey all!
Been a member for a few years but haven't posted anything because I've been out living in NYC.
PART 1: A Question
I have two, maybe three weeks off in September, and I was thinking about flying back home (family is in Anacortes). My favourite fishing has always been from the beaches of Fidalgo and Whidbey for Pinks and Coho. I haven't been home in years, but I've heard/read some dreadful stats on salmon returns. It's a damn shame too. I even heard a couple of years ago that recreational fishing was basically shutdown in most Marine Areas/Rivers. I'll leave politics out of it, but we can all agree it's just sad.
My question: if catching Coho is the primary goal, is it even worth heading back to WA? I'm boat-less, and will just be fishing the popular beaches around MA 7 and 8.1. It has never been my priority to catch TONS of fish (I consider one fish per day to be an extremely succesful outing). But based on the WDFW reports, it looks pretty bleak. Which is a shame, as I'm the proud owner of a new 8wt rigged for saltwater and would love to try it out in WA.
Second question: If it is in fact worth it, is there a specific two/three week period that one might recommend? I've been out of the Salmon game for awhile so I forget lots about the Coho migration. As memory serves, they start heading in to the Sound now-ish, with the peak in maybe mid-September, and by October most are in the rivers (in my case, the Skagit)?
Basically any advice would be appreciated. It's that, or I head out to Long Island for some Striper fishing, which brings me to part II.
PT II: East Coast Report
When I moved out to New York for work, I thought my fly fishing days were over. That has not been the case. At all. This Spring, I took a 2.5 month long camping/fishing trip with my girlfriend through upstate New York and all the way in to Maine. First two months were all about trout in the Catskills and Adirondacks, and then I went to Southern Maine where I hooked up with some guys I met from a Maine fly forum and caught my first Striper from the beach. And then caught many, many more. Mostly schoolies but some big ones as well. All catch and release.
It was arguably the most fun I've ever had fishing. The nature in upstate New York obviously isn't as spectacular as out West, but it's pretty damn beautiful and you can catch big huge browns as well as tiny beautiful wild brookies on the 2wt from tiny, crystal clear streams.
My point being, if you ever find yourself in New York City, there is more to do than cocaine and broadway musicals. There is excellent fishing 2 hours West in the Catskills, and 2 hours East in Montauk is probably the best Striper fishing on planet Earth. There were many great moments and great fish on this trip, but here are two random pics. First on a beach on a cold rainy day in Maine, second a nice brown caught on a dry in the Catskills.

Been a member for a few years but haven't posted anything because I've been out living in NYC.
PART 1: A Question
I have two, maybe three weeks off in September, and I was thinking about flying back home (family is in Anacortes). My favourite fishing has always been from the beaches of Fidalgo and Whidbey for Pinks and Coho. I haven't been home in years, but I've heard/read some dreadful stats on salmon returns. It's a damn shame too. I even heard a couple of years ago that recreational fishing was basically shutdown in most Marine Areas/Rivers. I'll leave politics out of it, but we can all agree it's just sad.
My question: if catching Coho is the primary goal, is it even worth heading back to WA? I'm boat-less, and will just be fishing the popular beaches around MA 7 and 8.1. It has never been my priority to catch TONS of fish (I consider one fish per day to be an extremely succesful outing). But based on the WDFW reports, it looks pretty bleak. Which is a shame, as I'm the proud owner of a new 8wt rigged for saltwater and would love to try it out in WA.
Second question: If it is in fact worth it, is there a specific two/three week period that one might recommend? I've been out of the Salmon game for awhile so I forget lots about the Coho migration. As memory serves, they start heading in to the Sound now-ish, with the peak in maybe mid-September, and by October most are in the rivers (in my case, the Skagit)?
Basically any advice would be appreciated. It's that, or I head out to Long Island for some Striper fishing, which brings me to part II.
PT II: East Coast Report
When I moved out to New York for work, I thought my fly fishing days were over. That has not been the case. At all. This Spring, I took a 2.5 month long camping/fishing trip with my girlfriend through upstate New York and all the way in to Maine. First two months were all about trout in the Catskills and Adirondacks, and then I went to Southern Maine where I hooked up with some guys I met from a Maine fly forum and caught my first Striper from the beach. And then caught many, many more. Mostly schoolies but some big ones as well. All catch and release.
It was arguably the most fun I've ever had fishing. The nature in upstate New York obviously isn't as spectacular as out West, but it's pretty damn beautiful and you can catch big huge browns as well as tiny beautiful wild brookies on the 2wt from tiny, crystal clear streams.
My point being, if you ever find yourself in New York City, there is more to do than cocaine and broadway musicals. There is excellent fishing 2 hours West in the Catskills, and 2 hours East in Montauk is probably the best Striper fishing on planet Earth. There were many great moments and great fish on this trip, but here are two random pics. First on a beach on a cold rainy day in Maine, second a nice brown caught on a dry in the Catskills.

