I looked over their top picks, which are arguably some mighty fine choices, but it crossed my mind that there could be so much debate by others as to where they enjoy casting a fly.
We all have our favorite fly-fishing destinations, and last month Forbes Magazine touted its Top-10 Trout Fly Fishing Destinations in North America.
I looked over their top picks, which are arguably some mighty fine choices, but it crossed my mind that there could be so much debate by others as to where they enjoy casting a fly.
I wondered why there wasn’t a mention about Alaska? How about the northeastern part of the country? Idaho? Wyoming? Oregon? British Columbia? Idaho? And what about Washington?
Here is Forbes list: 1, West Yellowstone, Mont.; 2, Missoula, Mont.; Roscoe, N.Y.; 4, State College, Pa.; 5, Grayling, Mich.; 6, Calgary, Alberta; 7, Glenwood Springs, Colo.; 8, Mountain Home, Ark.; 9, Redding, Calif.; 10, Ashville, N.C.
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I made some calls and interviews to some fly-fishing fanatics and here are their picks, although not all of them are trout fishing destinations.
“Maybe I’m being provincial, but I would have to put Seattle on my list of top choices to fly-fish,” said Leland Miyawaki of Seattle, who works at the Orvis Store in Bellevue and has spent more than 30 years fly-fishing around the world. “We have so many places around here that we can fly-fish year-round.”
Miyawaki enjoys the year-round opportunities on the saltwater beaches of Puget Sound casting flies in search of sea-run cutthroat trout.
Here are Miyawaki’s top picks: Terrace, British Columbia (Bulkley and Skeena Rivers); Bend, Ore. (Deschutes River); Sun Valley, Idaho (Wood River and Silver Creek); Bridgeport, Calif. (Eastern Sierra Lakes, Owens River and East Walker River); Lewiston, Idaho (Grande Ronde, Snake and Clearwater Rivers); Fernie, Alberta (Elk and Old Man Rivers); Jackson Hole, Wyo. (Snake River); Farmington, New Mexico (Green and San Juan River); Kamloops, B.C. (Kamloops Lakes); Dillon, Mont. (Beaverhead River); Seattle, Wash. (Puget Sound and Skagit River).
When he’s not making the lineup sheet for the next ballgame Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu is a fly-fishing fan at heart. In fact, he managed to take time off recently to hook a 17.2-pound hatchery king on a red and white clouser fly at a beach on the Kitsap Peninsula.
Here are Wakamatsu’s picks: Seattle, Wash. (Puget Sound); Lyle, Wash. (Klickitat River); Provo, Utah (Provo River); Redding, Calif. (Pit River); Trinity, Calif. (Trinity River).
Former Seattle Seahawks player Matt LaBounty who now resides in Springfield, Ore., offered his choices.
“My love of the sport is experience based, meaning special moment with unique people make my favorite places favorite to me, and maybe hard to recreate to just anyone,” LaBounty said. “And my bias toward the rivers trumps the goofy towns that I may or may not have had good experiences in.”
“In all my travels there is still not a more beautiful place on the planet than Puget Sound when the weather is nice and not so nice,” La Bounty said. “Compiling this list really just makes you think about how you need to go back, and find the “spot” to make it on the top ten.”
Here are LaBounty’s picks: Glide, Ore. (North Fork of Umpqua River); Ellensburg, Wash. (Yakima River); Aniak, Alaska (Aniak River); McKenzie Bridge, Ore. (McKenzie River); Avery, Idaho (St. Joe River); Darrington, Wash. (Sauk River); Magdalena Bay, Mexico (San Carlos); Butte, Mont. (Big Hole River); Calgary, Alberta (Bow River); Maupin, Ore. (Deschutes River); Seattle, Wash. (Puget Sound).
Keith Robbins, owner of A Spot Tail Salmon Guide in Seattle and a fly-fishing expert has a list that would make any fly-angler salivate with envy.
Here are Robbins’ picks: Seattle (Puget Sound); Florida Keys, Fla. (Long Key); Alder, Mont. (Ruby, Beaverhead and Big Hole Rivers); Glide, Oregon (Umpqua River); Ellensburg, Wash. (Yakima River); Forks, Wash. (Hoh River); Vancouver Island, B.C. (Wakeman River); Cordova, Alaska (Anderson Island); Biloxi, Miss. (Chandeleur Islands); Vancouver Island, B.C. (Tofino).
R. Peter Van Gytenbeek, the president of the Federation of Fly Fishers and former publisher of Fly Fishing in Saltwaters Magazine has spent a lifetime in preserving wild trout and their habitat.
Here are Van Gytenbeek’s picks: Kodiak Island, Alaska (Karluk River); Long Island, N.Y. (Montauk Point); Ennis, Mont. (Madison River); Boca Grande, Fla. (Charlotte Harbor); Green River, Wyo. (Green River below Flaming Gorge Reservoir); Erie, Pa. to Buffalo, N.Y. (Lake Erie, south side small streams); Lewiston, Idaho (Lower Snake River); Medford, Ore. (Rogue River); Grayling, Mich. (AuSable River, birthplace of Trout Unlimited); Islamorada, Fla. (Florida Keys).
