New! Guided Trip: Bikefishing the Snoqualmie River - Swift Industries
An immersive experience hosted by
Swift Industries and Emerald Water Anglers
August 12, 2018
When: Sunday August 12, 9am-4pm
Meet/End: Rattlesnake Lake/John Wayne Trail-head
Group Size: 8
Cost: $300.00 per guest
All fly fishing gear is supplied
Fly fishing and bicycles have something mesmerizing in common: both require us to deepen our experiences in nature, inviting a sensory immersion that fills the soul and brings us closer to the natural world. Join the experts from Swift Industries and Emerald Water Anglers as we fuse our passions for a day of pedaling and casting on the outskirts of Seattle. We’re eager to share a full day of exploring winding roads and meandering rivers, honing our fishy senses, and relishing the peaceful retreat of a day in the Cascades with you.
Welcome to our wilderness classroom. Our day will begin at the John Wayne Pioneer Trailhead located at Rattlesnake Lake, where we’ll snake above the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River, pausing to orient to the essential gear for the bike-fishing fanatic, to nerd out on the art of hauling your travel fishing kit, and soak in the summer beauty of the Cascade Mountain Range. On the river, we’ll guide you through the fundamentals of fly fishing, and introduce you to the art of reading the river, and get you acquainted with the cadence of casting.
The day’s lunch menu will be provided by Peloton Cafe.
Voted Best New Restaurant of 2016 by Seattle Met,
“Peloton in the Central District is both a bike shop and a cafe, with the latter the purview of co-owner/chef Mckenzie Hart, whose credentials include Cafe Presse, Sitka & Spruce and The London Plane. Her menus, though brief, illustrate her bountiful skill with — and meticulous attention to — even the simplest things. A side salad here is a thing of beauty.” –Seattle Times
About your guides:
Jason Goodman
Before embarking on the adventure of a lifetime as the founder of Swift Industries, Jason “Goods” earned his BA in Adventure Education from Prescott College. A Seattle native, Jason has spent most of his life exploring the natural world starting as a Puget Sound scuba diver at the age of eighteen, venturing out as a mountaineering guide for Mountain Madness on the Northwest’s most iconic peaks, and finally as an adventure educator with a degree in Adventure Education from Prescott College. A misfit for the confines of a classroom, Jason believes in the power of learning-by-doing, and is always probing self-discovery and sense-of-place through outdoor adventure.
Certifications:
BA in Adventure Education, Prescott College
Wilderness First Responder
Qualifications and passions:
Career Bicycle Mechanic
Lifetime Explorer
Wilderpreneur
—
Jason Rolfe
I can still remember the visceral jolt of adrenaline that shot through my body the first time I ever hooked a salmon. It was on the Nisqually river in South Puget Sound near where I grew up, and though I lost the fish at the bank that thrill never left me. After a long hiatus from fishing, I took up fly-fishing soon after college and began the long journey from dabbler to obsessive. I borrowed my girlfriend’s car to go fishing in the Cascades for rainbows and coastal Cutthroats, and rode my bike to the beaches of Seattle to chase sea-runs. When I moved to eastern Europe for a couple of years, I brought my rod and reel with me and managed to flyfish in Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, and Bosnia/Herzegovina. After several years spent working in the education field, I finally decided it was time to take a break from the non-profit grind. These days, I swing for steelhead and chase searun cutties every chance I get; write fishing essays for The Flyfish Journal, Mason County Journal, and other publications; and promote other flyfishing writers and artists I admire through Syzygy Fly Fishing.
Certifications:
Licensed Fishing Guide
Qualifications and passions:
Guide at Emerald Water Anglers
The brains behind Writers on the Fly
The voice behind the Fly Tapes Podcast
Author
—
We’ll be covering
- The ins-and-outs of bikefishing
- The essential fly fishing kit
- Our favorite ways to haul our gear
- Zen and the art of fly-fishing
- Set-up: knots, line, rods and reels
- Primo bikefishing destinations in the area
- FISH! (remember it’s called fishing not catching)
- Conservation and Leave No Trace
What will be provided:
- The highest standard of fly-fishing instruction
- Tenkara and western fly gear for practice and demo
- Flies
- Lunch by Peloton Cafe
What to bring:
- Safe, working bicycle in good condition. Tires at least 35mm wide are strongly recommended. Expect to ride 15-20 miles round trip
- Helmet (required)
- Comfortable clothing for the day’s weather (dress for the weather)
- Sunscreen
- Shoes or sandals for wading in the water (you might wanna get wet for that primo spot)
- Flat tire repair kit and pump (required)
- Drinking water
- Personal snacks
- Brimmed cap and sunglasses (these are helpful fishing tools, as well as good safety for your eyes)
Essential details:
Dress code
It may be cool when we start and get quite hot as the day goes on. As such, plan your attire for a full day outside.
Wet feet
We will be “wet wading”, this means no fishing waders. We recommend sneakers or sandals such as Chacos or Teva, (NOT flip flops, you’re going to want your heels “locked down”).
Riding terrain
We will be biking on “soft” paths. We recommend 35mm tire or wider. The John Wayne trail is mostly a hard-packed dirt railroad grade with some gravel. We will have some hills that may have loose terrain. Please plan to ride 15-20 miles. Bring your helmet.
Rogue hooks
Wear eyewear and a cap to protect from unruly casting. We will be flinging hooks dressed up to look like bugs past our heads, and a cap and eyewear go a long way to prevent injury.
Discover Pass
We are meeting at Rattlesnake Lake. Discover Pass is required to park. You can buy a day pass for $10 day of. If you are care-free you can check out the new Trailhead Direct project by King County, Metro, and SDOT (kingcounty.gov/trailheaddirect) for a multi-model experience.
Are you coming from out-of-town? Swift Industries will be happy to receive and build your bicycle, and offers logistics services from accommodations booking through bicycle rentals. Just ask! jason@builtbyswift.com
Swift Industries’ Cancellation policy:
1. Cancellation 2 weeks out — No Penalty
2. Cancellation 7-13 days out — Forfeiture of 50% of payment
3. Cancellation within 7 days — Loss of 100% of trip cost.
4. Day of cancellation by Swift Industries due to weather or other circumstances — No penalty
