Luring Locales
Stellar fishing can be found 12 months a year in the Sound
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Puget Sound, Washington
With an estimated 2,000 miles of wonderfully convoluted shoreline, major tide events, and an abundance of trout and salmon, Puget Sound is a kayak angler's delight. King, silver, pink, and chum salmon and steelhead are the obvious draw. However, a variety of other species such as lingcod and flounder also dwell in these waters. Drop crab or shrimp pots on your way out to fish and pick them up on the way in to add variety to your table.
Stellar fishing can be found 12 months a year in the Sound. From January through April, there are steelhead in the area's rivers. Around April and through July, resident silver salmon cruise the beaches, chasing baitfish. Once the days start to get shorter, king, silver, pink, and chum salmon congregate in the estuaries for their spawning run. It is at these times-generally September through December-that the fish are most concentrated and anglers in canoes or kayaks can come into their own.
Note that Puget Sound's fishing regulations are some of the most tortuous in the nation. Be sure to know where you are going and what you might encounter. Log on to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for registration and license info. The area's fisheries are under stress from a number of different factors, and catch-and-release fishing is the best way to mitigate your impact.
When to Go: 12 blessed months per year
Fish to Fish: Salmon, sea-run cutthroat trout (catch and release only), steelhead, lingcod, flounder
Where They Hide: Epic tide changes, varying baitfish habits, and fish migratory routes make this piece of water especially challenging to fish effectively for an out-of-towner. Cruise www.washingtonflyfishing.com for beta.
Terminal Tackle: It varies greatly, but baitfish lures and patterns in brown, olive, chartreuse, and hot pink are consistent producers.
Recommended Outfitters: Morning Hatch Fly Shoppe (253-472-1070); Captain Tom Wolf (253-863-0711) specializes in trout and salmon fishing on fly and light tackle
Bites and Beers: The Hy-Iu-Hee-Hee (253-851-7885), on Burnham Drive in Gig Harbor, offers great food and beverages for cheap. It is the quintessential locals' watering hole. Also try Chinooks Restaurant in Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal (www.anthonys.com; 206-283-4665), the base of North Pacific commercial fishing.
-M.G.
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