Fishing update
Really sad to miss the meeting this week. Was looking forward to learning more about the club history and meeting the new members. Unfortunately work won that night. If there is any way to access recording/slides/other resources about the club history please let me know.
I wanted to give a quick fishing update. Unfortunately it is more fishing report than catching report but still worth sharing. I have spent a fair amount of time at Pass, did an outing on Cranberry and an outing to Lone since last meeting.
I have been spending some quality time with the skunk, including approaching double digit empty handed outings to pass and no bites on my outing to Cranberry. My lone landed fish since last meeting was an 18 inch rainbow at Lone lake. I got it on a zoo cougar on a sinking line. I had two other near catches this month with one almost landed on a streamer at Pass and one lost when my strike indicator didn’t release when fishing a blood worm at Lone. That being said, my Cranberry outing was highlighted with falling snow and a couple otters nearby munching on fish and mocking me as I got skunked. Pass has been highlighted with falling snow, moonrises, starry nights, improved knowledge of its bathymetry with my new depth finder, and a glimpse into the eyes of a trout turning down my streamer a short distance from my float tube.
Additionally, I have been learning a lot about chironomid fishing via Brian Chan and Phil Rowley’s Conquering Chironomids videos (available by download at https://www.stillwaterflyfishingstore.com/ ) and Jerry Buron’s new book “Complete Guide to Successful Chironomid Fishing”. I’ve managed to build up my first chironomid leaders, stumbled through learning to cast 20’ leaders, worried my wife by saying I was going to try fishing naked, got my first strike and hooked fish on a chironomid pattern, however, I still haven’t landed a fish on a chironomid yet . . . Feeling hopeful for spring though :) Finally I have been reading a lot of Kelly Galloup and thoroughly enjoyed his: “Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout” and the recent “Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout II” More info at slideinn.com (books and flies for sale in the store)
Looking forward to my first spring of stillwater fishing and the approaching chum baby season for SRCs. Sorry again to miss the meeting and everyone’s fishing reports. If anyone has advice or mentoring opportunities for chironomid fishing/hood canal SRC, book recommendations etc. please reach out. Hoping everyone is well and look forward to seeing some of you out at Pass.
Tight lines.
-Joe
Very nice fishing report, Joe! Missed you at the meeting, this report would have been slightly better than mine. I, too went fishing, albeit 3hrs away on the Yakima River, we caught no fish, could not clearly describe what we used and how we used it, and had no good photos. Other than that, our reports were the same......
You found the right group to talk about chironomids - these folks know them very, very well. Bruce, Robin, Loren and Dave were able to describe in minute detail how they have perfected catching lots of fish. We were also blessed with Robin's fly tying presentations on Blood Worms and the Bronzie chironomid - super cool!
Stay in touch!
Bill