If you have been to the Samish, you already know. If you haven't been, you are in for a rude awakening.

Spent two days checking out the Samish River. First of all it is a very small river / muddy stream bordered by dikes in a flat farming area with tidal influence. Besides having about 1' visibility, it also has high fecal coliform counts from all the farm runoff.

I went to the combat fishing are by the bridge this morning, counted about 130 cars at 6:30. Low tide. All the "fishermen" line up and cast a heavy jig towards the pilings (deep water in the curve) the fish are pretty much stuck so they swim around and eventually run into on of the fishermens line and the fisherman yanks hard and the jig will hopefully set in the Salmons jaw. I saw a line of 100 fishermen shoulder to shoulder all flossing. I walked several holes down, all the same - cast a jig, let it sit and then wait to floss a King Salmon. Saw a few caught. saw one hooked in the belly and kept.

Out of about 150 "fishermen" I saw about 5 trying eggs and spinners, all the rest were flossing.

I left and went to the bridge at BOE road. talked to a few guys, they all had a heavy weight ( for the conditions) and yarn. They eventually said that they are flossing since the fish do not bite. They said it's what you do on the Samish.

I tried drifting eggs - no luck.