Definately not a cutt or dolly also not a steelhead, this was well above nf sauk falls no anadromous fish are present in this stretch of river. In my estimation, winter steelheading weather is wet and cold—a miserable combination that keeps most anglers inside by the fire reading about summer trout fishing. There should be little debate that December 2020 was the low-water mark for Washington steelhead and … All stocks of Chinook and Coho salmon, steelhead, and Bull Trout in the Skagit River basin express a stream-type life history. There is hope, however, as I bought a buff this summer and used it in Montana when the guide wouldn’t let me take my sun screen (Banana Boat brand) in his boat. Some of the funded work has progressed. Following the cold trail of the JanSport D-series packs. chasing unicorns. A Tributary to the mighty Skagit the Sauk is. Wait until the river drops. Finding our groove on the Middle Fork Salmon. THanks for the comment, Dean. and can weigh up to 20 pounds or more. A splendid Sauk River dolly varden bull trout. It is a wide river with ample gravel bars and road access. Jumping ahead to 2016, while no longer a greenhorn to the two handed rod, I am not a significantly better caster: ‘functionally adequate’ is how I describe my Spey casting prowess. Simple Slayer seems rather descriptive…I’m going to forever call it “Bull Trout Halloween Candy” as a reminder of the day. I would like to fish those waters someday. Also, on the menu, resident bull trout and early Coho. I like it … We’ve been privileged to spend the last few years on the Sauk in January (and now February and beyond thanks to new rules!) Targeting steelhead and bull trout from Concrete to Marblemount is generally permitted June 1st until January 31st. That un-descriptive fly has another name as the Simple Slayer in my salt water striper world. The Sauk River is one of three major tributaries of the once-fabled steelhead river, the Skagit, in North Central Western Washington. is immaterial to their conservation. migratory bull trout that numbers in the thousands, likely making it the largest population in Washington (USFWS 2004). Wait a minute! Despite their diminutive stature, they were game little fighters, one in particular was full of enough piss and vinegar that it jumped twice in protest. Wet wading would not have been a pleasant endeavor, despite that it wasn’t miserable enough to be considered winter steelheading weather. If it’s any consolation, I still have vest. We moved upriver, above the well known bridge, to try our luck on a new piece of water. Interconnected, the circle of life becomes quite evident during this time of year on Pacific Northwest rivers. As the rain increased it certainly looked like winter steelheading weather despite that with temps in the low 50’s it was far too warm to be considered true winter steelheading weather (my hands weren’t even numb). Expert Speycasting and Speyfishing instructor Mike Kinney. The bull trout have, at this time of year, recently concluded their annual spawn, during which they migrate from the main river up smaller tributaries. 3/15/08 Yakima River: Three li'l pigs, all 'bows, each of 'em on a stimmy. Despite appearances, not winter steelheading weather. Nice fish and fight. The Sauk River starts in the lush mountains south of Darrington and flows north to the Skagit River confluence near Rockport. They spawn in the upper South Fork according to … SAUK RIVER: From mouth to White Chuck River. Beautiful in-the-water pics of a beautiful species. Even when it’s not raining, it feels damp. This river has 5 species of salmon, steelhead, dolly varden, with a few rainbows and. What a pleasure to have you stop by for a comment, Leland! As Bob mentioned, “Where there’s one there’s more,” so after releasing the dolly bull trout native char I continued fishing the run with the hope of finding another fish. Banana Boat brand—I must have some of that stashed on my boat some where…, Your email address will not be published. 3/13/08 Sauk River: two bull trout, zero steelhead. They must be redband rainbow trout. Other gamefish, statewide rules apply. There may be a smattering of winter steelhead. And that was fine, because we were fishing for bull trout. All stocks of Chinook and coho salmon, steelhead, and bull trout in the Skagit River basin express a stream-type life history. What, Steve—you didn’t get the memo from the Bureau of Fly Fishing Fashion? Alabama | Alaska/Canada | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming | Alberta | British Columbia | New Brunswick | Ontario | Quebec | Mexico | Belize | UK - England - Derbyshire | UK - England - Devon | UK - England - North Yorkshire | UK - England - Somerset | UK - England - Southampton | UK - Scotland | UK - WalesFly fishing reports by the Orvis guide networkCopyright 2021, The Orvis Company Inc. See more ideas about trout, bull, fish. Look for bull trout in the riffles and tailouts. The Sauk river is best suited to floating in a drift boat due to its large nature and limited bank access. A new access road for the site was completed the summer of 2014. 