10/15 October Fishing Report

October 17, 2018October 16, 2018 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

October Fishing Report

We have already covered the fact that October is down right amazing. This week we have been welcomed to the water with beautiful fishing conditions. Slick water, cool weather, and sunshine that has no end. Did I mention we have been starting at 8am? Yeah, 8am… Eat it August! I love October.

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being spectacular sea run cutthroat Fishing and 1 being what happens when you try to fish in your bathtub… I’d say fishing is a full on 10. The cutthroat are gobbling down anything we have tossed at them.

We have been finding most of our fish on intermediate lines pushed up on the shallows. 3-6′ of water has been our main target this week. Have we found some in the depths? Sure have, but why bother when there are plenty pushed up shallow? We have been using a wide variety of general baitfish patterns. Mostly Money Makers in peach and orange or chartreuse and peacock. As a bonus, top water fishing has been awesome this October as the fish are pushed into the shallow water and more densely populated. To round things out, we have been fishing some worm flies just to switch things up over the oysters.

To be honest, we have been having a lot of fun trying to see what the fish won’t eat. They are not exactly picky… More like a vacuum than a traditional trout.

Coming up!

We have some great weather and fishing the next couple of weeks. Get your dates, a boat open on the 20th, 21st, 23rd, and 26th. Let us know and we will get you on the water!

Future Dates

If you are going to miss out on October, I have a secret for you! November is a lot like October… just a little later. Fishing continues to be great, Cutthroat move closer to their estuaries, and we continue to have more fun than anyone else you know.

November 2nd, 6th, 10th, 13th, 16th and 18th. Let us know, we would love to share the water with you all and show you why we love the fall out here on Hood Canal and Puget Sound!

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

Winter is here! Take advantage of the Floater!

November 21, 2017November 21, 2017 / Captain Justin / 1 Comment

Like it or not Winter is here in the Pacific Northwest! Days are shorter and wetter, and steelhead are trickling into the rivers. Chum salmon are all but wrapped up and everything seems to have a squishy texture to it. Well, that means fly tying and half day season is upon us.

Feeling cabin fever already?! That’s because we live in Washington, and you are not supposed to be cooped up inside. It’s time to get out the floating line and take advantage of some great top water sea run cutthroat! It’s not worth trying to cram another fly in that sadly full fly box of yours! With the beautiful views and the great fishing, it’s a shame to waste the winter inside!

This is the best time of year for the floating line! We can pull out the gurglers and traditional baitfish patterns this time of year and really do some of the most enjoyable cutthroat fishing of the season! Cruising the shorelines tossing the floating line this time of year is a blast. The water is nice and calm, and with a jacket and some active fishing it is a pleasant time of year to catch fish!

Washington State has a ton to offer the year-round fly fishermen, between the winter steelhead and the sea run cutthroat we do not really get a lull in the fishing! If the rivers blow out and your steelhead guide has to cancel, you can just run over to the Hood Canal and never leave the Olympic Peninsula and still get great fishing! Here are some tips to keep you hooked up this time of year!

Current seams- The bait is scarce this time of year, so the current seams are critical to cutthroats hunting plan.
Fish The Floating Line! We have great topwater fishing this time of year. When the fish will not commit to coming to the surface, move just below on the same floater!
Make a disturbance. If your fly is moving quick and making a commotion, the fish will find it this time of year. We have the advantage of the fish being aggressive this time of year, so lets have as much fun with that as we can!
Keep moving, as you work a stretch of water just keep moving on down, when you find the fish they will let you know!
No bad days! Fish hard, keep at it, and make a day of it. This time of year calls for hot coffee, great fishing, followed by a cold beverage to reward your efforts!

Just The Tip- Tipping Your Fishing Guide

November 20, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

I have dreaded writing this out for a while. Tipping your fishing guide keeps coming up in the past 6 months. I assume this is because of a post I made on Washington Fly Fishing. Here is MY as non bias as possible opinion.

Should you be tipping your fishing guide? Well, of coarse this is a complicated answer; Do you tip your waitress when he/she does a great job? Did your guide work his butt off for you. Do you feel like your guide showed you a great time? Why did the subject even come up?

Look, I will be the first to admit, being a professional fishing guide is the best job in the world! I love every second I spend on the water with you guys. We catch awesome fish and we tell dirty jokes. We often share life stories, and we have a kick ass time every day! What more could I ask for? Being the best fishing guide possible has been my life’s ambition for as long as I can remember. Hiring guides is a huge bonus for me. Those two things give me a unique insight on the subject.

