This report is for Steelhead fishing on the Skykomish on Saturday 1/18 and Friday 1/24. On Saturday I headed up to Reiter Ponds and arrived on the hatchery side sometime in the early afternoon. I spoke with some of the guys along the bank and it seems that no one was having any luck. One guy I talked to said that he had hooked into one a few minutes before I got there but lost it. I ended up floating jigs for about an hour but left shortly after that. I then headed down to a spot near Startup and did some regular bottom drifting from the shore with corkies, yarn and yarn balls, all to no luck.

On Friday I got up early and headed up to Reiter on the hatchery side again. I was the second car in the lot and was fishing probably by about 7:15am. Floated jigs under a bobber for a little bit, and then started putting roe on the jigs as well. Sometime around 8:30 or so I got a solid bobber down (actually felt it in my rod tip) and got a quick hook set in but there was nothing on the other end. There were numerous other guys up and down the bank on both sides but I didn't see anything happening. Left there at 9:30 or so and went to Proctor Creek. This was the first time I had been there so I mainly tried drifting jigs at the top end of the big pool above and below the boulders. I also tried throwing a number of spinners in the pool where the creek comes in hoping that a Steel or maybe an extremely late Coho would pick one up. Nothing happening. I then headed to the boat launch under the high bridge and tried floating jigs and jig/roe combinations in the slower moving water with the big boulders just downstream of the launch and near the bridge legs. Nothing.

After that I got some lunch and hit up a bottom drifting run near the Needles by Startup. Did corkies and yarn in peach, orange and pink combinations. Again, nothing going on but I was at least able to scope out some new territory just upriver of where the Wallace comes in.

So, it was a pretty poor day as far as fishing goes, but at least the weather and scenery were nice. It was sunny about half the time I was there on Saturday and all day Friday.

Does anyone fish Proctor Creek much? It looks like some good water, especially for Coho, but I am not really experienced in fishing those deep pools from the bank. Anyone have some advice on fishing that area? Also, for next season, anyone have some advice on spots to fish for Coho? I never got around to fishing the Skykomish for them this year, but would like to do so next year. Thanks!

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