At 8 a.m. on a recent Saturday, Chuck Morrison spoke to a group of Nordstrom employees at the company’s Alderwood Mall store.
At 9 a.m. he was heading for the hills.
Or more specifically, Morrison, director of the Snohomish County Red Cross and an avid fly fisher, was on Interstate 90 enroute to the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.
He wasn’t alone. Many residents of metropolitan Seattle use I-90 as a quick way to get their outdoor fix. Within minutes of leaving the freeway, they can be fishing, hiking, or camping in a national forest or a state park.
The area is also good for a drive to check out some fall color.
For anglers, especially new ones, the three forks of the Snoqualmie River above Snoqualmie Falls are a good choice.
Dave McCoy, owner of Emerald Water Anglers in Seattle, who has been guiding fly fishers on the upper Snoqualmie for 15 years, said the area is underused. “I think it’s an overlooked resource,” he said.
McCoy said that’s partly because the fish in the area’s smaller streams can be smaller themselves. But he said the area and it’s trout are beautiful.
Morrison agreed.
“Its pretty,” he said. “It’s an interesting little river.”
And the smaller streams are a great place for young people to learn about fishing, especially in the fall.
“The water is low and kids can be safe,” McCoy said. “You don’t need a guide or a boat. You can make a picnic out of it and take an hour or a day.”
If the last few weeks, I’ve made several trips to the Snoqualmie forks, mostly just by driving I-90 above the town of Snoqualmie, taking an exit and driving around to explore. The South fork follows the interstate, and the Middle fork does also. The rivers are low in the fall and crystal clear. That’s no surprise since most of the water comes from the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
What I’ve found is that fishing tends to improve and the number of people you see tends to diminish the farther you get from the highway.
The fish in the area are mostly trout, rainbow, cutthroat and brook. As mentioned earlier, they’re small. A 12-incher in these waters is a nice fish.
While small, the fish are beautiful examples of their species. They also are a fly fishers dream because they generally like to smack flies on the surface and they aren’t picky.
“The flies aren’t generally real important,” said Joel Oerter of Seattle, who has taught a number of beginning fly fishing classes on the upper Snoqualmie. “I think it’s a really good place to take a novice.”
Oerter likes fishing in the area around North Bend where the three forks of the river come together.”I’ve had good success right in town,” he said.
If you’re interested in fishing the upper Snoqualmie, now is a good time. The Middle Fork is open year-round, but the South and North forks close Oct. 31.
In addition to some colorful leaves, visitors this time of year also have a chance to see some wildlife. During my last visit, I was heading for lunch at a micro brewery in the town of Snoqualmie and ran into a herd of about 45 elk feeding in a field outside town.
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