First, most of us were not around when the tradition of tipping your guides started. I have looked on dozens of websites in preparation for writing this, and could not find how the tradition got started. Research did show that most fishing guides when not tipped, feel they did something to offend their clients. I can relate to that both an independent guide and a guide who has worked out of a few different lodges and shops.

Tipping your fishing guide should feel good at the end of the day. If it does not, I personally would prefer you did not do it. I personally do not factor my tips into my budget for the week, I look at it like a bonus. I pride myself on my clients coming back to fish with me every year. Tips are often a way to cover overhead like fuel, lunch, and services for the boat. If I come in under budget for the week, that is a huge bonus for us, if not that is okay. I would say that 95% of clients do tip, and of the 3% that do not, they rebook on the day of the trip.

Here is how tipping your fishing guide typically goes; There are three different types of clients when it comes to tipping. One who talks about the tip from the first step onto the boat, the other than hands you cash, and then the credit card tipper. As a guide, we appreciate them all. The first however makes all fishing guides feel awkward. We are not working for that tip! Save it for the end of the day. The next guy pays his bill, hands you $50-$100 and tells you “Thank you, I hope to do it again.” This is how all guides like to leave it. The last is the Credit Card tip. This is the main way people pay. If this is how you tip, make sure you tell your guide before you pay your bill. The last two ways are the best ways to handle this.

This is the biggest thing with tips. The best guides in the world can not avoid this. The dreaded skunk day. Fortunately our fishery here in Puget Sound/Hood Canal does not have many of these… But we have had it, and as a fishing guide, it is the worst. I would honestly rather be in the clients shoes than in the guides spot on those days, I remember the first time ever, I felt sick, sad, depressed, and rethought my entire life’s ambition. It is the worst feeling you can possibly be in, and it is way worse to be the guide than the client. I’ve been skunked on $5,000 tarpon trips, $500 trout trips, and yes, here in Hood Canal it’s happened. The fish sometimes win, and as long as your guide puts in the effort, this should not reflect on the guide. It just happens.

Look, tipping your guide should feel good, or don’t do it. Just know that it is a tradition, and if you are not going to, let the guide know how you felt about the day. Give a review on their social media page, book another date, and all around be grateful. Most fishing guides are living their dream on the water, and made serious sacrifices to do their dream job, just knowing their clients appreciate their hard work means a lot.

For The Guide:

Be honest, this is a career famous for lazy, late, unprofessional people. If you are any of the three, you do not deserve your clients bonus at the end of the day. A tip is not required or even expected, it is a act of appreciation for your extra effort.

Here are a few things you can do for your fishing guide as a client:

Show up on time! You are only doing yourself wrong by not showing up on time. Weather, Tide, and daylight all factor into the fishing you are about to go on.
Be patient with yourself and your guide. They will judge your skill level as the day gets going and adjust accordingly.
Be polite. Don’t trash their boat and don’t get trashed on their boat!
Write reviews: These matter more and more to fishing guides these days. Word of mouth is still the best way for a guide to get known!
Tell people: Tell your friends, neighbors, coworkers, I know alot of guide who are starting out and could use the extra help. If you notice the guide is fishing one particular company, let that company know what a great time they had with them.
DINNER AND A DRINK IS FOR DATES, NOT FISHING GUIDES. Obviously there are exceptions to all rules. However, by the time they get their boat ready, put it in the water, fish, pulled out, washed down, and ready it for the morning. Thats 10-12 hours. I rarely have a cocktail with my clients anymore, not because I don’t love my clients, but because my kids wont remember my name if I do!

Fall Fishing Is Here!!

October 9, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

Fall fishing has set in this last week! Crisp mornings have kept the big fish on the shallows waiting for a meal! The big tides have the bait fish scattered throughout the shorelines like a buffet! The afternoon winds have the fish looking up for a chance at easy pickings from the surface. October has started off with a series of big hard fighting cutthroat! Our guess is this fishing will last through the rest of fall!

I can not say enough about the topwater fishing this fall! Gurglers have been our most productive patterns for the last week, landing big fish, with violent takes. casted into the shallows and dragged off the drop offs we have seen some of the biggest top water fish to date. If you like fast action, super visual takes, and exciting jumps, I’d suggest trying this method out. Our best techniques have been to cast out and pause. Start slow and quickly speed up to a fast retrieve. Make sure you fish these all the way to the boat, because you don’t want to miss a fish on the pick up!

