2006 Yakima River Fishing Reports - Yakima River Washington Fly Fishing Guides - The Evening Hatch Guide Service - Washington, Alaska and Chile Fly Fishing Trips

Big Pines also known as The Slab for 20 years (which is just past mile marker 10 in the Lower Canyon) is being paved and developed into a BLM RV Park/Access and will be out of commission until construction is completed.......Should be completed soon! For launch sites in the near proximity use MM 10 or Mahres

All around tough fishing from the headwaters down....The water came up in the last 48 hours due to releases from the headwaters of the Yakima and from the Cle Elum River. Since they have dropped a bit. The tributaries bumped a bit and dropped as well. The farmland temps look conducive for Caddis which traditionally is just around the corner....We will keep you posted.

Tough fishing yesterday -
Bugs fished....everything in the box
9 or 10 trout landed (biggest 14") 6 Cutthroat, 3-4 Rainbows

Based on mother nature's weather pattern the river has dropped and cleared. We could tell you that the fishing has been 'enfuego' but it hasn't. However there has been some good fishing over the last few days, just not continuously. The March Brown Hatch has been fairly predictable in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon happening somewhere between 1:30 - 3PM depending on the day. Average Blue Wings here and there as well as left over Skwalas.

Lower Canyon - Nymphing has been tough but if you can find the risers it has been worthy
Farmlands - Both nymphing and dry fly fishing have been worthy
Upper Canyon - No Report
Upper Flatlands - Predominantly nymphing with a bit of dry fly fishing

'Most Definitely the Winter that won't quite'. Clarity has come back some throughout the system due to the aforementioned weather factor. Hatches have been decent. Predominant bugs - March Browns, Blue Wings and Skwala. We would call the fishing average as we speak! Watch for the water to keep dropping with the upcoming weather pattern....

Below the Teanawy is Bye Bye for the time being...Above the Teanawy is certainly worthy. A myriad of bugs are present up there- refer to the chart above.

The Teanaway is punching some volume and color currently. This will probably be the case for the next month and a half. The tributaries will fluctuate based on heat and snow pack for quite awhile now. Currently above the Teanaway the river clarity is good. Hatches remain avg. to good throughout the system. Zones to be in....either the Upper Flatlands or the Lower Canyon.

Here is the Mode of Operandi For the Boat Angler...
Wake up and have a casual breakfast and a great cup of joe
10AM - Launch the boat
11AM - Start fishing after gearing up
11AM-12:30 PM - Search with a Skwala dry fly and dropper (#14-18 PT, Copper John, PT Soft Hackle etc, etc ...)
1-2:30PM - Position yourself in a prime March Brown and/or Blue Wing Zone and Hangout/Fish to risers
3pm till 7PM - Cover water throwin' Skwala patterns to prime time lies and watch for fish rising to Blue Wings here and there.

This is not a bad gameplan. Yesterdays Skwala fishing from 3pm to 6pm was quite good. The hatch was a bit light where we were but could have been strong in other locations. Remember, The hatch's will occur in isolated zones - March Browns are riffle dwellers (clingers) and Blue wings a generally boulder strewn runs (swimmers)with a bit more depth.

Low of 23 last night - predicted high of 53 today. Clear Blue Skies. Watch for the Blue Wings to be light in the bright sun. Dry Fly action should be good from 2pm and on. Shallow droppers are not a bad idea!

The Hatch

On a good note, this next weeks weather is going to be great.

Prediction: Good to Great Fishing.

The entire river should rock over the next five days of good weather. Night time lows are projected to be reasonable and day time highs comfortable with a stable barometer. We are giving it the 'Two Thumbs Up' Factor.....

The tributaries and main stem have all been dropping in levels. Watch for that pattern to change just a bit over the next week. Meaning we should see a bit of a rise. Should have no effect on the fishing.

The last two days have been avg in the The Lower Canyon and Farmlands. No report from The Upper Flatlands.

The Lower Canyon fished very good on the 25th.....Good Blue Wings with rising fish in isolated zones. Good Skwala action in sporadic sessions with one particular zone being quite good as fish were visibly eating multiple Skwalas.

If I quoted the number of fish to the fly for the day you wouldn't believe it, so I won't.

During the Blue Wing Hatch our best bugs were a #18 BWO parachute, #18 BWO Quigly, #18 Standard PT behind a #16 Parachute. Best Skwala pattern for the day....#10 Tan CFO Ant painted black.

The Upper Farmlands did not give many fish at all, especially early. However from 2pm to 5pm the fishing with the dry was worthy bringing in a handfull of 15-19"

We could say that the fishing is smokin' but it isn't. However the fishing is decent with the dry fly assuming you put your time in. Just because your dry fly covered two hundred feet of bank reasonably well and nothing ate your fly doesn't mean that the dry fly is not working. Honestly, we have been catching just as many fish on the dry as we have on the nymph. There are good numbers of Skwala out and about. The biggest issue we are seeing are the 20 degree nights! Water temps are barely reaching 39-40 degrees in the Lower Canyon and Upper Flatlands. The Farmlands are showing the best water temps. We have recently seen Blue Wings as well. This is the Ticket Bug. Although the Rainbow will opportunistically eat the First Big Mac (Skwala) of the season, the Blue Wing is certainly more readily available to them. The Blue Wings are of the #16-17 size which is a perfect appetizer, main course and desert as well.

Average fishing on the Yakima continues to be the factor.....A little bit of dry fly fishing and a little bit of nymphing,

The recent rise in the river was driven predominantly by an influx of flows from the Teanaway. In the last 24 hours the water has dropped and stabilized. Fishing has been decent with both the dry and the nymph. This weekend should prove to be on target assuming mother nature cooperates. Airtemps look decent for the next 4 days.

The river has dropped a bit and stabilized. The nymphing has been a mystery lately in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon and honestly the dry Skwala has been the best ticket especially in the Farmlands and the Lower Canyon. Recent trips have brought decent numbers of fish to the dry fly!

Well the river bumped up and colored a bit....nothing extreme. The fishing however turned. It was pretty automatic fishing until the level and color changed and then it did about a 180 on us...? No explanation for why the drastic change up. On a better note, we have seen a few adult skwalas and actually picked up a few fish on dry flies. Larry Palmer managed a couple the other day. Both of the fish attacked the dry! We will keep you updated as conditions change.

Plain and simple the fishing is goooooood. Water temps are conducive for the onset of 08's insect hatches Not much dry fly fishinglately, but we are not far off. The Nymphing has been good to outstanding most of the time: A bit spotty here and there, but for the most part just plain good fishing.

If you are not catching fish, change up the water you are fishing or the flies you are using as the fish are definitely eating.

#8-12 Stone fly patterns, #14-18 Lightning Bugs, #8-12 San Juan Worms, #14-18 Pt Flashbacks have worked well for us.

99% of our fishing was with the 'Indi-bob' and nymphs. We varied our nymph depth from 3-5 feet depending on the water depth. Plain and simple, the next 5 weeks of fishing is going to be gooood.

Water temps are ranging from 35-41 throughout the system. Fishing has been spotty but decent overall. Some nice fish are being caught. We had quite a few short strikes on the streamer yesterday with no fish to hand using them. All of our fish came on the nymph. Every day has been different. Today's report was significantly slower then yesterdays. There are great numbers of Skwala nymphs in about an inch of water...Just a matter of time.

The river raised quite a bit over the last week and seems to have stabilized currently and actually dropped a bit. Mr. Weather calls for lows in the upper 20's and highs in the upper 30's and low 40's; which is perfect for run-off. We should see some good fishing over the next week based on the parameters. Fishing lately has been good with some big fish being caught and lost !

