Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds | fly fishing

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Conservation

Help protect our natural areas and fisheries through advocacy, hands-on conservation, and sustainable fishing.

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Education

Enhance your fly fishing skills and connect with fellow anglers through expert-led classes, seminars, and fun community events.

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Make new friends, learn from seasoned anglers, and explore the top fly fishing spots in Washington state.

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Upcoming Events

Some of the best mornings in this club aren't spent on the water. They're spent standing on the shores of Puget Sound next to someone you just met, protecting our wild spaces for those who come next.

Tomorrow, 10 a.m. to noon, Picnic Point Beach. Come be part of it.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

Some of the best mornings in this club aren't spent on the water. They're spent standing on the shores of Puget Sound next to someone you just met, protecting our wild spaces for those who come next.

Tomorrow, 10 a.m. to noon, Picnic Point Beach. Come be part of it.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

Some of the best mornings in this club aren't spent on the water. They're spent standing in the sand next to someone you just met, pulling weeds side by side.

Tomorrow, 10 a.m. to noon, Picnic Point Beach. Come be part of it.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

Some of the best mornings in this club aren't spent on the water. They're spent standing in the sand next to someone you just met, pulling weeds side by side.

Tomorrow, 10 a.m. to noon, Picnic Point Beach. Come be part of it.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

Tomorrow morning. One shot before the weather turns.

We're heading to Picnic Point Beach, 10 a.m. to noon, to protect the native plants we put in this spring before winter arrives. We could use more hands than we've got signed up right now.

Come for all of it or come for part of it. Either way, show up.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

Tomorrow morning. One shot before the weather turns.

We're heading to Picnic Point Beach, 10 a.m. to noon, to protect the native plants we put in this spring before winter arrives. We could use more hands than we've got signed up right now.

Come for all of it or come for part of it. Either way, show up.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

One more weekend before school starts. Spend a couple hours on the beach with us. 🌊

Join us this Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.–noon, for a Summer Cleanup at Picnic Point Beach. Bring the family. Bring your high schooler for service hours toward graduation.

We're protecting the native strawberry and wildflowers planted along the shoreline earlier this year, clearing weeds, re-mulching, and picking up litter along the way.

All ages and abilities welcome. Tools provided.

Sign up in bio 👆 or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

@snohomishhealthyforestproject @thatbirdinggirl @madialbrecht

One more weekend before school starts. Spend a couple hours on the beach with us. 🌊

Join us this Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.–noon, for a Summer Cleanup at Picnic Point Beach. Bring the family. Bring your high schooler for service hours toward graduation.

We're protecting the native strawberry and wildflowers planted along the shoreline earlier this year, clearing weeds, re-mulching, and picking up litter along the way.

All ages and abilities welcome. Tools provided.

Sign up in bio 👆 or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

@snohomishhealthyforestproject @thatbirdinggirl @madialbrecht

Two more weekends before school starts. Spend a couple hours on the beach with us. 🌊

Join us Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.–noon, for a Summer Cleanup at Picnic Point Beach. Bring the family. Bring your high schooler for service hours toward graduation.

We're protecting the native strawberry and wildflowers planted along the shoreline earlier this year, clearing weeds, re-mulching, and picking up litter along the way.

All ages and abilities welcome. Tools provided.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

@snohomishhealthyforestproject @thatbirdinggirl @madialbrecht

Two more weekends before school starts. Spend a couple hours on the beach with us. 🌊

Join us Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.–noon, for a Summer Cleanup at Picnic Point Beach. Bring the family. Bring your high schooler for service hours toward graduation.

We're protecting the native strawberry and wildflowers planted along the shoreline earlier this year, clearing weeds, re-mulching, and picking up litter along the way.

All ages and abilities welcome. Tools provided.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

@snohomishhealthyforestproject @thatbirdinggirl @madialbrecht

Two more weekends before school starts. Spend a couple hours on the beach with us. 🌊

Join us Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.–noon, for a Summer Cleanup at Picnic Point Beach. Bring the family. Bring your high schooler for service hours toward graduation.

We're protecting the native strawberry and wildflowers planted along the shoreline earlier this year, clearing weeds, re-mulching, and picking up litter along the way.

All ages and abilities welcome. Tools provided.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

@snohomishhealthyforestproject @thatbirdinggirl @madialbrecht

Two more weekends before school starts. Spend a couple hours on the beach with us. 🌊

Join us Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.–noon, for a Summer Cleanup at Picnic Point Beach. Bring the family. Bring your high schooler for service hours toward graduation.

We're protecting the native strawberry and wildflowers planted along the shoreline earlier this year, clearing weeds, re-mulching, and picking up litter along the way.

All ages and abilities welcome. Tools provided.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

@snohomishhealthyforestproject @thatbirdinggirl @madialbrecht

One more weekend before school starts. Spend it at the beach. 🌊

Join us Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.–noon, for a Summer Cleanup at Picnic Point Beach. Bring the family. Bring your high schooler for service hours toward graduation.

We're protecting the native strawberry and wildflowers planted along the shoreline earlier this year, clearing weeds, re-mulching, and picking up litter along the way.