If you’d like to check out the story in Forbe’s Magazine go to www.forbes.com/2009/08/19/trout-fishing-trips-lifestyle-sports-fly-fishing.html.
Tell us where your favorite place to fly fish? E-mail your favorite fly-fishing town and location, and we’ll post the results next week.
Notes
• The Renton Chapter of the Puget Sound Anglers meeting is 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Kennydale Memorial Hall, 2424 N.E. 27th St. in Renton. There will be a fish fry and silent auction, and folks are asked to bring their favorite side dish. Details: 425 235 4297 or www.rentonpsa.com.
• The Scottish Lakes fly-fishing class is Sept. 11-13. Join fishing guides Steve and Ralph Byther at an outing on Lake Julius. Cost is $10. Details: 425-844-2000 or www.scottishlakes.com.
• The Puget Sound Anglers of Lake Washington meeting is 7 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Community Center at Mercer View, 8236 S.E. 24th on Mercer Island. Brian Lull of Special Moments Guide Service will discuss fishing in Lake Washington. Details: 425-823-0704.
• The free Rainier Mountain Festival is Sept. 12-13 at the Rainier Base Camp, 30027 State Route 706 East in Ashford. Meet 18 Everest summiteers, including Ed Viesturs, Dave Hahn, Jim Whittaker, Lou Whittaker and others.
Activities include talks, slide shows, audience Q&A’s, book signings, alpine games, a 5-mile trail run, mountain technique demonstrations, raffle, music, food, and kids fun and games. Details: 800-238-5756 or www.rainierfestival.com.
• The ocean off the South Coast at Ilwaco will reopen for salmon fishing from Sept. 7-30, after state Fish and Wildlife officials determined enough coho remained in the catch quota. Besides, hatchery-marked coho, anglers are also allowed to keep chinook and pinks in their two-fish daily limit. Other coastal ports like Westport, La Push and Neah Bay also remain open for salmon fishing.
• The Cascade Bicycle Club Urban Ride to Restore Our Waters Cascade Spawning Cycle is 8 a.m. Sept. 20 at Myrtle Edwards Park, 3130 Alaskan Way West in Seattle. Cost is $25 for adults ($20 by Sept. 16), $5 for children age 6-12 and free for children under age 6. Details: 206-522-3222 or www.cascade.org.
• The Washington State Parks and Recreation is hosting a public International Coastal & Underwater Cleanup Sept. 19-20. On those days shore patrols will gather litter and debris left on beaches from Ilwaco north to Ocean Shores. Details: 360-902-8581 or www.coastsavers.org.
• The Sloop Tavern/Ballard Elks Lodge Coho Salmon Fishing Derby is Sept. 20. Cost is $20 by Sept. 19. Purchase tickets at the Sloop Tavern, 2830 N.W. Market St., or Ballard Elks Lodge, 6411 Seaview Ave. N.W. Fishing allowed in Area 10 only. Details: 206-227-0851.
• The Coast Guard Auxiliary of Edmonds Flotilla offers two 12-week public boating classes for experienced and novice boaters. The Weekend Navigator Course begins Sept. 15, and the Boating Skills and Seamanship Course begins Sept. 17. Details: 206-546-4171.
• The Edmonds Coho Derby is Sept. 12 at the Edmonds Marina, and is the grand finale of the Northwest Salmon Derby Series. Tickets are on sale. Details: www.edmondscohoderby.com.
• The new nonprofit Cascade Musky Association is looking for members. Cost is $25 or $35 for a couple/family membership. Details: www.cascademuskyassociation.com or www.wafish.com.
• The Washington Fly Fishing Club meeting is 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month at the Seattle Tennis Club. Please RSVP to attend meetings. Details: www.WFFC.com.
• The Mount St. Helens Institute offers a free Sunday Hiking Program in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, now through Oct. 25. The hikes range from easy to difficult, and are 4 to 10 miles round-trip. Space is limited and reservations are required. While the hikes are free, a $5 donation is suggested. Details: www.mshinstitute.org.
• The Western Bass Club meets every third Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Kennydale Hall in Renton. Details: www.westernbassclub.comor www.nickbarrfishing.com.
• The Washington Trails Association offers statewide trip reports and trail conditions. Details: www.wta.org.
• The Northwest Fly Anglers offer various public classes through the year. The public also is invited to club meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at the Haller Lake Community Center, 12579 Densmore Ave N., in North Seattle. Details: 206-684-7524.
• The Emerald Sea Dive Club offers year-round activities, including the big buddy program and weekly and monthly dives. The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month, 7-9 p.m. at Alfy’s Pizza, 4820 196th SW in Lynnwood. Details: 425-775-2410 or www.emeraldseadiveclub.org.
• The Seattle Audubon Society offers field trips and classes every month. Details: 206-523-4483 or www.seattleaudubon.org.
• Northend Bassmasters is accepting new members who want to learn more about bass fishing. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Crystal Creek Cafe, 22620 Bothell-Everett Highway (Canyon Park) in Bothell. Details: 206-789-4259 or e-mail Gary Millard at glmillard@comcast.net.
Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com