Heard tell of an adult skwala sighting by a very reliable source the other day! I have not personally seen one, but water temps are conducive currently in the Farmlands. Any how you can bet your bottom dollar that the fishing is going to be good over the next month and a half. Watch the flows and if they are not spiking you should be good. We are inevitably going to see some fluctuation as we have alot of snow. A small raise in water should not make much difference.

Nymphing stone nymphs and mayfly nymphs along with aquatic worms and caddis larvae should do the trick. Streamers are always a good option in the spring....The JJ picked up a couple the other day as well as a modified JJ. Trailing a lightning bug behind a streamer also worked.

We found a small group of fish and one of us managed to get a few takes on the dry...non landed.

See the Special Report in 'The Angling Report' which
features 'The Steelhead Ranch'

The river has de-iced in most of the stretches above Umtanum and is fishing good. Water temps have warmed quite a few degrees which is always a good indication of decent fishing for this time of year. Give us a jingle to help you pick a float to do as there are still a few ice blockages as of yesterday in the Farmlands stretch. You can bet your bottom dollar that the trout are keying in on the Skwala nymph currently as we are only 3 weeks or so away from seeing the first 'Big Mac' of the season

Stats for yesterday were good......Approximately16 trout hooked - 9 or so landed. Approximately 25 YT's hooked and about 10 of those landed. Not to bad for 5 hours of fishing with no one else around. Mr Weather calls for a major cold snap with temps getting down to 8 degrees at night. Now is the time to stay home and tie flies and drink a few hot chocolates or whatever. We will keep you posted as to the status of the river.

A Happy New year to all... We are looking forward to our 20th season calling the Yakima our 'Home Waters'

The Yakima water temps are a bit cold as we speak. We are seeing a bit of ice flow in the last mile of the Lower Canyon. Fishing remains good, not great, not bad, just good winter fishing. Although some would say 'stay home and drink your hot chocolate', we would say, 'if conditions lend themselves, get waterside.'

Tip of the day:
Winter fishing can be exceptional especially if you 'cut the curve' and fish where the fish are! During the winter the fish will move significantly within a particular hole. Winter fish do not need to be in the slow deep holes as many believe and profess. At times they might be in the aforementioned water type but they also may move up into the shallow shelves and riffles. My ideal water for winter fishing is a piece of water that allows the trout to be in a deep slow run within close proximity of shallow riffles. Don't fish anything else. You might just catch more fish then you can imagine in one day if you follow this rule.

The water temp has dropped a bit throughout the system....Fishing remains good in the Farmlands and Upper Lower Canyon.

In typical winter fashion the Yakima is in great shape and fishing well. (see photos above) The current conditions are optimal for winter activity. Recently two methods have been very effective: Nymphing and Swinging

For nymphing, we recommend using a #4-6 weight rod that is nine to ten feet long with matching floating line. Additionally, use a standard seven foot leader terminating in 3x and then add a two foot section of 4-5x fluorocarbon to the leader. After preparing the leader, generally we utilize a tandem nymph set-up. For the first fly on the tandem nymph set-up, we recommend a #8-12 Pats Stone's Fly (in Brown, Black/Brown, Orange/Black). To the bend or the eye of the first fly, we tie a 16-inch piece of 4x-5x fluorocarbon so that we can tie on the second fly, called the dropper. For the dropper, we have several suggestions: a #8-14 Glo Bug Eggs (in pink, chanteuse, or cheese), a #16-20 Brassies (in Red, Black, or Zebra), or a #14-18 Copper Johns, Prince's, Rubber Leg Prince's, or Caddis Larvae, amongst other possibilities. To finish off the rig, we will place an indicator between two and five feet above the first fly and may add a split shot depending on the strength of the river's flow. The rig generally requires the fly-fisherman to drift the fly at the same speed as the current; in other words, "a drag-free float."

For swinging, we recommend using a #4-6 weight rod that is nine feet long with matching line with a variable sinking head system (Versa tip) or Type 6 15-foot sinking tip. Generally, the leader will be six to seven feet ending in 2-3x fluorocarbon. We recommend tying on any of the following flies: #8-12 Olive and Black Wolly Buggers, #6-10 Olive Sculpzillas, #8-10 Seal Buggers, or #4-10 Various Bait fish imitations.

Although swinging techniques vary, the standard approach is to cast at a 90 degree angle across the river and allow the fly to sweep across until it is hanging down below you. Then strip the fly in slowly for approximately five to ten feet. After that, take two steps down and repeat the process.

Dry fly-fishing is quite limited in the winter. However, the river does sport strong midge hatches on occasion and the fish will respond. Typically we utilize a ten to twelve foot leader terminating in 6x. A #20-24 Black Parachute properly presented will generally suffice although having a variety of other patterns representing the hatching phase of the midge is recommended. Lately, the dry fly fishing has been sporadic.

Fishing on the swing is definitely a worthy option. Fishing with the nymph is the mainstay. The water is in great condition - low and clear. Water temps ranging from 35-38 throughout the system except for the Upper Propper, where the water is currently colder.

The river has dropped and cleared. Fishing is avg to good utilizing the nymph and the streamer. Water temps are a bit cool in the Lower Canyon. Refer to the chart above for specifics on flows and water temps.

The river is on the rise as are most watersheds in the state. There is a flood watch in the upper county - Cle Elum area. The water levels above the Teanaway are still reasonable but according to projections predicted to significantly rise over the next 48 hours....

The river is low and clear. The fall hatches are over for the 2007 season. There might be a slight Blue Wing hatch here and there, but from now until the first hatches of 2008 we are looking at midges, nymphing and streamers. With water temps dropping as they have, the fish will be in the prime time 'feed me' slots for stone nymphs, midge pupae and whitefish spawn.

Our suggestion is to forget the deep slots and target the shallow funnel drop off's...This can be some of the best nymphing,

The river bumbed up a bit over the last few days due to the precipitation. The weather is however cooling and the feeder streams have peaked and started to drop which will obviously be reflected in the main flow of the river. Mr Weather calls for no more precip this week. The clartiy of the river was tinted a bit specifically in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon. Nymphing has been the game and the best time today was between 12 noon and 4pm.

Remember the white fish spawn is part of the late Fall , Early winter food source for all resident fish

Hatches have significantly lightened over the last week. The water is looowww and clear. The river and the fishing is in a transition period. Our Fall hatches are fading fast with the Blue Wing being the remaining bug of choice.

The transition period can be a bit tough as it seems the window is very short and nothing ever seems to materialize with consistency. At least that is the general picture. As we move into early Winter...Things can get real good with the shallow and simple nymphing. Often I here that in Winter fishing we should target the slow and deep runs!? Well this is partly true but more then not we target shallow and isolated drop-off's which equate to 'feed me' zones.

Remember the white fish spawn is part of the late Fall , Early winter food source for all resident fish

Strong hatches and a short window is still the game. Water temps are great for this time of year...hovering around the 45 degree mark throughout the system. The best window varies on the day but 11am to 3pm is a reasonable 4 hour bet.

The fishing is good but the window has shortened with this cooler weather. Strong hatches of Baetis, Mahogany's and Cahill's for 2 hours The infamous 'Rock Garden' can be a lesson in humility...selective trout, small bugs and low/flat/fall light can be a challenge. Slack line/drag free techniques are the key for the dry fly and the emerger. Nymphing seemed to slow a bit with this weather change as well.

The Cahill's and Mahogany's seem to be waning a bit as are the colors of Fall. The Baetis continue to be strong and should for the next two weeks

Take advantage of out Winter rate starting November 1- $250 for the 4-5 hours of the 'Prime Time'.

