Lone Lake - This years new members outing will be held on Saturday March 12 at Lone Lake on the south end of Whidbey Island. We are encouraging all sponsors of new members in the last TWO YEARS to contact your guys and prod them to attend, preferably with you! It's a great way to increase participation in all aspects of the club, as well as show new guys local waters and how to fish them. As always, all members and friends are welcome!

Lone lake is one of the few very fertile lakes in western Washington. It holds a nice population of fat rainbows, protected by quality water regulations. Open all year, it's a great cabin fever getaway, within an hour and a half of Seattle! A little research fishing by outing committee members on Feb. 6 produced 14 fish to hand and many more lost in about 4 hours for two anglers. All 14 to 17 inches, and in nice condition. Bead heads on intermediate lines did the trick.

We are planning a day trip to the lake, with some canopies set up at the park/boat launch area. The club will provide lunch, probably served around 1:00. Come on down in the morning, learn the lake, catch some fish, have some lunch, catch a few more fish, and home in time for dinner. Can't beat that!

UPDATE: New members outing, Lone lake, Whidbey Island: Outing is March 12, with the club and guests gathering at the park in the morning as they show up. No specific start time, pretty lazy fishing this time of year. Compare notes and learn how to fish the lake. Lunch will be ready around 1:00 under the canopies. This is a chance for new and prospective members (and guests) to learn how to fish one of our favorite local waters. Food and beverages will be provided by the club, so sign up on the outings page of the web site or call one of the outing chairs to get on the list for head count. It's a "boat" water, so float tubes, prams, and pontoon boats are most useful. I'd probably leave the Boston Whaler at home. Sinking and intermediate lines work well, with buggy nymphs and black leeches being most popular. (especially bead heads) Later on, when the water's warmer, dry flies and chironomids can be very good. Catch the Mukilteo ferry and head north about 15 minutes to the lake, it's easy to find on any map. Most of all, have fun! Dave Schorsch 206-227-6134 Mark Pratt 425-488-9862 Need more info.? You can e-mail me at davidschorsch@aol.com or call 206-227-6134.
>sign-up to attend

Dry Falls Lake - Spring Dry Falls outing: Our annual spring trip to Dry Falls Lake is April 16 and 17 at Sun Lakes State Park. We have reserved sites 26 and 27 for the club shindig Saturday evening. It's located in the back of the campground with a little cover for wind. You can reserve sites in advance through the Wa. State Parks site, or just grab one when you get there, there's always lots of room. We also choose this location because there are hookup sites just across the road, so you can park your "Mastodon Mobile Manor" right close to Billy Backpackers blue tarp. Everybody's welcome! (there are cabins for rent at Sun Lakes Resort if that floats your boat)

 The club will be hosting the usual happy hour around the fire starting about "5ish". We will set up the club grill, and provide steaks, so you can grill 'em like you want 'em. Make sure to sign up for an accurate head count! As always, bring your favorite happy hour snack or appetizer to share! Anything goes, with hot stuff really popular this time of year. The club will provide pop, beer, and some wine. Feel free to bring your own beverage choices, but be prepared to share the good stuff! Firewood is always needed, you can never have a big enough fire for some folks, so indicate on the sign up page if you'll have some. Warning! Story telling and song singing may erupt under these conditions. Be prepared!

The fishing on Dry Falls in early spring can be terrific, depending on weather. The fish are not selective yet, (unless you really neeeeeeed to fish chironomids) and are very bright. Most have never been hooked, and are quick and electric. If the weather is nice, look to the shallows around the sunny edges early, and the shaded edges later in the day. I fish a dry line and weighted nymph when prospecting the shallows, and a clear intermediate with an olive bead head in deeper (5 to 10 foot) water after the sun gets high.

So come join us at Dry Falls! It's a good time! See you there! Dave Schorsch 206-227-6134 Mark Pratt 425-488-9862 >sign-up to attend

Chopaka Lake - The damsels and mays are calling, it must be time to head for Chopaka!

The clubs annual Memorial Day weekend at Chopaka Lake is always a blast, no matter the weather! We gather in the main camp area at the lake, Saturday thru Monday, May 28-30. Look for the club banner!

We will have the traditional Saturday potluck/happy hour around 5:00. Bring your best appetizer/side dish to share. The club grill will be set up for everybody to use by dinner time, so bring your steaks, kabobs, snake, rhino,etc... the club will provide pop, beer, cheap wine. Harder choices are on you, expect to share. Sunday morning (not too early) is the pancake breakfast; will need help with stoves and volunteers. Sunday evening, another happy hour, with the tempura crew setting up woks and fish and batter. Always good stuff with cold beverages.

The more the merrier! More volunteer help means more casting a dry fly along the reeds for the crew!

