Posts by Nick Clayton

With Marine Area 10 opening for coho salmon this last weekend, I thought I would write a little bit about fly fishing for coho in Puget Sound.  Many people target these fish on the beaches of Puget Sound, but are not as familiar with fly fishing for them from a boat.  Hopefully this post might…

          Lets face it… As fly fishers we love gear.  We love fishing with it, practicing with it, fiddling with it at home, reading about it, talking about it…. We flat out love gear.  I sure do!  In fact gear related questions probably out number every other type of question I…

South Sound Skiffs is extremely excited to announce that we are leasing a Washington state salmon charter license!  What does this mean exactly?  Well, it’s like this…. Up until this point we have been a game fish guide service.  We’ve had a game fish license, which allows us to target sea run cutthroat.  We love…

The big W.   No matter the temperature, the wind is a constant factor in saltwater fly fishing. Here on Puget Sound, 10 knots of wind is a calm day.  Those of us who spend a lot of time participating in this great fishery know the wind to just be something we have to deal with.  Learning to deal…

Here in the Pacific Northwest winter has reared its ugly head yet again.  As it is fond of doing, it lulled us into complacency with a string of mild weather, then when we least expected it came roaring back with a vengeance.  Big wind storms, cold temperatures, snow, and ice… It’s all been present lately.  Living in this…

Winter Flies   As I look outside at the frost on my front lawn this morning I thought it would be a great time to discuss fly patterns for Puget Sound sea run cutthroat during the winter. Specifically, the flies we here at South Sound Skiffs use the most during the winter. The available food…

Fly selection can be an extremely important element of saltwater fly fishing in Puget Sound, but how does a new saltwater angler go about choosing a fly?  This is a subject I feel strongly about and hopefully I can help shed some light on this topic.   First and foremost, I am a huge believer…

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making when fly fishing Puget Sound is sticking with the same old boring retrieve, regardless of the fly used or the species being targeted. Its very easy to forget about this simple aspect of saltwater fly fishing, but in many cases the retrieve being used can make…

A very large part of being a successful fly fisher in Puget Sound is being prepared with the right equipment. Rods, reels, and most importantly lines play a huge part in successfully targeting fish in Puget Sound. Whether you are fishing from the beach, or from a skiff, having the right equipment can make or…