In the continuing saga of Whorde Tries to Catch a Salmon, we have episode 7.

I had a hard time getting going on Sunday morning, so I didn't get to Carkeek until about 7:30. Six guys fishing when I got there, all flyfishing. Just as I was casting for the first time one of them had something shiny and floppy on, but he didn't land it. I thought that was a good sign.

I raised my bait up about 10 inches in hopes of eliminating the crab problem.

So I cast out and not 60 seconds later bobber down! Couldn't set the hook though, and all bait lost, so I rebait and cast into same spot. Not 15 seconds later bobber down again! Annnnnndddd .... sculpin. Covered with little tiny leeches. On an exciting note, I pull my hook and herring out of his mouth, and there is one of my pieces of herring from the first cast! Awesome!

So I keep fishing, the tide is going out, sculpin #2, sculpin #3, by this time about an hour has passed, sculpin #4, and then a break. Great. Finally got all the sculpins in that spot caught so maybe I can catch a salmon. I cast out and the fish gods slap me in the face - not 30 feet past my bobber, a beautiful fish jumps clear out of the water. It never circles around and bites.

Well, I was wrong about running out of sculpins. Sculpin #5, then a pause and then sculpin #6. A variety of other bites, probably just sculpins too small to get the herring in their mouth. No crabs reeled in, no bobber action looking like a crab, so either there are no crabs at Carkeek or I kept the bait out of their reach.

About 10:30 I called my father, he said he wasn't busy, so I reeled up and headed for Sequim.

Total beach time with zero bites now up to about 12 hours.

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