The fishing on the Yakima has been quite good lately.Strong hatches of Blue Wings, Mohagany's and Cahills are the fare. Don't be afraid to swing the wet fly during the hatch. When dry fly fishing and indicator nymphing the fly needs to be presented without drag and utilizing slack line techniques will catch you more fish. Feel free to stop in the shop anytime and we can give you some pointers on slack line techniques or any other technique for that matter. Ample wading available for the angler on foot. The evenings have been good with the October Caddis especially in the Farmlands, Upper Canyon and Upper Flatlands. Imparting movement on the fly is a good idea!

Ditto the last report. The river bumped up a bit since the last report. Nothin alarming. Fishing continues to be steady/good. Nymphing brings the numbers. Don't be afraid to swing the soft hackle. Watch for the risers between 12noon and 4.

The river is in great Fall conditions. There have been decent hatches lately with a few pods of fish here and there. Remember the best of the Fall for rising pods of fish is after every body has gone home for the season - Oct 15 to Nov 15.

The best big dry fly fishing recently has been in the last 2 hours of the day with Oct Caddis patterns...Make sure to twitch the fly

Predominant bugs....Crane flies, Summer Stones, October Caddis, Yellow Mays and Beatis. Nymph fishing has been fairly automatic. As the Fall progresses, the small nymph will be key. Currently, small nymphs are working but medium to large nymphs are still catchen' em....so why not!

Wow! We have low water! Predominant bugs....Crane flies, Summer Stones, October Caddis, Yellow Mays and Beatis. Nymph fishing has been fairly automatic. As the Fall progresses, the small nymph will be key. Currently, small nymphs are working but medium to large nymphs are still catchen' em....so why not!

Dry fly fishing is still in a search mode. There are a few pods of fish here and there in isolated zones, but certainly not prolific. Tip of the day-Cranefly!

The water is down........The fall is near.....The bugs are happening and the fishing is 'good'. The fishing is not automatic but certainly worthy. Nymphing out mid stream has been a good bet. The dry fly fishing has slowed. Remember as the fall progresses the size of nymphs are small ....#16-22

Apologize for the delay on the Update....Between keeping the guide crew busy on the Yakima and getting the Steelhead Ranch ready on the Klickitat; Whew!

WOW, Good trout fishing with big bugs.....We can't complain. Make sure you let the fish eat the fly before you set the hook; We have seen alot of trackers lately. We could tell you that the only fly to use is the #$%&*! but that would be fairly egotistical. We will however tell you that tan and peach foam with rubber legs in size 8-12 has been good. In addition, Dave's hoppers, The Glomer (Proprietary secret fly) and a variety of other big to medium uglies have produced.

Cover water, toss the fly to the likely looking structure with a Stonefly/Hopper/Cranefly looking bug and set the hook when Mr/Mrs Trout eats your bug.... That is the Game Plan!

We have a hint of Fall in the air. This summer fishing reminds me of the 'ol days' when we had ample water...it is a good thing.

The fishing report is very similar to the last. Fishing the dry fly has been our predominant game. Cover water and look for the opportunistic fish!

Summer roles on here and the fishing remains good. Tight to the bank is a good approach, but not always. In fact, we have been catching many fish away from the bank. Watch for the prominent drop-offs, seem lines and sub surface structure. Drop-offs are key, key, key..... did I say key? Drop-offs can be subtle and often times not very obvious.

The cooling trend mentioned in the last report has been replaced with a hot one. Mr weather shows a light cooling trend this next week...highs in the mid 80's.

Lately the Lower Canyon has been best with the dry fly from the early AM until the late AM. From the late AM into the afternoon and early evening the Nymph then becomes the way to catch the numbers. Around the 7:30 pm time zone, the dry fly can come back out.

Overall the Farmlands continue to be mostly a nymph game with light dry fly fishing in specific zones and at specific times. The Upper Canyon has been the "Spotty Factor" as usual with some days good on the dry fly and some days not so good. If you catch numbers in the Upper Canyon with the nymph, please let me know your secrets!

The Upper Flatland stretch hase been giving up fish on both the nymph and the dry.

This cooling trend and cloudy weather has made for some good fishing; With the weather at hand, the AM fishing is not as important. Nymphing and dry fly fishing have both been productive. The dry fly fishing is good, especially tight to the bank!

The river is big and we had a strong winter making our reservoirs full of cold water; which equates to great summer fishing!!!!

This heat blast has changed up a few things. The evenings, while still worthy, have slowed down a bit...The Caddis emerger is the ticket. The time to be on the water- 6am to 1pm...trust your guide; End of story. We started doing this back in the old days before all the pressure the river sees now. In fact, the first early AM float I remember doing was during a major heat blast in the mid 90's; with former Evening Hatch guide Eric Vandoren and myself.

Lately the dry fly has been the ticket in the AM and the Summer Stone and Hopper are on the trout's hit list!

The river is big and we had a strong winter making our reservoirs full of cold water; which equates to great summer fishing!!!!

Here is the perfect marathon day. Dry fly fish the Upper Canyon for mega smallish cutties and a few nice ones from 10am to 4pm and then pull out and fish 'The Evening Hatch" ( pardon the pun) in the Lower Canyon from 6:30 pm to dark.

Overall the fishing throughout the system has been good. The evenings have been better with the dry in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon. The predominant bugs in the Lower Canyon and Farmland stretches are PED's, Caddis, Beatis, Midges and Micro Caddis. There are a few Summer stones starting to show.

The Upper Canyon bugs tend to be a bit more terrestrial oriented....Ants and Beetles...Ants and Beetles....Ants and Beetles. Did I say Ants and Beetles? Other prevalent bugs....Caddis, PED's, Yellow Sallies.

The Upper Flatlands have been fishing alot like the Upper canyon with a larger trout size average.

Watch for the Summer Stones, Hoppers and Craneflies to be on the hitlist soon...

The river is in great condition. Recently the river his increased in flows in all stretches. Currently we are at typical summer flows.

The dry fly fishing in the Upper Canyon is a worthy angle for ample small cutthroat and an occasional big boy. The Farmlands have been a mix of dry fly fishing and nymphing. The same goes with the Lower Canyon with a bit more of an emphasis on the nymph. The Upper Flatlands has been fishing similar to the Upper Canyon and the Upper Proper (AKA Holy Waters) has been decent to good.

All stretches are showing some good hatches in the evening- refer to the chart above-

The Lower Canyon continues to fish average to good with nymphs during the day time and some decent to good dry fly Caddis and PED hatches in the evening. The Farmlands seem to be very nymph oriented and the Upper Canyon is showing probably the best dry fly action during the day time

Lower Canyon and Farmlands bugs of choice - Hungarian Partridge Caddis Pupan in Tan and Olive #14-16, Super Prince #14-16, # 8 Pat's stone, #16 PMD Trigger nymph, #16-18 CDC PT, # 14-18 X-Caddis, # 14 -18 Lafontaine emergers, #16 PMD Parachutes

Upper Canyon / Upper Flatland bugs of choice - #10-18 Royal Parachutes and Wulffs, #12 to 14 Black Ant, #14 Yellow Sallie Adults and Nymphs, #10-14 Yellow Stimis,

The river continues to run low for this time of year. The fishing is good utilizing a variety of techniques. The dry fly fishing has been isolated especially in the Lower Canyon and Farmlands. The Lower Canyon was a parade of boats on Saturday. If staying out to dark is on the ok list, then watch for some good Caddis, PED and even Drake action in the last hour. Prior to the evening the best hours for bug activity recently has been in the 2-6pm time frame.

Helpful hint: Shallow nymphing has been poductive when not using the dry...double bugs 2-3 feet under the indicator.

The river is low for this time of year. It is fishing good as we speak. We will most likely see another big release of water during the next warm spell. According to the Bureau of Reclamation the next release will be "more normal" and the flows will bump up to normal summer flows...as they are below normal currently.

The river is in great shape and the catching has been goooooooood the last two days. Lots of yellow mayflies waterside. PMD's, PED's, Epeorus, etc etc etc.

