John’s Guide Service Fishing & Hunting Blog

Here’s to the end of yet another great fishing and hunting season and the beginning of a new year! Thanks to all those that joined us over 2008 and to those that helped us out in the completion of our log home… look forward to seeing you all again in 2009.

Looking forward to having our B&B, “The Stillwater”, up and running sometime this coming Spring.

Here’s some winter steelheading pics to round out our 2008 season and start off our 2009 season:

Dave and son with a couple of nice Hatchery Steelhead

Joon with a nice Hatchery Steelhead

Eric, “Jinxie” and friend with a few nice Skagit River Hatchery Steelhead

Kevin and Gang with a few nice Hatchery Steelhead

Sean and Gang starting our new year off with a few nice Skagit River Hatchery Steelhead.

Took this past Saturday off to go and pick up our new Pup, “Skyfires Tabathas Okie Drifter”… Tabbie for short! Tabbie is our 2yr old Chocolate Lab’s (”Boone - Dog Dundee”… Boone for short) Neice. Boone is already crazy about her!!

Boone and Tabbie riding in the back of the Burb. Bringing Tabbie to her new home!

Tabbie took right to Boone and less than a week later the two are still inseparable.

OK, Almost inseparable,.. Tabbie takes time to nap with Dad after a long cold day on the river.

Skagit Fisherman Aaron, lost his a new Canon Sd700 Digital Elph Camera at the “Howard Miller Steelhead Park” boat ramp here in Rockport last Friday… Please, contact us immediately if found!!

“Good Fish Karma” to the finder of lost camera that returns it!! … “Bad Fish Karma” to someone that found it and doesn’t attemp to find the proper owner!

BRING ON THE GOOD KARMA!!! … We did it once here with another lost and found digi camera… let’s do it again!!

… A Man’s Best Friend and Companion.

Our Family Member, Friend and Companion of many years, “Katie”

Christmas this year was just “So, So” rather than “Ho, Ho” as our 16 yr old Lab / Shepard mix “Katie” took a bad turn just before the Holiday.
We had to put Katie down on December 26th, 2007.
Putting Katie down was probably one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do or been through as I held her in my lap and watched her slip away as our vet gave her the shot to put all her pain at ease. Katie lived a great life and was extremely happy! As she got older she developed a bad case of arthritis in her hips and legs and the medicine we gave her daily to help ease her aches and pains was tough on her liver… during her last few days she could barely walk and had blood in her urine. Now she’s at peace and no longer in pain and hopefully running around Heaven with her old buddy and my other family member, friend and companion, “Jake” (Golden Retreiver I had till’ he was 16 yrs old)

She will be missed!

One of the 4 Moose we ran into while taking a few days off to do a little late season deer hunting. This cow moose was on the same trail as us about 50 yards away… was a bit of a stand off till her calf came out behind her and they both headed up the hill. They got about 1/2 way up the ridge when we heard the cow bellow, jump and chase off 6 beded down deer… guess they were a little too close to her calf.

Took a few days off and headed over to Eastern WA. to try and get our 10yr old daughter Anjelika into her second ever deer… while we didn’t see quite as many deer as last year, Anjelika got her shot at 3 of them, including a trophy buck, and now knows why they call it “Hunting” and not “Killing” Even though we came home deerless we still had a great time and the experience alone, for all of us, was priceless. We got to see quite a few deer, tons of turkeys and 4 different moose, including one nice sized bull moose that decided to face off with Dad for a few minutes. (No time for a pic of the bull moose, was a 30 yard stand off with a pissed off bull and I was more focussed on looking down a scope lense than a camera lense waiting for a charge.)

This years 4th of July brought out a whole new meaning beyond what History Class taught us back in school…. JOHNNY GETS MARRIED!!! :-)
It’s now, John, Corrina and Anjelika Koenig when you make a call to John’s Guide Service! Get Married and get the worlds absolute greatest 10 yr old daughter to boot… What more could a guy ask for!!

Yeah,.. that Gazebo I was working on all of June… it was for my wedding to “My True Love Corrina” on the 4th of July;

Here’s a pic of the Gazebo I was working on all of June, after a day’s Springer fishing here on the Skagit… All Cedar, even the cedar poles I cut from trees on our own property.

Here’s another pic of the Gazebo.

Wedding went awesome!!!!… Made our wedding a “Barbecue / with a Wedding and Fireweorks on the side, party.” Had a huge turn-out, not a dry eye in the crowd as we read our own hand-written vows, and had some really great food and then we tried to blow-up Rockport afterwords with a huge fireworks display.