Fishing the baitfish, Our most productive colors right now are out silver, white and teal. or silver white and peacock. Short and strong strips. The name of the game this year is to let the fish know you are there. Make a commotion with the fly. These fish are fattening up as the baitfish is dispersing. Short, violent strips, and make sure you leave that rod tip down and pointed at the fly. Finally, speed up as the fish are chasing, and strip before you set that hook! Flashy flies seem to have the most action this time of year, so when in question, add flash. Chartreuse, Teal, Silver, White, Olive, and Blue all seem to be good highlights right now. November we traditionally add a lot of orange and peach to the mix!

Come get yourself some action, we have a handful of dates from now till november!

Captain Justin Waters

Open Season For Open Water

July 12, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

Our summer is finally here in Western Washington! We could not be more deserving of great weather and better fishing! With this push of heat we need to change our focus from the hidden bays and back waters to the open water. Sure there will still be fish hanging in the protected structure, but the big fish… They know the bait likes that cold push of current! Here are a few things to consider to find the big fish!

Sincerely, there are very few things that get me as stoked as “Let’s chase the big fish today.” With the exception of blonde women who tie flies, tequila after I get off the water, and plane tickets to the tarpon grounds, my favorite things come down to chasing big Sea Run Cutthroat in the summer. Fortunately, the season is here for chasing the big ones. From now till mid September, we will find the biggest fish of the season. Here are the things you need to know!

Open Water

For the most part, until the water starts to warm, we find our biggest fish in the bays and back waters of Hood Canal and Puget Sound. Rocky shore lines protected from the winds, hidden from most of the world, with steep shorelines that stay cool until the warmest part of the year. As the waters warm, the baitfish and oxygen levels decrease in these areas, and the fish move to the open water and main current channels. The fishing itself is still very similar, however the locations tend to be a little less friendly to wading. The currents are a little stronger making you think about how to present your cast in these open currents. Furthermore the hunt is much faster and our mobility with the boat is much more important. We run to our locations, make our cast and look for signs of fish and bait, then we run to the next spot. We might cover a quite a few miles of water before finding the perfect location.

Retrieve

Our fishing is pretty similar, Cast, Strip, Cast, Strip…. Those acts are very much the same for the most part. However, the fish seem to prefer a speed of retrieve this time of year… Problem is, it changes throughout the day, with light, temps, and tidal flow. I tell my clients; “Start slow, and speed up till you end fast.” As we fish through this method you will see at a certain point in the retrieve we catch the most fish. It might start off the fish want the retrieve fast when the water temps are 61 F and the light is really low on the water. As it warms to 64 F the fish might like the slow retrieve and a deeper sunk fly with the high light.

Fly Selection

This is a preference… I know a ton of different flies catch Sea Run Cutthroat. However I do think there are a few things to consider as the weather warms and the sun is high in the sky. Add Weight. This can be an old school Clouser pattern, a cone head, or hidden tungsten beads/Loon Powder. The flies that get down quick tend to catch more fish this time of year. Maintain a big profile with a subtle foot print. When a Sea Run Cutthroat expends the energy to chase your fly, it is also exposing itself to predators, and typically moving a long ways for it. Make the fish think it is worth it by keeping a big profile. Herring, Anchovies, and Sandlance are all in good numbers and all have larger profiles right now.

Summer is the hidden gem of the north west! We have endless options of outdoor entertainment. Fishing for big Sea Run Cutthroat should be at the top of your list! I hope this allows you to find more success! Tight Lines and we hope to see you on the water!

Captain Justin Waters

Kids Fishing Opportunity

July 4, 2017July 3, 2017 / Captain Justin / Leave a comment

For years we had to recommend kids not come out on our trips. Sure we took a few kids out, however for the most part, it was not suitable for kids. However, with the boat we now have the ability to safely, comfortably, and successfully take kids fishing! Wether the kids want to learn to fly fish, better their fly fishing skills, or just get started throwing light tackle, we can make sure their introduction to fishing be a fun and enjoyable experience!

The best part of taking a kid fishing is pretty simple. For the most part, kids love to fish! Fishing for cutthroat trout is pretty singularly focused for the most part. At the beginning, cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve with some minor interruptions to fight fish or untangle. As long as it is all in good humor both of those SHOULD BE exciting and fun. Cutthroat are a fairly honest fish, so if you can get a kid to do a few things right, the fish reward you. Furthermore, as the kids pick up those little skills we can continue teaching them, because they are used to learning from school and life at a young age!

We love having the opportunity to share our fishery with youngsters. Teaching them about reading water, fighting fish, and appreciating what the water teaches us. We want to ensure that kids know more than a Ipad and tv screen in the future. What better way than show them something they can enjoy for their lifetime! So bring the family along on the next trip, we love taking kids fishing!

All-Waters

Fly Fishing and Guide Service

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