The Washington Chapter of Fly Fishers International is holding its annual Casting Fair on May 4 at Ballinger Park. Here is a link to their announcement: Casting Fair 2024 – wscffi While I've never been able to attend this event, those in the club who have say it is very well done and offers everyone the chance to get some one-on-one casting training from a certified instructor. Take advantage if you can.

I have an opportunity at long last to fish next Wednesday, before the club meeting. It's been ages since I've fished Lone Lake. Does anyone know how well it's fishing? It's also getting close to when we might expect to find SRC and Dollies appearing in the salt again, so I'm keeping Ala Spit in mind as well. Regardless of where I end up, I'd love to have anyone join me. Just drop me a line by commenting on this post or emailing me (mewilbert@gmail.com).

For any of you not way ahead of me, let me pass along a notice I just received: The Fly Fishing Show, the traveling extravaganza of all things fly fishing, is coming to Bellevue's Meydenbauer Center. February 17 and 18 are the dates. This isn't a free event, tickets must be purchased online or at the gate, but folks I've talked to say you really get your money's worth. Here's a link to their website.(https://flyfishingshow.com/bellevue-wa/) Rather than go it alone, make contact with other club members and make it a group affair.

I know a few of you fish Big Twin Lake near Winthrop, WA. I just heard an announcement that the online reservation system for Big Twin Lake Resort is now up and running. Here's a link (http://www.bigtwinlakeresort.com)if you're ready to make a reservation.

If fishing every day of the year is the requirement for a perfect fishing year, Jeff Sturm, Mac LaMay, Steve Sintay, and I are perfect so far. The four of us met at Pass Lake on New Year's Day to have a go at it. I brought a few doughnuts, and Jeff brought coffee, so we spent a few nice minutes chatting at the boat ramp before heading onto the water. Next time you see Mac, have him tell you about his recent experience with the Mexican government. Though cool, the weather was dry and partly sunny. There were, perhaps, a half-dozen other boats on the lake, some fishing chironomids, others using baitfish or leach patterns. All seemed to catch fish. Our group perferred the latter, so we broke up to fish different areas of the lake to see how we could do. Jeff, with his white balanced leach stripped slowly in both deep and shallow water, did best, catching two or three times the numbers the rest of us caught. Of course even we caught 100 fish apiece ;-), so we're not too upset. I never cease to be amazed at the size and beauty of these fish. That's all for now. It's after one-o'clock, so if I'm going to keep my perfect record I need to get on the water. Thanks for a fun day Jeff, Mac, and Steve. Let's do it again next year.

For 20 years the Index-Galena Road that follows the North Fork Skykomish River above the town of Index has been closed due to a washout about six miles above Index. The Forest Service has finally received funds to repair the road, and it is now open for business again. This now makes access to the full length of the river much easier than it has been. Perhaps better known as a whitewater river, the North Fork Skykomish is also quite friendly to fly fishers. In the fall, winter and spring, with their higher water levels, you may have to contend with rafters and kayakers, but in the summer, with it's low water, casting dries to hungry trout can make for a splendid afternoon. Keep it in mind.

A few days ago, Peter Tobin, Bob Adams, and Jim Rohrer returned from a fishing trip to Moassin Lake, near Winthrop, WA. Here is a report supplied by Peter: "Why has Peter (& Snowball ) fished Mocassin Lake on June 15 almost every year since hiking into the lake in 1993? "YES - it is Peter’s birthday! "Moccasin Lake, for those who may not know, is a private lake. "However, back in ‘93 adventurous fly fisherman could hike into the lake carrying their float tubes on their backs.  Since 1994, Sun Mountain Lodge controls access to this trophy rainbow and brown trout lake in the Methow Valley of Washington State. ""Kevin VanBuren has been a guide there - all those years - and operates Water and Snow 509 - a Fishing and cross country Skiing experience in the Methow Valley! "Besides Mocassin Lake, which usually closes for the season after my visit in June, Kevin also guides fly fisherman on the Methow river, beginning in July ! " But in 2023 we ended up fishing on June 14 - WHY - after all those years on June 15! "Well, it was because I was contacted by my long time guide, Kevin, - who, on June 10th decided to join his son and other ‘young’ friends at an ‘old time Methow Valley swimming hole’ - which had a Rope to swing into the river!!! "That decision - to relive his youth, at his age, and as all decisions in life do, had its consequences! "An immediate need for surgery for a torn right arm tendon. "So he consolidated our group with three anglers from  Washington DC who were having their second day on Mocassin lake on June 14!! "Being old time fly fishing clients, as well, they were happy to help out Kevin and welcomed us joining their private experience. "However, as both Bob Adams and Jim Rohrer will attest - the day was one of the most difficult fishing days we have ever encountered on a lake because of the WIND!! When it blows in the Pacific North West - it really blows! "The wind never stopped and anyone who has fished in a watercraft propelled by flippers and oars knows what a day with heavy wind can do to your fishing experience! "And as the day progressed, the wind got worse. "And the fish also reacted to the wind - by going deep, very deep!  Full sinking lines with large yellow or white attractor flies and that infamous bead headed green selection of Kevin’s, however, found those trophies!  "But landing them without an unwanted wind powered trip down the lake was the teal challenge! "The three DC anglers were the first to quit, after all, they had jad a beautiful, dry fly experience the day before, so they packed up and departed Mocassin Lake Ranch at mid-day! "Jim then Bob, who had both caught fish, but the experience was so grueling; they gave up shortly there after. "Peter, however, never noticed that they left until maybe 2 or 3 in the afternoon!  He was concentrating on fishing! "After all, he was in a Watermaster which has much bigger, longer  and stronger oars and he was certainly not going to let the wind defeat a Fishing opportunity! "With lunch and water on board he kept fishing and catching moccasin monsters - till his arms wore out as well! "A Number one fisherman (a long story for another day) enjoys the experience of being on a river or a lake and fishing - and weather, yes, weather, is not going to interfere with that experience! "The moccasin lake monsters did come up from those depths and while some were certainly lost because of that wind; one’s ability to control a fly rod, row and land a large fish in the wind was challenged that day. "Another experience on Mocassin Lake goes into the diary. "By the way, today is June 15 and there is NO WIND IN THE VALLEY! "Goodbye, Mocassin Lake, see you next year - at 79 - on June 15!!!"

