September is well underway and the fly fishing opportunities are numerous. In the Western Washington area, the most notable is probably the return of loads of pink salmon to Puget Sound and its rivers. In addition, we have lots of silvers showing up, steelhead entering the Columbia system, loads of bass and warmwater opportunities, and September is a fantastic time to be on the Yakima, Methow, Naches, Green, Deschutes, and many other trout rivers.
Take a look at our most recent newsletter, sent today, August 27, 2025. It includes new Skwala products, which includes waders, boots, jackets and more. Also, see new fly patterns and take advantage of a 25% Off sale on Winston AIR TH Spey rods. Plus articles on Understanding Sink-Tips and Part II of an article on Choosing the Right Leader. And more!
There is a lot of confusion around sink tips, and we get asked all sorts of questions about sink tips all of the time. We commonly hear people ask "I'm going to the ****** River, what sink tip should I use?" and it's really not that simple. What are they? Which one should I choose? What does T14 mean? Well we're here to help you better understand the world of sink tips. And I could talk about this topic for days, Haha! There are many different kinds of sink tips that are available these days, and knowing which ones will work for you can be a little intimidating at first. So we're going to give you a full run down on everything "sink tip" so that next time you walk into a fly shop you'll know what to get.
I think I've been enjoying Washington's August fly fishing opportunities a bit too much the last few days. As a result, August is one-third over and I'm just getting to my updates for this blog post! So, sorry for the delay, but here are some ideas for great August fly fishing trips in Washington state and the surrounding areas.
In Part I of this article, we talked about the basics of choosing a fly fishing leader and focused those discussions primarily from the perspective of the trout angler. In Part II, we’re going to take things further and discuss a few more details which will surely come up, such as nylon leaders vs. fluorocarbon leaders, leaders for large, weighted or air-resistant flies, and leaders as they relate to common casting issues.
Here is your July fishing report and some ideas for fly fishing the greater Seattle area during the month of July!
Summer has arrived in the greater Seattle area. July is another great month to get out and enjoy some fly fishing in Washington.; Here is a list of some great fly fishing ideas and a fishing report for fly fishing anglers headquartered in or visiting the Western Washington region.
I think I have finally caught up on my sleep after our Kings on the Swing trip to B.C. during the third week in June. We spent a week fishing the Kitimat River with our friends at Skeena River Lodge and, even though the fishing was a bit on the challenging side, it was a very fun, successful trip. It was great to fish and hang out with the other anglers, guides and other lodge staff on this trip and bright, tough Chinook salmon were landed by all.
Leaders in the modern fly fishing world seem to have become under-appreciated. Talking with fly anglers on a daily basis in the fly shop, we have a large sample pool to draw from and lately, it seems, the average angler is less concerned and possibly less aware of how the line, leader and fly work together to create an appropriate cast and presentation. This line, leader and fly relationship changes based on the kind of fishing and equipment being used, but there are some basic concepts and basic rules that will help many anglers become better anglers right out of the gate.
June is here and fly fishing in the Seattle area has plenty to offer this month. Here is a fishing report and some ideas on where you may want to spend some time with your fly rods in the Seattle and general Washington area.
If we can help with equipment, other location ideas, flies, or anything else to get you out on the water, swing by the shop or give us a call.
April was so sunny and warm it feels like we skipped May and are already into June. Some of the fly fishing conditions feel that way as well. With warm temperatures comes bug hatches and feeding fish. There are already early hatches of salmonflies on the Yakima, lakes are cranking out trout, and sea-run cutthroat anglers are producing great reports on Puget Sound beaches.
May is one of the best months for fly fishing the many trout lakes throughout the state. Almost all lakes are open in May and important food items like chironomids and damselflies are in full swing. The trout are taking full advantage of these food items and the fishing can be as good as it gets.