Chopaka is a beautiful lake in a beautiful setting, lots to see and do other than fishing, it's a great place to bring spouse and family. The Campground has outhouse style facilities, and a hand pump on a well, although I don't use the water there myself. The camp should be considered dry, so bring plenty of water, along with some firewood. Music has become sort of a tradition at the Chopaka campfire, so feel free to bring your guitar or kazoo, and sing along.

The fishing is mixed, along with the mountain weather, so bring everything. The mayfly hatch usually starts after noon, with fish starting on emergers earlier. At the peak of the hatch, fish grab parachutes and clipped Adams with abandon in 16 to 12. Damsels are always good, with heavy hatches at times, and active fish working the weeds for nymphs and hovering adults. There are some BIG hot fish here, so expect to get broken off in the weeds. Bring backup flies along with the rain gear. For the diehards (like me) the day wraps up with night fishing. Dragging a black leech behind the boat in the dark results in screaming hits from some of the biggest fish in the lake. You can hear people hollering clear across the lake when it happens. Then retire to the fire for story's and a nitecap. Bed feels good after a day like that.

I hope to see lots of you there this year. Let's make some memories! Dave Schorsch 206-227-6134 >sign-up to attend

Fish Lake - Fish Lake sits about seventeen miles east of Stevens Pass in the Cascades. A short trip gets you from the soggy evergreens of the "sound" to the ponderosa pines of the Lake Wenatchee area. A left turn at Coles Corner gets you to the road to Fish Lake. Follow the signs to the private boat launch and campground at the lake. It cost five bucks to launch a boat there last year, so I assume it's about that now. There is also a campground at the state park at Lake Wenatchee just up the road, for those of you planning on spending the weekend.

This outing is intended as an "easy" day trip with minimal prep and expense required. It's about 90 miles from my house in West Seattle to the lake. So heading out early and packing a lunch works well. After a day of fishing the lake, with a possible get together about lunch time at the boat launch to share fish info and a sandwich, we can get together at one of the restaurants at Coles Corner for chow and beers on the way home. This is a good trip to share with another angler in one vehicle. You might even get home in time to watch "Jersey Housewives".

The fishing: I usually head west (left from the boat launch) to the shallow and more wind protected end of the lake. There I fish dragonfly or damsel nymph patterns on intermediate or dry lines for rainbows and the occasional squawfish. The squawfish are now called northern pike minnows, which does not save them from a grizzly demise in the shoreline brush. Raccoons love 'em! Farther east, along the deeper south shore, you'll see people trolling with rapalas and big flatfish for the big browns that live in the lake, and eat the abundant minnows. I fish here, when the weather allows, with a full sinker or shooting head and a zonker type streamer in olive or white. Dace patterns work too. My best brown was about seven pounds, several years ago.

This is a "boat" lake, with little functional shoreline access. Most any vessel will work, just be prepared to cover some water in a day.

The outdoor committee is planning more day trips, that are less expensive to attend than some of our traditional outings. If you have any ideas of great quick trips, near home, let us know!

See you at fish lake! Dave Schorsch 206-227-6134
>sign-up to attend

Leech Lake - We are returning to Leech Lake July 16 and 17 to chase Brookies and eat steaks. The outing went so well last year, that we're gonna do it again, except a little earlier. Same social plan, with Saturday happy hour around 5:00, and dinner to follow. The club will provide steaks and beverages, you bring side dishes and appetizers. Pancake breakfast Sunday morning! Just bring your appetite! (set up and cleanup volunteers always appreciated)

The nice folks at White pass Village Inn (509-672-3131) have lots of rooms available, and are really looking forward to our group showing up. Said it was the best time they had last year! We'll be setting up barbeques and canopies on their lawns. They have several different layouts available to sleep lots of people, and sharing the condos is really quite inexpensive. Four of us shared a "standard" loft condo last year, (and hosted the breakfast there) for 28.00 apiece.

For those of you who prefer camping, there are some nice campsites around the lake, available on a first come basis. They fill up, so get there early.

The fishing is pretty easy, with dry lines fishing most of this shallow lake well. Small bead heads and long leaders work, but I prefer dry flies. The brookies look up a lot, even when there is no obvious hatch going on. There are some nice rainbows in the lake (triploids?), which will be the biggest in your catch for sure. Most of the Brookies are pan size, and really pretty. As of June 12, the lake was open (no ice) but there was still a foot of snow in the campground. Should be all warmed up for us by the time we arrive.

This is a beautiful trip, driving through Mt. Rainier National Park, with mountain passes in full bloom. Less than a hundred miles from Seattle! So come join us! Make sure to sign up on the web site for an accurate dinner and breakfast count. See you there! Dave Schorsch 206-227-6134
>sign-up to attend

Scottish Lakes High Camp >sign-up to attend

Scenic Beach, Hood Canal - We're going to Hood Canal to chase Sea-run cutts and silvers Sept. 17 and 18!