All ages and abilities welcome. Tools provided.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

One more weekend before school starts. Spend it at the beach. 🌊

Join us Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.–noon, for a Summer Cleanup at Picnic Point Beach. Bring the family. Bring your high schooler for service hours toward graduation.

We're protecting the native strawberry and wildflowers planted along the shoreline earlier this year, clearing weeds, re-mulching, and picking up litter along the way.

All ages and abilities welcome. Tools provided.

Sign up in bio or at https://cerv.is/0282x312

This is the most overbuilt emotional support animal we've ever seen.

A viral post claims a passenger flew with a live trout in this pressurized canister. It is not real. No airline's support-animal policy has ever covered fish, and no trout has ever needed its own pressure gauge (it was a nice touch though). This is AI, plain and simple.

But the joke points at something true: keeping a fish wet is not a punchline. It is the standard.

Back in May 2025, OFF hosted Sascha Clark Danylchuk, Executive Director of Keep Fish Wet, for a talk on science-based handling practices. Her message was simple. Minimize air exposure. Support the fish properly. Get it back in the water fast.

Those few seconds out of water can be the difference between a fish that recovers and one that does not.

So no, this trout did not fly business class. But the principle behind the gag is real. It's one every angler should practice on every release.

Learn more at keepfishwet.org.

#KeepEmWet #KeepFishWet #CatchAndRelease #FlyFishing #PNWFlyFishing #AIatItAgain #NotARealFish

This is the most overbuilt emotional support animal we've ever seen.

A viral post claims a passenger flew with a live trout in this pressurized canister. It is not real. No airline's support-animal policy has ever covered fish, and no trout has ever needed its own pressure gauge (it was a nice touch though). This is AI, plain and simple.

But the joke points at something true: keeping a fish wet is not a punchline. It is the standard.

Back in May 2025, OFF hosted Sascha Clark Danylchuk, Executive Director of Keep Fish Wet, for a talk on science-based handling practices. Her message was simple. Minimize air exposure. Support the fish properly. Get it back in the water fast.

Those few seconds out of water can be the difference between a fish that recovers and one that does not.

So no, this trout did not fly business class. But the principle behind the gag is real. It's one every angler should practice on every release.

Learn more at keepfishwet.org.

#KeepEmWet #KeepFishWet #CatchAndRelease #FlyFishing #PNWFlyFishing #AIatItAgain #NotARealFish

Twenty minutes from Seattle. Ample parking. All wild fish.

Lake Sammamish holds coastal cutthroats year-round, and they're worth understanding. About half are resident fish. The other half are transient, moving in from Issaquah Creek as salmon return. The patterns you throw change accordingly — salmon patterns and Dolly Varden flies when the transients are in. Watch for closure zones near the creek during salmon season.

Peak season runs Thanksgiving through February. Access is through Lake Sammamish State Park on the south shore, with a multi-lane boat launch.

The best fish our member has landed there: a 19-inch cutthroat.

These are just two of nearly 10 destinations that came out of a single Friday morning conversation. First Friday of every month, Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. Free and open to all. Details in bio.

📍 wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes/lake-sammamish

📸 Steve Ruppert (Table Images)

Twenty minutes from Seattle. Ample parking. All wild fish.

Lake Sammamish holds coastal cutthroats year-round, and they're worth understanding. About half are resident fish. The other half are transient, moving in from Issaquah Creek as salmon return. The patterns you throw change accordingly — salmon patterns and Dolly Varden flies when the transients are in. Watch for closure zones near the creek during salmon season.

Peak season runs Thanksgiving through February. Access is through Lake Sammamish State Park on the south shore, with a multi-lane boat launch.

The best fish our member has landed there: a 19-inch cutthroat.

These are just two of nearly 10 destinations that came out of a single Friday morning conversation. First Friday of every month, Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. Free and open to all. Details in bio.

📍 wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes/lake-sammamish

📸 Steve Ruppert (Table Images)

FRIDAY FOLLIES: PART 1 of 2 -- Langlois Lake

15 fish. One session. One lake most people drive right past.

Langlois Lake sits east of Seattle, past Duvall toward Carnation. A recent trip by one of our members produced fish running 14 to 17 inches, with one at 21. No algae blooms in summer, which sets it apart from a lot of comparable local lakes.

One note: fish it on a weekday. A Girl Scout camp uses the area on weekends.

WDFW is currently running its 2026 Trout Derby there, with tagged fish still in the water and prizes left to claim. Worth checking out before the season moves on.

Tips like this one come out of Friday Follies every month. Dates and details in the link in bio. 👆

📍 wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes/langlois-lake

Check back for Part 2, featuring another local lake, tomorrow.

📸 Steve Ruppert (Table Image)

FRIDAY FOLLIES: PART 1 of 2 -- Langlois Lake

15 fish. One session. One lake most people drive right past.

Langlois Lake sits east of Seattle, past Duvall toward Carnation. A recent trip by one of our members produced fish running 14 to 17 inches, with one at 21. No algae blooms in summer, which sets it apart from a lot of comparable local lakes.

One note: fish it on a weekday. A Girl Scout camp uses the area on weekends.

