Possible 2017 Outings
For consideration
December 2, 2016
The following proposed Outings and Events have been selected by the Outings Committee and reviewed by the Board and are submitted for members review.
The proposed Outings are not cast in stone and some may be added and some may be replaced or deleted based on member recommendations and/or participation. If a member has a recommended Outing, please submit that recommendation to Bruce Freet Chair of the Outings Committee.
Members will be requested to participate by the Coordinators either at the club meetings or by email surveys or by a direct request from any member.
January
- Steelhead on the Skagit:
Coordinator: Richard Raisler
Date: TBD
For those Fidalgo Fly Fishers members who have expressed an interest in fly fishing for steelhead this January 2017.
Richard and Deene Almvig will coordinate walk-in-wade, group trips (3 to 6 fishers) when the SkagitRiver conditions are acceptable.
They will try and schedule one weekday and one weekend outing. They will be sending out a survey in November to determine interest and skill level. Those interested will be placed on a notification list to be informed about a trip when it is planned.
The day will start in the early morning and meeting at an agreed upon location and end with a fun lunch at a restaurant.
2. Sportsman’s Show (Sport Fishing and Boat Show)
Date: January 25th thru 29th
WashingtonStateFairEventsCenter, Puyallup
Refer to:
As this is an event there is no Coordinator as such.
February
3. Spey Casting on the Skagit with Scott Willison
Coordinator: Christina Anderson and Bill Brodie
Date: Saturday, February 11th .
The Confluence Fly Shop is working on putting together a Spey demo day for the Fidalgo Fly Fishers on Saturday February 11th ( subject to river conditions). Spey casting is a fun and efficient way to fish large and small rivers alike throughout the Pacific Northwest. Spey casting allows anglers to minimize their casting time and maximize the time their fly spends in the water, deal with limited back casting room and cover sufficient distance with ease.The focus of this event will be on learning a variety of effective Spey casts and having an opportunity to try out some different equipment. There will be some demo rods and lines to try, as well as the ability to try some different lines on your own equipment if you already have a Spey or switch rod and are looking to dial it in.
- Fly Fishing Show Lynwood
Date: Feb 18th- Feb 19th
Lynnwood Fly Fishing Show- February 18th and 19th
We hope that many of you can go and support this event. Some club members may car pool down to this event.
As this is an event there is no Coordinator as such.
March
- Casting Clinic: The Double Haul.
Instructor: Russ Asbury
Date: Saturday, March 4th
This instruction is to build the casting skills of Club Members with beginning or
intermediate casting skills by learning to double haul and to become comfortable and confident with the Double Haul. Refer to
This is an Education Event put on by the Education Casting Committee
6. Cutts and BullsWhidbey IslandBeaches.
Coordinator: Russ Asbury
Date: TBD
Russ and assistants will introduce other club members to the Cutthroat and Bull Trout fly fishing on Ala Spit, Hoypus Point, and other gravel beach locations. The Cutts and Bulls follow the out-migrating salmon smolts and feed on them, primarily from mid-March thru May in northern Puget Sound.
Since 1998 and 1999, it has been illegal to keep any sea-run cutthroat or bull trout caught in Puget Sound. These regulations were made in hopes that their populations would increase. One result is that they are all native, wild fish hatching from hundreds of tiny, jump-across streams in the case of cutthroat or very specific cold, spring-feed, upper watershed spawning sites for bull trout.
A survey of those interested members will be made by the coordinator in early March and an experienced member will be scheduled with the respondents.
7. Casting on the Salt with Scott Willison
Coordinator: Sheila Tomas
Saltwater Demo Day: Saturday March 25th
Scott Willison from the Confluence Fly Shop will put on a beach fly fishing and casting clinic for the Fidalgo Fly Fishers at Ala Spit. The class focus will be on beach casting for distance and efficiency as well as dealing with the adverse casting conditions like wind and obstacles one frequently encounters along the beach. He will also discuss reading the beach, strategies for covering water, fly and equipment selection and effective presentation methods.
If the club has about 20 members participating Scott will try to have a rod supplier provide some demo salt water rods and equipment.
