Winter Is For Giants

January 4, 2018 / Captain Justin / 1 Comment

Winter Is For Giants.

If Fly Fishing is all about the experience. Winter Fly Fishing is all about enduring parts of the experience and enhancing others. Sea Run Cutthroat move around this time of year, making part of that experience all about the hunt. We have been on the water most of the winter and let me tell you, the hunt has been rewarded!

This time of year makes the summer look easy. It almost makes me feel guilty for how much fun we had this summer. We can always find a few fish to harass, don’t get me wrong. But if you are going to be on the water, when the high for the day is in the low 40’s, you should hunt for the giants. The winter is for giants, and the giants will humble you.

There are a few things you need to know before heading out the door. If you are cold on your walk to the truck, the boat ride… Don’t schedule a trip in January and not dress for the occasion. Furthermore, If you plan on catching giants, don’t look in the school yard. We can catch lots of fish throughout the day, putting in the work for the big ones will have lots of fish. But they might not come on the first cast… The first hour… The first stop even. But once the fly lands in the kitchen, and the oven turns on. We are going too cook up a beast.

The hunt is what this is all about, we are starting in the normal spots we would in the fall, then start searching. Tides are seasonally at their highs, there is more water than in the summer to move to… and its cold. The powerful winter tides are rushing in and out to change the landscape. The big fish no longer need to be down deep, or off the tidal zone to find the cold clear water. They are moved onto the skinnier water chowing down to get fat and healthy. The fish may have even moved closer to their spawning creeks and off the old reliable summer structure.

The hunt makes everything more fun. Working together with our clients this time of year is a ton of fun, and having the amazing success has been even better. I don’t think I have ever had this much fun in the winter. We have stalked trout all over Hood Canal in the past few weeks and truthfully in places I have not fished much. We have started on a shoreline we have fished 100 times and ended up catching fish for miles in a different direction that we started. Keep an open mind in the winter, and be prepared to learn some new tricks of the craft.

So, here are a few tips to get your big fish of the winter!

Search for deep pockets on shallow flats. We have found fish schooled up on the deep pockets of a flat on outgoing tide.
Try big flies on the deeper shorelines. We have had multiple smaller cutthroat stollen by larger cutthroat in the last few weeks. I promise, a 4-5″ baitfish is not to big to be gobbled down by a 18-24″ cutthroat.
Your normal beach is dead? It’s time to look on a map and fish your way toward the closest likely spawning creek. It’s that time of year where the fish are getting ready to head to the bedroom. They are eating any bait they find on the way there. I know, romantic how they go to dinner before they… you know.
Dress for success! Do not underdress to get out fishing. It’s simple really, you are not going to fish intelligently if the entire time you are worried about how cold you are. We carry a goodwill store of fleece just to make sure people are warm and comfortable on the water.
Let the fish tell you they are there. We are not catching one fish this time of year. If you find a single fish, there is going to be a dozen more where it came from. Winter fish stick together! If you make a handful of cast and don’t find anything, keep moving until you find them. Then once you found fish, methodically pick through the piece of water to find the rest.

New Year’s Resolution

December 28, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

It’s that time of year, winding down to the New Year’s Resolution. This is the time of year we hear folks talk about gym memberships, better eating habits, cutting back on the Tequila (not my resolution, just for the record)… Guess what folks? Around here, we care about your fish stories… We care about your fly tying… We care about your casting. Yeah, in reality we hope you and your family has a great and happy 2018. But that is not making this New Year’s Resolution list.

Here is a few ideas that should hit your 2018 New Years Fishing Resolutions:

“In 2018 I am going to….”

