Tough day on the Upper Tolt. I am new to Seattle and am exploring different places to fish. I decided to try the Upper Tolt which is just north of the City of Carnation. It's a ways in but there is a public access point about 4 miles up on Entwhistle (Turns into Tolt River Road). You take it up to the end. (Need parking pass... I purchased one when I got my license but wasn't sure if that was the correct one.)

It's a beautiful scenic river and one must be cognizant of the homeowners on the river... they are quite far back but it is important to respect their privacy.

Other than catching a small Brown the first few casts, I didn't catch anything else... nor did I get any hits.

The water was lower than some of the other rviers like Snoqualmie and Yakima, but still a bit fast and muddy. It's a bit smaller in width than the latter two and some might consider it a creek but you can swing you rod with any issues of getting tangled.

I would expect lat in the year that the river will be better to fish. Afterward, I slipped down to the lower Tolt and it was high and fast and starting to fill with tubers.

joekacker

6/14/2009 8:21:00 PM

Never heard of brown trout in any rivers around here.. Thats very interesting. Wow nice to know. Brown trout for sure???

Teanaway Hermit

6/15/2009 9:55:00 AM

I have fished the Tolt almost weekly in the summer for the past 6 years. It has amazing potential if you get out to the forks and other areas of the mainstream. You just have to work a little to find the hot spots but boy it pays off when you do. But I can safely say there are no browns in the Tolt water shed. The species of the Tolt are the Coastal Cutthroat, native rainbows, Steelhead, Chinook, Chum, Pinks and Coho and I have heard there used to be a small population of Dolly Varden. There might be a few of those still in the deeper stretches, my guess depending on size you hooked up with a Chinook smelt which have big dark spots on there back, or a rare Dolly. But other then that you will see better results the more you explore it can be a great fishery if we protect it.

nwgary

6/15/2009 11:18:00 AM

Guess I may have been discouraged by the size to carefully look at the little bugger... I looked up the fish you suggested and don't think it was a Chinook but it did look a lot like a Dolly Varden... so perhaps this was it. Thanks for all your feedback. I will look for the forks...

In regards to your comments, "...get out to the forks and other areas of the mainstream." Which direction should I go to get to these places? North or South? Not sure where the forks are... would appreciate your mapping guidance.

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