Nymphing with a variety of smaller bugs has been good. One Caddis nymph, one Mayfly nymph and one beer is the recipe for the nymph game. Anything yellow and size #12-16 has been good for the dry fly game.

The river went a bit SIDEWAYS due to the major heat blast. Stay tuned as we will update as things get better. The water is currently dropping rather quickly. Mother Nature is calling for cooler weather over the next week which should lighten the flow of water into the already full reservoirs.

The river continues to be in good shape. The Bureau of Reclamation has modified the flow here and there lately making for some tougher fishing at times. Overall the nymphing in the day time and dry fly fishing in the evening is a great approach. Some of the evenings lately have been quite good with lots and lots of fish looking up.

Should be a great summer on the river with good clean cold flows. Currently the bugs are predominantly Caddis and PMD's. Cloudy days seem to be better for the PMD's. A yellow thorax/bubbleback PT is a great PMD nymph.

Our nymph set-ups lately have been a Stonefly nymph with a dropper in various shapes and sizes...... #12-16 Lightning Bugs, PMD PT's, Rubber leg Princes, Leviathan bug, etc...

The dry flies for the evening include..#10 Royal Stimi's, #14-6 X-Caddis in tan and Olive, #8 Foam C-ants in Black, Tan, Orange, #12 Royal Parachute, #12-16 Egglaying Caddis

The river is in great condition. We have settled in for the summer. Water levels will bump up here and there as the reservoirs are full and the need to make room for storage will be necessary. Regardless, the river is in awesome summer flow condition. The predominant insect as of lately has been the evening caddis. Nymphing during the day time and dry flies in the evening has been our approach. We are starting to see a few PMD's throughout the system as well.

The Caddis Hatch on Tuesday in the Lower Canyon was epic and the fish responded well. Wednesday the water raised significantly and we cancelled boats for Friday. We should see stabilization soon...will keep you posted.

The Caddis Hatch has lightened significantly due to the cold water influxes from the Cle Elum reservoir. The Caddis were incredibly strong but with the cooling water temps they have slowed a bit. Regardless, we have had some avg. fishing in the Lower Canyon and Farmlands stretch lately.

The Caddis Hatch continues strong especially in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon. Water temps are swinging from 51-56 degrees. Water flows are up throughout the system based on influx from all tribs and dams. Fishing the rise has been the game.

Note: The Caddis explosion happened the same day on the Yakima as it did on the Big Hole.

Rockin Caddis hatches. Great fishing! The fish won't be everywhere. Keep your eyes tuned for the risers and give them a reasonable rendetion and presentation and your offering should be accepted..

ESP's #14 to 16 in Olive & Bright Green
#14 - 16 X-caddis in Olive
#14 - 16 Super Duper

The emergence was fairly strong throughout the day and came in waves. The egglaying seem to be best in the late afternoon and early evening.

We might see a bit of a rise in the river flows due to the warm weather...We will keep you posted.

The warmer daytime temperatures have increased the flows due to snow melt. The warmth also fired a few new bugs for the fly box, including a decent emergence of Salmonflies and Golden stones size #6-8 in the Farmlands. Aside from the Salmonflies there are also a few other varieties of stoneflies...size 12-14 tan/yellow. We are right on the edge of the American Grannom hatch. Frankly, I am surprised we didn't see it happen 5 days ago when the water temps were conducive. Since then, our water temps have dropped significantly due to cold water releases from the Cle Elum resevoir. The water is clean but definitely cold as it is from the bottom of the reservoir. The Bureau of Reclamation raised the Cle Elum river starting around the 23rd as they were anticipating the need for more water storage as the lake is full. In short, this means that until the influx of water into the lake is light the Bureau will be releasing water from the dam to make room for more snow melt. On a positive note....it is clean water.

We have been on the river from its headwaters to Roza dam over the last week and met with some avg to good fishing throughout. It looks as though we will be seeing the Mother's Day Caddis somewhere around Mother's Day this season. Over the years, the fourth week of April has occasionally been the kick off time.....Not this year. Stay tuned and we will keep you posted

Catching has been variable depending on the day. The cloudy days have certainly been better. We are in a bit of a transition period in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon. March Browns, while still present, are slowing down. Blue Wings will continue throughout the season and the Caddis are just around the corner. Typically the Mothers Day Caddis blooms will start when the water reaches the 50 degree mark. I have seen strong emergences in the 4th week of April; April 28th 2002....Water temp 52 degrees - Caddis Explosion. Water temps currently are at 52 degrees in the Lower Canyon and have only been at or above 50 degrees for the past couple days.

The Upper Canyon and Upper Flatlands have been producing the same hatches overall and the March Browns will most likely last a bit longer in these stretches. Over the years, these stretches have been the goto areas to get away from the pressure on the river...not any more. I could say, "I remember when" but what good will it do, things change.

We haven't been seeing big numbers of big fish as they have been pre-occupied with the spawn. The overall spawn should lighten just around the corner.

Mr weather is calling for a few warm days this week reaching the 70 degree mark. The CFS Graphs have been bouncing up and down a bit based on airtemps bringing down the snow pack. The Teanaway increased quite a bit yesterday. nothing alarming but something to keep an eye on.

The First Annual Washington Fly Tying Expo on April 21st was a great experience and it looks as though they will be continuing the tradition next year and most likely expanding the programs. We will keep you posted!

Fishing continues to be steady. Skwalas are slowing but timing the March Brown hatch can be rewarding. The hatch can be short and sweet. A cup of joe and a sandwich with a bit of patience can pay off in your favorite riffle. Blue Wings after the March Brown can also be the afternoon ticket.

Parchute Adams #12, Floating PT #14, #12 Hares Ear Soft Hackle, March Brown Trigger nymph #12-14, PT Soft Hackles #12-16, #8-12 Royal Parachute, #8 Skwamer

The First Annual Washington Fly Tying Expo on April 21st will be held in Ellensburg.

9am to 5pm at the Hal Holmes Center sponsored and organized by the FFF Federation of Fly Fishers. The Expo will feature 100 of the finest fly tyers in the Northwest. Admission is $5 and a dinner plate is $30.

Skwalas, Blue Wings and March Browns continue to be the bug fare. Fishing has been consistent in the Farmlands and the Lower Canyon. The Upper Canyon continues to produce sporadically. The Upper Flatlands has seen more pressure then ever before but has produced some great fish. The Upper Proper has also seen the most pressure it has ever seen.

Refer to the bug chart above for overall insect activity. Remember Caddis are just around the corner!

The prime time to be on the water is noon to 4pm. Have fun and if you have any questions give us a jingle, we are happy to help out. 866-482-4480

Fishing is gooood! The river is still big but most likely we will be seeing this type of flow from here on out. Take advantage of the weather and water!

In the four days since our last report the Yakima and it's tributaries have dropped in volume and cleared up substantially. If Mr. weather will give us a break in precipitation and barring any 70 degree days and warm nights we should be in good shape for awhile.

Recently and sometimes at this time of year the best hours to be on the water are from Noon to 4 PM. This is mostly related to overall water temps. The dry fly fishing yesterday in the Lower Canyon was decent in specific zones and in the afternoon. The nymphing under an "indibob" (Indicator/bobber) and/or under tension (with or without sinktips/leaders) has also been a worthy technique.

The starting water temp in the Lower Canyon and Farmland stretches are a couple degrees more then the Upper Canyon and Upper Flatlands stretches currently. This can make a difference in overall activity.

Be willing to change up and try different bugs. Just because one bug worked good for you two weeks ago doesn't mean it will be on the trout's menu today. To quote a good friend and great angler Jeff Brazda, do the opposite if the day is going slow...ie; After trying all your favorite nymphs and the fishing hasn't improved, throw the dry fly. Tis' the season for the fish to start keying in on the surface.

