[Roger Stephens]

Wednesday was a great day to be fishing for sea-run cutthroat on Puget Sound as there was a nice cloud cover and no wind. The mood was perfect. Top water fishing was excellent. The biggest sea-run cutthroat(19 1/4 inches) was a memorable one as shown in photo.

I was fishing a point which has historically produced many large sea-run cutthroat. I was in the process of casting and a large fish swirled 40 feet below my boat in the transition zone from shallow to deeper water. I immediately cast a few feet from the swirl. Within 2 or 3 strips the large sea-run cutthroat clobbered the top water pattern like a toilet flush. When the fish was hooked, it took off for deeper water and proceeded to go well into the fly line backing within 10 seconds or so. It took a few minutes to land the fish and was one of the hardest fighting sea-run cutthroat which I have hooked in a long time.

The last photo shows the size of numerous other sea-run cutthroat which were landed on a top water pattern.

Roger

 

[River Pig]

I had a coho hit my vibrax less than a second after it hit the water, I bet that guy would have taken a top water pattern.

 

[Smalma]

Roger -

Sounds like a day for the memory bank and a great fish! It is amazing how often those exception cutthroat create those special memories.

Do have a question for you

On the north Sound rivers I fish the larger fish occasional have large bright yellow spots (the size of a pencil eraser) usually along their belly, throat, checks, or lower sides. Do you sometimes see that spotting on the fish of South Sound?

Curt

 

[Roger Stephens]

Roger - Do have a question for you

On the north Sound rivers I fish the larger fish occasional have large bright yellow spots (the size of a pencil eraser) usually along their belly, throat, checks, or lower sides. Do you sometimes see that spotting on the fish of South Sound? Curt

I don't remember ever seeing any large sea-run cutthroat in Marine Area 13 with bright yellow spots as you described. I probably would have noticed the spots if they were present on any fish.

An interesting side note from from Wednesday's fishing trip. When I was at the boat ramp, a fish buyer for tribal members said that a couple of 8 lb. coho had several large herring(6 to 7 inches) sticking out of their mouths a few days ago. It is a terminal fisheries but they were actively feeding which was a surprise since it is at the tail end of the run.

There were a lot of anchovies seen at several locations with some very large sea-run cutthroat chasing after them on the water surface. Pretty exciting to see a big slash/swirl hopefully within casting range.

Roger

 

[Don Freeman]

I fish area 13 Curt, but have never noticed those marks, though wasn't looking for it. I'm always in a rush to release so don't really inspect or photograph them. I'll be looking for that now though..... PM coming.

 

[Dizane]

Roger -

Sounds like a day for the memory bank and a great fish! It is amazing how often those exception cutthroat create those special memories.

Do have a question for you

On the north Sound rivers I fish the larger fish occasional have large bright yellow spots (the size of a pencil eraser) usually along their belly, throat, checks, or lower sides. Do you sometimes see that spotting on the fish of South Sound?

Curt

Have seen those marks on MA 11 fish in the past.

 

[Don Freeman]

duplicate

 

[Thrasybulus]

I've seen those bright yellow spots on cutthroat in the Hood Canal several times. I'm sure that Stonefish has some good quality photos of some of those fish.

Roger -

Sounds like a day for the memory bank and a great fish! It is amazing how often those exception cutthroat create those special memories.

Do have a question for you

On the north Sound rivers I fish the larger fish occasional have large bright yellow spots (the size of a pencil eraser) usually along their belly, throat, checks, or lower sides. Do you sometimes see that spotting on the fish of South Sound?

Curt

 

[DeadandBloated]

Coastal cutts on the coast in Grays Harbor and other coastal drainages
have those yellow spots on occasion as well.
Sometimes a few of them. Often it is on the lower jaw and the belly

 

[fishues]

Found some cutts in area 13 with a single yellow spot on the belly, need to take a photo next time. Nice fish Roger!!!

 

[RichieRich]

I guess your talking about the spots that look unnatural or an illness of some kind?

 

[Stonefish]

Large round yellow spots are fairly common in the fall on south sound and canal fish.



Not quite as pronounced, but you can see them starting to form in the mid belly and lower tail wrist area on this fish.



SF