8. PassLake Fish Census (March 11 thru April 2) Coordinator: Bruce Freet
This will be the 4th year that the Fidalgo Fly Fishers and others have conducted a catch and release fish census on PassLake. The resulting data is shared with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in an effort to improve the fishing.
The census forms can be found at:
The club has three loaner scales and plenty of measuring boards. Bring a pencil or pen. Current catch information will be shared among anglers, so as many fish can be caught, weighed, and measured during these three weeks. The Fish Census Data Sheets can be printed from our website, use one sheet per day, and return completed forms can be given to Bruce at our April 20th meeting or mail to him at 615 Twin Brooks Drive, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
9. Chironomid Capers
Date: Saturday, March 18th
Coordinator: Robin LaRue.
Date: Saturday, March 18th
Chironomid Capers" is a Club outing at PassLake when Chironomids are the main diet of the Rainbow and Brown trout there.
Members gather at the launch ramp early in the morning for coffee and donuts, and then head-out onto the lake with their favorite Chironomid flies. Do the fish census too.
April
10. April Fools April 1st
Coordinator:Ryan Johnson and other FFF Board members.
"April Fools" is a Club outing at PassLake. Chironomids are still the food item on the trout diet.
Members are reminded that a new fishing license and parking permit are necessary! We meet at the launch ramp and once again try our hand at catching and releasing fish.
Some claim that there is a skill to it, while others claim luck. A good time is had by all sharing fishing stories when everyone returns to the launch ramp for a Club sponsored lunch. A special thanks to Frank and Dana Barcott for their years of serving our club at this event. Frank has turned the lunch over to others this year. Do the fish census too.
- Chironomid Fishing at Dry Falls Lake, Wa
Coordinator Bill Brodie
Date: Second or Third week in April.
This outing is scheduled after “ice-off” when the chironomid fishing is at its best, usually mid-April. We avoid busy weekends. DryFallsLake is located north of SoapLake and east of ParkLake. This lake is very popular with fly fishers. Fishing has been excellent the past five years for Rainbow Trout ranging in size from 12-20 inches with most fish greater than 14 inches. Angler effort during certain times of the year can be very high and several fly fishing clubs hold outings there during the spring and fall. It is best fished from a boat, float tube, or pontoon boat.
12.Lone Lake
Coordinator: TBD
Date: TBD
Lone Lake had a large fish kill in August 2016. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is working to re-stock the lake. If they do and the fishing is good, we will have a weekday outing to LoneLake, on south Whidbey Island.
This lake is managed as a quality fishing water with selective gear rules in effect, except electric motors are allowed. Daily trout limit is one fish, with a minimum size of 18 inches. A mix of stocked catchable-size and larger triploid Rainbow Trout are stocked annually. Fishing is best in the spring and the fall, but fish can be consistently caught throughout the year.
Outing Dependent on Survey of Fish Kill this Summer.
Refer to:
May
13. WSCIFFF Conclave, EllensburgWA.
Our club is affiliated with the International Federation of Fly Fishers and our members are encouraged to join the IFFF. The Conclave has casting, fly tying, social functions, etc. on May 5th and 6th . This is an event and there is no Coordinator.
14.BigTwinLake This outing is usually during weekdays,
just after the WSCIFFF Conclave.
Coordinator: Dan Ballard
Date: TBD
The Lake is only 2½ miles south of Winthrop, WA in the MethowValley. Members can call Big Twin Lake Campground at (509)996-2650 or email . The campground has RV hook ups ( refer to ) and there are tent sites.
For those that would like to stay in town Winthrop and Twisp have motels and restaurants.
Big TwinLake is a selective gear lake with a 1 fish limit (18" min. size) and provides excellent fly fishing for rainbows.
Refer to
DavisLake is also an option while at Big Twin.
