Introduction to Fly Fishing
2025-03-24 17:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St NW 2nd Floor, Olympia, WA, 98501, United States
This is your opportunity to learn about fly fishing, a sport that can become a lifetime hobby. Fly fishing will get you outside in many peaceful settings and is an activity that nourishes the mind and body. In this class, we will discuss the basics of fly fishing streams, rivers, lakes, and the Puget Sound. We will cover equipment and the various techniques used in fishing for a wide variety of species in our region. Members of the South Sound Fly Fishers, with a combined 90 years of experience, will be your instructors for the course. Instructor: South Sound Fly Fishers

Monthly BOD Meeting
2025-04-09 18:30 - 20:00 | North Olympia Fire Department, 5046 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, WA, 98506, United States
Max and Jared will not available on Tuesday April 1st for the monthly board meeting. So the meeting will be on April 9.
We will be spending most of our time discussing the auction, then collaborating and voting on the Pledge of Allegiance topic.
Please still have your newsletter articles to Dave by Sunday April 6th. We will be able to update as needed after our board meeting. Additionally, please mark on your calendars Tuesday April 29th 6:30 p.m. for an auction update meeting. This will only be for if it’s needed, and it’ll probably be less than a 45 min zoom meeting. We hope to have all of our auction action items completed by our May 6th BOD meeting.

Monthly Club Meeting - Don Freeman’s presentation on Munn Lake.
2025-04-15 19:00 - 20:30 | North Olympia Fire Department, 5046 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, WA, 98506, United States
Come to the South Sound Fly Fishers club meeting on April 15 for Don Freeman’s presentation on Munn Lake. Don is a long-time member of the SSFF. Don has been active in conservation programs for many years. He retired from the Department of Fish and Wildlife and spends a good portion of his time chasing sea-run cutthroats in Puget Sound.
Now in its 20th year, Munn Lake is an established destination for a more unique experience drawing anglers from all over Puget Sound and hosting a dedicated group of local enthusiasts.
Free Raffle for prizes. Share your stories, learn where the fishing is hot.

Monthly Outing - Searun Cutthroat
2025-04-19 11:30 - 14:30 | Geoduck Beach, Evergreen College, Olympia, WA, 98502, United States
Searun Cutthoat at Sunset/Geoduck Beach near Evergreen State College
Low tide is around 9:30 AM. We would like to be out there while there is still more beach, but allow for more moving water. We will target a meeting time closer to noon. We will provide more details at the monthly meeting on April 15.

Board Of Directors Meetings
2025-05-06 18:30 - 20:00 | WA

Monthly Outing Coldwater Lake (St. Helens)
2025-05-17 09:00 - 15:00 | Coldwater Lake, Coldwater Lake, WA, 98649, United States
You must have a pontoon boat or some means of getting on the lake – no fishing is permitted from shore (if you hike the lake, you are restricted to “stay on the trail” and there are only two access points to the shoreline where boats may land). The usual flies will work, such as buggers, leeches, nymphs or a fly that floats well. Some days nothing works. You ought to bring both floating and deep sinking lines.
Driving Directions: Access off I-5 via SR 504, Exit No.49; go east on
the well maintained state road.
Coldwater Lake is 45 miles from I-5. You will pass Seaquest State Park
at 5.2 miles, Toutle at 11, Kid Valley at 18.3 (last place for gas), Eco
Park at mile-post 24.1, and finally Coldwater at milepost 45.
Or you can go through Toledo until that road makes a T intersection with SR 504.
– Gasoline powered motors are prohibited – it is part of Mount Saint Helens Monument
– Federal pass required (America the Beautiful pass)
– Boat ramp is gravel (Not concrete)
– Can be windy, 5+ mpg most of the day. Winds are usually blowing up the mountain in the morning, and down the mountain in the afternoon
It takes about two hours of driving to get there and I recommend getting there around 9 am particularly if you plan to fish chironomids. Some club members will be arriving between 9 AM and 10 AM at the launch, which is at the SW end of the Lake, which is NE of Spirit Lake Highway/504.
Coldwater Lake is managed as a quality trout fishery. Wild rainbow and cutthroat are in the lake. Access is limited. Contact National Volcanic Monument Headquarters at 360-449-7800 for more information.