Colder weather and np precip has the river on the drop again. The river above the Teanaway should be in shape by Tuesday or Wednesday. Below the Teanaway might take a few more days!

Going, Going and Gone...If the rains would just stop we would be in great condition heee on the Yakima. Prior to the last 2 days of deluge in the Upper County, the river had been continuosly dropping back into shape. However the 2 days of rain knocked her back out. According to Mr Weather we should see decreasing precip starting today.

Yesterdays fishing wasn't half bad in te Lower Canyon. We hooked quite a few fish on the nymph and had some good dry fly fishing for about an hour.

The Yakima conditions are definitely improving. Clarity is as follows @ 11am on Thursday

Lower Canyon 1.5 - 2feet
Farmlands 2.5-3 feet
Upper Canyon 3-4
Upper Flatlands 4+

Levels are still big but dropping. Clartiy is improving...We are a go with guided trips starting today. We have cancelled this past week but we are back on track now. We will post as conditions change.

There are certainly a number of Skwala adults present. Your arsenal should include...

Again I would like to tell you that the super duper x is going to catch you all the fish between 1 and 3 pm from Mile Marker z to MM y ... That would be fai ly egotistical.

Make sure you have Skwala dry flies and nymphs, San yuan worm patterns, PT variations, Lightning Bugs, Buggers and the like and fish where the fish are!

The Yakima conditions are improving. The overall clarity is poor. With the cooler weather patternthe Upper Flatlands may fish by the weekend.

The Yakima conditions are not so good right now. The combination of old man winter and a warming spring makes for a big river currently. We will keep you updated as conditions change. The clarity of the river is anywhere from 3 inches to 1foot. The dry fly fishing was actually good in the Lower Canyon prior to this push of water.

The last couple of days on the Upper Columbia were GOOD. Link here to view a recent photo gallery from the UC.

Cooler weather is dropping the river.. The river below the Teanaway is still out of shape but the water above is definitely fishable!

Our fishing on the Columbia river went to the way side for a couple days with an incredibly strong high pressure system that tossed the fishing/catching out the door. We however got back on track today with a great day of hooking up!

Warm weather has increased flows on all the tributaries to the Yakima...She is going, going gone! We will keep you updated as the conditions change. In the meantime we have a crew up on the Upper Columbia which has been fishing average. It has not been a numbers game but we have landed some great fish and busted quite a few off on stout tippet!

The Lower Canyon continues to produce average to good oportunities on the dry. The Farmlands stretch is fishing good but you will need to favor the nymph in thier. We haven't been in the Upper Canyon so no report for that stretch. The Upper Flatlands have been fishing good with multiple techniques including a few dry flies here and there. The Upper Proper is a 99% sub surface game right now.

Flies of Choice for the week...#10 Al's Skwala Nymph, #12 Skwalmer, #10 Royal Parachute, #14 Lightning Bug, #14.75 Super duper electric blue fuzzbuster using 28.5 inches of 8x only between 1 and 3am- remember to set your clocks forward!

Water temps have warmed a bit and the flows have come up a bit as well. Fishing remains good. The dry fly fishing was good in the Lower Canyon yesterday. Blue Wings, Midges and Skwalas! About time! . The nymphing continues to produce numbers. . Watch for the Blue Wing to be the insect of choice as long as our river stays in shape.

Water temps continue to be on the cool side for any consistent hatch yet. We are playing the winter transition game. Too warm and the river raises and discolors. Too cold and the bugs don't move.

Fishing recently has been good. Not great, not bad...but good fishing. While the Pat's stone has been a staple bug over the last few years, it is not as hot as it once was. Be sure to have an arsenal of nymphs and don't be afraid to change up. The fish are there, you have to offer them something on their diet!

A few dietary suggestions might include;
Midge larvae-Chromies, Disco Midge, Serendipities...etc
Blue Wings nymphs-PT' & variations of PT's, Lightning Bugs, BWO soft hackles
Stone Nymphs-Pat's, Double Beads, Al's Skwala, Braided Stone
Worms-Red ones, Pink ones, Tan ones...etc!

The river is in great shape with good to great clarity throughout. As the last report stated...no real hatches to speak of yet. Water temps have dropped a bit throughout the entire system. Nymphing and streamers are the game.

Typically a handful of flies will do the trick at this time of year. However, be able to change up, or let me say, be willing to change up as the trout are conditioned feeders and at time will like the "soft hackle PT over the standard PT" etc...

For the upcoming spring hatches, don't be afraid to fish the fly utilizing the traditional wet fly soft hackle swing during emergences. This technique can be deadly and is becoming a lost art.

We are back on track. The water is dropping and clearing. Water temps are ranging from 38-40 degrees. Nymphing was productive in the Upper Flatlands yesterday and if the weather holds true tparts of he river should be good for the weekend. The Farmlands should be an option this weekend. As of yesterday the clarity in the Farmlands was on the verge of 'fishable'. The Lower Canyon might be a bit marginal for this weekend due to the lack of clarity.

No major bugs to speak of yet. We have seen a few adult Skwalas, some Little Winter Stones and a few Blue Wings. However we a right on the edge of the 2007 spring hatches. We will be on the water over the weekend with guests, fishing and catching!

The fish are doing just fine, but the river is a bit out of shape currently.

The scheduled precipitation for the upper county is on the decrease over the next week, however the last 24 hours the upper county rcvd a large amount of precip in the form of rain and the river and its tribs are on the rise...doesn't look good for the next couple days.

Wow, what a difference 48 hours can make. Saturday's fishing was dffiicult as water temps and air temps were very cold. We had two boats on the water. The Lower Canyon had a significant amount of ice flow due to the air and water temps combined with the wind factor. The Farmlands however experienced minimal ice flow. The fishing in the Lower Canyon was brutal. The fishing in the Farmlands was average. We did see the end of the fly line and well into the backing because a very nice estimated 20 inch rainbow went balistic on us. The fish however came out the winner!

Today the valley is completely different. Water temps have increased over 5 degrees throughout most the river and the air-temps were pleasant. I cringe at quoting Mr Weather as he has been off the mark lately. However, the upcoming week looks like great early spring fishing weather.

10am- 12noon, cloudy 26-29 degrees; Avg to good fishing
12 noon to 2pm 28-30 degrees, light breeze and sun; Slow fishing
2pm - 3pm, clear a few shadows, 30degrees; Good fishing.

Nymphed the entire day. Bugs used included...
Als Skwala, Pat's Stone, Jeremy's Stone, San Juan Worm, Egg pattern, Prince Nymph.

Mr Weather has not been very accurate lately. All we need for the river to really fire up is a few degree increase in the water temps. As of lately they have actually dropped. Pretty darn cold water temps...check the chart above. Mr Weather 'says' things are to warm up with this low pressure coming in. Let's hope so!

Tue
Jan 30 Sunny
36°/24°
Wed
Jan 31 Sunny
36°/24°
Thu
Feb 1 Sunny
38°/25°
Fri
Feb 2 Partly Cloudy
37°/23°
Sat
Feb 3 Cloudy
32°/26°
Sun
Feb 4 Cloudy
35°/27°
Mon
Feb 5 Partly Cloudy
36°/27°
Tue
Feb 6 Mostly Sunny
38°/28°
Wed
Feb 7 Partly Cloudy
40°/27°

The past couple days our water temps have dropped a bit, which made for a bit tougher fishing. According to Mr Weather, the next week and a half looks like great early season conditions; Overall warmer temps!

Fishing in the Farmlands yesterday was good. If you are nymphing, make sure to work the water systematically. Cold water fish don't move fast. We are just weeks away from our first insects.

We have no ice flow ! Weather looks favorable for the next week. If you have cabin fever, the Yakima is certainly an option. You will still find mega ice back up from Big Pines/Slab down in the Lower Canyon. From Llumma creek upstream to the headwaters is a good idea.