Get out and fish more! Has 2017 sailed by as quick as it has for us? Man, I just couldn’t believe it when I had to throw on all the extra layer’s for the first time this winter. Did you wake up in December and realize “Shit, I only got out 5-6 times this year!” Let’s change that! Call your favorite fishing guides and book up a few dates ahead of time for this year. Blacking out the time on your calendar is the only way this kind of thing happens. If you don’t set aside the time, you are not going to fish any extra for this year.
Finally learn how to double haul! Now, I have been doing this for quite some time. One thing I am surprised at is how often I get a new client and they have been fishing since 1902, and don’t really like learning to be a better caster. Learning new things is fun, it’s exciting, and it can make your days on the water a hell of a lot more enjoyable. In 2018, tell your guides you want to work on becoming a better caster!
Take my kid fishing! Look, I get it, there is only so much time in a year. We get busy, the kids have school, sports, and facebook. HOWEVER! Don’t look back and wish you did more of it. Get your kid on the boat and lets teach them how to cast, or how to reel in a fish. Let’s pull out the spinning gear and have a first fish moment. You won’t regret it.
Start a new tradition. Once a year, we are going to stay at the resort, do some hiking, fish, see the Olympics, and get away from the city.
Take the time to learn how to tie flies. Anyone can do it. I swear, I know plenty of folks less coordinated, awkward, and goofier than you are. It’s time to book a class, and learn how to tie flies.

These are 5 ideas that are going to bring some great satisfaction to your 2018. All of them are easy to do, and will make 2018 much more fulfilling.

Happy New Year to you all! I can’t wait to see what it will bring!

Fishing Report 12/27/2017

December 28, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

I hope ya’ll folks had a great Christmas, made some good memories with the folks that you love, and are back thinking about fishing for the new year!

Fishing Report:

We are back in the swing of things after the holidays and spent the last couple days fishing out of Gig Harbor. The fishing has been pretty solid, with a lot of top water action! The fish have been eating smaller herring bait fish about 1 1/2″-2″ long. However, the top water action has been super good! We spent the last few days searching with a Rio Type III sinking line with a small herring fly. Following that up with a Rio Outbound floater with classic Gurgler patterns to finish them up. The Sea Run Cutthroat have been podded up hunting the shallows together. With every fish we caught we could count on 4-5 fish following it up.

Up Coming Forecast:

This next week has nothing but sunshine and low wind out on the Hood Canal, from Saturday – Thursday I am open Thursday the 4th if you have the day!

Mike’s Fishing Report 12/19/2017

December 23, 2017December 23, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

Our good friend Mike Hanford sent in a fishing report from 12/19/2017. I have been on the water the last few days and couldn’t get it up until now! So without further delay, heres Mike’s Fishing Report.

Mike’s Fishing Report

“December 19, 2017
There were gale-force winds today. Luckily, in the Sound, there’s always somewhere to get out of the wind…
Despite knowing that, I still wasted my first ninety minutes out on Carr Inlet taking a beating in my small boat. As soon as I launched, I turned away from the shallow oyster bed (which was on a lee shore and where I knew the fish probably were) and bashed into the wind and waves to round the long point to the south, where I fished deep water while navigating foot-tall whitecaps. I spent most of a fishless hour-and- a-half with my fly line wrapped around various boat hardware. Eventually I came to my senses and gave up on that foolishness, letting the wind and tide blow me back around the point and carry me down to the oyster bed.
This particular oyster bed is short, perhaps a hundred yards long, but it does end on a soft point coming off a wide shallow mud flat. There’s a nice long rip current, lots of boulders, all those oyster shells; a cutthroat paradise. It’s just so damn short! The fact that you can float the whole thing in fifteen minutes is probably why I ignored it in the first place.
I spent the rest of the day—only another ninety minutes, unfortunately—floating downwind until I passed the point, then motoring back up to start my drift again. I fished a weighted bucktail flatwing and hooked at least one fish on every drift, including one heady period when I hooked up three casts in a row, although the third time was not on a fish but on a low-flying little grey duck. It was a moment of
pure coincidence; as my cast unrolled, the duck flew in from the right and passed directly beneath my falling fly. Luckily, the hook did not set in skin, but it did end up covered with feathers that I hadn’t added when I tied it the night before. The duck itself gave a single indignant Squawk! When the fly first landed between its shoulder blades but at last sight was still flying, steady and low, speeding off into the
twilight.
I netted eight or nine fish—a few of those in the “Damn, nice fish,” category—and even the short ones were fat and chunky, well fed. The black sky, wind chop on the surface, and scattered rain had bolstered their confidence. They ate close enough to shore that I’m sure I would have done just as well had I been fishing from the beach. One of them ate in water shallow enough that when it first felt the hook and bolted, its tale sent up a wake of whitewater spray.
It was dark by the time I got back to the ramp. Despite the cold high wind, the rough conditions, the unfortunate duck, and the rain, it was a great evening of fishing.”