Club Membership Meeting Featuring Steve Duda
2025-05-20 18:45 - 20:00 | North Olympia Fire Department, 5046 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, WA, 98506, United States
Doors open at 6:30PM
Steve Duda is an author, editor, and cultural journalist. His most recent book, River Songs (Mountaineers Books, 2024), was
described as “the London Calling of flyfishing books,” with stories marked by “ferocious honesty and breathtaking intensity.”
He currently serves as Head of Fish Tales at Patagonia leading multimedia storytelling focused on fly fishing and conservation.
Steve lives in Seattle with his partner and a semi-feral feline–raccoon hybrid he’s attempting to train to play the banjo.
As usual, there will be opportunities to share your latest fishing adventures, or folk fiction. There will be lottery prizes as well.

Monthly BoD Meeting
2025-06-03 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-07-01 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-09-02 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-10-07 18:30 - 20:00, 2025-11-04 18:30 - 20:00 | WA

Monthly Meeting - Casting, Food, and Michael Maltby
2025-06-17 17:30 - 20:00 | North Olympia Fire Department, 5046 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, WA, 98506, United States
We will be setting up our casting lanes and having practice (or friendly competition) for anyone wanting to work on their casting skills. The casting lanes will be set up by 5:30, and we will have hamburgers and hot dogs provided by the club with our normal program still starting at 7 P.M. At the request of some of our members, we will also have a few variations of float tubes set up so you can look at the different styles and functionality to see what suits you best if you are in the market to purchase one.
Our Speaker will be Michael Maltby. Mike worked for the USDA Soil Conservation Service before deciding to become a lawyer.
Mike has always loved to fish and started fly fishing 30 years ago while working and living in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. Mike has built his own fishing rods for over 45 years and has amassed quite a collection of fly rods. Moreover, he has tied his own flies for 30 years. Mike recently returned from an epic trip to New Zealand’s North Island and looks forward to sharing some of the knowledge he has acquired, the people he met, and oh yeah, a few fish that were caught!

Monthly Outing - Biennial Auction !
2025-06-21 12:00 - 15:00 | National Guard Thurston County Readiness Center, 8303 Kimmie St. SW, Tumwater, WA, 98512, United States
2025 SSFF Auction has finally arrived!
It will be on June 21st from 12 Noon to 3 P.M. held at the National Guard Thurston County Readiness Center located at 8303 Kimmie St. SW Tumwater, WA 98512. RSVP’s are required so we can plan for the enough food. If you RSVP by June 15th, you will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 prize! There will be a potluck-style lunch, with the club providing pulled pork sandwiches and baked beans. We are asking club members to bring food items according to your last name:
A-G: Side Items
H-O: Snacks (chips, veggie plates)
P-Z: Desserts
To RSVP: To go to the RSVP Page Click Here or you can also submit a RSVP by going to southsoundflyfishers.org/contact/ and let us know how many will be in your party.
The auction is open to club members and their guests.

Monthly Meeting
2025-07-15 17:30 - 20:00 | North Olympia Fire Department, 5046 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, WA, 98506, United States
Like last month, we will be setting up our casting lanes and having practice (or friendly competition) for anyone wanting to work on their casting skills. The casting lanes will be set up by 5:30, and we will have food provided by the club with our normal club business still starting at 7PM, followed by more casting skills.

