The Outdoor Line Forum

I see people fly casting for them and would luv to try it.

What type of flys should I tie?

Stimulators, muddler minnows, polar shrimps, and small baitfish patterns work AC. Give Anil a call at Puget Sound Fly Co. in Tacoma. Those guys have the cutty program wired

Here's a link to the store website
http://www.pugetsoundflyco.com/

AC -
Various baitfish patterns are money; major forage include sand lance, sculpins, etc. I like simple patterns in the 1 to 2 inch range but clousers, muddlers, and various flatwingsare also good. Chartreuse and white combos are found in nearly everyone's box. Late winter/early spring they will be targeting pink and chum fry. All the various "sea-run" patterns used in freshwater will also work well; I really like Knudsen spiders with either black or orange bodies. I tie most of my flies on standard length 6s and 4s though tube flies are popular and very effective

While the baitfish approach is the bread and butter the fish will also key in on such thinks as euphausid, copepods, sow bugs, shrimp, and sand worms.

One word of caution - sea-runs on the bug rod is very addictive!

Tight lines
Curt

Hey Smalma,
When would be a good time in Areas 8-1 & 8-2 to start looking for cutties?
Are we talking a late February/March time frame?

Nelly -
Unlike the sea-runs of south/central sound virtually all the fish from the north sound rivers spend the late fall/winter/early spring in freswater. The adults from say the Skagit spawn from early January through May and we begin seeing some kelts in the salt in late February/early March. Those fish are real thin and not much sport but regain condition fairly quickly with the fishing improving all spring. By late May nearly all the fish smolts and maturing and post spawn adults are in the salt and fishing is in full swing. The months of June and July would prime time. In late July some of the maturing adults beginning freshwater with increasing numbers of fish as we move into the fall. The sub-adult fish beginning entering the river in late August and the best fishing is shifting from the salt to the river. By Ocotober the fishing is nearly entirely in the rivers.

Tight lines
Curt