Summertime on the Fjord
Perhaps there isn’t a more beautiful time of the year on Hood Canal than summer days. Flat water is the norm, not too many windy days and moderate to warm temperatures make for great days on the water. I had some anglers out the other day on Hood Canal in search of Sea-Run Cutthroat. It was a father and son combo, and it was the first time they had ever fished Hood Canal.
The Fjord(aka Hood Canal) is really a gem very close to Seattle and the surrounding metropolitan areas. It’s 
the type of backyard fishery, anglers can easily drive to for a day and beach fish, boat fish or hire a guide. For my clients that day on Hood Canal, it was like they discovered a “diamond in the ruff.” They were amazed at the views of the towering Olympic Mountains above, and the great saltwater fly fishing that inhabits the shoreline of this unique Fjord sitting at the base of the Olympics.
Wildlife was about and about as usual, and the active bald eagles with young in their nests were on the hunt for an easy meal to feed their young. Matter of fact, we heard a bunch of racket coming from the trees and out pops a wild pigeon being chasing by a bunch of crows. The pigeon escaped them easily, but what happened next was something I haven’t experience before. Suddenly, a bald eagle appeared from her nest high above looking for a meal. The pigeon tried to land on our boat as a refuge as he did circles around it being chased by the eagle. This one ended poorly though for the pigeon as he was picked off by the bald eagles talons right next to our boat and carried up to the nest for an easy meal.
Fishing for the day was solid. The first beach we fished produced three nice fish in the 16 inch class – strong 
and full of fight giving us multiple jumps each – steelhead like. Then we kind of hit a dry spell for awhile, as we searched for more fish. Sea-Run Cutthroat can move around a lot, so sometimes the key is moving locations until we find fish. Later in the day, and as the sun started to creep below the beautiful Olympic Mountains the top water action started to heat up. Poppers stripped slowly along the surface were producing lots of follows, and plenty of missed opportunities. The thing about top water is the hook up ration is a lot lower – like 30-40% of using sub-surface techniques. However, just like dry fly fishing a river or lake the excitement is all in the take!
Summer fishing continues on Hood Canal, but the fall days of September, October and November are quickly approaching which will bring cooler water temperatures and aggressive Sea-Runs. If you are looking to book a fall trip, now is a good time to get give me a call to get it on the books. Fish On – Capt. Chad
Capt. Chad Gillespie
Fjord Fly Fishing
Saltwater Fly Fishing Adventures on Hood Canal and Puget Sound