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In the last couple of weeks I have had mixed results on some of the local streams flowing into Willapa Bay. I am definitely getting to know them better.
On one smaller stream, just a creek once you get above the head of tidewater, I have found some smaller cutthroat in the 5" - 8" range, and one about 10"(Canoe parked on gravel bar, wading/hiking upstream). Some C&R'd on spider patterns, others on a yellow-jacket pattern that Les Johnson calls a "Hari Kari" in his book, '"Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout." Also a bunch of crawdads (I managed to grab a good dozen sizeable ones and took them home for a gourmet treat!)
Lower down in the estuarine reaches of this same creek, I have brought a 13" and 14" to hand, the 14" was silvery bright fresh from the salt. Also a few river suckers that were actually fun to catch.
In a larger stream I lucked out and hit a section near the head of tidewater that had numerous cutthroat rising to a carpenter ant hatch going off. My partner was using a #18 BWO and getting takes (and missing most of them) as all manner of other bugs were hatching as well. I tried a dry #14 Black Gnat and had a couple of takes but didn"t connect. We didn't have any ant patterns. I had better luck fishing wet with a #10 Knudsen Spider in flourescent yellow with a red tail. It was hit by a fat and fiesty 17" cutt, my best yet. I have never caught a fatter, thicker cutthroat. An Old-timer I ran into who claimed to have fished the river for 65+ years told me the best is yet to come...by the end of the month and getting better as the summer progresses. I know where I'll be spending alot of my free time!
In all instances we (or just myself) fished from my canoe. On the larger stream (Last Thursday), we just couldn't tear ourselves away, ran all the juice out of my trolling motor battery, and ended up paddling the 5 miles downstream as darkness fell...the last mile lit by half-moonlight. Frosting on the cake! We didn't get back to our launch site til about 10:15pm.
Going back there tomorrow! Late morning launch...High tide at 2:30pm, out before dark this time.
I must refrain from blabbing the names of these streams on the internet, but if any of you members are considering a trip out this way, give me an e-mail and I'll fill you in on the logistics. Bring your canoe or small boat, preferably equipped with a trolling motor to aid upstream progress. (On the larger stream, the better cutthroat fishing seems to be 4 to 6 miles upstream from the launch). That's the report.
Jimbo:thumb
On one smaller stream, just a creek once you get above the head of tidewater, I have found some smaller cutthroat in the 5" - 8" range, and one about 10"(Canoe parked on gravel bar, wading/hiking upstream). Some C&R'd on spider patterns, others on a yellow-jacket pattern that Les Johnson calls a "Hari Kari" in his book, '"Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout." Also a bunch of crawdads (I managed to grab a good dozen sizeable ones and took them home for a gourmet treat!)
Lower down in the estuarine reaches of this same creek, I have brought a 13" and 14" to hand, the 14" was silvery bright fresh from the salt. Also a few river suckers that were actually fun to catch.
In a larger stream I lucked out and hit a section near the head of tidewater that had numerous cutthroat rising to a carpenter ant hatch going off. My partner was using a #18 BWO and getting takes (and missing most of them) as all manner of other bugs were hatching as well. I tried a dry #14 Black Gnat and had a couple of takes but didn"t connect. We didn't have any ant patterns. I had better luck fishing wet with a #10 Knudsen Spider in flourescent yellow with a red tail. It was hit by a fat and fiesty 17" cutt, my best yet. I have never caught a fatter, thicker cutthroat. An Old-timer I ran into who claimed to have fished the river for 65+ years told me the best is yet to come...by the end of the month and getting better as the summer progresses. I know where I'll be spending alot of my free time!
In all instances we (or just myself) fished from my canoe. On the larger stream (Last Thursday), we just couldn't tear ourselves away, ran all the juice out of my trolling motor battery, and ended up paddling the 5 miles downstream as darkness fell...the last mile lit by half-moonlight. Frosting on the cake! We didn't get back to our launch site til about 10:15pm.
Going back there tomorrow! Late morning launch...High tide at 2:30pm, out before dark this time.
I must refrain from blabbing the names of these streams on the internet, but if any of you members are considering a trip out this way, give me an e-mail and I'll fill you in on the logistics. Bring your canoe or small boat, preferably equipped with a trolling motor to aid upstream progress. (On the larger stream, the better cutthroat fishing seems to be 4 to 6 miles upstream from the launch). That's the report.
Jimbo:thumb
