Barry Sehlin - Sauk River

SAUK RIVER

Sauk County PK         74 Mi / 1+45
White Creek                75 Mi / 1+45
Bridge near Suattle         81 Mi / 2+00
Mouth of Cascade via Rockport Cascade Rd 79 Mi / 1+55
Marble Creek CG        88 Mi / 2+10
Max fishable level 7,000 CFS at Sauk at Sauk
NOTES on Marble Creek Campground: Sites in order of preference:

#3 On River, back in to put door on camp side, no fish at site.
#5 On river, no fish at site
#12 At end of road, nice site on river, but people will probably come through to get access to the river.
#9 On river but short and not level. Sites on side of road opposite river much better.
#6 Fair, but not level. Would need blocks under tires to level.
#1   A very nice site, but reserved for Host. If no Host very good.
Clear Creek Campground, 3 Miles SOUTH of Darrington. Right on river. Several sites ok for motor home. About a dozen sites. Reservations OK

2/8/2006        Sauk River at White Creek
        Water Temp (Skagit at Marblemount USGS report) 41°,         sunny and clear
        Visibility Unlimited
        USGS Discharge at Sauk 4400cfs, at Darrington 850 cfs
Water level at base of bank near parking area. Needed to wade down White Creek and cross mouth of creek in river to get to bar below creek.
        Fished 6 hours. Got one 20" Dolly Varden on white/yellow streamer.

2/25/2006         Sauk River at White Creek, w/Martin
        0830 Water Temp 36°, Air Temp 28°, overcast, mostly calm wind
Visibility5 ft.
USGS discharge at Sauk 2300 cfs, at Darrington 350 cfs
Water level 5 or 6 feet below bottom of bank near parking area. Could fish river below parking area. Very nice hole there.
        Fished 6 hours. Martin got 1 12-14" Dolly Varden on white streamer
        Note: Skagit at Rockport 39°

3/18/2006        Sauk River 1 Mile Below Sauk/Suattle Headquarters, w/Martin
0930 Water Temp 40°, Air Temp 45°, Visibility +5ft, Overcast with sun breaks later. Sauk at Darrington discharge about 330 (average for date 600+), Sauk at Sauk 1700.
Parked beyond end of guard rail. Bushwhacked up opposite side of river about ½ mile, until tribe HQ building in sight. And crossed from east to west side above point where two channels merge. Tried just below point and too deep. Excellent pools and holding water but couldn't cross if river much higher. Worked down river and crossed back to east side again at lower end of bar on west side - DON'T TRY THIS AGAIN. Then crossed back to west side near where cars parked.

        Tried black articulated bunny, black bunny, and white articulated bunny.         About 1330 I caught 1 18" Dolly on black bunny in hole farthest         upstream         where tribe hq in sight through trees. Martin lost one.

12/29/2006 w/Martin.
Checked Stilly from Arlington to Fortson Mill. River looked fishable at about 2300 CFS, but lots of people fishing it. Parking at Fortson Mill full.
Sauk at White Creek: Flow 3200 CFS, Water Temp 38° (Checked temp above creek, and in mouth of creek, both 38°). Visibility about creek 1 ½ ft. Creek clear. Martin got two nice dollies, lost 3 on white or flesh colored streamers number 6. I got Nothing. Martin got one of his above the creek and the other below in the slower "dollie water" inside the shallower bar running downstream from the creek. I tried a variety of streamers - purple, black, and white, articulated and non-articulated. I even used one of the same flies Martin gave me - couldn't scare up a strike. Good day for Martin. Got some good photos.

1/9/2007 following info sent as e-mail reply to Martin:

White Creek. What a difference. The river was fairly high but the big surprise was the creek. It was thick with reddish brown mud. There must be a slide up there somewhere. I didn't even bother to get my gear out of the truck, just ate my sandwich and moved on. Thought I might as well keep going so I went on through Darrington to Fortson Mill. There is a big tree down across the creek from the mill pond that makes getting to the river a bit harder. The river was fairly high here also, but I gave it a try for a half hour or so. There were several people at the access area at the big hole but no-one below that. The stretch that we fished before was reasonably accessible even though rather high. By the time I found a way through the down trees and logs it was about 2 PM and the wind was beginning to blow. I fished for a half hour or so but decided it was time to get home before the wind got any worse. By the time I got to Conway and across the Skagit flats the wind was really fierce with super heavy rain.

My new rod worked great for casting, unfortunately it didn't get tested for catching. Nice day to sort of wander around the rivers, though.

1/13/2007 w/Martin

Cold all week. Temps mid 20's. Water temp 33°. Fished at White Creek area. White Creek is cleared up since last week. No action.   Drove to NF Stilly and fished a bit at Fortson and C-Post. Same results.

2/16/2007 w/Martin

Fished at Suattle and White Creek. Sauk visibility 1 ft or less. Sauk at Sauk about 7500. Level fine for fishing. White Creek high and clear. Good water at mouth. No fish. Went to Skagit Fly Bar. Water there abut 2 ft plus vis. One Dolly.

2/24/2007                Dickson Sauk Steelhead School w/ Martin, Mike Dickson, Johnathan Knapp guides. 5 clients with the two guides. Drifted in inflatable boat. Sauk most stable March and April, out pretty much all summer with runoff. First wild Steelhead about Feb 15 through April. Sink tips - 15" maximum length, 10" is good. Leader 1' for each foot visibility - 3'-6' most used. Talked about "skating" for Dollies on upper Skagit: mend downstream so fly is being pulled as a smolt might be, use popper type fly with foam head/eyeball to make a v on the water to attract Dollies.