Skokomish River anyone?

[bacca]

Well, I just moved here a few months ago, and made my first trip to the Skokomish river today seeing as how it opened this weekend and all. Water was low and clear, but moving quick enough to take you for a ride if not careful. Walked a length of it off of FSR 23 in the park, near Brown Creek Campground. Didn't see a single fish all day, even with the binocs and polarized lenses. Had the fly rod ready, made some casts blindly into slow pools and eddys, but just couldn't buy a bite. Something I'm doing wrong here? Maybe just in the wrong area? I noticed that there aren't many roadside areas to stop and cast along the river, or am I just going along the wrong road? Lot of questions I know, but I thought I'd ask and see if anyone can give me some pointers so I can at least get the net soaked a few times this year.

[king killer]

In August the kings will be in thick. I've never fished it this time of year. I didn't even know it was open.

[bacca]

Apparently it opened the 1st. I saw a couple other guys fly fishing a section of it just SE of the park border, but it would have been a wet crossing with just my hip waders. Water was deep and moving fast in the main channel, they must have accessed it from the other side from where I was.

[FishBaitThe2nd]

I fish the Skok all the time in August. Springers run in there, most people don't know that cause your not legally able to fish for them. The hatchery will deny it, and say "we don't get any sprinters in our hatchery" but something even less people know is there's 2 hatcheries one is further up and that's where the springer go. Right now all you'll catch is cutthroats and maybe hook into a springer but I wouldn't recommend targeting them. I fished it yesterday for trout and caught some on spinners

[bacca]

I fish the Skok all the time in August. Springers run in there, most people don't know that cause your not legally able to fish for them. The hatchery will deny it, and say "we don't get any sprinters in our hatchery" but something even less people know is there's 2 hatcheries one is further up and that's where the springer go. Right now all you'll catch is cutthroats and maybe hook into a springer but I wouldn't recommend targeting them. I fished it yesterday for trout and caught some on spinners

Why does everyone up here always say that? Oh, they're JUST cutthroats! A fish is a fish! Haha! I'd be happy as a pig in, well, you know what, if I had a day of nothing but just busting cuts on my 4-weight. Granted, I'm dying to get back onto some steelies, haven't fished for them in 10+ years (over in Idaho), but I'm an equal opportunity fish-catcher, no discrimination.

[Dan Boone]

I fish the Skok all the time in August. Springers run in there, most people don't know that cause your not legally able to fish for them. The hatchery will deny it, and say "we don't get any sprinters in our hatchery" but something even less people know is there's 2 hatcheries one is further up and that's where the springer go. Right now all you'll catch is cutthroats and maybe hook into a springer but I wouldn't recommend targeting them. I fished it yesterday for trout and caught some on spinners

Why does everyone up here always say that? Oh, they're JUST cutthroats! A fish is a fish! Haha! I'd be happy as a pig in, well, you know what, if I had a day of nothing but just busting cuts on my 4-weight. Granted, I'm dying to get back onto some steelies, haven't fished for them in 10+ years (over in Idaho), but I'm an equal opportunity fish-catcher, no discrimination.

Because around here you won't really find many bigger than 10 inchers that aren't even big enough to keep, because of the competition for food with steelhead and salmon smolts. But larger sea-runs are available on some rivers, mainly in the fall.

[FishBaitThe2nd]

Cutties are fun to catch! Im 15 years old and spoiled myself on kings and silvers and when im not fishing for those I fish for rainbows and cutties with my fly rod and ultralight gear. Not as big of an adrenaline rush I guess. Although every time I get a bite or a hit from a trout im never quite sure what size its gonna be and I like that surprise, and with salmon Im usually catching an 8+ pound fish. I caught a 17 inch cutthroat 2 days ago that was fun. I prefer salmon, but I guess a fish is a fish is a fish.

[bacca]

Well, the wife doesn't eat fish much, if ever, and for me it's a pain to keep fish just for myself, unless it's a big fat steelie or salmon. So most of my river fishing and lake fishing is gonna be catch and release anyway. I'm happy just having something pull at the other end of the line, doesn't matter the size.

[FishBaitThe2nd]

Yeah I understand that's how most good fisherman are. I don't like to eat fish, my grandparents do so I keep it for them.
Im still young and dumb and need my adrenaline rush. In 20 years, ill be happy to catch a bluegill.

[Dan Boone]

Yeah I understand that's how most good fisherman are. I don't like to eat fish, my grandparents do so I keep it for them.

Same here, people always look at me funny though when I tell them I'm a fisherman and don't particularly like the taste of fish.

[bacca]

I love fresh caught fish, don't get me wrong. It's just more of a hassle to clean them just for myself than it's worth usually.

[Dan Boone]

Yeah, stocker trout and similar sized fish can be annoying to clean, espescially since I'm not very quick at filleting.

[natetreat]

I've never had very good luck on the Skok for cutthroat, we've fished upstream for them up to the forks. The area right above lake cushman has some fish in it, they live in the lake and go up. Kokanee too.

There are some neat places around the south sound to catch cuthroat in streams. Kennedy creek is really fun, lots and lots of smaller fish, up to a rare 14. Some oif the other area creeks are fun too. Right now if I were going to target cutts I'd fish the sound. They really won't start running up the rivers for another month. But you can have a blast fishing the beaches on the sound with a fly rod, and maybe hook a steelhead too. Where are you coming from? That'd give us an idea of places o reccomend.

[bacca]

Home is Bremerton, so South Sound isn't too far away, although I go fishing to get out of the cities, not go into them haha. I figured the rivers over in the mountain areas would have trout pretty much year-round, although I'm starting to realize that might not be true! Still trying to learn the fishing ins and outs of this area, 25 years in Florida have ruined me for seasonal fishing.