Some positive news for once. Now same thing needs to happen on the Stilly, Sky, Sno, Green, Puy, & Nisqually. Would take lots of pressure off the coast!

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=2628
https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=2627

One can only dream...

I would love to see the rest of the Puget Sounds river re-open in some way but I don't think fhe Stilly will ever be open again.

Can an old guy fish out of a boat there?

Yes, just can’t fish out of a boat while under power on the Skagit.
Can’t fish out of a boat equipped with a motor on the Sauk.
SF

Collapsed clay bank, Huge slides, and puking mud and whole trees in the river thru May. I wouldnt go, river is milk toast.

If they opened all ps rivers for c&r the indians would net the [Bleeeeep!] out of it. Best to hope for no opener till theres a catch & kill fishery because numbers will be higher.

Slides are more common on the Sauk and it's feeders, fouling the river
below the mouth of the Sauk. Couple clear, cold nights and it'll clean
right up.

Unless the mud is coming in above Rockport, you can always fish
Marblemount to Rockport and miss it all.

Lol! Huge slide up there as well. People are saying its very big. Very very big. Stay away from all these areas.

Just back from the Skagit. Good to visit an old friend, but as far as the fishing goes, it might as well be puking mud and whole trees. Heard of one steelhead in 2 days.

Yeah, but that is probably for a bunch of fly fishermen and it is January. I have taken my nephews twice and they had fun catching dollies/bull trout. I'm looking forward to taking them when it is warmer and they have a better chance at a steelhead. It is tough in the cold with kids.

What are the drift put in/take outs? I want to hit the mixer as well as a couple drifts up on the Sauk. Also is there anything technical I need to know on each drift?

Salman, there's several to choose from in the open area.

There is a nice launch at the Marblemount Bridge, another at the park in
Rockport, and for short drift you could launch at Fabers (North side). There's
a couple more, but those are the best.

For a take-out, I'd use Concrete (by the Baker River).

March and April will be the best months.

As for the Sauk, it can get thready, so be sure of your route before you go.

Don’t leave anything of value in your vehicles, especially on the Sauk.
There have been recent threads on the local flyfishing board about vehicles getting broken into.
Really sad you can’t enjoy a relaxing day on the river these days without having to worry that your vehicle might get [Bleeeeep!] with.
SF

The oft mis-named "Mixer" aka Sauk Bar and sometimes the "fly bar" is no more. All shallowed up with no holding structure any longer. In fact there's very little good fly water between Rockport and Concrete any longer. Some good long boondogging runs remain, however.

Skagit launch sites include: Marblemount bridge, Rockport county park, Faber's Ferry, and Baker River. Sauk launches include: rough launch at Darrington bridge, SCL/USFS launch at Hwy 530 bridge, and Hippie Bar.

Generally speaking...

All the Skagit launches and drifts are pretty easy...just be aware that the river is big, and fast...faster than it looks until you are in it.

The Sauk launches vary from requiring a 4x4 to easy, and none of the drifts are easy, or obvious...without a network of folks sharing daily information, as that river changes on the daily, either be really good, and really careful, or go with someone who knows the river.

Fish on...

Todd

What would I have to watch out for on the Sauk?

Wrapping your boat around a boulder, going through rapids upside down, getting sucked under a log jamb, death by drowning, etc. No worries... {;>)

I understand the logjams can pop out of nowhere but wrapping the boat around a boulder I don’t. Are there sections where you have to take an exact line through a maze of boulders, if so which sections are worse?

You're asking a lot of questions that you could get an easier frame of reference on by just flying the river in Google earth..

Took me 5 minutes to do and realize that by your questions that you have no business floating above the darrington-sauk bridge.