Members of our website (any club member can become website members) can now access a new file-sharing area of our website. One of the folders contains documents pertaining to Lone Lake Conservation, including management of the algae problem discussed at our last meeting. At the moment there are three documents: the algae management plan, a club newsletter summarizing the factors that lead to the fish kill of 2016, and a club newsletter describing efforts by our club and others to restock the lake following the fish kill. You'll see a link to the new file-sharing page at the far right of the navigation bar at the top of each web page. It's labeled (no surprise) "File Share". To access the page, log into the website and click the link, you'll see a list of folders, one of which is labeled "Lone Lake Conservation". Drop me a message if you have any questions.

Just to be sure my Thursday experience at Ala Spit wasn't a fluke, I returned there yesterday afternoon. The incoming tide was a little higher than before, so I was fishing different water, but the end result was the same: no fish. I can't believe it will be long before fish start showing up at Ala. Do you think it's the cold weather? I've never heard anyone make a guess as to what trigers the SRCs and DVs to leave the rivers. Has anyone else?

I spent an hour at Ala Spit yesterday, testing the waters for sea-run cutthroat (SRC) and Dolly Varden (DV). I made one pass down the length of the spit starting about an hour after low tide. I was rewarded only with solitude and an incremental improvement in my casting stroke--neither of which is being disparaged. The SRC and DV should be appearing along the eastern shores of Whidbey any time now. A floating line or, my favorite, a clear intermediate sinking line with any fly resembling a baitfish is your ticket to a nice hook-up. Look for beaches with a significant current, cobble bottoms, oyster beds, or other complex structures. Some beaches fish better on the incoming tide, others on the outgoing. Do some experimenting. At Ala Spit I have my best luck with DV on my longest casts. My theory is that they like to hold in just a little deeper water. SRC, on the other hand, are a shallow-water species. Make your first cast for them while you're still standing a rod's length away from the water's edge. They'll often be moving in remarkably shallow water. And strip your fly right up to your rod tip. SRC will often follow your fly until the last possible moment before taking it. I hope you get a chance to give this fishery a try. If you do, let us all know how you do.

Thanks to Jeff Sturm for pointing out that the Troutwater Fly Shop in Cle Elum has a special on guided floats. Make your payment by the end of January and you'll get $50 off full- and half-day trips. Once paid, you're free to decide on a schedule that fits your needs--anytime in 2023. Here's a link to their website: Troutwater Fly Shop & Guide Service

I fished Pass Lake for a couple hours this afternoon and hooked three fish, netting two, including a 19-inch Brown. I was casting a medium-size leach pattern with an orange bead head to the bank and stripping it back at medium speed. My fish came from the west side of the lake, north of the weedy point. There were four or five other boats on the lake, some trolling, some still fishing. I saw one other fish caught--by someone trolling just off the boat ramp.

I fished Ala Spit in the morning last Saturday (9/3), hoping to find a coho. No luck. I didn't see any action from three other fishers nearby either (two fly fishers; one gear fisher). I had a couple small pecks from something on my first couple casts, but nothing after that. Paul Messner told me that fishing friends of his have been focusing on crab, so that suggests fishing is poor. Has anyone else heard reports?

I guess the heading says it all. Two hours working the length of the eastern beach with a shrimp pattern produced nothing. Haven't decided if I'll go back tomorrow or try Pass Lake.

The tides are good for fishing Ala Spit this weekend. Lows (very low) are in the early afternoon, and the incoming tide lasts until about dark. I hope to try my luck tomorrow (Friday) afternoon, and I'll be there for sure Sunday afternoon. I'd welcome company. While I'll try, I'm sure I can't catch all those fish by myself.