STEELHEAD FLY FISHING OLYMPIC PENINSULA

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STEELHEAD FLY FISHING OLYMPIC PENINSULA
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SSFF WEB SITE

• http//www.southsoundflyfishers.com

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Presentation Will Answer

• Why?
• What?
• Where?
• When?

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TARGET

• Beginning/Intermediate Steelhead Fly Fishers
• Winter Steelhead Fishing
• Bank Fishing
• Peninsula Rivers Within 1-2 Days of Olympia
• Wynoochee
• Queets Tribs.

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GROUNDRULES

• If you have questions, ask as we go along
• If you have things to add from your own
  experience, please speak up
• To speak, raise you hand and well recognize you
• Q A at the end of presentation

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WHY FISHthe PENINSULA?

• World Famous for Steelhead

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WHY FISHthe PENINSULA?

• World Famous for Steelhead
• Close/Easy/Fun

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This is fun!
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WHY FISHthe PENINSULA?

• World Famous for Steelhead
• Close/Easy/Fun
• Productive

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EXOTIC SPECIES - 1
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EXOTIC SPECIES - 2
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WHY FISHthe PENINSULA?

• World Famous for Steelhead
• Close/Easy/Fun
• Productive
• Remote

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WHY FISHthe PENINSULA?

• World Famous for Steelhead
• Close/Easy/Fun
• Productive
• Remote
• Big Fish

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Big Fish!
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WHY FISHthe PENINSULA?

• World Famous for Steelhead
• Close/Easy/Fun
• Productive
• Remote
• Big Fish
• Pristine Habitat

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UPPER QUEETS
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WHY FISHthe PENINSULA?

• World Famous for Steelhead
• Close/Easy/Fun
• Productive
• Remote
• Big Fish
• Pristine Habitat
• Wildlife

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Elk Herd
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Friendly Elk?
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Eagle on the Queets
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WHAT YOU NEED?

• Data on When and Where to Go
• Strategies to Follow
• Techniques to Employ
• Equipment/Flies to Use

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When Do You Go?

• River is in shape
• Fish are in
• Youre legal (license/regulations)
• Youre prepared (equipment/techniques)

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1. RIVERS in SHAPE?

• USGS Web Site

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USGS WEB PAGE
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WATER RESOURCES PAGE
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US GAGING STATIONS
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WASHINGTON STATIONS
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SUMMARY INFO
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8-Day Flow Chart
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2. FISH ARE IN
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FISH NUMBERS/PEAKS

• WDFW Plant records (2005)
• WDFW Catch records (2001-2002)
• Fishing Reports and Web Sites

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WDFW WEB PAGE
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FISH PLANTS
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2005-2006 STEELHEAD STOCKING
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COASTAL RIVER SYSTEMS
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SPORTS CATCH RECORDS
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Web Sites

• WDFW Web Site
• Fishing and Shellfishing Homepage
• Related Links
• NW Fishing Reports
• Piscatorial Pursuits Web Site
• Steelhead Notebook Web Site

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TACKLE and INFORMATION

• Fishy Business
• Tom Bolender - Owner
• 2415 Harrison Ave.
• Olympia, WA
• [phone]

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3. LEGAL

• Compliant with ALL Regulations
• Seasons
• Gear restrictions
• Emergency closures

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REGULATIONS

• Federal
• State
• Tribal

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Salmon River
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4. PREPARED

• Reading material
• Techniques
• Outfits
• Strategies

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READING MATERIAL
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Techniques and Equipment
(Background)

• Contingent on River Size
• Large River (Queets, Quinault, Hoh)
• Characteristics
• Broad valleys with shallow gradients
• Large flow volumes variations
• Yearly channel changes
• Small River (Salmon, Wynoochee)
• Characteristics
• Smaller watersheds with steeper gradients
• Smaller flow volumes with smaller pools and runs
• Confined channels with little/no yearly change
  

