JeffO,
You're probably a little late for the cutt and dolly fishing in the mouths
of the Skagit. They move up (or down) into the lower river in March to
intercept the chum and (in even years) humpy fry that are outmigrating.
Almost anyplace in Port Susan and along the east shore of Camano Island can
provide good cutthoat and dolly fishing, year round at times. It should be
improving as more and more post-spawning cuthroat return to saltwater and
begin feeding up for next fall's spawning run. This early in the season
there are probably still some fry around as well as newly hatched candlefish
so small baitfish patterns (Les Johnson's and Dan Lemaich's Thorne River
Emerger is a good one). For attractor patterns The Reversed Spider in orange
and wood duck has been a favorite of mine for several years now. Humpies
will be coming back this year and almost any simple pink pattern should
work. They are a blast in saltwater and in the lower reaches of the Stilly
or Skagit (if they have a humpy season this year). Ala Spit on the east side
of Whidbey just south of Deception Pass is a good place to intercept them.
Hopefully we'll be getting a good return of coho and it's been my experience
that pink works just as well for them, at least in the saltwater. I tie a
pattern that I call the Hubert Humpy that works well for humpies as well as
coho in the fall:
Hook: size 8 Mustad 3760
Thread: x-fine monofilament
Body: pearl diamond braid
Wing and tail: pink rabbit strip
Eyes: silver bead chain
Tie in the rabbit strip at the bend of the hook leaving at least a quarter
inch of hide trailing behind the tie-in point. Tie in the diamond braid and
wind it to the front. Bring the rabbit strip forward over the back and tie
it down. Tie the bead chain eyes in with a series of figure eights. Trim the
rabbit strip so that the hair trails back the eqiuvalent of 3/4 of the
length of the body. Fish it on a floating or intermediate line with a fast,
erratic strip. Good luck.