WDFW is currently running its 2026 Trout Derby there, with tagged fish still in the water and prizes left to claim. Worth checking out before the season moves on.

Tips like this one come out of Friday Follies every month. Dates and details in the link in bio. 👆

📍 wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes/langlois-lake

Check back for Part 2, featuring another local lake, tomorrow.

📸 Steve Ruppert (Table Image)

That fish in the photo? It has somewhere to be.

Wild Chinook are making their way back to the Skykomish River, and WDFW is giving them room to do it. They announced last night the river is closed to all fishing — all species — from the mouth to the confluence of the North and South Forks, effective immediately through October 31.

Pre-season forecasts for wild Chinook on the Sky are very low. Plan accordingly.

We have a record slate of river outings on the calendar this year and we're already adjusting. There are plenty of smaller tributaries in the area worth exploring. The drive may be a little longer, but the solitude you'll find on those waters is often well worth it.

Check current regulations and any emergency updates before you head out: www.wdfw.wa.gov

Sign up for WDFW Fishing Rule Change notifications: www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/rules

📸 @thewdfw

That fish in the photo? It has somewhere to be.

Wild Chinook are making their way back to the Skykomish River, and WDFW is giving them room to do it. They announced last night the river is closed to all fishing — all species — from the mouth to the confluence of the North and South Forks, effective immediately through October 31.

Pre-season forecasts for wild Chinook on the Sky are very low. Plan accordingly.

We have a record slate of river outings on the calendar this year and we're already adjusting. There are plenty of smaller tributaries in the area worth exploring. The drive may be a little longer, but the solitude you'll find on those waters is often well worth it.

Check current regulations and any emergency updates before you head out: www.wdfw.wa.gov

Sign up for WDFW Fishing Rule Change notifications: www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/rules

📸 @thewdfw

This month we're welcoming @mikesturza to the program.

Mike owns Lost Creek Fly Shop in Onalaska and has spent decades fishing the lakes and streams of Lewis County and southwest Washington. He knows this water as well as anyone working out of a fly shop in the region.

His presentation, "Fly Fishing Opportunities in Lewis County," covers a part of the state most anglers drive past without a second thought.

Mike will walk through key trout lakes and streams, how they fish through the season, and the techniques that work on water like this. He'll also cover how to approach unfamiliar water with a clear plan.

You don't have to travel far to find good fishing. Mike makes that case better than most.

Tuesday, June 9. Doors at 5:30 PM. Program starts at 6. Lake Ballinger Center, Mountlake Terrace. Free and open to the public.

Link in bio for details.

This month we're welcoming @mikesturza to the program.

Mike owns Lost Creek Fly Shop in Onalaska and has spent decades fishing the lakes and streams of Lewis County and southwest Washington. He knows this water as well as anyone working out of a fly shop in the region.

His presentation, "Fly Fishing Opportunities in Lewis County," covers a part of the state most anglers drive past without a second thought.

Mike will walk through key trout lakes and streams, how they fish through the season, and the techniques that work on water like this. He'll also cover how to approach unfamiliar water with a clear plan.

You don't have to travel far to find good fishing. Mike makes that case better than most.

Tuesday, June 9. Doors at 5:30 PM. Program starts at 6. Lake Ballinger Center, Mountlake Terrace. Free and open to the public.

Link in bio for details.

Opening day on the Beckler River didn't go quite as planned. But that's fishing.
Five of us made the drive out on May 23. Water was unusually high and fast. Nobody touched a fish all morning. Tried everything from nymphs to tenkara (a couple of us had been dying to break in our new rods from @tenkarausa).

📽 See our reel for a closer look at conditions.

At 11am we made a run at the Foss River as a backup. GPS mapping got us right to the Foss River. Technically. What it failed to mention was the 200-foot cliff between us and the water. Gorgeous view though.

We took the hike anyway. Two hours through old growth forest, moss-covered boulders, and some genuinely beautiful country. Zero fish. Great workout.
A few things we took away from the day:

👉Know your access before you go. Don't rely on GPS mapping alone for forest road access. Do your homework ahead of time, ideally with someone who's been in there before.

👉Check water levels before you make the drive. The USGS monitoring station for the Beckler is no longer active, a casualty of recent federal funding cuts. Real-time flow data isn't available. Call the Skykomish Ranger Station and factor in snowmelt conditions for late May.

👉If there's a trail map posted at the trailhead, stop and read it. We didn't. 🙄

The Beckler is still on our list. When the water drops it'll fish.

📷 Ryan May

Opening day on the Beckler River didn't go quite as planned. But that's fishing.
Five of us made the drive out on May 23. Water was unusually high and fast. Nobody touched a fish all morning. Tried everything from nymphs to tenkara (a couple of us had been dying to break in our new rods from @tenkarausa).

📽 See our reel for a closer look at conditions.

At 11am we made a run at the Foss River as a backup. GPS mapping got us right to the Foss River. Technically. What it failed to mention was the 200-foot cliff between us and the water. Gorgeous view though.

We took the hike anyway. Two hours through old growth forest, moss-covered boulders, and some genuinely beautiful country. Zero fish. Great workout.
A few things we took away from the day:

👉Know your access before you go. Don't rely on GPS mapping alone for forest road access. Do your homework ahead of time, ideally with someone who's been in there before.