Mike is a great writer and one of the best fishermen I know. Also the only person other than Brita I have ever let run my boat.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Solving The Problem Of Picky Cutthroat

December 21, 2017December 20, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

I think we can all agree that Sea Run Cutthroat Trout are aggressive fish. Although, following that statement, occasionally they do get picky! On these days you can see the fish, you can watch them sipping like trout on the Ranch section of the Henry’s Fork. These are the days that make balding men wish they had hair to pull out. Sea Run Cutthroat tend to smash baitfish pretty regularly, these are the days they just want something else.

Get Stealthy. The first thing I do when my clients are getting the rejects is add a couple feet to the tippet. For most days 6-7′ of 2x Rio Fluoroflex is enough. When the fish are following and it’s just not happening, I like to add a couple extra feet of 3x to that.
STOP! When we know the fish are there, and we are being sneaky with our leaders, and still not getting the takes. I like to STOP!!! Stop casting for 5 mins. Drink some coffee, watch the water, take in the sights. Just freaking leave the fish alone!
DEEPER!! Play with your depth, I have had full days where the fish would not eat a fly on anything except floaters. In that same respect I have had whole days when they would not eat a fly more than a few inches off the bottom. Try playing with the depth, this is our number one problem solver.
Switch It Up! Perhaps, while you were leaving the fish alone maybe you noticed the juvenile anchovies swimming around. Or, you noticed the fish were working the shallow points for sculpin or shrimp. Remember, these fish WANT to eat, so its our job to feed them what they want. These fish will even find small creel like Amphipods or Isopods occasionally on the menu.
Move It! Some times, you have to own the defeat. Don’t waste a whole day on a pod of fish that are not willing to eat your offering. I call this “Finding happy fish,” and I think its an important part of fishing. You know the fish are there, and you can come back and try again after the tide shifts.

When the fish are getting picky, these 5 moves keep us in the fish. I believe it was Albert Einstein that said; “I am not a rocket surgeon, however, we can’t keep trying the same thing over and over again.” Furthermore, if all else fails, I know where you can find the best tequila on the Hood Canal.

Staghorn Sculpin – The Party Goblin

December 20, 2017December 19, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

Staghorn Sculpins, Party Goblin, Bull Head, Son of a… Are just a few names for this adventurous little guy. We need to pay some respect to the “Party Goblin.”

These little jerks ambush bait all over Puget Sound. They prefer sandy bottoms, but we accidentally hook the larger Party Goblins over all sorts of bottom structure. Typically, When picking up a sculpin or two, you should think about picking up the pace. Sculpin are not slow or lazy, but their an ambush predator not a sprinter like a trout. Sculpins are plentiful and diverse in size all over Puget Sound, making them great prey for Sea Run Cutthroat.

As far as bait goes, I believe sculpin are not Cutthroat trouts favorite. This could be because of their spiny heads, or the fact that they are hard to find in the rocks. However, in the winter, when the bait is scarce and the pickings are slim… The Party Goblin becomes a savory treat for the big Cutthroat trout that need the calories.

Brits Baby BullHead

Tiers Tips:

Burry your weight behind the big fat heads
Show off those white bellies and big fins
Profile is all that matters (be creative)
2″ is about all you need
Check out the Fly Men Fishing Company Sculpin Helmet

Bad Picture But Shows The Profile

Polychaete Worm Step By Step

December 20, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

After multiple request here’s a quick and rough Polychaete Worm Step By Step. This is a super simple pattern for anyone. I am not sure it matters, but I went with Peach and Brown.

