Washington Coastal Streams Report 3.9.17
Out on the Washington coast, now’s the time to 'Hurry up and Wait’. That is, wait for that perfect coastal steelhead river level to come into view.
This time of year, when shimmering, native steelhead head for home, I often leave a weather forecast tab open and periodically stare into my crystal ball. Unlike salmon season, this really isn’t big water. For decent fly angling in March, you can target CFS levels to drop into the 1 to 3 K range depending on the river. Thursday March 2, Capt. Shanks and I took a chance on the advice of Superfly (local steelhead sage) and made the drive out to the coast. Superfly had done well on the last river level drop, the fish were in, and the current CFS was right at 2,000.
We were in luck some real bruisers were holding in semi-shallow runs of 2-4 feet deep, fishable with weighted nymphs like the chrome roper or similar. To our delight, bright colors of pink, chartreuse, and orange were also turning heads in swing water. Word was out that area streams were in shape and we saw more than a few Fly Guys gettin’ their Swing on.
Need to stock up on flies? Check out our fly selection here
Thankfully, the fishing should remain good through the end of the month and into April on a select few rivers. Remember that Washington’s native steelhead are endangered and if swam, must be released with the utmost care, while remaining in the water. Don’t forget to check Washington’s Sport Fishing Rules before fishing selective regulations, including single barbless hooks, will likely apply.
If you’re headed out to Washington’s coastal streams for the first time, I recommend that you talk to someone familiar with the systems. Braided sections and lots of downed wood are the norm out there. Walk-in angling can be hard to find too. Please feel free to call us at the Omak shop (509-422-9840) for information on a particular float, a trailhead or just for suggestions on serious toad-wrangling tackle.
And if you need any gear, check out the shop here
Steph