John’s Guide Service Fishing & Hunting Blog

Just like our “Reports” page says… I’ve heard it from everyone! I am really sorry that I didn’t keep our Blog updated with the days fishing and pics for all those out there needing there “Fish Porn” fix… didn’t realize how many of Ya missed the reports and pics. I’m back at it now and will make more time for all of Ya out there and keep on the “Reports”, “Blog” and “Monday Night Chat”.

Been one crazy arse’ Summer and I was busier than a one legged mule in an arse’ kicking contest! Now,.. Things are starting to settle down just a bit and my wife Corrina is now running the business end of “John’s Guide Service” leaving me to more time to update the site, chat a bit, spend more time with the family, and do what I do best… hunt and fish!

Our summer season consisted of a lot of King Salmon fishing:

A little Sturgeon Fishing:

…And a whole lot of Pink Salmon fishing on one of the largest Pink Salmon runs to ever hit the Skagit River, Check out the News Links below; (Yep,.. yours truly in the news)

“King 5 News Report on the Skagit River Pink Salmon run.”

“Komo 4 News Report on the Skagit River Pink Salmon run.”

Thanks to all that joined us over the Summer and sorry if your pics aren’t posted here in the attempt to play, “Blog Catch-Up” here. Look forward to seeing all of you again soon… Thank You!

After a month off getting things done around the log home and getting our garden in it was nice to finally get back out on the water for the opening week of our Hatchery Chinook (a.k.a. Springers) season.

Started off the week with some unseasonably hot weather, with temps in the high 80’s to low 90’s here on the Skagit… which made for some very high water fishing conditions! Even with all the hot weather the Skagit never did blow out or become unfishable.

Fishing all week was pretty much the usual for hatchery Spring Chinook fishing… The fish are there, the trick is just getting them to bite. We had one phenominal day of fishing along with a few tough days; Again… typical Springer fishing.

Here’s a few pics from opening week of Springer Fishing here on the upper Skagit River: (No pics of the Wild Chinook or the Wild Steelhead we caught and released this week… there has been a few around though)

Brian and crew came up for one absolutely phenominal day of Springer fishing here on the upper Skagit… Ya dont wanna’ even know how many we hooked into this day, just wish the landing ratio was a little better. Zack, where’s my king pic from your daughter?!?! I’m a believer now!! Look forward to seeing you guys again next month Brian… had a great time as usual. Thanks!!

Harold and his wife Janene (sp?) Spent a couple of nights camping at “Howard Miller Steelhead Park” and fished with us for a day as well. Betcha’ that fish tasted great on the barbeque back at camp that night. Had a great time Harold and Janene and very much look forward to seeing you guys back again for some more fishing. Sorry we didn’t get a chance to get a pic of that dandy Steelhead.

Mike and gang back again to join us this go around for some hatchery Spring Chinook fishing here on the upper Skagit. Had a great time as always and hooked into a couple of dandy Chinook including one nice Wild Summer King we released. That Wild King was just a small taste of whats coming next month Mike… See Ya then and thanks for the great time!!

To end off our opening week we were joined by Doug and Dave for a shot at some of our Hatchery Spring Chinook… Weather cooled off over night and the river went from really high and colored to dialed in and in primo shape… to bad the fish didn’t get the memo on that! We did manage to hook into a few though and Doug landed the nice Springer in the pic above. Thanks again Dave and Doug… had a great time and looking forward to seeing you guys again next month for some Wild Summer Chinook action.

Thanks to all that joined for opening week here on the upper Skagit… I had a great time and very much look forward to seeing you all again in the next few months.

Other than the cold blast of rain we just had on Easter Sunday, things are finally starting to warm up weather wise and fish wise as well!! Still slower than your average Spring Steelhead run, we’re averaging 4 - 6 hook-ups a day, but they have all been real dandy fish so far. Seems our two salt fish are running a little late this season.

Again, haven’t been taking too many pics this season… been trying to get DNA samples and scale samples and get the fish back on their way un-harmed.

Here’s a few pics for Ya from this past week:

“The Squirrel Hunter” Erika, with her first Wild Steelhead

Robbo with a “Bucket List River” Wild Steelhead

Big Tom “The Great Pumpkin” with an Easter Steelhead

Dave Maibe joined Big Tom for a day and caught his first ever Steelhead over 20 pounds!! This chrome bright Buck measured 41 inches long with a 21.6 inch girth. Congrats again Dave!!

Another pic of Dave’s big Steelhead showing just how girthy this big boy really was!

Isn’t March supposed to go out like a lion and April in like a lamb?… Well the lion is still here!! Lots of rain and wind here the past few days and I’m still waiting for the “Global Warming”!!

Yeah, I know… It’s about time I got the blog and reports page all updated. Like I said earlier in the year I was taking the Winter off and relaxing a bit in our newly finished log home and laying low for awhile… Seems like the Steelhead were thinking the same thing most of this Winter. Was a pretty tough Hatchery Steelhead season over-all and a tough start to our Wild Steelhead Run here as well and from what I’m hearing it was pretty much State wide.

Been a real low water year and our Wild Steelhead have been slow to move up the Skagit system and I’m happy to report with all the very recent rain, a rise in water levels along with numbers of fish… they’re coming! Been doing some fishing for the WDFW, Seattle City Light and The Skagit Cooperative with their Biologists and Rob Endsley, placing radio transmitters in fish, and taking DNA and Scale samples from Wild Steelhead lately in much of the system… Again, if you’re out there fishing and happen to see Rob or I out fishing while you have a fish on, wave on us over and let us get some samples of your fish if you wouldn’t mind.

