I spent an hour at Ala Spit yesterday, testing the waters for sea-run cutthroat (SRC) and Dolly Varden (DV). I made one pass down the length of the spit starting about an hour after low tide. I was rewarded only with solitude and an incremental improvement in my casting stroke--neither of which is being disparaged.

The SRC and DV should be appearing along the eastern shores of Whidbey any time now. A floating line or, my favorite, a clear intermediate sinking line with any fly resembling a baitfish is your ticket to a nice hook-up. Look for beaches with a significant current, cobble bottoms, oyster beds, or other complex structures. Some beaches fish better on the incoming tide, others on the outgoing. Do some experimenting.

At Ala Spit I have my best luck with DV on my longest casts. My theory is that they like to hold in just a little deeper water. SRC, on the other hand, are a shallow-water species. Make your first cast for them while you're still standing a rod's length away from the water's edge. They'll often be moving in remarkably shallow water. And strip your fly right up to your rod tip. SRC will often follow your fly until the last possible moment before taking it.

I hope you get a chance to give this fishery a try. If you do, let us all know how you do.