Stillaguamish

[Dryrod]

[font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]Hey there BFS never got a chance to fish the Stillaguamish. Did spend most of my time on either the Snoqualmie, Skykomish & Snohomish. Caught my first steelhead on the Snoqualmie.[/size][/#008000][/font]
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[BigFishingShop]

Oh man is the Stilly one beautiful stretch of water, imagine the Snohomish size with a tighter valley like around Duvall to Carnation but with next to no development, has more of a drop too, I can remember like it was yesterday watching the fly fisherman just killing the steelhead run, most of the river is fly fishing only, barbless hooks. Scenes that would be like pull out centerfold material in a fly fishing magazine, if you have ever happened to fish off the Ben Howard road on the Sky it's similar but somehow has a "lost in time" feel back in there, been 10 years, probably looks like the Sammamish flowing though Woodinville and Bothell by now lol (kidding).
Nice to chat with someone that knows my old spots

BFS
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[Dryrod]

[font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]Woodinville is where I use to live. Plenty of places to fish in that area. But that was back in 92, so I guess that the place has changed a bit.[/size][/#008000][/font]
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[BigFishingShop]

91 is when I sold my house in Kirkland after it took One hour and 45 minutes to return a set of torches to Totem Lake rental ONE WAY !!! You absolutely wouldn't recognize Woodinville, Avondale is a regular highway now all the way to Wood/Duvall rd ending at a shopping mall, Union Hill and Novilty Hill are gone, stop lights everywhere,all through the hills, whole huge tracts of woods just gone everywhere with developments instead, they have built it up so much that the rain forest effect no longer exists in the convergense zone as not enough water reaches the soil. I was one of the prime contractors on the Reintree tract in the 80's when it was odd seeming out in the middle of the woods and now you couldnt pick it out save the sign. Ever fish Tuk Creek ? pulled a few nice browns out of it when I was working in there.
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[Dryrod]

[font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]Your update on the Woodinville area is not a pleasant thought. Living in the Bear Creek area it would only take a few minutes to drive into Redmond or Kirkland. Guess one has to move to Alaska to get away from all of the congestion that comes with urbanization. I never heard of Tuk Creek? Where is it located? BTW does this scene look familiar? This is one of Washington's 100 year flooding that happens every year.[sly][/size][/#008000][/font]
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[BigFishingShop]

Sorry about the bummer update but I have found that the "masses" tend to huddle together for the perceived security leaving most of our beautiful planet pretty much alone for us to fish in peace. Puget sound just happens to be one of populated zones.
Tuk creek isn't too well known because there is no public access but it's the drainage for the draw that Woodinville / Duvall road runs out to Duvall through.
You indeed brought a chuckle to my morning, the annual 100 year flood, isn't the best humor based in fact ?!!? I think I took that picture lol. it's the bridge over the Snoqualmie at NE 124th looking at Novelty Hill I would guess.
And cheer up Dryrod, you can still drive from Bear Creek to Redmond in 10 minutes, just gotta do it at 4:00 AM is all . Another great little trout creek there is Stossel Creek, into the Cascade foothills behind Duvall. Back in the Eighties, You could drive in Big Rock Rd.( BTW Big Rock is a State Park and has the fame of being the smallest state park in the country) And access a huge chunk of the Cascades owned by Weyerhauser and Scott Paper, Miles and miles of great streams and little lakes but a few ruined it by stealing logging equipment and dumping junk so it's all since been gated. (We ever meet up for some fly fishing Western Washington, I have a key for the Ilco lock []. ) I will refrain from any further potentially depressing "How it used to be", forums should be enlightening and about FISHING lol but just check out the image I took off of Google Earth, wow huh?
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[Dryrod]

[font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]No problem posting here for a chit chat. That's why it's called the watering hole. Here's a Google shot of where I use to live. Right on the Bear Creek Country Club GC. Couldn't afford that scene in SoCal. I was about 8 miles from the Snoqualmie. Now that was really convenient to get to - except during a 100 yr flood. LOL[/size][/#008000][/font]
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[BigFishingShop]

Oh yeah, no kidding, I am NO millionaire's son and my modest little 20 acres of God's country would be for movie stars and their attorneys only down there lol. $39,000 cash out in 2006 !! I remember when I was a boy seeing Howard Hughes interviewed briefly at LAX ( All rare ) and the kid reporter asked him how he got to be the richest man in the world, he replied, "It's not how much money you make, it's how much of that money you are able to save !!" Check out what's happened to the home values in Bear Creek CC and keep in mind, it's down over 20% right now due to the economy

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/reb/865320459.html
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[BigFishingShop]

[inline smelt6.jpg]Almost forgot about smelt dipping on the Cowlitz, ever get a chance ?? Buddy of mine from Chehalis took me down for the run and what an experience !! Can honestly say that I went out and caught several hundred fish in just a few hours. Went back and made Smelt Pizza . I know what you may be thinking but if you never had Smelt Pizza with Homemade German Sausage from Odessa, Fresh picked Matsutake mushrooms from Shelton, organic tomatoes right off the vine, etc. fresh etc. including fresh flown in pineapple on Boboli crust done on a pizza brick, Not coming to a Pizza Hut near you anytime soon, these Chehalis guys can cook and the smelt run is this huge party/festival for these folks, fun yummy time. Still munching on smoked smelt several weeks later and last bite every bit as good as first
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