Hook: Ahrex NS182

Bead: Hareline Gritty Bead (kind of fun)

Body Braid: Hareline Mini Flat Braid Orange

Wing Flash: Senyo Predator Wrap Pink, Angel Hair PMD

Wing: Marabou Peach & Brown

Dubbing Loop: Predator Wrap, Ice Dub Shrimp Pink & Olive Brown, Senyos Shaggy Dub

1.) Pinch the barb and slide on the gritty bead up to the eye. I’ve tied unweighted Polychaete Worms that fish fine, I just like the bead better.

2.) Tie in the Bodi Braid and move the thread forward. Any Earthy tone will work fine, I happen to have this right at the desk.

3.) Wrap the shank up to the thread and tie off. Create a Dubbing Loop just big enough to hang up on your vise.

4.) Blend your wing of Peach Marabou, Predator Wrap, Brown Marabou, and PMD Angel Hair.

5.)Tie your “wing” in reverse style at the same point as your dubbing loop. This method will help keep everything neat and tidy when finishing the fly.

6.) This is probably the only “technical” step on this simple pattern. You want to wrap a good thread base around the “wing”. This step is similar to tying a parachute dry fly pattern. Start by wrapping the thread AROUND the marabou about 6-10 times. You CAN skip this step, but your fly will foul about 100 times more than if you add this step.

7.) Create a dubbing loop. When blending try to add the Senyo’s products in the middle. You want to leave the predator wrap a little bit long so it picks out nicely. You can trip the straggly long stuff later.

8.) Twist your dubbing loop nice and tight, the brush/pick it out. You will want to make sure you don’t have any fat spots in the dubbing rope. If you are lazy and leave any fat spots you will crowed the bead and finishing will be rough, or the dubbing will fall out and you will have a loose head when you go to fish it.

9.) Next, Start wrapping behind the wing, and make sure to fill it all in to the bead.

10.) Whip Finish behind the bead, try to get between the dubbing and bead when you finish the fly to hide the thread.

11.) Optional. Your Polychaete Worm is done, but you could add some funk to it by marking it up a bit. I say funk that worm up.

12.) Day dream about the poor fish that will eat it.

Fishing Report

December 18, 2017December 18, 2017 / Captain Justin / 1 Comment

We have been spending a lot of time out on the water this winter. Winter Trips have been pretty epic so far this year and in between we have been exploring some new water we found (more on that coming soon). After many discussions and tons of feedback I decided we are going to commit to 1 fishing report a week. Simple, Short, and to the point. Hopefully we will be able to do 6-8 a month, but I am committing to 1 a week and that should get you the information you need for your upcoming trips, and fishing.

So here you go!

Puget Sound Fishing Report:

With the great weather we have had recently the fish have been looking towards the surface. Most of the week was spent with the floating line and smaller baitfish imitations getting hit just under the surface. We had awesome action on fast moving Polychete worms for the first part of last week. However, As the week carried on we found them more focused on Sculpin and Smelt patterns. The Majority of the fish are hitting in the shallows and flats (1-5′ of water). I suspect a lot of the surface action we had throughout the week was due to the fish keying in on small shrimp buzzing the shallows, but we were able to nab them on baitfish and never switched over to the shrimp patterns. The fish we are catching were aggressive, fat, happy, and covered in sea lice still!

Up Coming Forecast:

After Tomorrow’s (Tuesday) Mega Wind we should be “Mostly Sunny” through Christmas! With Great weather on the forecast and solid fishing I think we should close out 2017 with some great trips!

If you have any feed back for us about the fishing reports let us know in the comments or email us Justin@all-waters.com

Everything Eats The Worm- Polychaete Worms

December 8, 2017 / Captain Justin / 4 Comments

When I first learned about Sea Run Cutthroat I was instantly intrigued with the fish. Where they lived, how we fish them, and how beautiful and powerful these trout are. The Marine environment was so foreign from any other trout I had ever caught before. As I grew more obsessed with these fish I fell in love with their flies and the diet. I started tying every baitfish Puget Sound, termites, gurglers, squid, and eventually the worm. Everything from Tarpon to bluegill eat worms, Yellowstone trout, to Florida jacks. The aquatic worm is one of the most prolific and under fished food sources in any marine environment.