👉Check water levels before you make the drive. The USGS monitoring station for the Beckler is no longer active, a casualty of recent federal funding cuts. Real-time flow data isn't available. Call the Skykomish Ranger Station and factor in snowmelt conditions for late May.

👉If there's a trail map posted at the trailhead, stop and read it. We didn't. 🙄

The Beckler is still on our list. When the water drops it'll fish.

📷 Ryan May

This is what too much water on opening day looks like.

We drove out to the Beckler River on May 23 ready to fish. The river had other plans. Water was running unusually high and fast for late May. Likely snowmelt, though there's no way to know for certain. The USGS monitoring station for the Beckler is no longer active, a casualty of recent federal funding cuts to the USGS monitoring network.

High, fast water on a shallow clear river means fish abandon their feeding lanes and hold tight in slower, protected water. Hard to reach. Nearly impossible to present a fly to naturally. The tenkara rods we brought couldn't get deep enough. Nobody touched a fish.

Check conditions before you make the drive. Call the Skykomish Ranger Station at (360) 677-2414, open Wednesday through Friday. Ask someone who's been on the water recently. The Beckler fishes well when it's right. Saturday it wasn't.

We'll be back.

🎥 Ryan May — Beckler River, May 23, 2026

This is what too much water on opening day looks like.

We drove out to the Beckler River on May 23 ready to fish. The river had other plans. Water was running unusually high and fast for late May. Likely snowmelt, though there's no way to know for certain. The USGS monitoring station for the Beckler is no longer active, a casualty of recent federal funding cuts to the USGS monitoring network.

High, fast water on a shallow clear river means fish abandon their feeding lanes and hold tight in slower, protected water. Hard to reach. Nearly impossible to present a fly to naturally. The tenkara rods we brought couldn't get deep enough. Nobody touched a fish.

Check conditions before you make the drive. Call the Skykomish Ranger Station at (360) 677-2414, open Wednesday through Friday. Ask someone who's been on the water recently. The Beckler fishes well when it's right. Saturday it wasn't.

We'll be back.

🎥 Ryan May — Beckler River, May 23, 2026

John Shewey knows summer steelhead. For more than 30 years, he's fished, written about, and designed flies for the North Santiam, the Deschutes, the North Umpqua, and the rivers that define swung-fly fishing in the Pacific Northwest. He's the Editor-in-Chief of American Fly Fishing. He's authored more than a dozen books. His commercial patterns are fished across the West.

On May 12, he's coming to talk to us.

His program, Fly Fishing for Summer Steelhead, covers how these fish move and hold, how to read structure and travel lanes, and what changes as flows drop and temperatures climb. He'll break down surface and near-surface presentations, explain the geometry of fly speed, angle, and swing — and as a historian of Spey and Dee patterns, he'll get into fly choice, construction, and why traditional designs still catch fish.

Whether you've never swung a fly for steelhead or you're looking to sharpen your game, this is a program worth clearing your calendar for.

📅 Monday, May 12 🕠 Doors at 5:30 PM | Program 6–8 PM 📍 Lake Ballinger Center, 23000 Lakeview Dr., Mountlake Terrace ✅ Free and open to the public. No tickets required.

Follow @johnshewey for more of his work. Link in bio for details.

John Shewey knows summer steelhead. For more than 30 years, he's fished, written about, and designed flies for the North Santiam, the Deschutes, the North Umpqua, and the rivers that define swung-fly fishing in the Pacific Northwest. He's the Editor-in-Chief of American Fly Fishing. He's authored more than a dozen books. His commercial patterns are fished across the West.

On May 12, he's coming to talk to us.

His program, Fly Fishing for Summer Steelhead, covers how these fish move and hold, how to read structure and travel lanes, and what changes as flows drop and temperatures climb. He'll break down surface and near-surface presentations, explain the geometry of fly speed, angle, and swing — and as a historian of Spey and Dee patterns, he'll get into fly choice, construction, and why traditional designs still catch fish.

Whether you've never swung a fly for steelhead or you're looking to sharpen your game, this is a program worth clearing your calendar for.

📅 Monday, May 12 🕠 Doors at 5:30 PM | Program 6–8 PM 📍 Lake Ballinger Center, 23000 Lakeview Dr., Mountlake Terrace ✅ Free and open to the public. No tickets required.

Follow @johnshewey for more of his work. Link in bio for details.

Tomorrow. Picnic Point. Come find out who lives there.

The 2026 City Nature Challenge Bioblitz is Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. to noon. Walk-ins welcome — no registration required to show up.

Tonight: charge your phone and download iNaturalist. Search "iNaturalist" in the App Store or Google Play — not iNaturalist Classic.

Create your account before you arrive. Five minutes now means you're ready the moment you hit the beach.

Tomorrow, photograph anything wild you find. Plants, birds, insects, tracks, shells, feathers — if you find it, photograph it. Any observation made April 24–27 in Snohomish, King, or Pierce County goes straight into the Seattle-Tacoma City Nature Challenge project. No extra steps.

