Well, this report is for the last few weeks on the Skykomish. We've been having a great time on the river, the weather has been fantastic and it's been an all around great month for salmon and steelhead fishing. This time of year is never easy fishing though, but we've been putting in our time and getting connected on a regular basis.

On the drift boat, we've been having 2 to 3 chances at fish a day, which is pretty good considering the conditions. The heavy flows in the past weeks have had the fish scooting up to the hatchery at the Wallace pretty darn fast, and that means that you're timing has to be perfect to get your bait in front of these fish. While at times it can be frustrating, seeing schools of big kings rolling in front of your face (flipping you the fish), persistence pays off. We've had almost two grand worth of fish show up at the hatchery, but there's at least twice that that are still going to come back, so it's not over yet! As a matter of fact, the fishing is just going to get better as the snow melts off and water levels start to even out. The fish will move through the system slower and hole up and get cranky in the deeper slots, making fishing from the drift boat that much more effective.

On the steelhead front, it's no secret that the fish are there. The guys up at Reiter have a great chance at putting a fish on the stringer. These fish are aggressive, and as they move up into the hole, they will get caught. You're just waiting for them to show up. If someone downstream from you hooks up, it's game on. Odds are that that fish is not alone and a school has moved in.

That being said, there are fish throughout the system so don't feel that you have to fight the crowds to bag a big one. We've even been hitting fish on the swing with the spey rods! A variety of techniques have been working, my favorite has been beads for the steelhead. Under a float or free drifted, it's subtle enough to not spook them, but it still gets their attention. For the kings, bait is the ticket, fresh roe, sand shrimp, prawns or coonshrimp. Plunked or dogged under a float, this is how we've been taking kings from the bank. On the boat, divers have been the name of the game, back trolled through the slot or side drifting fresh baits.

As the season goes on, it's only going to get better! Let's get in touch and get you out on the water! I have some days in July available and I'd love to fish with you guys. Let's go catch some fish!

Nate Treat Fishing
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"Specializing in Fishing Instruction and Shore Guiding on Washington's Rivers."
NateTreatFishing.com

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