One of the most under utilized options for Sea Run Cutthroat are worm patterns. In the winter, particularly on the larger moon phases, we get magnificent hatches of these creepy bastards. Today they are about 2-3″ long, and about as wide as angel-hair noodles. If you watch them they are in constant movement all over the shallow bays. In the summer during full moons we have seen them 6-10″ washed up on boat ramps and as wide as a Sharpie marker. These aquatic worms (Polychaete) come in a variety of colors, Pink, Tan, Red, Yellow, Brown, Dark Green, and Black.

As I mentioned these worms are in constant motion, so pausing a worm fly might not be a good idea. We tend to cast out, and immediately start long consistent strips. I like targeting 10″- 5′ of water when I am fishing worms. Cutthroat love these things, and almost look evil chasing them and sucking them in. The fish is looking to inhale a worm vs kill the bait fish. It is important to keep the rod tip down for a solid strip set on the fish, as they are not setting on themselves as they do with baitfish patterns. Furthermore it becomes very important to have a tight line all the way through the retrieve so the fish does not pick it up and spit it out before you notice.

I have tied and fished a lot of different worm flies over the years, and here is what I have learned about the patterns. First, avoid the trailing hook! Cutthroat begin swallowing worms immediately, rather than wrestling with baitfish. Trailers tend to get caught in the gills or throat of fish. Avoid it. A hook in the front of the worm will be just fine, if you are getting short struck you are either not stripping the hook into the fish or you are not keeping tight to the fly. Rabbit strips are typically the choice for many worm patterns, however we see a lot of success with marabou, and even craft fur patterns.

I am a believer in a stout big hook on my baitfish patterns. The Tiemco 800s or the Ahrex NS110 SE, Ahrex HR430 are my baitfish hooks. For worms however, I have been using a weighted Ahrex Trailer Hook (NS182) which when strip set has had 100% corner of the mouth success. The up eye makes the worms twitch and dance on the retrieve. Grippiness is just insane, the fish just can not seem to spit the thing. One more note on the NS182 is that you can use a SUPER small hook to grab these fish, I am tying on a size 6-10 hook and they seem to leave the least amount of damage to the fish I have ever seen.

10″-5′ of water is the common strike zone that we have confidence in.
Consistent long strips
Keep the rod tip down for the first few strips of the fight
Keep tight with constant movement to ensure good presentation and good strike detection.
Play with different colors to get the fish to respond to the fly.
Play with your depth until you find the strike zone
No Stinger worm patterns
Ahrex Nordic Salt Trailer Hook NS182

Our Only Last Christmas List Post

November 27, 2017November 27, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

With a flood of Christmas themed garbage coming into my email, I present you the only Christmas list you need to see for you fly fishermen. Or just a bunch of super cool shit you should check out. I want to briefly tell you that I do not sell or make any money off of any of the branded products in this list. If any of these products are on here, it’s because I have it and love it, or have seen it and want it. Obviously you should pre-pay for a trip and order custom flies from us. But for under the tree here are some ideas!

So without further delay, All-Waters Fly Fishings Christmas List:

1.) Ty Wheel: Okay, this is purely out of envy that this makes the list. Let me paint you a sweet picture here. Brita and I have 3 fly tying desk in our fuzz factory. Two to collect our mountain of feathers and random tying materials, and one that we sit across from each other and tie flies at. We have a broad selection of vises that we use, and they all work well, but Brita has this amazing gadget attached to hers call the Ty Wheel. Just imagine a way to set your tools, glues, beads, and other random materials down without it getting buried under all of your trash. Imagine if the only organized part of your tying desk was the part that you used. The Ty Wheel is pretty amazing, and the folks who make them have been very cool to talk to. I envy Brita’s vise every day because of this product.

2.) Simms Pro Dry Bib: If you have ever been fishing with me, you know I am a pretty easy going guy. I’m a chatty Kathy, I like to laugh, and I like to fish… Thats all I want on my boat, good times, plane and simple. What the Pro Dry Bibs have created is more comfort on the water, which leads to more Good Times. I will argue that we have more fun than anyone EVER to do this. These Pro Dry Bibs have made that possible 12 months out of the year. It’s the only piece of clothing that I have ever owned that I have any attachment to. Well, This and a hole filled Grateful Dead tie dye that Brita hides from me.