If you arrive after 10, look for a volunteer in a safety vest near the picnic area or along the beach on the Sound side of the overpass.

☝️ Link in bio.

See you on the beach.

Tomorrow. Picnic Point. Come find out who lives there.

The 2026 City Nature Challenge Bioblitz is Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. to noon. Walk-ins welcome — no registration required to show up.

Tonight: charge your phone and download iNaturalist. Search "iNaturalist" in the App Store or Google Play — not iNaturalist Classic.

Create your account before you arrive. Five minutes now means you're ready the moment you hit the beach.

Tomorrow, photograph anything wild you find. Plants, birds, insects, tracks, shells, feathers — if you find it, photograph it. Any observation made April 24–27 in Snohomish, King, or Pierce County goes straight into the Seattle-Tacoma City Nature Challenge project. No extra steps.

If you arrive after 10, look for a volunteer in a safety vest near the picnic area or along the beach on the Sound side of the overpass.

☝️ Link in bio.

See you on the beach.

Today is World Book Day. 📚

On our private member forum, we asked the club which fly fishing books they keep coming back to. The conversation took off from there.

The list runs from an 1836 entomology classic to a 2024 steelhead tying reference to a children's book about Pacific Northwest salmon conservation.

15 featured reviews, 17 additional recommendations, one free download, and a Victorian museum heist.

Check it out then let us know which titles we missed.

☝️ Link in bio: www.olympicflyfishers.com/post/best-fly-fishing-books-picks-from-the-club-s-bookshelf-for-world-book-day

Today is World Book Day. 📚

On our private member forum, we asked the club which fly fishing books they keep coming back to. The conversation took off from there.

The list runs from an 1836 entomology classic to a 2024 steelhead tying reference to a children's book about Pacific Northwest salmon conservation.

15 featured reviews, 17 additional recommendations, one free download, and a Victorian museum heist.

Check it out then let us know which titles we missed.

☝️ Link in bio: www.olympicflyfishers.com/post/best-fly-fishing-books-picks-from-the-club-s-bookshelf-for-world-book-day

Most people would have walked right past this.

The long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) spends most of its life underground or beneath rotting wood, emerging in late winter and early spring to breed. It is rarely seen. When you do find one, it tends to stop you in your tracks. (That yellow stripe running down its back is the giveaway.)

This is what a bioblitz is for.

On April 25, Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds is hosting a community bioblitz at Picnic Point Park as part of the 2026 City Nature Challenge. Participants use the iNaturalist app to photograph and document whatever they find — plants, birds, insects, amphibians, marine life. Scientists and naturalists around the world help identify what you found. Every photo becomes part of a permanent scientific record.

No experience needed. Open to all ages.

Details and registration: www.olympicflyfishers.com/bioblitz

📷 James Keany

#EarthDay #EarthDay2026

Most people would have walked right past this.

The long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) spends most of its life underground or beneath rotting wood, emerging in late winter and early spring to breed. It is rarely seen. When you do find one, it tends to stop you in your tracks. (That yellow stripe running down its back is the giveaway.)

This is what a bioblitz is for.

On April 25, Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds is hosting a community bioblitz at Picnic Point Park as part of the 2026 City Nature Challenge. Participants use the iNaturalist app to photograph and document whatever they find — plants, birds, insects, amphibians, marine life. Scientists and naturalists around the world help identify what you found. Every photo becomes part of a permanent scientific record.

No experience needed. Open to all ages.

Details and registration: www.olympicflyfishers.com/bioblitz

📷 James Keany

#EarthDay #EarthDay2026

A great blue heron has been working this shoreline longer than we have.

Ardea herodias is one of the most familiar birds on Puget Sound. It's also one of the least understood. Standing nearly four feet tall with a six-foot wingspan, it doesn't leave our region in the winter. Most herons do. This one stays, in part because its diet is broad enough to adapt to whatever the season offers. It can hunt day or night, using specialized eye structure that gives it strong low-light vision. Patient, precise, and almost always underestimated.

On April 25, we're hosting a community bioblitz at Picnic Point Park as part of the 2026 City Nature Challenge. The goal is simple: photograph every living thing you can find and upload it to iNaturalist. Birds, insects, plants, marine life, fungi. Everything counts. The iNaturalist community helps identify what you found, and every observation becomes part of a global scientific database.

No experience needed. Open to all ages.

Details and registration at the link in bio 👆

This event is in partnership with @snohomishhealthyforestproject.

📷 James Keany

A great blue heron has been working this shoreline longer than we have.

Ardea herodias is one of the most familiar birds on Puget Sound. It's also one of the least understood. Standing nearly four feet tall with a six-foot wingspan, it doesn't leave our region in the winter. Most herons do. This one stays, in part because its diet is broad enough to adapt to whatever the season offers. It can hunt day or night, using specialized eye structure that gives it strong low-light vision. Patient, precise, and almost always underestimated.

On April 25, we're hosting a community bioblitz at Picnic Point Park as part of the 2026 City Nature Challenge. The goal is simple: photograph every living thing you can find and upload it to iNaturalist. Birds, insects, plants, marine life, fungi. Everything counts. The iNaturalist community helps identify what you found, and every observation becomes part of a global scientific database.

No experience needed. Open to all ages.

Details and registration at the link in bio 👆

This event is in partnership with @snohomishhealthyforestproject.

📷 James Keany

It rained. A Pacific chorus frog came out.

The Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) is one of the Pacific Northwest's most vocal amphibians — and one of its most overlooked. Small enough to sit in a teaspoon, it spends most of its life hidden in leaf litter, low shrubs, and the damp margins where forest meets water. When conditions are right, it sings loud enough to be heard from hundreds of feet away.

This is exactly the kind of creature waiting to be found at Picnic Point.

On April 25, we're hosting a community bioblitz there as part of the 2026 City Nature Challenge. Bring a phone, download the iNaturalist app, and photograph whatever you find along the shoreline, creek edge, and forest floor. Every observation goes into a permanent scientific record.

No experience needed. Open to all ages.

Details and registration at the link in bio 👆

📷 James Keany

It rained. A Pacific chorus frog came out.

The Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) is one of the Pacific Northwest's most vocal amphibians — and one of its most overlooked. Small enough to sit in a teaspoon, it spends most of its life hidden in leaf litter, low shrubs, and the damp margins where forest meets water. When conditions are right, it sings loud enough to be heard from hundreds of feet away.

This is exactly the kind of creature waiting to be found at Picnic Point.

On April 25, we're hosting a community bioblitz there as part of the 2026 City Nature Challenge. Bring a phone, download the iNaturalist app, and photograph whatever you find along the shoreline, creek edge, and forest floor. Every observation goes into a permanent scientific record.

No experience needed. Open to all ages.

Details and registration at the link in bio 👆

📷 James Keany

Our April meeting brings a guide who has fished Hawaiian reefs, chased striped bass off New York, and stalked bonefish back home in Oahu — and now spends his days putting anglers on trout in Central Washington.

Todd Fuchigami, Owner and Head Guide of Ellensburg Angler, joins us April 14 to walk through two of the region's most distinctive fisheries: the Yakima River and Rocky Ford Spring Creek. He'll cover how seasonal conditions, structure, and trout behavior shape the approach on each — from the Yakima's braided channels and canyon runs to Rocky Ford's clear, no-wade water and technical presentations.

Todd's background as a U.S. Army Flight Medic shows in his guiding. Patient, methodical, and built for breaking down complex skills into clear steps.

Free and open to the public. Doors at 5:30 pm, program 6–8 pm.

📍 Lake Ballinger Center, 23000 Lakeview Dr., Mountlake Terrace

Link in bio for more on Todd, Ellensburg Angler and us.

Our April meeting brings a guide who has fished Hawaiian reefs, chased striped bass off New York, and stalked bonefish back home in Oahu — and now spends his days putting anglers on trout in Central Washington.

Todd Fuchigami, Owner and Head Guide of Ellensburg Angler, joins us April 14 to walk through two of the region's most distinctive fisheries: the Yakima River and Rocky Ford Spring Creek. He'll cover how seasonal conditions, structure, and trout behavior shape the approach on each — from the Yakima's braided channels and canyon runs to Rocky Ford's clear, no-wade water and technical presentations.

Todd's background as a U.S. Army Flight Medic shows in his guiding. Patient, methodical, and built for breaking down complex skills into clear steps.

Free and open to the public. Doors at 5:30 pm, program 6–8 pm.

📍 Lake Ballinger Center, 23000 Lakeview Dr., Mountlake Terrace

Link in bio for more on Todd, Ellensburg Angler and us.

Washington fishing licenses reset today. Prices jump 38%. We couldn't reach anyone for comment.

#NotAnAprilFoolsJoke #WaLeg

Washington fishing licenses reset today. Prices jump 38%. We couldn't reach anyone for comment.

#NotAnAprilFoolsJoke #WaLeg

Lake Ballinger. Blue skies, good company... and absolutely no fish.

A handful of OFF members answered Marty and Helena's Forum invitation for an early-spring shakeout float last Thursday. The timing seemed ideal. WDFW had stocked the lake with 3,600 trout just days before. A fish finder confirmed they were there, holding deep in the cold water.

Not one took a fly.

When asked if anyone caught anything, Helena kept it brief: "😂😂😂"

#flyfishing #LakeBallinger #PacificNorthwest #stillwater #olympicflyfishers #flyfishinglife

Lake Ballinger. Blue skies, good company... and absolutely no fish.

A handful of OFF members answered Marty and Helena's Forum invitation for an early-spring shakeout float last Thursday. The timing seemed ideal. WDFW had stocked the lake with 3,600 trout just days before. A fish finder confirmed they were there, holding deep in the cold water.

Not one took a fly.

When asked if anyone caught anything, Helena kept it brief: "😂😂😂"

#flyfishing #LakeBallinger #PacificNorthwest #stillwater #olympicflyfishers #flyfishinglife

📍 Found. At Picnic Point Park, Edmonds. Can you help us identify it?

On April 25, we're hosting a community bioblitz there as part of the 2026 City Nature Challenge.

You bring a phone and some curiosity. The iNaturalist app and a global community of scientists and experienced naturalists handle the rest.