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Typical Large River (Upper
Quinault)
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Typical Smaller River
(SALMON RIVER)
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FLY FISHING TECHNIQUES (Large
Rivers)

• Large River Fishing Techniques
• Wet Fly Swing
• Swing and Hold
• Riffling Hitch

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WET FLY SWING
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SWING and HOLD
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RIFFLING HITCH
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FISHING the HITCH
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FLY FISHING TECHNIQUES (Small
Rivers)

• Small River Fishing Techniques
• Nymphing

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NYMPHING

• A Fly Fishing Technique that Utilizes Heavy,
  Weight-Forward Floating Lines with Short,
  Fast-Tapered Leaders, Strike Indicators and
  Weighted Flies or Split Shot

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NYMPHING TECHNIQUE
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CASTING to FISH
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NYMPHING SUCCESS
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FLY FISHING OUTFITS

• Large River Fly Outfits
• 8-, 9- or 10-wt, 9 to 10 foot single-handed rods
  and/or 12 to 14 foot 8-, 9- or 10-wt. spey rods
• Matching lines with sink tips of various
  densities
• Short leaders (3 - 4 feet) for sink tips with 12
  - 15 lb. tippets
• Small River Fly Outfits
• 8 to 10 foot, 9 or 10 wt. single-handed rods
• Bass or salt-water tapered floating lines
• Fast-tapered leaders with strike indicators and
  weighted flies or split shot attached

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STRATEGIES

• ADAPT
• Watersheds Have Different Characteristics
• Moving from one watershed to another close by
  often improves success

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STRATEGIES

• ADAPT - Watersheds Have Different Characteristics
• SPECIALIZE - Large vs. Small Rivers

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Advantages and Disadvantages Large vs.
Small Rivers

• Large Rivers
• Spey fish
• Less wear/tear on equipment
• Scenery and views
• More fishing time
• Open vistas/wildlife
• BUT
• More people/boats
• More exertion
• Fish scattered

• Small Rivers
• More intimate
• Fewer people
• No boats
• Fish less spooked
• Fish concentrated
• BUT
• Harder access
• Hike a lot
• Wear and tear

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STRATEGIES (Fishing
Locations)

• ADAPT - Watersheds Have Different Characteristics
• SPECIALIZE - Large vs. Small Rivers
• Fish Prime Locations
• Pool Tail-outs
• Boulders/Banks/Blow-downs
• Seams/Ledges

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STRATEGIES

• ADAPT - Watersheds Have Different Characteristics
• SPECIALIZE - Large vs. Small Rivers
• Fish Prime Locations
• Pools
• Boulders/Banks
• Seams
• Beat the Boats!

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LARGE RIVER FLIES
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NYMPHING FLIES
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WHERE?

• 1 - Day Trip
• 2 - Day Trip

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ONE DAY TRIP

• Wynoochee River

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WHY?

• Close 1- 1.5 hrs. from Olympia
• Large Smolt Plants (170,000 Winter Fish 60,000
  Summer Fish)
• Dam-controlled River (Flows Regulated - Less
  Susceptible to Rain Events)
• Reasonable size - Easy to Wade (below 800 cfs)
• Accessible above and below the 7400 Line Bridge
• Selective Fishery/No Boats above the 7400 Line
  Bridge
• Both Long Rod and Nymphing Techniques

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Spey Fishing on the Upper
Wynoochee
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WYNOOCHEE RIVER Fishing
Locations
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Key Locations

• Wishkah Bridge (RM 8.8 from Devenshire Rd. exit)
  - boat launch and limited parking. Some limited
  access to bank fishermen.
• White Bridge (WDFW Access - RM 11.3) - major boat
  launch. East bank posted best fly fishing access
  on west bank (drive across Wishkah Bridge, turn
  right on Old Wynoochee Road till it dead-ends on
  gravel bar at White Bridge)
• Wynoochee Valley Road Pavement ends (RM 17.1)
  dirt road begins
• Cougar-Smith Rd. (RM18.8) - to Matlock and upper
  Satsop River
• 7400 Line Bridge access road (turn left at RM
  21.7) - NO SIGN!
• 7400 Line Bridge (RM 24.5) - bridge closed to
  vehicles but not foot traffic. Great fly water
  below and above bridge. Selective gear fishing
  applies above bridge.

