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Oregon and Washington
- Thread starter emoussa
- Start date
MACFLY
Too many streams too little time
Plenty of options just really depends on how much time you have
golden beetle
Active member
That's a pretty good answer, emoussa.
Pretty much covers it, so I have nothing to add.
Have you tried asking Siri?
mudbug201
loose loops, sink tips
So, I'm assuming you don't have time for a 2-3 day side trip?
If you did, you could go south from Portland and have great summer smallmouth fishing on the Umpqua. There are sections of that river where the smallie count is upwards of 4000 fish per mile - five, six, ten aggressive bronze-backs behind every rock. Had one of the most fun fishing trips of my life on that river - a bachelor party trip for my cousin.
Or, you could drive to Seattle, then drive an hour or two east on I-90 to the Yakima river, which has great summer fly fishing for rainbows and cutthroat on terrestrials. I grew up fishing that river in the summer. Ideally fished from a boat, but if you stop in at the fly shop in Cle Elum, they can point you to some great wade spots. The fish aren't huge in that river, but they are feisty and hungry, and there are lots of them.
Last thing that comes to mind is detouring west into the Olympic Peninsula. The Sol Duc and the Elwha rivers have trout in them. Neither is big water - these are mountain streams. The Elwha empties into Puget Sound near Port Angeles and the Sol Duc runs west through the mountains and empties into the Pacific. I haven't fished those rivers much. The OP is beautiful country though, rocky coastline, temperate rainforest, and alpine wilderness, all right there. Worth a trip even if the fishing sucks, which it might during the summer.
If you have to fish on the way from Portland to Seattle, I can't help you - never fished in that part of Washington. Plenty of big and small blue lines on the map though, and all of them will either hold smallies or trout, depending on the elevation, so for all I know you could have a great time taking a couple of small detours off your route.
One word of warning though... recreational marijuana is legal in both Oregon and Washington, and is freely sold from roadside stands in all the areas I just mentioned. So if you pull over and ask directions, take them with a grain of salt - decent chance the people who gave them to you were high. Even if they look like clean cut yuppie types: probably blazed out of their minds. Of course, when road-tripping where weed is legal, it's always good to keep a degree of flexibility in your planning, for all kinds of reasons.
emoussa
New member
So, I'm assuming you don't have time for a 2-3 day side trip?
If you did, you could go south from Portland and have great summer smallmouth fishing on the Umpqua. There are sections of that river where the smallie count is upwards of 4000 fish per mile - five, six, ten aggressive bronze-backs behind every rock. Had one of the most fun fishing trips of my life on that river - a bachelor party trip for my cousin.
Or, you could drive to Seattle, then drive an hour or two east on I-90 to the Yakima river, which has great summer fly fishing for rainbows and cutthroat on terrestrials. I grew up fishing that river in the summer. Ideally fished from a boat, but if you stop in at the fly shop in Cle Elum, they can point you to some great wade spots. The fish aren't huge in that river, but they are feisty and hungry, and there are lots of them.
Last thing that comes to mind is detouring west into the Olympic Peninsula. The Sol Duc and the Elwha rivers have trout in them. Neither is big water - these are mountain streams. The Elwha empties into Puget Sound near Port Angeles and the Sol Duc runs west through the mountains and empties into the Pacific. I haven't fished those rivers much. The OP is beautiful country though, rocky coastline, temperate rainforest, and alpine wilderness, all right there. Worth a trip even if the fishing sucks, which it might during the summer.
If you have to fish on the way from Portland to Seattle, I can't help you - never fished in that part of Washington. Plenty of big and small blue lines on the map though, and all of them will either hold smallies or trout, depending on the elevation, so for all I know you could have a great time taking a couple of small detours off your route.
One word of warning though... recreational marijuana is legal in both Oregon and Washington, and is freely sold from roadside stands in all the areas I just mentioned. So if you pull over and ask directions, take them with a grain of salt - decent chance the people who gave them to you were high. Even if they look like clean cut yuppie types: probably blazed out of their minds. Of course, when road-tripping where weed is legal, it's always good to keep a degree of flexibility in your planning, for all kinds of reasons.
