John’s Guide Service Fishing & Hunting Blog

Our hatchery run is definately tapering off a bit, but our wild run is just getting started and is improving daily.

Been one cold wet snowy week up here this week… Snow started Monday night and never did let up until late Tuesday afternoon, leaving us with 10 inches of snow here in Rockport.

For Tuesdays crazy snow storm we were joined by Ryan and Brent for some hard-core winter steelhead fishing here on the Skagit. While the snow made for some pretty spectacular scenery, it was some pretty uncomfortable fishing for all of us. (Cold, hard to see or feel the bite, and soaked) Even though I was right there with ya, chilled to the bone, I still had a great time guys… Thanks Again!!

Even though we were pounded with all the snow we still managed to hook into some nice fish including this dandy Wild Steelhead Brent hooked.

Took Wednesday off due to some pretty miserable driving conditions up here, including the boat ramp I barely made it out of and up the day before, but we were back on the water again today with regulars Gary and Tad. Today was definately Gary’s day… Congrats again Gary!!! Live it up while ya can!! Gary smoked both Tad and I today! Had a great time as always guys… Thanks again!!

Not only did Gary catch a nice Wild Steelhead on the 1st drift of the morning, he caught one of the hatchery steelhead above on the very next drift. Gary, above, with another limit of hacthery 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.

Keep forgetting the digital camera at home and have missed some pics of some great fish over the last week, including some high teen Wild Steelhead… To those whose pics we didn’t get, Sorry!.. and to those who brought their own camera’s, or even the cell phone pics, send them to me if ya could, would love to see how they turned out.

Our hatchery steelhead run has tappered off a bit and our wild steelhead run is just getting started!! Looking like a good wild run if the amt of fish we are seeing now are any indication of run size… been one of the better starts to our wild steelhead run that we’ve seen in years.

To those that joined us over the last week, Thanks for the great time!! Had a blast as always!!

Tad with a dandy Wild Buck Steely

Tad and Gary with a couple nice hatchery steelhead.

Scott (Messy Marvin) and gang with a couple of dandy hatchery steelhead (Still cleaning egg-goo from my reels Scott! )

Gonna’ be a quicky here… been working like a mad man on the log home every day after getting off the river. (Check out our “Log Blog” for pics) Our Hatchery season here on the Skagit is starting to taper off a bit (Still hooking into quite a few every day though) and our Wild Steelhead return is just getting under way (Hooking into at least one nice Wild Steelhead a day now… Some dandies too!!)

To all those that have joined us over the last two weeks, a big “Thank You !” Thank you for starting our 2008 Season off with a bang!! Had a Blast as always and look forward to doing it again “reel” soon!! (Maybe without all the wet weather next time out!) Sorry if I didn’t get your pic up here, either because I forgot my Digi Camera that day or because your pic didn’t turn out… Here’s a few for ya though:

Ralph with a Dandy Nate Steely!

Mark and “Scott” with a couple of dandy Hatchery Steelhead… Sorry, anyone that has fished with me can tell ya I’m terrible with names…. But I can tell ya the exact spot and time ya caught that fish.

O.K., Lets see if I can get the names right with this “Fig- Bella” group… Dave, Scott, and Mike… with a few Dandy Hatchery Steelhead… Did I get it right guys? I can tell Ya’ for sure … Dbl Hdr on two of the Steelies and Next pass getting the 3rd.

Happy New Years 2008

Jo and Kevin Do It Again!! Every year Jo and Kevin start off our new season strong with a nice limit of Steelhead and a nice Wild Steelhead as well… A little re-cap…

Jo with her Wild Steelhead Hen, New Years Day 2006. (First Wild Steelhead of the season in 2006)

Jo with a dandy Hatchery Steelhead, New Years Day 2007.

Jo and Kevin with their New Years Day 2007 limit of Steelhead!

… And for NEW YEARS DAY 2008…

Jo and Kevin catch a dandy limit of Hatchery Steelhead to start off our 2008 Season!!

Jo did it again too… 1st drift… 1st pass… gets her 1st Hatchery Steelhead in the exact same spot as last New Years Day!!! Way to go Jo!!

Had an absolute blast as always guys!! (” Jo, ya got somthing there on yer lip.” ) …. Make sure you guys make that flight up from Texas next New Years Day… Won’t be the same without ya!!

Thanks Again for starting our season off right!

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!!