I very much look forward to all of you getting to know Corrina and Anjelika!! Corrina and Anjelika started as clients back when Anjelika, now 10 yrs old, was 4 yrs old… We became quick and close friends, dated a long time and as of the 4th of July 2007… Wife and Daughter. (In Fact there is a picture somewhere in the photo gallery on my site of Anjelika back when she was 4 yrs old holding up her first ever Silver Salmon… and now she’s “Daddy’s Deck-Hand” baiting hooks and cleaning fish! )

The Koenig Family… John, Corrina and Anjelika!! :-)

John and Corrina wedding pic

Signed, Sealed and Delivered!

Look Forward to all of you getting to know Corrina and Anjelika Koenig… now the biggest part of the John’s Guide Service Family!! John

Hi all, this is Corrina…. Happiest day of my life, the 4th of July!! I am so happy to be Mrs John Koenig. Not just the “new” wife, but a client. Or should I say I used to be a client, once I moved in I don’t seem to fish as much as I used too!! But I intend on getting back out there and teaching John a thing or two!! Ok, Ok John has taught me everything I know, but if he hasn’t already told you, “women always out-fish the men” . hee, hee!! I look forward to meeting you all and working closely with John to make your fishing or hunting experience with John’s Guide Service a memorable one!!! Corrina

I have been notified by another Skagit angler that there has been a Digital Camera found at one of the launches. This Angler is obviously a man of high integrity and has come forward looking for the camera’s rightful owner. (May the Fish Gods forever smile upon him and return the good karma )

If you know of the rightful owner or are the rightful owner of this Digital Camera please contact me and I will forward your contact information to the angler that found the camera.

Got the “official” word a few weeks ago from our area biologist Brett Barkdull about the recent regs issue on being able to use Electric Motors while fishing the Skagit after March 15th, 2007. Official word is anglers will NOT be able to use Electric Motors while fishing the Skagit after March 15th, 2007.

Fishing regs stand as they were last season: No fishing while under power, single point barbless hooks, no bait or scent, all catch and release after March 15th on the Skagit River. Selective gear rules apply on the Sauk as of March 1st.

Myself and a few others will be taking more scale samples from Wild Steelhead this season on the Skagit System for the WDFW. If you are fishing within shouting range of myself, Rob Endlsey, or Cal Stocking and your Wild Steelhead is still fresh enough to get some scale samples from and still be released unharmed give us a holler.

Here’s the Wild Steelhead Collection Totals from sampling done last season:

200506 Wild Steelhead Scale Collection Totals:

Total Readable Scales: 343

No Regeneration: 302

Number of Wild Fish, Ages and % of Complete Aging: 2 - 1.1 = 0.66%, 103 - 2.1 = 34.11%, 101 - 2.2 = 33.44%, 62 - 3.1 = 20.53%, 23 - 3.2 = 7.62%, 2 - 4.1 = 0.66%, 20 Repeat Spawners = 2.98% of scale collection totals for 5.83% of the total.

All a little confusing, but for instance “2.1″ actually is a fish that spent two years in fresh water before outmigrating and almost two years in salt, in other words a “two salt”.

If you would like to see the entire 200506 Steelhead Ages Excel Spreadsheet, drop me an e-mail… I’d be more than happy to send it along.

Hey there Blog readers our new Guest Book is finally up and running!!

When ya get a chance add your touch to the new Guest Book either by Clicking here on the provided link:

GUEST BOOK

… or by clicking on the Guest Book link button on any of our tool bars throughout the site.

Thanks!!

Nice having a little time off to play catch-up, get my garden in, work on the cabin and do some Sturgeon and Trout fishing.

- A Skagit River King Salmon Season update for everyone : Spots for our June 1st through July 9th King Season are filling very quickly so we are now offering 1/2 day evening trips as well from 3PM - 7PM. Still a 3 person minimum with a cost of $250.00 for the boat. Call or E-Mail us ASAP for available spots.

- Now taking bookings for the rest of our Summer openings here on the Upper Skagit and Sauk River Rainbow Trout / Dollie Varden Fishing as well as Summer Sturgeon on the lower river.

- Also taking bookings now for our Fall Salmon and Hunting season as well.

Thank You to all that joined us for another great Spring Steelhead season here on the Skagit System!! Had a great time as always and look forward to seeing everyone back again next season as well.

Here’s a few pics for ya from the last week of April’s Steelheading season here on the Skagit: