Seems like it's not quite winter and it's not quite spring. Some days the fish act like they're trapped in the seasonal limbo between genuinely wanting to get after some bugs and being content to just remain in cold water dormancy. We've had the usual peep show of early March days hovering in the 60's only to end up with a heaping of cold, wet snow blanketing the lowlands. The weather just can't make up its mind these days, but things are beginning to perk up on the local fishing front in spite of it. We've been getting out on the lower Skagit a bit and plying the early lakes over the last few weeks. There have been some fish around here and there but we're confident things will only get better from here as we get closer to April.
My main focus of late has been organizing gear, tying flies and getting everything back to its rightful place so I can easily find it when I need it. My fly tying area had become a bit of a nightmare with layer upon sedimentary layer piled chaotically atop the counter. Once locating the materials to make a fly takes inordinately longer than tying the actual pattern itself, I see it as a call for action. When I do eventually get around to cleaning up the mess, it becomes a fascinating archeological dig where I get to replay the past fishing seasons in reverse order. All the Simi Seal packs, threads and wire tell the most recent story of leech and chironomid production for spring lakes. Then comes the sprawl of tube fly components, clouds of marabou and a few telltale jungle cock nails from tying winter steelhead flies for an abysmally short Skagit season. One by one, I gather up materials, sort, and put them away in their proper spot. I finally get to the point where I begin to see bare table surface beneath the final layer. There are about 6 different shades of pink marabou, a few packs of Gamakatsu hooks, small lead eyes and some flash. I conclude that the origins of this particular clutter date back circa August 2025, smack dab in the middle of humpy season. And now I can begin the process all over again.
I do the same thing going through my fishing stuff. Rods are returned to their respective cases, fly lines are cleaned and checked for signs of wear. All the sling packs, lumbar packs, backpacks and boat bags get completely emptied out and contents sorted. I discover 32 wads of leaders that I thought I might reuse or eventually detangle after a tailing loop rendered them a useless juggernaut. At the time, I had planned to deal with them later and keep fishing. Later ultimately becomes now and they all go in the mono recycling box. I sift through all of my flies and return them to their designated boxes and slots, realizing that over half of them are just resting loosely on the magnetic pad in my Tacky Pescador where I'd left them to dry 6 months ago. The boxes are restored to a portrait of uniformity. There is something so deeply satisfying in gazing upon row after row of neatly arranged flies in a fly box. Size 16 Purple Haze, got them right there. Balanced leeches, I have the complete color spectrum covered and am ready to go. Big ones gradually descending to smaller sizes. My boxes are visually and aesthetically pleasing for the moment, and mostly importantly, efficient.
Eventually I am organized, or as close as I will probably ever be. Then an odd tinge of sadness sets in. Perhaps it's because I strangely enjoy the tedium of sorting through everything and now, with the project complete, will have to wait until the disorder becomes untenable again to experience this level of joy. It may also be that I immediately recognize that this perfect system of order I've orchestrated is utterly fleeting. I know it won't ever stay this way for very long. As I barrel headlong into to the heart of my fishing year, flies will go in the wrong box, rods in the wrong sleeves, wads of leaders will be stuffed into this pocket or that. Chaos will reign once again. While I struggle to wrap my head around why it must be this way, I also find solace in the idea that this total anarchy of gear is born out of fishing a lot. The more I fish, the worse it gets and I've learned to live with the madness simply because it means I'm getting after it, spending time doing what I love. But for now, it's as close to perfect as it's going to get.
We're starting to do much the same around the shop. Spring cleaning, so to speak. You'll see lots of new products on display over the coming weeks and we even needed to add a 5th hat rack (which is already not enough). We brought in a bunch of Casey Underwood stickers and hats. Be sure to check out his stuff when you're next in. It's some pretty amazing artwork and primed to liven up your cooler, car or Yeti tumber full of coffee. Everything is up on our website already. I'm getting closer to launching our revamped website and should have things about ready to go later this month. We just got a big spring order in from Fishpond, so our pack rack is once again full of options to help you organize and transport your gear to the water. New Rep Your Water Spring '26 hats are out on the floor and the fly bins are brimming with everything you need from leeches and chironomids for your next stillwater outing to baitfish for the beach to Skwalas, BWO's and March Browns for the Yakima. Welcome to Spring. Even if it's here for the moment in name only, it's coming soon enough and with it, plenty of quality fishing opportunity. Don't forget, annual Washington fishing licenses expire on March 31st. Almost time for a new one.