Monthly Outing (Cowlitz Campout)
2025-07-18 08:00 - 2025-07-20 17:00 | WA
Lewis County
Carline Lake, Cowlitz River, Mayfield lake, Swafford Pond

Monthly BoD Meeting
2025-08-05 18:30 - 20:00 | North Olympia Fire Department, 5046 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, WA, 98506, United States

Monthly Outing - Annual Picnic on 19th
2025-08-19 17:30 - 19:30 | WA

Monthly Meeting - Annual Picnic
2025-08-19 17:30 - 20:00 | Scott Lake, 2500-2524 Scotlac Dr SW, Olympia, WA, 98512, United States
Our August SSFF club meeting is unique for our club since it is when we hold our annual SSFF Club Picnic which will be located at Scott Lake Pavilions on Aug 19th at 5:30 PM. The pavilions are located across the parking lot from the golf course located at (enter park or golf course address) There will be games, food, casting practice and a lot of fishing stories! This is a family friendly event, and you can invite any friends to join as well. Our club will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, water, and we ask that club members bring the below potluck food items according to your last name:
A-G: Side Dish or Salad
H-O: Snacks (chips, veggie plates)
P-Z: Desserts

Monthly Meeting
2025-09-16 18:45 - 20:30 | North Olympia Fire Department, 5046 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, WA, 98506, United States
Our speaker this month will be Daniel Spencer.
Dan Spencer is the Information and Education Specialist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Puget Sound/Olympic Peninsula Fisheries Complex. This complex includes a field research facility in Lacey and three National Fish Hatcheries on the Olympic Peninsula (Makah, Quilcene, and Quinault). Dan runs a diversity of programs, including aquatic invasive species
outreach and angler promotion and education work.
Dan will be providing a two-part presentation for the September meeting. He’ll start with an overview of USFWS fisheries conservation efforts in Western Washington. The second half will focus on fly fishing opportunities in Alaska, with an emphasis on popular watersheds and possible DIY trips.
Doors open at 6:30PM

Monthly Outing (Fly Fishers International Casting Skills Development )
2025-09-20 08:00 - 17:00 | WA

Beginning Fly Tying Class
2025-09-29 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-10-06 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-10-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA, 98501, United States
Learn basic fly-tying techniques, with no prior knowledge of fly fishing or fly-tying required! We’ll start with basic skills and materials and build weekly as you progress through more advanced techniques and fly patterns. By the end of the class you will have learned eight different fly patterns. Additionally, you will be able to match each fly you tie to the particular food source it represents. You also will have an assortment of flies in your fly box to take out on the water with you, including dry, wet, and streamer flies! Four additional Thursday “Lab” sessions provide students extra assistance with the lessons and practice tying the flies outside of lesson nights. All tying materials are included for tying in class and at home (threads, feathers, etc.). Students bring their “homework” flies to the following class for evaluation. Instructor: South Sound Fly Fishers

Pop up Outing (Wynoochee and Satsop Rivers)
2025-10-18 08:00 - 17:00 | WA
There will be a pop-up outing to walk and wade the Wynoochee and Satsop Rivers. We will be swinging flies for coho salmon. 7 or 8 wt rod is recommended with intermediate or sink tip line and your favorite streamers. Both river levels are pretty low with good bank access.
Jesse and I will be meeting at Shipwreck Cafe for breakfast at 8:30 and then carpool as needed to the rivers. We plan to be done by 1:00 and have plenty of room for others to ride along. We also have extra rods if you don’t have a salmon rod. Just let us know.
Shipwreck Cafe
244 Madrona Beach Rd NW, Olympia, WA 98502

Monthly Meeting Featuring Joe Jackson
2025-10-21 18:30 - 20:30 | North Olympia Fire Department, 5046 Boston Harbor Rd NE, Olympia, WA, 98506, United States
Doors open at 6:30PM
Our speaker will be Joe Jackson, often known by his online persona “Sgt. Bassfisher”. Joe is a well-regarded figure in the fishing and fly-tying community. He is known for his expertise in fly tying, particularly with deer hair techniques. Joe has gained recognition for his engaging teaching style, sharing his knowledge through workshops, instructional videos, and social media platforms. His passion for fishing and fly tying is evident in his work, where he focuses on educating anglers on effective methods and innovative patterns. Joe’s contributions to the community have inspired many to enhance their skills and appreciate the art of fly tying.
He will be presenting remotely via Zoom. URL will be forthcoming.

