Gray Skies, Pink Fish

One morning on the water resulted in my first Pink Salmon in Puget Sound. My oldest son, Tommy, and I launched the boat at 7am and headed across Commencement Bay near Tacoma. Just down from Dash Point, we saw periodic fish boiling as they moved south along the shoreline, headed for the Puyallup River where they will eventually spawn.

We kept the boat in 10 feet of water and, on an outgoing tide, cast toward shore. We stripped pink and white Clouser and Shrimp patterns back to the boat with a medium-to-slow retrieve. At one point, I felt my line hang up and then I saw three fish boil at about the spot where I knew my fly was. I'd obviously got in front of a small pod and surprised them all when the hook set.

I stripped quickly and got the fiesty three-pounder on the reel. Tommy netted him as I grinned from ear to ear and he snapped a few photos. I've never targeted Salmon in Puget Sound and this was a victory for me. Across the bay were guys catching 30 pound Kings on down-riggers but this fish, taken on the fly, was all I needed and I couldn't have been happier.

As the run continues to grow we will come back and try again. 5 Million Pinks are supposed to make their way through Puget Sound so our odds should improve in the next week or so. Stay tuned for more...