Skunking steelhead season has begun in earnest…  Hit the Sky a couple times since my last post (a month!).  There were CoHo’s jumping and rolling but I didn’t touch a fish which wasn’t surprising given they were the notorious lock-jawed Snohomish system Coho…  I did however, have beautiful weather both days and enjoyed myself.  Skunkings are so common in steelhead fishing that I don’t ever really feel any pressure and tend to relax and enjoy myself even more than I do trout fishing.  Unless, it’s cold or raining or snowing or one or more of those at the same time (usual conditions), just chillin’ while swinging a cool looking fly of one’s own design can be a very meditative experience.  Dry fly fishing for trout on the other hand requires constant focus on that little piece of fluff-on-a-hook that it is much more stressfull…

A month since my last post but I’ve actually gotten out almost every weekend at least once.  Just too lazy to post an update…  In additional to getting my steelhead game cranked up, I did what was probably my trout season-ending float on the Yakima River.  With the cooler weather, it’s a nymphing game if you want to catch fish.  I’d rather row and check out the scenery than watch the bobber.  Part of that is probably due to the fact that I really suck at nymphing…  Anyway, it was a beautiful day on a high desert river – a great fishin’ partner, monster sandwich and a nice brew made sittin’ in the warm sun pretty special.

Next post, some new steelhead fly patterns before I head over to a Columbia tributary for another skunking.