This month has been a whirlwind of heat and travel. Anymore it seems like we're racing Mother Nature to spend a few extra minutes on prime trout rivers before they reach their boiling point or the landscape erupts in flames. We are fortunate to live where we live in the Northwest and though it has been hotter than Hades for the better part of July, it could always be much worse as we see throughout much of the world on the nightly news. It is a good time to be fishing early or late in the day while the sun is just waking or sinking into the horizon for a brief siesta.
Fish are certainly sensitive to temperature just as we are, though they don't have the luxury of switching the fan to blast mode or cranking up the A/C. You'll find them much more responsive to dining on your flies when the water temps are to their liking. We say it every year, but it's worthwhile to carry a stream thermometer in your fishing kit, especially during the core of summer to closely monitor stream temperatures. Salmonids like trout, char and salmon need cold, oxygen rich water to survive. When the water surpasses 65 degrees Fahrenheit it's time to look elsewhere for cooler flows or stop fishing altogether. Of course there are plenty of fish species that thrive in warmer water, like bass, panfish and carp. These are the perfect fish to pursue when it's hot out, though even most of them will be caught more readily on the periphery of a hot day during the mornings and evenings.
After having been gone for a good segment of July, I'm really excited to be around town through much of the rest of summer to enjoy our local fisheries. Between the hexagenia mayfly hatch on Lake Whatcom, evenings on our innumerable bass and panfish lakes or a refreshing jaunt into the mountains to explore a cold, clear mountain lake or bubbling high gradient stream, we have a lot of amazing fisheries close to home.
I spent the first part of July on a family trip to Colorado and with a 14-year-old nephew that's every bit as obsessed with fishing as I am, found plenty of opportunity to explore the high country streams and rivers. Ever since fishing summers in the Rockies as a teen I've been interested in pursuing the Colorado slam wherever that potential exists and I immediately perked up when I learned that Gore Creek in Vail, near where we were staying, held all of the requisite species. My nephew and I fished through the early afternoon and by the time we left I had caught several browns and rainbows, a small cutthroat and eventually, a brook trout about the size of my index finger to complete the slam. It was a joy to watch Gus fish as his casting and presentation skills have progressed considerably since the last time we fished together a few years ago. He is already a force to be reckoned with on the water.
After a brief week at the shop I was off to Rio Lagartos, Mexico with group of anglers for a hosted trip to Tarpon Cay Lodge for a week. I'll post a full report in the coming weeks after I get a chance to edit video and put together a highlight reel of spectacular tarpon jumps, breathtaking scenery and of course, the nightly cuisine that was unparalleled. It was an amazing trip and I can't wait to revisit the area next year.
Our July 24th spey night on the Nooksack filled up almost immediately and it's great to see so much interest out there in learning new skills and trying out equipment. Our next free spey demo night will be Wednesday, August 14th at 6:30. We have room for 6 anglers so please RSVP quickly on our contact form if you'd like a spot. Just type a brief comment in the notes (like "August spey night sign up") and we'll get you on the list if there's room. You can also just call the shop to register as well.
Lastly, a remembrance for Jerry Wells will be held on Saturday, July 27th from 11:00 am-2:00 pm at the Squalicum Yacht Club.
Squalicum Yacht Club
2633 S. Harbor Loop Drive
Please note that the Confluence Fly Shop will be closed from 11:00-2:00 during Jerry's memorial. We'll open back up at 2:00 pm following the service. We'll also be open from 10-11:00 prior to the service as the Yacht Club is very close to the shop.
In the meantime, enjoy your summer fishing, drop by and share your adventures with us and we'll look forward to seeing you soon.
Rivers
Now is a great time to be exploring small streams in the western and eastern slopes of the Cascades. Most are in fine shape and being higher in elevation, tend to maintain cooler water temperatures throughout the summer that are conducive to some fantastic trout fishing. The trout and in some cases, char are typically not huge, but still offer an excellent account of themselves on a light 2 or 3 weight set up. We'll have plenty of opportunities to sling heavy 7 and 8 weights for salmon in the fall. Now is the time to enjoy the short and limber fiberglass or graphite rods that are simply a joy to fish with all day long.
Fly selection is not overly complicated for the small streams. A general mix of dry flies with a few nymphs and perhaps a small streamer or two are all you need. For dries, we really like Yellow Humpies, Grumpy Frumpies, Para Wulffs, Elk Hair Caddis and small Stimulators. For nymph patterns, Prince Nymphs, KJ Hot Ribbed Hare's Ears and Duracell Jigs are outstanding performers. A small black or olive Woolly Bugger or Wounded Sculpin will round out the streamer side of things.
The Skagit above the Sauk is fishing well for bull trout and the occasional rainbow trout. This is largely a streamer game with Sculpzillas, Sculpinators, Sculpy Fry, Precious Metals and Kiwi Muddlers being top summer flies. We have not yet visited the Upper Skagit above Ross Lake this summer but have talked to a few folks that have ventured up that way and are looking forward to getting up there before too long. Between the pandemic, wildfire activity and a huge road washout during fall and winter flooding, this gem of a stream has been ultimately inaccessible for a number of years. If you're familiar with the Skagit in BC, expect to see some noticeable changes in the stream. The good news is that the hatches are the hatches and fly selection is much the same as it always was. For dry flies, you can do no wrong to fish small Adams or Parachute Adams when you find rising trout. It's also a good idea to have some CDC Caddis, Slick Water Caddis, Green Drake patterns and a few Ant or Beetle patterns too. Subsurface, Perdigon Nymphs like the Firestarter, Olive Hot Spot Jig, Rio's French Dip, Twenty Incher and Duracell Jig are very productive.
Lakes
Local trout lakes are pretty much done until the weather starts to cool off in the fall, but the bass bonanza goes strong all summer long. Concentrate on fishing mornings and evenings and you can pretty much stick to all topwater presentations this time of year. For largemouth, the Dry Rind Frog, Foam Slice, Luna Popper, Neon Popper and Tigger Popper are all good patterns. Fish tight to structure and vary your retrieve until you find something they like. It's not unusual that bass this time of year will respond favorably to a very fast and splashy retrieve that creates a lot of commotion. It's Hexagenia time on Lake Whatcom and the big yellow mayflies come off just before dark. Patterns like the Hecuba Cripple and Hexagenia Emerger are what you'll want to have in your box.
Beaches
It's almost salmon time for productive beach fishing and while we won't have the jaw-dropping numbers of pink salmon to distract us this year, the coho fishery in Puget Sound is forecast to be decent again this year. We concentrate heavily on the westside Whidbey Island beaches for our salmon fishing as there are simply a lot more fish migrating by than you'll find at many other places. Fly selection is simple: Stinger Clousers in Pink/White, Olive/White and Chartreuse/White along with the Psychedelic Herring or Shock and Awe. Keep them moving fast and keep them in the water. The coho beach fishery is very casting intensive and you never know when a hungry school of salmon is going to swim by. If you need help improving your casting efficiency or honing skills like the double haul to help you become more successful off the beach please drop us a line to schedule a casting class.