Rufus Wood again

Before I close down writing for winter I had to add one more picture from the fat fish factory, Rufus Wood. This was a great day fishing from the shore with constant action all afternoon. Power bait is the way to go here since we were keeping the fish. This spot is open year round and these pen released 'bows' are great eating and for smoking. As my friend Sam said, "This was a great day of fishing!" Way to go Sam!

Last Day of Fishing

I had to hit Little Twin one more time and the days were getting shorter and cooler. October 31 was a Friday, warmer but overcast. I snapped a few pictures of this beautiful little lake just a few minutes from downtown Winthrop. Fishing was slow and in one hour I landed just two small bows. The bigger fish were not active this afternoon. Just as well, if they had shown up I just would have wanted more. As it was it, was fine to say goodbye to my 'go to' lake for the year. I had many fun hours here and hope it is as good next year.

The End For Me

When the time comes for our clocks to fall back it means winter is here, at least for me. After work it is dark and fishing is out of the question. And I seldom fish if there is snow on the ground. Too many other things to do, like duck hunt, nordic ski, or alpine ski. One thing that is fun is Cast & Blast at Rufus Wood Lake on the Columbia River. It is about one and a half hours to Chief Joe Dam and the best fishing for triploid rainbows around. These sterile fish grow fast! The state record was caught here and weighed in at around 28 lbs. Many of my friends won't keep fish in the two to three pound range. They wait for the six to eight pounders, which are fairly common. On the barbeque they grill up like salmon.  Combine this with duck hunting and it makes for a true cast & blast experience. Here's to winter.

IronHeads On My Mind

Something about living right on a river full of big beautiful trout. It makes it hard to concentrate on much of anything else. Especially when it is sixty degrees and the sun is out and the fall foliage is orange and yellow and the water is clear as gin. What is there to do except go to the river and fish. Every fish we've caught this year has been a wild fish which is good but disappointing since my barbeque has been idle. Nothing like grilled steelhead which is what happens to the hatchery fish.

Another thing I noticed was in pictures of wild fish, the websites like methowfishing.com show the fish in the water, which doesn't really show off the fish, but is what we should be doing.  My pictures show fish out of the water which I plan on changing if I am lucky enough to catch more steelhead. If you are wondering about how tough these wild fish are just catch one with talon marks on its back and wonder, did that osprey keep that fish in the water or did it try to carry it to its treetop penthouse. Anyway, it is better to treat the wild fish with tender loving care.

Fall on the Methow

October is a beautiful month to be fishing the Methow River. To this beauty add steelhead and you have an irresistible combination.

Steelhead Fever

I am not sure why I went on the cutthroat tangent when we are in the beginning of the steelhead season with record numbers of fish coming over Wells Dam. Everyone gets pretty excited about the chance to catch these big strong sea run rainbows. And they are strong. Landing one on a fly rod is very exciting and quite an accomplishment. They seem eager to eat almost anything. One fish I had on took a size #16 parachute Adams. It went straight to the bottom and stayed there. When I put pressure on it bo-ing went the line. It didn't break, rather the hook straightened out. Too small a hook for too heavy of a fish. Anyway whether you use dry flies, egg flies, wooly buggers, nymphs, or maribou jigs there is a good chance you will catch a steelhead, or are least get a strike.

Cutthroat Trout Rule

Another cutt from the Methow River caught on an egg fly in the fall. This fish is 19" and a fatty. Probably from all the salmon eggs they eat. The water levels in the Methow get low in the fall and winter. Several people have told me and I agree, many fish in the Methow migrate up the river when the water levels are high to spawn. They live in the river until water levels drop then they travel down to the Columbia River and spend the winter getting huge. Then in the spring the cycle begins again. This would explain how such a clean freestone river produces such big fish, cutthroats, rainbows, and bull trout. Sounds good to me.

Cutthroat Trout

This is my favorite species of trout. Common in the Methow River and the alpine lakes these fish readily hit dry flies and when they do, they dive and don't come up. In the river they can get big, six pound cutts are not unusual, but alpine fish are usually small by comparison. The pictured cutt took an egg fly in the fall when salmon were spawning in the river. It was released untouched after the photo was snapped.

First Casts

This blog is a reflection of my flyfishing experiences in the Methow Valley and neighboring water. The recollection of waters fished are my impressions  and reflect the conditions when I fished them. A list of rivers and lakes is represented below. Each one will be covered in subsequent blogs. A Google Map at the bottom of the page will help locate each lake (i.e.- Davis Lake Okanogan county WA)

Rivers and Streams:

Methow River- What can I say except a river runs through it.

Twisp River- Stream fishing

Chewuch River- Stream fishing

Boulder Creek- Small stream full of brook trout.

Columbia River- The mother lode.

Lowland Lakes:

Patterson Lake- Can't keep the spiny rays out.

Perrygin Lake- Penultimate resort lake, ski boats, planters 

Buck Lake- Pretty setting, hatchery trout. 

Foster (Big Buck) Lake- Rainbows and waterfowl

Aspen Lake- Beautiful setting, probably winter kills.

Black Lake- Flat four mile walk to big lake with big fish.

Beaver Lake- Great walk-in camping and crayfish too. 

Campbell Lake- Drive up, selective fishery

Cougar Lake- Drive up, selective 

Davis Lake- Drive up, selective

Big Twin Lake- In town, convenient

Little Twin Lake- Suburbia, right next to Big Twin

Sullivan's Pond- Spotty, had fish one year

Lenice- Three hour drive, big brown trout, but windy at times

Nunnally Lake- see Lenice

Alpine Lakes:

Cutthroat Lake- Beautiful hike in, cutts galore.

Blue Lake- Ambitious 2 1/2 mile hike, gorgeous spot.

Rainy Lake- Miniature Lake Louise, without the lodge.  

Hidden Lakes- Way in the wilderness.

Cub Lake- Tough to get to, over Horse Head Pass

Boiling Lake- Not a warm water fishery,

Mystery Lake?- Can't get to it, maybe has Golden Trout 

Gravel Lake- Pac Crest Trail out of Alpental.

Edd's Lake- Just past Gravel Lake.

Mirror Lake- On the way to Stampede Pass