Well the water has been dropping into shape the last couple days but with this cold spell you might want to bring an ice breaker. Don't come this way unless your willing to dodge ice chunks. Will keep you posted.

Wind, rain and above freezing temps yesterday = higher water today. Don't come this way today or manana.

Fishing the fly on the swing and or retrieved today was certainly worthy. Skwala's are just around the corner.

With as much snow as we have here, the river has been fluctuating quite a bit with the warming and cooling weather patterns. Obviously, the fishing is good during the decrease or stabilization of flows. Stay tuned to the flow graph by using the link above and base your fishing on the flows. The river is currently dropping and looking good! For nymphing, 3-6 flies are all you need. I forgot one last report!

The ice flows we were experiencing a few days ago are gone do due to a 'warming' trend. Water temps are still cold but the fish are bighting! Mr Weather shows a good fishing trend for the next 10 days with highs in the mid-30's and lows in the low to mid-20's. . 30% chance of precipitation in the form of snow over the next 10 days as well.

When it comes to nymphs-5 patterns will suffice in the winter ...(in different sizes and colors)

Mega ice flow due to LOOOOWWWW air temps; will keep you updated when conditions change!

The river has been cold but fishing good as shown by the photos above. From approximately the Slab(Big pines) down the ice chunk game gets a bit unfishable. From the Slab upstream-Two thumbs up. Nymphing has been the game overall! The major cold snap seems to be over...

Water temps have warmed up guite a bit over the last week. Recently 38 degrees is the avg in the Lower Canyon and Farmlands. Fishing/catching is good. I wouldn't call it great nor average, simply good. The swinging has been ok. The nymphing has been the ticket lately. No midge activity to speak of yet.

The weather has turned for the better. We have no more ice flow at all and the fishing is good. Yesterday's fishing yielded large numbers of fish...more YT's then trout. Regardless, a good day waterside. Water temps have warmed a bit and the river is definitely defined. Pick your water ...it makes a difference.

The web site is coming around. For awhile, there will be broken links here and there and I apologize for the situation. I have been wanting to change providers for sometime now, however being forced to do so in less then favorable conditions was not the way I had planned it. Oh well!

About the fishing. Many of you know that this would happen to be my personal favorite season. It certainly isn't because of the strong hatches and dry fly fishing. Although, there can be some great dry fly midging in the winter. No, some of the reasons this would be my favorite season on the Yakima include

Some would balk at number 4 and say i am just an excitable guy who is full of _ _ _ _! I would say, if your not catching fish (alot) at this time of year, you are doing something wrong.

Currently the Yakima has been on the edge of slush in the flow. Yesterdays fishing was awesome. Today we have a bit of slush. If we could just get away from the 12 degree nights the fishing would remain great, day to day.

The Yakima has a bit of slush action going on right now...stay tuned as the weather looks favorable for some good fishing just around the corner. Thank goodness we are finally back online. Thanks for your patience!

The Yakima is dropping and clearing, again. the graph is going straight down. Fishing yesterday was tough but we managed to scratch out a handful, plus a few. The fish were definitely in the soft water! We have not floated the Farmlands stretch since the high water. We would recomend a recon float and a info pack first! Could be some major changes in there. We will keep you posted.

In the 20 years here, I have never seen that amount of precipitation in the late Fall. Stay tuned for better conditions; Looks as though we have favorable patterns coming our way.

The Yakima is dropping and clearing. Currently the flows are not very wader friendly as an overall rule. Isolated zones in the Lower Canyon should be wader friendly. We will give you a fishing update manana as we will be on the water. water clarity has a glacial green tint; I like it!

Definitely fishable! Watch out for new obstructions especially in the Farmlands, Upper Proper and the Upper Flatlands.

The Yakima is currently out of shape, we’ll look forward to the days ahead in hope for some break in the rain.

The river has doubled in size in the last 2 days leaving 1 ft visibility throughout the system.

We continue to see good hatches with light a variable surface action. However searching with small Hairwing dries has been effective. Also when you find a group or single fish rising to the insects of the day, targeting them with a reasonable rendition with a drag free presentation will bring results.

Nymphing small is a fall staple. Watch for the nymph fishing to get real good around the first of December. Certainly my favorite nymph season. Click here for a photo extravaganza.

Personally I will be on the Klickitat for the next two weeks...chasing them there steelhead,

Fishing on the Yakima has been a bit sporadic this fall. Lots and lots of YT's and some good rainbows as well. Dry fly fishing has been sporadic as well. The best of the year is yet to come...mark those words!

The Yakima River continues to be in good shape. Water levels remain "wader friendly" throughout the system. The dry fly fishing has been good in certain zones in the afternoon and on into the evening. BWO time frame has been between 1 and 4pm this past week. Keep a few October caddis, Mahogany's and Cahill patterns in your fly box in combination with the BWO's. Shallow nymphing continues to be consistent in the lower canyon and farmlands.
Hopefully the cloud cover will remain consistent into next week with the combination of cooler temperatures; both conditions usually equal great Fall time dry fly fishing!

The fishing on the Yakima continues to be good particularly in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon stretches. The Upper Canyon and Upper Flatlands have been average at best. Nymphing remains the most consistent, yet throwing dries has had some luck in certain zones. The dry flies include, but not limited to BWO, Cahill's, Craneflys, and October Caddis. While the fall time BWO fishing can be EPIC please keep in mind that it can also be extremely isolated. This is the season to use #18-22's nymphs in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon.
Mr. Weather is predicting temperatures remaining near 70 degrees during the day with sporadic cloud cover over the next week.

Watch for the best rises in October to occur when our water temps drop down into the low 50's.

The report is very similar to the last report. We are seeing strong hatches of Baetis (size #20) but not many fish keying on the surface. There are also a few Cahills, Crane flies, and October Caddis as well.

The traditional wet fly swing, dry flies and nymphs have been the techniques used to catch the trout lately with the nymph making up about 50% of the catch. The valley has received quite a bit of precipitation over the last few days. As usual, Wilson/Cherry creek was quite muddy due to the rainfall.

Yesterday we had six guided trips on the water. As for the other guides best flies, I couldn't tell you all the specifics. My best flies were a Pats Stone, a Royal Wulff and an October Caddis Adult

Fishing the dry has been a bit less productive lately. We have been utilizing both nymphs and dries, favoring the nymph. Air-temps are supposed to cool down for the next week. Water clarity in the Lower Canyon is most definitely less since the flip flop started due to less clean water diluting the Wilson/Cherry creek flow. The waning moon and cooler temps should promote some good fishing over the next couple weeks. The aforementioned info should also help with the marginal water temps as well.

Fishing is good. It has tapered a bit from the last report...but still good. Water temps are a bit marginal. Looks as though we will see a cool down starting this Friday...Whew!

Rockin' fishing with dry flies in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon- Summer stones and hoppers. Heard tell that someone was actually nymphing in the Farmlands yesterday? Why? Other than to perfect your open loop cast!?

Plain and simple the fishing in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon is good to great with the hopper/stonefly looking dry. End of story.

I would give the recent dry fly terrestrial fishing a two thumbs up factor. It has been a nice change up from the nymph activity. #8-12 Tan and Pale Yellow C-ants, PMX's, Dave's Hoppers etc, etc etc, have been catchin'em. Great average size of fish recently as well. I would call our average fish in the Lower Canyon the last couple of days a legitimate 14-15" with shots at plenty of 16-19"...pretty cool.

The Upper Canyon has been good as well. Good numbers of fish with a good mixture of Cutts and Bows. We haven't been in the Farmlands lately but I gaurantee we will be in there over the next few months as this is the season.