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7400 LINE BRIDGE
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7400 Line Bridge
(VIEW DOWNSTREAM)
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7400 Line Bridge (VIEW UPSTREAM)
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OUR FAVORITE HOLE
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WYNOOCHEE (BELOW THE DAM)
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FISHING the SEAM!
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Fish On!
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Almost There!
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Nice Buck!
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1997-2002 Wynoochee River Catch Record Summaries
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A Crowded Week-Day on the Wynoochee!
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TWO DAY TRIP

• Quinault River (Upper and Lower)
• Queets, Salmon and Clearwater

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UPPER QUINAULT
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Key Locations

• North Road, Park Service Cabin (RM 5.6) - access
  to lower river above lake hike about 1.5 miles
  across field to river
• North Road, Upper Bridge (RM 14.4) - good fly
  fishing access downstream along both banks
• North Road provides river access at various
  places
• South Road has limited access close to US 101

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QUEETS RIVER and TRIBS.
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Key Locations

• Turn off to upper Salmon River bridge just past
  RM 143 on US 101 - state land downstream of
  bridge for about 1/2 miles (cars!)
• Turn off to Queets Valley Rd. at RM 144 on US 101
• Lower Salmon River bridge (RM1.4 from US 101) -
  non-tribal land begins about 1 mile upstream of
  bridge to mouth (cars!)
• Hartzell Creek boat launch (RM 1.9) - easy access
  and good fly water
• Mud Creek bridge (RM 4.6) - a short hike leads to
  a great hole just upstream of Lyman Rapids
• Matheny Creek bridge (RM7.2) - road ends at
  bridge due to slide river accessible above to
  those willing to hike in. Great hole just above
  confluence with Queets but requires 1/4 mile hike
• At RM 147 (US 101), turn right on the Clearwater
  Road. Cross the Queets bridge and drive for about
  1/2 mile to a dirt road on the left which takes
  you to a great hole on the lower Clearwater.
• NOTE Queets accessible just about anywhere to
  those willing to hike

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WINTER CONDITIONS
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Clearwater River Pool
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MATHENY CREEK BRIDGE
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Matheny Creek Hole
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1997-2002 Salmon River Catch Record Summaries
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1997-2002 Queets River Catch Record Summaries
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GUIDES

• Jim Kerr (Three Rivers Resort) [phone]
• Clay Butler (Quinault Indian Reservation)
• [phone]
• Dave Steinbaugh (Waters West) [phone]
• Doug Rose [phone]
• Charles St. Pierre [phone]
• J. D. Love [phone]

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ACCOMMODATIONS

• Amanda Park Vicinity
• Quinault River Inn
• 1-800-410-2237
• QuinaultRiverInn.com
• Lake Quinault Lodge
• So. Shore Rd.
• 1-866-875-8456
• info_at_visitlakequinault.com
• Lk. Quinault Resort
• N. Shore Rd.
• 1-800-650-2362
• lakequinault.com

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QUINAULT RIVER INN
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CLOSING THOUGHTS

• Weather (Sunny! Rain! Snow! Black Ice!)

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WINTER SUN
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WINTER RAIN
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WINTER SNOW
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OTHER CLOSING THOUGHTS

• Winter Flow Conditions (High, Cold)
• Hypothermia (Clothing/Signs)
• First Aid Equipment
• Car/Truck Safety Equipment
• Cell Phone
• Waders
• Avoid Fishing Alone
• Dont Make Your Vehicle a Temptation!

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