Every one of your observations becomes part of a permanent scientific record.

No registration fee. No experience needed. All ages welcome.

Hosted in partnership with the Snohomish County Healthy Forest Project.

☝️ Details and registration at the link in our bio.

📍 Found. At Picnic Point Park, Edmonds. Can you help us identify it?

On April 25, we're hosting a community bioblitz there as part of the 2026 City Nature Challenge.

You bring a phone and some curiosity. The iNaturalist app and a global community of scientists and experienced naturalists handle the rest.

Every one of your observations becomes part of a permanent scientific record.

No registration fee. No experience needed. All ages welcome.

Hosted in partnership with the Snohomish County Healthy Forest Project.

☝️ Details and registration at the link in our bio.

PART 2 — The Recap (Saturday–Monday, March 21–23)

After a few days at Rocky Ford threading small flies, Dave Marley reported losing his sense of humor within a matter of hours.

That tracks.

The group that made the trip found cold mornings, 15–20 mph winds, and water so clear every refusal was visible. Most sessions ended without a fish in the net. One line snapped from a strike strong enough to break 5x tippet.

Others arrived through Saturday, including Paul Goldberg and John Wendt, who drove out together and staged at the Best Western in Ephrata. Between sessions they checked out Lenore Lake and Dry Falls — not fishing, just looking. The club has another outing planned to both spots April 28–30. Check our calendar for more details.

Darc at Desert Fly Angler in Ephrata had the intel going in: chironomids in sizes 16 and 18, zebra nymphs, olive scuds. Go smaller than you think. On cloudy days, a BWO. The fish are educated. Present well. And if all else fails — as Mike proved on Day 1 — an egg pattern still has something to say.

By Monday, a few members were still on the creek when the hatchery upstream released fish into the water. Dave was there to see it.

"The size of nuclear submarines," he reported. "By far the largest trout I've ever seen in my life."

Paul had a theory on the fly: "You have to throw in something that looks like a dog food pellet. That's all they've been eating their whole lives."

Some people naturally attract dogs. Marley attracts fish. He put several in the net over the weekend while the wind kept everyone else honest.

"I thought it generally went pretty good," Mike said afterward. "Fishing was not super productive but I think people had fun."

For the first official outing of the 2026 season, the photos tell the story. The group threaded a perfect weather window — more than two feet of snow before the trip, more falling in the passes as the last of the group headed home — and came home with fish.

They had to work for every one of them. Nevertheless: the season is off to a big start.

📸 Dave Marley

PART 2 — The Recap (Saturday–Monday, March 21–23)

After a few days at Rocky Ford threading small flies, Dave Marley reported losing his sense of humor within a matter of hours.

That tracks.

The group that made the trip found cold mornings, 15–20 mph winds, and water so clear every refusal was visible. Most sessions ended without a fish in the net. One line snapped from a strike strong enough to break 5x tippet.

Others arrived through Saturday, including Paul Goldberg and John Wendt, who drove out together and staged at the Best Western in Ephrata. Between sessions they checked out Lenore Lake and Dry Falls — not fishing, just looking. The club has another outing planned to both spots April 28–30. Check our calendar for more details.

Darc at Desert Fly Angler in Ephrata had the intel going in: chironomids in sizes 16 and 18, zebra nymphs, olive scuds. Go smaller than you think. On cloudy days, a BWO. The fish are educated. Present well. And if all else fails — as Mike proved on Day 1 — an egg pattern still has something to say.

By Monday, a few members were still on the creek when the hatchery upstream released fish into the water. Dave was there to see it.

"The size of nuclear submarines," he reported. "By far the largest trout I've ever seen in my life."

Paul had a theory on the fly: "You have to throw in something that looks like a dog food pellet. That's all they've been eating their whole lives."

Some people naturally attract dogs. Marley attracts fish. He put several in the net over the weekend while the wind kept everyone else honest.

"I thought it generally went pretty good," Mike said afterward. "Fishing was not super productive but I think people had fun."

For the first official outing of the 2026 season, the photos tell the story. The group threaded a perfect weather window — more than two feet of snow before the trip, more falling in the passes as the last of the group headed home — and came home with fish.

They had to work for every one of them. Nevertheless: the season is off to a big start.

📸 Dave Marley

PART 1 — The Setup (Friday, March 20)

The 2026 season opens here.

Rocky Ford. March 20–21 (with a few stragglers throwing ‘one more cast’ all the way through March 23).

Host Mike Martinez scouted this spring creek earlier this year. And he had a plan: fish before the sun hits the water, find breakfast, hike until the light drops, then get back to the bank.

Rocky Ford runs flat and clear, fed by springs that keep temperatures steady year-round. There are no riffles. And you can see every fish. The rainbows that winter here spend their summers in Moses Lake — big fish, educated fish, out in the open.

The rules are simple and strict: fly fishing only, catch and release, no wading. You fish from the bank, the bridges, or the dock.

Mike staged out of Soap Lake the night before and was on the water at 6:30 Friday morning, before a single shadow had lifted. The winds hit 15–20 mph by mid-morning and cleared the banks.