Jay Deeds and his wife Jone have graciously agreed to host the club at their waterfront home near Seabeck again this year! We will be fishing all around the area from boats (mostly) and having a pizza feed in the evening. There is a pubic boat launch just north of their house, and a park with campground within a mile for those interested in more than a day trip.

This is another easy drive from Seattle, just over the hill from Silverdale. Last year we fished Saturday, ate pizza from Seabeck pizza delivery, (might have had a few beers too, after all, it's pizza) and fished Sunday.

While there is some shore fishing available in the area, the guys with boats will carry the day here. Runs to Dabob bay and rocky beaches miles away are common. Even so, last year we caught most of our fish in the bay just south of Jays house! This is a great trip for those of us with "motor" boats. I'm hoping to get enough boats out that everyone has a ride that wants one! Pontoon boats and prams work well too with protected water at places like the bay at Seabeck.

Please sign up if you think you might attend, and I'll send you directions to Jays house and the park/ boatlaunch area. If you haven't fished for sea-runs and silvers in the salt, this is a good time to learn from the real die-hards of the sport! Rods in the 5 to 7 weights are plenty, with attractor patterns (read yellow and orange and green) and forage fish ties the most effective. Small Clousers in white/green/olive and some candlefish steamers will turn on the cutties most days. Silvers take the same stuff, preferring slightly deeper water.

Any questions, give me a call ,or e-mail (I check it about once a week) Will have more specific site info on the web in the next week or so. Dave Schorsch 206-227-6134
>sign-up to attend
Tides & Directions

Dry Falls Lake - Our annual fall outing to Dry Falls Lake is the weekend of October 1,2.

This is the favorite trip of the year for many members! The weather is usually nice, the fishing is usually great, and the scenery is always awesome. The Saturday potluck happy hour is legendary. The club will provide steaks and beverages for those that sign up. This is the trip to bring your spouse/significant other/better half to show you really don't hang out with cretins all the time! Lots of wives attend, and there's plenty for kids to do too. Music breaks out around the fire, so bring your singing voice or musical weapon of choice.

We will be gathering in the "cove" area in the campground at Sun Lakes State Park. Thats toward the back, around site 29 for those of you wanting to make reservations in advance.

Most of us have fished Dry Falls for years, but for those that haven't, it's about time you learned how great lake fishing can be. The fall has the water cooling, and the fish are feeding heavily for the winter. They've had a whole seson to bulk up, and the Browns are prowling the shallows in fall spawning mode. Long leaders and dry lines work all day along the shorelines, with buggy numphs in buggy colors working best. Slow mooching a deep level sinker with a leech will work, as will bobbering chironomid worms, but the fish are smaller in my experience. This is the trip to get your biggest trout of the year! So don't miss it!

Sign up for an accurate steak count, and don't forget your best appetizer or side dish! See you there! Dave Schorsch >sign-up to attend

WETBUNS - Penrose Point State Park - The annual Wetbuns outing is happening at Penrose Point State Park November 5 and 6. This is the time to chase cutthroat and chums and maybe some silvers in the salt. After a day on the water, we retire to the park to prepare one of the best meals of the year!

Those that fished and those that didn't gather at the park around 4:00 to start preparing the ingredients for our Bouillabaisse! A seafood stew of epic proportions cooked outdoors with lots of group effort and advice! Chopping, cracking, and dicing can work up a thirst, so the club provides beverages through the happy hour. The stew is cooked in a giant pot while we enjoy happy hour snacks and share stories of the day/week/year. Garlic bread warms on the bonfire while we "breath" the wine. Everyone should bring an appetizer and a sturdy bowl and spoon because what happens is more than soup! After a great meal, we sit around and visit, watch the stars if it's not raining, watch the rain if it is, clean up a little, and go home or head for camp. (don't forget to bring a covered container for leftovers!)

We have reserved the group area, which includes a covered picnic space and multiple camp sites. Those hardy souls that will spend the night can camp free, as the sites are paid for in the group area fee. If you plan on spending more than Saturday night, you may have to camp in one of the other campgrounds for those nights. This is another of the classic WFFC outings, and I wouldn't miss it for the world, no matter the weather! A lot of folks just go down for the dinner, which is great, just sign up on the web site so we can get a head count for the dinner ingredients.

The fishing: Sea-run cutts and resident silvers are available from the beaches at Penrose and Joemma parks. Boat launches are everywhere around Vaughn, Allyn, Gig Harbor, Home Bay, and more. Hand launch at the park can work too. I will try to post current fishing opportunities on the web site just before the outing. Sign up for more info. stream!

Hope to see you all there! Tight lines!

Dave Schorsch 206-227-6134  >sign-up to attend