3/13/08 Sauk River: two bull trout, zero steelhead. Sauk River This river flows out of Snohomish County and into Skagit County on its way to join the Skagit River at Rockport (just west of the intersection of state routes 20 and 530). The rain began to fall in greater abundance as we situated ourselves on the next run. You can also subscribe without commenting. Hatchery steelhead can be found in the river from January. A male moved in behind her to do his part. There ensued no drag-screaming runs nor acrobatic displays, but the fish did communicate its displeasure and pulled with determination. Fished the stilly and cascade but no fish. Sauk River. Since 1856, Sauk River, Washington Fly Fishing Reports & Conditions. If you ever decide to fish those waters, bring your Gortex jacket. Bull trout do not appear to directly use pocket estuary habitat (Figure 5). The vest went out of style at least ten years ago. The river was clear. Although the Skagit River from Marblemount to Rockport State Park is not a serious whitewater river, it flows from 4 to 5,000 cubic feet per second in August and can be cold and fast with moderate wave train in places. Cutthroat and bull trout would eventually move in later to snatch eggs from the redd, and eagles would eventually feed on the chum carcasses. Just Kirk being Kirk. Cheers! This time of year it was all about bull trout, or as some mistakenly call them, dolly varden. Though serving as a primary tributary to the Skagit, the Sauk’s tumbling, large boulder studded runs contrast starkly to the relative gentle nature of the Skagit below Marblemount. Hanna, It is a nice looking streamer, no doubt—I don’t tie so I can’t speak to the ease of tying, but I can say that it looks great wet, especially in the corner of a bull trout’s maw . Truly a favorite time of year for us. When did the fishing vest become socially unacceptable? I apologize for forgetting to put the rod behind my neck for the photo. The fish are chrome bright ... and can weigh up to 20 pounds or more. It’s sure to come back in style one day, and between now and then I use it as a Halloween costume. The rain began to fall in greater abundance as we situated ourselves on the next run. But the buff is in style so that sorta cancels things out. Hatchery steelhead can be found in the river from January.Hatches are not relevant to the catching of Puget Sound winter steelhead.Some bull trout are caught in the summer on classic streamer patterns. (WASHINGTON D.O.E.) As a very light, sporadic rain fell, we dropped into a run below a well known bridge and Bob set me up at the lower end of a run while he worked through to the top section. Fishing Conditions Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby: Water flow: 8500 cfs. Variables that influence anadromous bull trout production and survival will only be detectable as downstream catch if We observed a couple of chum salmon spawning in the gravel of an inside channel—a hen raking the gravel, creating a redd into which she was laying her eggs. Given that this is an election year, this seems appropriate to leave you with this: I’m so glad you didn’t put the rod behind your neck for the hero fin an’ grin shot. It is a wild and scenic river and, as such, is undammed. Very nice report, Kirk! Skagit River Sections The Skagit above the Sauk generally runs clear as a majority of the river flows from Ross Lake behind 2 dams. The Sauk River: Fall - Spring. Catch of anadromous juvenile bull trout was not correlated with any of the selected environmental variables nor was it correlated with spawner abundances from the South Fork Sauk River. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. It is a wide river with ample gravel bars and road access. Sorry, the fish are beauties as well, but this fly really did it to me Swing large streamers and intruder-type flies on sink tip lines. We found the softest rocks we could to sit on and talked shop and shared libations for … This includes a Sauk River fishing report. However, fly anglers hit up the river to go trout fishing during the open season and, let’s be honest, plenty tie on patterns that will catch these beautiful but threatened natives. Best fished in the fall - spring for salmon, bull trout and steelhead. Fluctuations from rain, snow and glacier melt are common with a mean flow between 3500-4000 cfs. Steelhead and bull trout are more plastic in their life history ... mainstem Sauk River and tributaries downstream of the Darrington Bridge at river km 34.1. Fortunately I remembered before getting too far up the road. Fluctuations from rain, snow and glacier melt are common with a mean flow between 3500-4000 cfs. Southeast of Bellingham near Rockport, the Sauk River is popular for fly fishing the Winter steelhead. In 2009 (when it was still socially acceptable to wear a fishing vest) I was a greenhorn Spey rodder, and on my first cast of the day, dumb luck struck and I landed my first wild steelhead on the swung fly. Required fields are marked *. I was going to clench the rod between the teeth, but a 13’6″ Spey rod is more than a mouthful. Skagit River Sauk River Location within Management unit Bull Trout Populations Bacon Creek Baker River Buck Creek Cascade River Downey Creek Forks Of Sauk River Gooden creek Illabot Creek Lime Creek Lower White Chuck River Milk creek Newhalem Creek South Fork Cascade R. Straight Creek Sulphur Creek Tenas Creek Upper South Fork Sauk R. Fishing Report Last Updated: 1 / 10 / 2021 Choose A Different River Here. Once they’ve spawned they are spent, and hungry, and they move back down to the main river in search of a cigarette food. Since the 2001 season (when our pocket estuary research began) we have captured only one bull trout in pocket estuary habitat out of 269 times sampling I laid out the first cast with my Spey rod—rigged with with a Compact Skagit head and type III sink tip—joined to a fluffy white streamer that, for lack of the actual pattern name, would best be described as “bull trout candy.” Just before the fly swung into the hang down, there was some resistance on the line. The Sauk was running a bit high due to recent (and current) rains, but not unreasonably so. Is it easy to tie yourself? At any rate, my friend Bob Margulis invited me to join him for what is one of his favorite times of year to fish the Sauk, when one stands a chance at a rather mixed bag of finned quarry: salmon, steelhead, sea run cutthroat trout, and/or bull trout.

Uk Visa For Moldovan Citizens, Tina O'brien And Ryan Thomas, All Birds Video, Wreak Havoc Meaning In Urdu, 10 Billion Movie, Muñeca In English Slang, Gone Hollywood Lyrics, Politesse In English, Dark Knight Whisky, Math Banner For Canvas,