3.) Sightline Provisions: Look, I am aware I am going to take some grief for having this on the list, I know. The guys at Sightline make such a cool looking product. I have never worn one, I don’t know the folks that make them. However, I believe Zach Dalton from Sage Fly Rods was the first guy I ever saw wear one about two years ago. I thought instantly, “Man, that bracelet looks super awesome.” Then my next thought was, “For sure don’t ever tell anyone you thought that.” Either way, these are awesome looking and worth checking out!

4.) Yeti: We might have an obscene amount of yeti products in our house. Rambler cups, Hopper bags, 3 tundra coolers, a bunch of hats and stickers. If I ever get a white dog, I am naming it Yeti. The products are the best on the market, the guys who run the company are great, and you NEVER have to buy any of the products again. Except the hat, Puget Sound owns about 5 of the hats off my head. From the front seat on my boat to the cooler we take to Brita’s folks house to bring home left overs. My morning coffee, to the thing I brine meat in. We use our Yeti products constantly and we are proud to use them. Don’t support some garbage company who knocks them off, and get the real thing.

5.) Loon Infiniti Light: So this is a triple threat gift right here. 1.) You never have to smell 5minute epoxy in your home ever again. 2.) No disposing of 4000 AA batteries a year. and 3.) You are supporting a company that supports your local environment. Loon has been a company that I have loved from the second I discovered them. I was always a fan of Aquel, I liked the old Loon Logo, and I liked the message they had of environmentally conscious materials in everything from their fly floatant to their epoxies and pigments. Now a UV light that can be plugged in and charging as you cure your favorite brand of UV Epoxies. Damn it grab a sweet Loon Hat while you are at it! These guys have been at the forefront of innovation for a long time, and their products speak for themselves.

6.) StormFront Great Divider: Look, I have not seen the latest version of this pack. Or the version before that for that matter. Because mine has over 1,500 days on the water, and just wont die. This is the most hardcore boat bag I have used. I have thrown it on oyster bars, tossed it in carry on, dropped it off the side of kayaks and paddle boards. Beds of trucks, drift boats, used it as a seat, left old lunches in it. Pretty much any abuse you can think of I have had happen with this bag and it just wont die. Great carry strap, sweet new closer strap, and bomb proof zipper.

7.) Redington I.D. Reel: If you have talked to me in the last few years about fishing brands, then you will know I have a huge love of Redington. Keeping the sport moving forward with affordable fishing equipment that kicks ass (the new rods are unbeatable at the price point). Plus, they have a sense of humor and just radiate “fun” (that sentence was so awkward). I wont even make fun of the Colorado flag decal in the options. This series of reels might just be the most fun thing to come to fly fishing in a long time… While you are at looking at these reels check out the Crux rod series and the awesome video section of the website.

8.) Art Work: One of the things we love about fly fishing is that it is a work of art. You can constantly push the boundaries of what you can do with a fly rod and the ways you can catch a fish, just like an artist with the brush. Some of the best gifts you can give can hang on the wall! Jason Bordash, Yusniel Santos, and Josh Udesen… The list goes on forever!

9.) Book A Guide Trip: Nothing say’s “Merry Christmas” quite like going fishing! And most people get the stuff they want in life. What people have a hard time doing is carving out the time to do the things they love. Thats the number one reason I think people love going on guided trips. It forces you to carve out a date in the calendar and go fishing, that and you get to hear quality dirty jokes.

10.) Sportsmans 227 Bay Boat: Do I really need to say more? Folks, please, tell Brita this is ALL I want for Christmas. She can return the fancy Tequila (don’t do that), not bother with the new Sage Salt HD (please that too). She doesn’t need to pick up the Jerry Garcia Bobble Head or the Misfits t-shirt. Just the 2018 Sportsmans 227 Bay Boat.

There you have it, Our Inaugural Christmas List. 10 great ideas for Christmas, with only one shameless plug for you to book a trip. Now back to our normal broadcast of fishing stuff and other stuff.