Where: The beaches, but not our beaches
When: Last Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Conditions: Overcast, muggy, sometimes windy
Flies used: Clousers, Shock & Awes, chum babies, Bjorn's Stinger Prawn
Species pursued: Sea-run dolly varden; king salmon (briefly)

Songs of the trip: "Take It On The Run," REO Speedwagon; "Here I Go Again," Whitesnake; "Mud On The Tires," Brad Paisley; "Pepper," Butthole Surfers; "Clubbed To Death," Rob D; "Where It's At," Beck; "Silence (Tiesto Mix)," Delerium, featuring Sarah McLachlan

After a couple of years of staying local, the itch to do something different had finally won out.

It was an easy choice, actually. Affordable air fare, a friend who knew the local fishery and having the appropriate equipment already in my possession made this trip a no-brainer.

And besides, I needed something to do for my birthday weekend!

In summary:

Alaska is beautiful.

The marauding swarms of hungry bugs are not.

The fishing is different, but not enough to prevent you from using a lot of your basic beach skills successfully. The differences are subtle and figuring them out is not so subtly rewarding. :)

There's something different to do every month during the late spring through fall--I would/will go again if I get the chance.

And now, for the photo show:

A little in-flight scenery...

...leads to a not-so-scenic landing. Oh well, I guess that's what Gore-Tex is for.

Ummm...welcome to Alaska!

The first fish of the trip--not more than 2 hours after landing!

This guy again! This time with a nice-sized dolly.

Creek fishing here is pretty good, too.

Especially if you have the right fly!

No that isn't a bear in the left background, it's a horse. We could have used it on the hike down here...

Then again, a 2.4 mile hike in waders and full gear is a small price to pay for this view...

Yup, that's a glacier!

The bugs suck--literally. But only after they give you a nasty little bite.

Now that's what I'm talking about!

One of many caught under the bridge.

The eagles like fishing under the bridge, too!

Another good dolly.

You can't deny the sculpin.

The same goes for these finned frisbees--not a bad fight on a 5 weight, though.

Man down!

No, I didn't catch it but I did get a chunk of it to take home.

Glaciers are cool--no pun intended.

No report for this week--I headed out for a morning on the Sound Saturday, but just couldn't bring myself to fight the wind.

Besides, I've been distracted by preparing for an upcoming trip I'll be taking next weekend--Alaska beaches, here I come!

Instead, I wanted to share the details of some screaming deals, a rod giveaway and, of course, free food and drink, courtesy of Puget Sound Fly Co.

This coming Saturday, June 13th, in observation of their sixth successful year, they're thanking the fly fishing community for their support by hosting this soiree and offering an incredible one-day sale on various items.

Some examples of the great buys privy to folks showing up between 10AM and 4PM include:

-ALL SIMMS FELT BOOTS: 30% off
-Ross Evolution reels: 30% off
-Ross Momentum reels: 50% off
-Sage VT2 rods 25% off
-Airflo Skagit N.W. lines 40%+ off
-Select Fishpond Items 40% off
-Patagonia 40% off
+ plenty more from: Sage, Redington, Outcast and G-Loomis
(In stock items only. Special orders do not qualify for discounts, but trust us there’s a lot of great gear and clothing on sale.)

So come out, grab some grub, talk fishing with like-minded folks and toss your name in the rod raffle hat--I guarantee you'll have a good time!

Where: The beach
When: Saturday
Conditions: Sunny, warm, windy
Flies used: Clousers
Species pursued: Sea-run cutthroat

Song of the day: "Who Can It Be Now?," Men At Work

The cost of a three-day weekend is double the work.

That's what I faced last week and despite my best efforts, I just couldn't muster the energy to write about my fruitless, yet relaxing, trip to a few Seattle-area beaches.

I'll do my best to catch you up:

I found a great place to stash my gear while I spent a little time in the sun...

...and snacked on these tasty little morsels.

And since fishing was slow...

Long story short, all I caught were some rays.

On the other hand, this past weekend was a different story.

While I don't mind taking a break from getting my routine fix every once in a while, it's not something I can do more than once, maybe twice a year.

Defying the weather forecast, I tossed my gear in the car on Saturday morning, determined to find a beach that wasn't blowing like crazy.

It took me a few beaches, but I finally found one.

As well as a few cutthroat.

Not bad for a sunny, windy day...