Thanks to all that have joined us fishing over the past few weeks, I’ve had a great time as always and look forward to seeing you all again real soon! Still have a few April openings left for anyone thats interested!! Didn’t take near as many pics this past month as I would have liked too and I apologize to those whose pics didn’t come out. (Wasn’t the best weather for taking pics in and it seems my camera lens musta’ been fogged up on many of them… if you fished with us and any of your pics turned out feel free to e-mail them to us)

Here’s a little March fish porn for Ya:

I’ll do my very best to update regular here the rest of April for evreyone… especially those e-mailing or calling me for updates and fish porn. Book one of the remaing April dates and Lets Go Fishing!!

2009 LAST CAST CLUB!!

Join the L.C.C. this year!!

As promised, we’re getting the L.C.C. started up again this year.

Anyone can join, any fish, any state, with any guide or on your own, and rules are simple. Just reply to the post here with your Last Cast Story and I’ll edit this Blog Entry and add your name along with fish species you landed to the 2009 Last Cast Club list below.

L.C.C. Rules: (be honest now!)
This is how it works:

1. To be a member of the L.C.C. you must hook and land a fish on your Last Cast. Whether you keep the fish or not is up to you, but the fish must be landed on your very last cast to be counted for the club.

2. A witness helps but if you are fishing alone we expect you to be honest here when telling your story. A picture helps too.

3. You must say loudly, “Last Cast!” and it has to be just that…your very last cast for the day!! None of those, “OK.. one more cast” things and no more fishing for the rest of the day either.

4. It doesn’t matter if it’s first thing in the morning or at the end of a long day of fishing, to join the L.C.C it has to be your last cast for the day.

(We’ll see how many people join here, maybe we’ll give out some kind of trophy or prize for L.C.C. members with more than one species on their Last Cast…it’s up for ideas)

2009 Last Cast Club: CONGRATS !!!

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I’ve been asked the following question many times while out guiding… “What do guides do when they retire?”

… and here’s the answer, “We move three feet forward!”

No more rowing, no more standing by the tiller handle in the back of the boat… we move 3 feet forward and let someone else do all the work and finally get to hook and land our own fish.

Today was just that day! Got to take out recently retired “Skagit River Guide” Rob Endsley for a day of fun fishing. (Just locally retired though!… Rob still owns and operates Prince Of Wales Sportfishing in Alaska)

Rob and I always had a great time guiding the same water together in seperate boats, but today Rob got to fish outta’ mine for a change and move 3 feet forward.

Pic of Rob and I together releasing one of the Wild Steelhead we hooked today. Think this is one of the only pictures we’ve ever gotten together Rob !?!

Good friend and client Gary also joined Rob and I out on the water today adding to the fun. Here’s Gary holding one of the Hatchery Steelhead we hooked into today.

All in all a great day of fishing with a couple of great friends! Look forward to doing again soon Robbo’ and Gary!

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.

Well after many years of hard work on our Log Home on every day off and every day after guiding… Our log home is finally there and we now have our final and are all moved in… A Huge Sigh of relief!!! We are 99.9% done with all of our log home’s finishing touches but I plan on taking it a bit easier the rest of this Winter to get back into the swing of things, enjoy the company of family and friends and get back into some things I’ve been neglecting for the past year or so. Take a look at our “Log Home Blog” and check it out if Ya have’nt had the chance to already: http://blog2.johns-guide-service.com/

Plan on getting back into updating our “Reports” page and Blog here on a more regular basis once again as well.

Here’s some more overdure fish porn for Ya as well:

Bill and Joyce with a couple of dandy Silvers before the end of our Silver season here on the Skagit

Dave with a couple of dandy Skagit River Silvers

Bob with a couple of dandy Silvers to end out our targeting of this years Silvers

What better way to start out our Winter Steelhead season than with good friend Dave Vedder and gang!

Mike and gang with some nice Skagit River Hatchery Steelhead

A couple more hatchery steelhead for the UMC Boyz!

Now weather permitting I plan on being out there and remembering my camera every day through the rest of the season… Can’t wait!! (Hope it warms up a bit though!!!… Was 9 degrees yesterday morning… OUCH!!)

Holly Shiznit are there a ton a Chum in the Skagit right now!!!… More than I’ve ever seen for this time of year!!! Crazy fightin’ “Army Fish” are everywhere and in full Camo too!! Think someone put it best earlier this week when they compared it to being as good as AK Fishing and then said its like fishing a Pink Run,… only they’re WAY bigger and meaner!!! I think absolutely everyone over the past week has gone home with sore arms from fightin’ so many fish!! Fightin’ through the Chum trying to land some Silvers has been a challenge to say the least and the chum we have been keeping have all had sea-lice still on them!

Here’s some more overdue fish porn for Ya:

Frank’s at it again… Slaying more fish with us here on the Skagit!

Pete and I with a quick limit of Skagit Silvers

Mike with his nice limit of Silvers

3 Generations of the Griffenberg Boys together with some nice Chum Salmon… Of course Joe Sr. had to show all the boys how it was done! Way to go Joe!!

Tad and Gary back for some more great salmon slaying action!!

OK… Off for a week to take my wife to get her Elk!! Back soon!

Sorry guys~! … OK, finally some pics for you guys! Sorry, gonna make it a quick pic post here for Ya wihout all the “Team Nabisco” stories and nicknames for each days fishing… Next year for sure!!(Headed out Elk Hunting AM)…

… OK, for the UMC Group this year; Big Fish goes to Gary! Not only for landing the largest keeper Silver but also the 30# King he caught and released on light spinning tackle. Kudos Gary and Congrats!!

The Two largest keeper Silvers for the UMC Group… Gary’s winner on the right weighing in at 16 pounds!

And now the rest of the UMC Group Pics for you guys;