Monthly Outing - Wynoochee River Outing
2025-10-25 10:00 - 14:00 | Twin Bridges County Park, 29 County Farm Rd, Montessano, WA, 98563, United States
Our new location will be Twin Bridges Park near Montesano on the mighty Wynoochee River. Along the Wynoochee we located several excellent spots where parking and river access was easy and available. As the Wynoochee is tidally affected we do get to sleep in a little this Saturday. Low tide is 9:38. The best time to start working the river is as the tide comes in. So I will be posted up at 9:30 to meet and greet everyone as you all arrive. From there we can start fishing and moving to the other scouted bank locations if need be.
When: Meet at 10:00
Where: Twin Bridges County Park at 29 County Farm Rd, Montesano, WA 98563
What: We will be walk and wading, fishing on the incoming tide for Coho Salmon. There is really good bank access at the county park with knee high slow-moving water and deeper holes using a 25 to 30 ft cast. We will go out to lunch afterwards.
Special note: You need a salmon and steelhead catch card if you plan on retaining any fish
Rod: 7 or 8 wt
Line: Floating, intermediate, or sink tip depending on technique
Recommended fly patterns:
Beads or egg patterns
Egg-Sucking Leeches: These are classic and highly effective for coho. Variations tied with marabou or rabbit strip in black and purple, with a pink or orange head, are a top choice.
Bunny Leeches: Similar to the Egg-Sucking Leech, these have an enticing, pulsating action. Bright colors like cerise and purple are favorites.
Clouser Minnows: A versatile baitfish pattern. Pink/white, chartreuse/white, and chartreuse/pink are the most effective color combinations for coho.
Dolly Llama: This articulated streamer is popular in a pink/purple color scheme.
Contact our Outings Chair Jesse for any questions: 253-432-0659
Additional info:
Multiple species were seen coming in last week. Everyone I talked to was hauling them in on egg patterns. I suggest the fluorescent, neon, sometimes referred to as cheating pattern flies. The brighter and more alien looking the better. Glo bugs, blood dots, meth eggs, slush eggs, the more industriall and toxic looking the better. These fish are all hopped up on the spawn, in stressed water and eating to attack as much as they are to feed. That all being said, the usual patterns can still be applied. Anything bright and flashy should be just fine. The chartreuse, pink, jointed and articulated monstrosities your non fishing friends are sure of is a sign of decline. Due to their absolute lack of representing anything in nature. Those flies are the ones you want to bring.
Low tide is at 3:00 pm and the fishing is going to slack out way before that. So it will be up to the river and fish to decide when we’re done. If everybody is up for it, I suggest that when we’re finished descending upon the great Wynoochee salmon run. We meet at the nearby ShipWreck cafe. I’ve had several meals there in the last few weeks. It’s a great place to get warm and lie to the waitresses about all the fish you caught. They’ve gotten the hang of smiling and nodding in agreement that my scraped knuckles, bruised forehead and muddy state of near hypothermia is from some great adventure. And not slipping in the parking lot and splashing hot coffee down my face and waders.
Easiest way to find Twin Bridges Park is using whichever map app you like the best. Plug in Twin Bridges Park, Montesano and it will come right up. I will be in the main parking lot. I drive an older silver Tundra. It has four doors, a beat up topper and is covered in ‘look at me, I fly fish’ stickers. If you don’t see it right away just look for the white SSFF cheese board signs and follow the arrows. I’ll have them posted at the main road, parking lot entrance and one last one by the meeting area. If anyone has any extra stickers laying around I’ll take them. I love stickers.
Can’t wait to see you all tomorrow, I’ll be sending out a text this afternoon to everyone who signed up so be looking out for that. Its just a final check in before tomorrow.
Jesse

Beginning Fly Tying
2025-10-27 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-11-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA, 98501, United States

Rod Building Class
2025-11-08 08:30 - 17:00 | WA
For the first 6 people that signed up for the class in Lacey