There's no real purpose behind this trip so we are pretty flexible. After some initial research last night, it looks like we will be spending the majority of our time in Olympic NP and North Cascades. It looks amazing! Thanks for the suggestions! I'll keep an eye out for those road-side stands..
mudbug201
loose loops, sink tips
By the way, if you are backpacking or hiking at all, PM me, as there's a whole other set of options. Many alpine lakes in the North Cascades and OP NP are stocked, and some have big wild or holdover trout in them.
lightenup
A fan of Boobery
Rusty Spinner
Active member
I'd never make it to the river....:smokelots:
I can't tell you how many anglers I know that still fish Montana every year, but now fly into Denver instead of Bozeman just to :smokelots:
MACFLY
Too many streams too little time
Hmm I suppose I could have given him a myriad of options to consider not knowing his schedule but then again I could also just delete your account...decisions decisions
mudbug201
loose loops, sink tips
Hmm I suppose I could have given him a myriad of options to consider not knowing his schedule but then again I could also just delete your account...decisions decisions
Yeah by all means, delete the account of the most (only?) consistently entertaining member of this site.
Unrelated question: why are you always selling stuff? Do you own a fly shop or some other kind of business where people send you free fly gear?
I know DC gets free shit for keeping this crappy site going - is it that kind of thing?
Gotta get in on this racket. My TFO 5-weight isn't getting any younger. Or better. :crap:
MACFLY
Too many streams too little time
Relax mudbug it's a joke. I love beetle. as for your question about why I always selling stuff, I actually don't always sell stuff. I've listed a few rods and reels in the past year. I have a lot of equipment and like to try out new gear. I currently have my sites set on a new Scott rod. I currently have about 20 fly rods and roughly the same number of reels. Some I'll never sell and some I will. It's really not that complicated. Once in a while I get a heavily discounted or free fly rod from a fly shop.
I usually post them here so I can get some entertainment value from the replies. I know you boobs don't have 2 nickels to rub together.
On a separate note I fished the Yakima a few times in the 90s. Lots of cooperative fish in that river.
mudbug201
loose loops, sink tips
Snore. Sorry I asked. Was hoping you had some kind of free gear hack you could share. Turns out you're just a glorified hoarder in an advanced state of denial.
Yeah those bows in the Yak are not discriminating eaters. I remember leaving the fly box at home and sticking a couple of foam hoppers in my hat and expecting to catch fish.
emoussa
New member
3 posts and all you've contributed to the original question is "ehhh i fished the yakima once 20 years ago and it was pretty good"
MACFLY
Too many streams too little time
Actually I sad the fish were pretty cooperative but with a plot like the one you just made I am not inclined to help....boob
MACFLY
Too many streams too little time
Typical progressive always looking for free stuff.
mudbug201
loose loops, sink tips
MACFLY
Too many streams too little time
Hell yes repeal every one of those taxes. I bet you didn't read that article though did you. I bet you were ok that obama exempted some unions from the Cadillac tax. I mean you gotta pay off the guys that helped get you elected right.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703657604575004992410621692
or that tanning bed tax..yeah I'm sure that was gonna hit all those rich jersey girls that need the all year tan.
Or the medical device tax. Yes tax a company that helps drive innovation in the market.
Jeez muddy you ain't half as bright as you think you are. The aca had all this revenue coming in and still wasn't enough. But hey blame that 1%. Tell you what I'll give you a free fly rod. Just pm me your address. No strings attached. We can even give it a fancy government name like cash for clunkers. How about fly rods for boobs? I'm sure you qualify
Ps talk to me about fairness when the other 45% pay any income tax.
mudbug201
loose loops, sink tips
Dude, spare us the shitty GOP talking points about ACA, which are looking worse and worse by the day, by the way. This site is already tedious enough without your bloviating.
All I want to hear from you is fishing reports (but better this time), the truth about where you got all that free gear you try to pawn off on this site, and the occasional joke about WBLuver.
(occasional being the key word there)
golden beetle
Active member
lightenup
A fan of Boobery
I want a free reel dude....Hardy St. George will do....
lightenup
A fan of Boobery
You know where to find me, drop it off, that's what local businesses do.....Sure send me your address. I'll put it in the mail
emoussa
New member
Sent you a PM. We will be backpacking. Not sure if we will have time for both Olympic and North Cascades. The trip is only 8 days and I will undoubtedly want to take part in some tomfoolery in Seattle.
lightenup
A fan of Boobery
DEAL!!! I'll meet you at the exit 23 rest stop.....
Catskill Mountain Man
Explore, and implore to explore
I know im late but check out the middle fork of the snoqualmie its amazing scenery and amazing fishing
