I've tried for the Burlington taco wagon on several weekend days - nada, no bueno, no taco....
Maybe it is a weekday thing.
Leland Miyawaki wrote:
Tom,
It's just as well that you avoided the beaches. I went to a few of them last week where three of us could only raise a couple smallies (not of the bass persuasion either). Yesterday, I sent a couple guys (one from this list - Chris Backshies) to the Skagit today for dollies. Actually, I recommended fishing for steelhead with steelhead flies. The dollies, if they are in the water, will come at the end of the steelhead swing. I was to go with fellow listmember, Brian Lencho, to meet a couple of the BC speymasters from the speyclave forum on the Skagit, but the thought of a boat trailer on frozen roads put us off.
Damn, I hated to miss the tacos at the Burlington taco wagon!
Leland.
Prefering to avoid a windy beach, I headed north.
Stopped off at C-Post road to look at the stilly--about 12" vis, kind of swollen, but not flooded.
Drove past the gray Sauk and up to the Cascade. Knowing I couldn't fish below the bridge, I headed up the river road. I've never been there--very pretty. I made notes for summer hiking and camping trips.
Found a side road that crossed the river and parked there. Very clear water. 10 or so eagles. A few salmon carcasses in the shallows near a bridge pylon, but I didn't see any live ones (salmon or otherwise) in the pool beneath the bridge. Leaving my shivering damp dog in the truck, I ventured downsteam, 5-wt. in hand.
Found a nice pool, cast across and down, on the swing. I was using a type VI tip, with a white bunny DD Copcar knock-off. I could see my fly. I could see a moving shadow on the sand at the bottom of the pool. The best I could manage was to cast up-stream, mend, mend, and strip across the fish's view. I saw it move once in response to my fly. I'm guessing it was a nice Bullie (Leland--how's that for a compromise between the nicer sounding "dolly" and the correct "bull"?), since I could see what I thought were white edges to its fins. Or maybe it was just a sucker. Or maybe I was the sucker. At any rate, I couldn't budge it, and I couldn't get my fly deep enough. Tried another pool then headed back. Discovered a leak in my waders just above my right knee.
Drove past the Skagit--it's pretty big water. Wading would be a challenge, and I'd definitely seek a low-flow day, during the week. Lots of boats on the water.
That's it. My first trip of the year, though mostly an exploration-type trip, resulted in no fish.
I'm guessing that the Cascade, especially 5 - 6 miles from the mouth where I was, would be more productive for Bullies when there's active anadromous species in the river, laying eggs, scaring sculpins, and rotting away.
I'll be back.
Tom
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