Water levels are dropping daily for the annual Flip Flop and should be down by the 10th of Sept or so and the wading opportunities will be ample.

Fishing remains consistent. The Upper Canyon is turning out good numbers of small fish to the dry fly. The Lower Canyon is turning out good numbers of small to large fish to the nymph. The Farmlands-Good Question! We haven't been in those waters lately. Watch for the entire river to fish good here is we begin the Flip Flop.

Water levels are dropping daily for the annual Flip Flop and should be down by the 10th of Sept or so and the wading opportunities will be ample.

Inside info tip - Late Sept and Oct nymphs should predominantly be #16-20's!

Until recently our water temps have been incredibly good, however we are seeing some warmer temps throughout the system. The high water temp lately has been 66 in the Lower Canyon. For this reason we will not be featuring any more fish fotos for this month and until the water temps drop down to comfortable trout temps.

Fishing remains good throughout the system. Pretty much a duplicate of the last few reports. See below for specifics! (that ones for you Steve). Water flows are starting to stage down as the flip flop will be complete by the 10th of September. Starting to see a few Chinook now that the water is dropping. Watch for the egg game to turn on.

The Upper Canyon and Flatlands are starting to fish they way we like them to! Otherwise the report is very similar to the below update!

The valley is receiving a much needed cooling trend, at least for now. The flows on the Yakima currently remind me of the old days...big,strong and cool. The fishing remains good especially in the lower stretches of the system; specifically from the Farmlands down into the Lower Canyon. Meanwhile the Upper Canyon, Upper Flatlands and Upper Proper continue to be a bit tough. Watch for those stretches to turn on here shortly.

The Farmlands and Lower Canyons bug activity remains similar to the last report. Various Yellow Mays #12-16, a few Yellow Sallies# 16, Summer Baetis #18, Strong Micro Caddis#22, Tan and Grey Caddis #16-18, Summer Stones #6-8 and a variety of Terrestrials.

Sub Surface
Stone Nymphs, Lightning Bugs, Formerly Known as Prince, Yellow and Orange Soft Hackles, various Caddis BH Nymphs including but not limited to-BH Hungarian Caddis Pupa, Lafontaine Pupas and Rockworms,

Surface
Super Duper Glomers, Parachute Adams, Daves Hoppers, Hivis Ants and Beetles, Elk Hair Caddis, Griffiths Gnats

Thursday was the First Annual Greg Stark Memorial Event.....Click Here to read more and view photos from the outing.

Fishing remains good in the morning to early afternoon. The afternoons have been significantly slower. The evenings have been variable. The
aforementioned stat is specific to the Farmlands and Lower Canyon. The Upper Canyon and Upper Flatlands have been a bit of crapshoot lately for numbers of fish. The Upper Proper is a bit testy as well. Water temps remain great throughout the system thanks to cold water releases from the Cle Elum reservoir. Predominant bugs include summer stones, various yellow mayflies, caddis and terrestrials.

Big dries in the am and smaller bugs as the day progresses. Various droppers behind big bugs can be quite effective later in the morning and early afternoon. The water levels are big and will remain so for quite awhile.

This summer season reminds me of the good ol' days on the Yakima; Lots of cold water and fishing the fly predominantly to the bank.

If you want Hot weather...We got it! Fishing has been good early mornings and late evenings, but has been slow mid day except when overcast. Summer stones are fishing well.

I apologize for the delay on posting fotos over the last month-but check them out now...we have been waterside!

The yakima is fishing very well in the farmlands and the lower canyon. Fishing is tough in the upper canyon and the upper flatlands.

Personally for me the last three weeks have been a series of wonderdul days waterside. From little mountain brookies, cutthroats, rainbows to large desert brown and rainbow trout to large Columbia rainbows and cutthroat. It is however nice to be back in the valley.

The yakima river acording to the guide staff has been fishing good. Early mornings, daytime and evenings have all been producing. The river is in great shape as our reservoirs are full of cold water and this summer is primed for great fishing due to mother natures water supply. Our activity should be great combining summer stones, hoppers, ants, beetles, caddis, yellow sallies and yellow mays.

The yak is running and fishing well with good clarity. Nymphing is the game throughout the hot periods of the day with some good dry fly action in the evenings. We have been seeing caddis and stone flies in the evenings.

The river flows on the Yakima have gone up by about 1200 cfs but the clarity has stayed at about 3 feet. Fishing should still be good throughout the river. We have been seeing caddis hatches on a consistent basis in the evenings with some PMD action throughout the day. Cast to rising fish or throw a stone nymph with a soft hackle behind it.

The Lower Canyon and Farmlands nymphing has been silly, especially in the last half of the day....end of story.

Guiding Fly Fishers in Washington since 1988- The Yakima, Naches, Methow, Klickitat, Desert Creeks, Upper Columbia,

The river has stabilized and this past we have been on every stretch of the river from the base of Easton Dam to The Slab in the Lower Canyon. We would like to say that the dry fly fishing is rockin', but she ain't! There are a few fish looking for dry flies and emergers and parking yourself in the right location in the last two hours is the best way to get your dry fly fix in! A variety of Yellow Mays and Caddis is the fare for the aforementioned gameplan, especially in the Farmlands and the lower Canyon.

A few drakes have been out and about in the Upper Proper, but nothing to right home about. The Upper Flatlands and the Upper Canyon have been nymphing well with isolated dry fly activity.

Tip of the day...Don't be without ants and beetles this summer in the Upper Canyon!

Very excited to report that the river is rapidly comming into shape and we have a general stabilization of the river after the annual influx from the Cle Elum resevoir. We are now set for summer flows and fishing! Currently the Nymph and Streamer game seems to be the best ticket with the dry fly fishing coming in close as a third.

The Cle Elum river was primed to irrigational flows late yesterday and this morning, so from the Cle Elum river confluence down the Yakima is wayyyyyyyyyyyy ooooouuuutttt of shape. On a good note, the water being released from the Cle elum resevoir is cold and clear for our summer flows! The reason we have poor visibility is due to the bank debris that is being kicked in from the riverside terrain. Give it a few days and things will settle and our river will be in great shape for a long summer.

The thunder storms and rain storms yesterday here in Kittitas county were absolutely and unequivocally the most impressive I have personally ever seen here. You know your alive when you experience one of those face on. Unfortunately, the river took a beating and the clarity factor has gone way down. The volume has not increased dramatically. However, the clarity has decreased due to contributing streams from the headwaters at Easton dam all the way down. She should drop and clear soon, with a change of weather.

The fishing has been quite good lately; however the dry fly fishing continues to be very sporadic. Again, the nymph game has been the ticket for numbers of trout.

Nymphs of choice-Prince nymphs, Lightning Bugs, Worms, Pat's Stones, Catch All's, Trigger PMD nymphs..yada, yada, yada.

Slack line drifts are important, real important, like unbelievable important. Do you get the drift? Slack line drift techniques are tools for both the dry fly and nymph enthusiast.

There are two ways of fishing the fly ... with tension or without. Without tension is a slack line drift. Understanding the dynamics of the slack line will help you catch more fish and big fish!

Guiding Fly Fishers in Washington since 1988- The Yakima, Naches, Methow, Klickitat, Desert Creeks, Upper Columbia,

The Yakima river is in great shape in its entirety. The Lower Canyon has come back into shape and is now fishing well. Today it is Frikenuken (it's kinda windy) but it is excellent fishing.

Guiding Washington since 1988- The Yakima, Naches, Methow, Klickitat, Desert Creeks, Upper Columbia,

The Lower Canyon is not in great shape due to the massive amount of mud entering the system from Wilson/Cherry creek. However the river from Wilson creek to the headwaters is in great shape and fishing good, with exception to the Upper Canyon-If you can figure this section out for numbers of fish, let me know.

Plain and simple the fishing is good to great, depending on the day. Here is a bit of an overview for the upcoming weekend...