Lakes
We're going to put our stillwater report front row and center. Right now lakes represent the best of opportunities in our area. With longer daylight hours and warming temperatures, we're seeing chironomids beginning to hatch on our local lakes and trout are responding favorably. Both Lone and Pass Lakes are fishing decent at the moment. Chironomids are definitely now on the menu. As is typical of the early season, smaller patterns in size 16-18 have been most productive. Chromies, UT Olive/Green Black Wire Ribs, Cat's Fro-Yo, Chromies & Cream and Red Butt UT Black Chironomids with a Silver Rib have all been productive. If the hatch doesn't seem to be happening, we're still in that transitional period where those winter staples like Blobs and Bloodworms will be more productive on some days. As the weather continues to warm, look for improving fishing in the Chuckanut foothills lakes. Most of these require a short hike to reach, but as shallower, lower elevation lakes they can heat up early and even provide some spring dry fly fishing during a hatch. Small patterns like a #18 CDC Hatching Midge, CDC Midge Adult or Parachute Adams work best. Lake Terrell and Fazon Lake both received sizeable plants of bigger rainbow trout in February and have been producing some nice fish over the last few weeks too. Most of your general stillwater attractors will fit the bill for these fish. We typically see plants in Grandy and Vogler in Skagit County this time of year as well, so check the WDFW stocking reports for the latest.
We've been picking up some crappie at Fazon lately on small leech patterns like Chan's BMW in black or maroon. We're a good month from more consistent opportunities to target warmwater species, but it's not a bad time to start looking for big pre-spawn largemouth in our local bass lakes. The vegetation is still light, making them a little easier to fish right now and while you're not likely to catch as many bass as you would in May or June, those that you find right now may be some of the biggest and healthiest specimens you'll get to lip all season. For bass, fish big and fish slow. Some of our early season favorites are Bass Turds, Jawbreakers and Mini Dragon Tails.
Rivers
Not a lot of moving water options prevail close to home, but you've got through the end of March on a number of Olympic Peninsula streams for winter steelhead. The new fishing license year resets in BC on April 1st. The Vedder and many of the Squamish area streams are an easy day trip for those living in the north end and offer steelhead options through the end of April and even into early May. Particularly in years when the Skagit and Sauk are not open, we fish up there a fair bit and can give you the latest on conditions if you inquire. The Squamish can be a lot of fun for big bull trout as well when the salmon fry are out-migrating. It is a colder system and the fry typically begin popping sometime in April. A 6 or 7 weight single hander, 4 or 5 weight trout spey and some effective fry patterns like the Lord of the Frys, Chumpy Fry, Rolled Muddler or Little McFry can equate to a really good time when the water is in shape. The lower Skagit below the Memorial Highway Bridge in Mount Vernon opened on March 1st for trout and offers a similar fishery. We've been down a few times since it opened and the fishery has been pretty slow so far, but generally improves as we get into April and May. Don't be afraid to toss some larger patterns in addition to the fry as the Skagit bull trout don't shy away from a super-sized meal like a Dali Llama, Dungeon or Brig's Rippin' Rooster.
Beaches
We're starting to see bulls showing here and there off the northeast side of Whidbey, and this should only improve going into April and May. Smelt and herring imitators like Rio's Just Keep Swimming and the Shock & Awe in the Psychedelic Herring color work well. The 2/0 Flash Drive is another favorite saltwater bull pattern of ours. Sea run cutthroat appear much later in the North Sound, at least around Skagit Bay. If you're a beach cutthroat fanatic and want to learn more about an exciting cutthroat study coming up around Samish Bay, North Sound Trout Unlimited is hosting a meeting on March 26th at the Padilla Bay Reserve with Greg Shimek from Coastal Cutthroat Coalition and James Losee from the Wild Salmon Center to discuss the project. Meeting details are available from North Sound Trout Unlimited.