15.Lenice Lake Damselfly Hatch
Coordinator Allen Rhoades
Date: TBD
LeniceLake is located about six miles east of Beverly. This lake is very productive, grows large trout, and is very popular with fly fishers. LeniceLake on average has been one of the better quality waters in District 5 (Grant and AdamsCounties). During certain times of the year LeniceLake can have very high angler effort. Several fly fishing clubs from across the State hold annual outings at LeniceLake.
refer to
Late May through August
- While there are no Outings planned for this period, there are several options to consider in 19 below.
17. MethowRiver:
Coordinator: Mark Nilson
Date: Mid-July TBD
This will be a day trip for members with a pontoon boat or similar craft to float below Twisp. There are also places to walk-in and wade. Fly anglers like the Methow because of its smaller size, its abundant and willing trout, and regulations that forbid bait and require the use of single, barbless hooks.
Steelhead trickle into the Methow in early fall, but summertime is time for catching and releasing trout. The river has a strong population of wild rainbows and westslope cutthroat. More than a decade of catch-and-release management has resulted in bigger fish, and more of them. Average fish are 10 to 14 inches with specimens of both varieties stretching toward – and perhaps beyond – 20 inches. By definition of the law, any rainbow of 20 inches or longer in the Methow is considered a steelhead.
September
- Pink/Coho/Chum fishing from Local Beaches.
Coordinator: Russ Asbury
Date: TBD
August/September is Pink Salmon season in Marine area 9
September is Normally the Coho Run in Marine area 9
Refer to:
This is an odd year and should be a good pink salmon year. Normally experienced fishers help members to find the right beaches at Ebey’s Landing, Hoypus Point, and Ala Spit.
This outing will be developed more when more is known about the returns and regulations.
- St Joe River:
Coordinator : Steven Foster
Date: TBD
Early to mid-Septemberseveral Fidalgo Fly Fishers will depart Western Washington for the St Joe River. This is a week long outing fishing for west slope cutthroat. There will be walk-in fishing, pontoon drifting and sure to be camp fire stories.
The group will set-up at the Huckleberry Campground that is upstream of St. Maries just off forest service road 50. The forest service campground has paved RV pads, tent camping on the grass, Chemical toilets, and electricity.
October
20.Grande Ronde
Coordinator: Richard Raisler
Date: Early to Mid October
The plan is to travel to Shumakers Grade early to Mid Octoberand return in about 5 Days. The area is fairly remote with no amenities and you must carry out everything you carry in.
The Grande Ronde is tucked away in Washington’s extreme southeast corner, almost 500 miles from the ocean, the Grande Ronde River offers recreation opportunities throughout the year. From September to early April, it’s one of the state’s finest and most famous steelhead streams.
21. Other Places and Dates to Consider:
A. Mid to Late February --- Sea-run cutthroat in the Harrison River, BC
B. March --- Sea-run cutthroat in the beaches and streams of the Sunshine Coast, BC
C. Mid-March --- Lottery tickets must be submitted for floating and fishing the Smith River, MT
D. Late March to Mid-April --- Skwala stonefly hatches in western streams
E. May --- Lakes near Merritt and Kamloops, BC for peak Chironomid hatches
F. Mid-June --- Lakes near Merritt and Kamloops, BC for damselfly hatches
G. Late June --- Pacific salmon fly hatches on western rivers such as the Madison River, MT
H. Early July --- Damselfly hatch on the Georgetown Reservoir, MT
I. July --- Hexagenia mayfly hatch and large rainbows, Upper Columbia River, Northport, WA
J. Late July --- Bomber Chironomid hatch on Leighton Lake, BC
K. Mid-August --- Pink salmon in the North Puget Sound, WA
L. Mid-September --- Coho salmon in Southeast Alaska
M. September --- Coho salmon in Vancouver Island beaches and streams, BC
N. September --- Water boatman hatch at Horsefly lakes, BC
O. Late Sept - Early Oct --- Chironomid fishing returns to BC lakes
P. October --- Coho salmon in the FraserRiver tributaries near Chilliwack, B.C. (a day trip)
Q. Early Nov. --- Chironomid fishing returns at DryFallsLake
R. Early Nov. --- Chum salmon on the NooksackRiver and the FraserRiver tributaries near Chilliwack, BC