Rocky Ford is notorious for humbling anglers. When nothing else was working, Mike switched to an egg pattern and put the first fish of the season in the net.

That evening, the group regrouped at Mi Conchita in Soap Lake — dinner, drinks, and a strategy session for the day ahead.

Part 2 is up this afternoon, including the intel we were working from, and some of the fish it landed.

📸 Mike Martinez & Joe Barry-Straume

PART 1 — The Setup (Friday, March 20)

The 2026 season opens here.

Rocky Ford. March 20–21 (with a few stragglers throwing ‘one more cast’ all the way through March 23).

Host Mike Martinez scouted this spring creek earlier this year. And he had a plan: fish before the sun hits the water, find breakfast, hike until the light drops, then get back to the bank.

Rocky Ford runs flat and clear, fed by springs that keep temperatures steady year-round. There are no riffles. And you can see every fish. The rainbows that winter here spend their summers in Moses Lake — big fish, educated fish, out in the open.

The rules are simple and strict: fly fishing only, catch and release, no wading. You fish from the bank, the bridges, or the dock.

Mike staged out of Soap Lake the night before and was on the water at 6:30 Friday morning, before a single shadow had lifted. The winds hit 15–20 mph by mid-morning and cleared the banks.

Rocky Ford is notorious for humbling anglers. When nothing else was working, Mike switched to an egg pattern and put the first fish of the season in the net.

That evening, the group regrouped at Mi Conchita in Soap Lake — dinner, drinks, and a strategy session for the day ahead.

Part 2 is up this afternoon, including the intel we were working from, and some of the fish it landed.

📸 Mike Martinez & Joe Barry-Straume

Some tiers swear by fluorescent materials. Others suspect they're more reliable at catching fly anglers than fish.

Devin Olsen of Tactical Fly Fisher decided to dig into the actual research. His latest video draws on two books — What Fish See and Trout Sense — to explain how light behaves underwater, how color attenuation works at depth, and why fluorescent materials may give trout a reason to eat your fly when nothing else does.

Worth 13 minutes before the season gets underway: https://youtu.be/gJ-w5PWnLjY

Some tiers swear by fluorescent materials. Others suspect they're more reliable at catching fly anglers than fish.

Devin Olsen of Tactical Fly Fisher decided to dig into the actual research. His latest video draws on two books — What Fish See and Trout Sense — to explain how light behaves underwater, how color attenuation works at depth, and why fluorescent materials may give trout a reason to eat your fly when nothing else does.

Worth 13 minutes before the season gets underway: https://youtu.be/gJ-w5PWnLjY

This past weekend, 15 students and 13 mentors filled a classroom at the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center for Part 1 of our Stillwater Fly Fishing Clinic — free for members.

Past president Greg Sisson led the session, covering gear setup, knot tying, and the entomology behind spring stillwater fishing. By the end of the afternoon, every student had built their own indicator leader from scratch. This specialized rig is designed for chironomids, leeches, and damsel nymphs, and is a setup that a standard tapered leader simply can't replicate.

Turns out there's a reason the fish aren't biting, and it's usually the leader.

Greg's indicator leader formula: 2–3 feet of 20lb nylon, 8 feet of 3X nylon, and 4 feet of 4X fluorocarbon. The fluorocarbon sinks, keeping your fly in the strike zone instead of drifting up and out of it. The triple surgeon's knot holds it all together — one of the most reliable line-to-line connections in fly fishing, and simple enough to tie in low light or with cold hands.

Sunday's on-the-water session at Lone Lake on Whidbey Island unfortunately lost the coin flip with the weather. Stay tuned for images and tips from the water when we reschedule.

Rods in the air. Knots tied. Lake season is close!

Interested in rivers? Our River Fly Fishing Clinic is coming in July. Check the club calendar for dates: www.olympicflyfishers.com/calendar

📸 Dennis Potter & Jim Black

This past weekend, 15 students and 13 mentors filled a classroom at the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center for Part 1 of our Stillwater Fly Fishing Clinic — free for members.

Past president Greg Sisson led the session, covering gear setup, knot tying, and the entomology behind spring stillwater fishing. By the end of the afternoon, every student had built their own indicator leader from scratch. This specialized rig is designed for chironomids, leeches, and damsel nymphs, and is a setup that a standard tapered leader simply can't replicate.

Turns out there's a reason the fish aren't biting, and it's usually the leader.

Greg's indicator leader formula: 2–3 feet of 20lb nylon, 8 feet of 3X nylon, and 4 feet of 4X fluorocarbon. The fluorocarbon sinks, keeping your fly in the strike zone instead of drifting up and out of it. The triple surgeon's knot holds it all together — one of the most reliable line-to-line connections in fly fishing, and simple enough to tie in low light or with cold hands.

Sunday's on-the-water session at Lone Lake on Whidbey Island unfortunately lost the coin flip with the weather. Stay tuned for images and tips from the water when we reschedule.

Rods in the air. Knots tied. Lake season is close!

Interested in rivers? Our River Fly Fishing Clinic is coming in July. Check the club calendar for dates: www.olympicflyfishers.com/calendar

📸 Dennis Potter & Jim Black

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