Lower Canyon-PMD's are the predominant bug of choice with Caddis being a strong second. The best chance of seeing good numbers of rising fish on the Yakima is in the Lower Canyon. A few Golden Stones showing here and there as well.

The Farmlands-This would be my choice this weekend. A mixture of nymphing and some dry fly fishing. This is also a great section to fish soft hackles on the swing as the Lechner family loves to do. PMD's, Caddis, and a few Golden Stones are the bugs dejour.

The Upper Flatlands-Low, clear and spooky: A few Red Quills and Yellow May's. This stretch was fishing awesome with nymphs as she was dropping/clearing and now a bit tougher..."Almost steelhead like"

PMD Nymph/Wet patterns - #16-18 CDC PT BH Soft Hackles, Yellow Soft Hackles, PMD Trigger nymph, PT flashbacks, AP nymph

PMD Dry flies - #16-18 Hackle Stackers, Quiglies, Sparkle Duns and parachutes

Caddis Wet - #14-18 Princes, Diving Caddis, Soft Hackles, La Fontaine emergers, Zug Bugs, Serendipity

Caddis Dry - #14-18 Egg layers, X-Caddis, La Fontaines, Hot But Parachutes, and for those tough ones in the slick water-impeccable presentation!

Guiding Washington since 1988- The Yakima, Naches, Methow, Klickitat, Desert Creeks, Upper Columbia,

Water is in great condition- fishing is good to great throughout the river system.

Guiding Washington since 1988- The Yakima, Naches, Methow, Klickitat, Desert Creeks, Upper Columbia,

Plain and simple, good fishing; Mostly nymphing with a bit of dry fly fishing here and there!

Guiding Washington since 1988- The Yakima, Naches, Methow, Klickitat, Desert Creeks, Upper Columbia,

Nothing dramatic....the river is dropping and clearing and we are back on the water. The intensity of the Mothers Day Caddis hatch has been put on hold a bit. Great water temps in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon for the Caddis as well as the PMD's- which should be just around the corner!

Guiding Washington since 1988- The Yakima, Naches, Methow, Klickitat, Desert Creeks, Upper Columbia,

River is steadily dropping and should be back into decent shape by early next week. Clarity is also improving. We will keep you posted.

Things are starting to drop. We will keep you posted as to when fishing gets back to normal.

The Yakima river is going, going, gone for the time being. We will keep you updated as conditions change.

The Yakima river is way out of shape in color and volume from the headwaters down. However, the rise factor in the Lower Canyon continues to be epic. The Caddis flights have been out of control with Egg Laying sessions to write home about. The rise has been starting around 4pm and typically continuing to dark. It is amazing that the trout will key in on the egg laying Caddis through the mud. The strength of the 2006 Caddis hatch is approximately 3 fold of the two previous years.

-The Waterloo launch
-A Rubber Boa Snake @ 10 feet long swimming in front of us
-The Roost
-Brian McGee says "Whach'ya gunna do?"
-McCall's first fishing trip
-Net Issues

Just back from Twin Bridges trying to catch the Mother's Day Caddis hatch on the Big hole. While it hadn't materialized yet in SW Montana I am sure that it is just around the corner. The Yakima's Mother's Day caddis hatch however is fired up and the fishing is good to great with Caddis in the Farmlands and the Lower Canyon. Insect hatches can be sporadic and variable depending on the day. The Caddis flights yesterday were epic as was the fishing in both the aforementioned stretches. It looks as though the Teanaway has increased in volume quite a bit over night....We will keep you posted.

Bugs to watch for - Mothers Day Caddis, March Browns, Blue Wings, Salmon flies

Dramatically dropping and clearing...Oh yeah! Above the Teanaway is fishable and from the Teanaway downstream, almost...Should be ready manana.

Water temps are significantly lower then they were prior to the rise. The Mothers Day caddis is typically based on 50 degree water temps...A bit of a double edged sword- warmer water temps also mean snow melt. We shall see. Watch for a few Salmon flies here and there as well. Nymphing or other subsurface tactics will most likely be the best bet for numbers. Stay tuned for updates.

Regardless of the variable flows recently the fishing has been good especially in the Farmlands, Upper Flatlands and Upper Proper. However today the flows are going straight up throughout the sytem; The flows are increasing from the headwaters down...

Cabin Creek, Big Creek, Silver Creek, Teanaway, Tanuem, Nanuem, Manastash and etc.... are all pumping water. The riiver above the Teanaway is still holding clarity as we speak.

Remarkably the Lower Canyon and Farmlands are fishing worthy with the higher flows and clarity factor. I guess the fish still have to eat. For those of you drifting, don't cover to much water and make sure you fish thoroughly as the "pounding the water" in isolated zones gameplan has been the ticket. The quintessential Stone fly with a dropper has been the overall best bet when it comes to nymphing. Some dropper hints...

San Juan Worms, March Brown Trigger Nymphs, Soft Hackles, Princes, Copper Johns etc., etc., etc.

In reference to dry fly fishing. Make sure you are parked in a good dry fly zone between 1 and 3 PM as the hatch lately has been fairly short and sweet...typical of the March Browns. Make sure not to walk out into the ankle deep water before inspecting as sometimes that is where the best ones are. On the move fishing with a dry from the boat has been fairly slow as of lately.

The Upper Canyon has been quite slow and the the Upper Flatlands has seen more fishing pressure then I can remember in 18 years. The Upper Flatlands stretch has been fishing OK.

Up until recently, the Yakima river above the Teanaway confluence was fairly stable and although the fishing was a bit tough, the water was worthy. However, currently the entire river is on a major upswing in flows and downswing in clarity. We will keep you updated as conditions change.

Recently back from the Upper Columbia which was also fishing a bit tough as well. We managed to see a couple days of large Baetis hatches that proved to be two thumbs up.

After the heavy rains of last weekend, the river is starting to show signs of life. Fishing has been tough the last couple days, however BWOs, Midges and Skwalas have been the dry fly of choice in the afternoon. Nymphing should remain decent using a larger stone pattern and trailing a San Juan worm or march brown nymph. Look for the temperatures to remain in the upper 50’s to mid 60’s during the day. Water temps should hold steady in the mid to lower 40’s. Keep an eye out for Mr. Weather, which is calling for warmer temperatures and in turn could lead to some spring run-off.

The Blue Wing and Midge activity has been strong over the last few days. The Skwala action has been decent as well. Typically the river at this time of year is usually quite a bit larger and therefore the hot spots have been a bit more isolated. Nevertheless, good fishing. The dry fly is the game right now...And as many may know, I am a big fan of the good ole' standard Hair Wing Dry flies-Wulffs, Irresistables, Humpies etc... We could tell you that the only fly that will work is a #14 Super Duper between the hours of 1 and 3pm in a particular hole on a particular stretch of the river in hopes that you would stop by our shop and buy on a super duper, but we won't. However we will say, Present the fly as immaculate as you can with a reasonable rendetion and you should be rewarded.

Back from the UC and had fun with some big trout! Largest to hand around 27inches and probably 7 pounds....plenty of 20 inch trout. Caught quite a few fish on the swing, oh yea! Cold weather was most certainly part of the daily fair.

The Yakima according to the guide staff has been good, but definitely in isolated zones. Decent Blue Wings have been the afternoon fair as well as a few Skwalas to mix it up. Water temps and levels are great (see chart above) Everything is prime for good to great fishing. The daily weather has been quite variable. Again, the water temps and clarity are prime. We have not seen an incredibly explosive hatch of Blue Wings yet...That should happen any day now.

The past few days we have seen a few adult Skwalas making an appearance. However, as expected we have not experienced the abundant pods of rising fish as of yet. Although the dry fly game hasn't been incredibly productive, we have seen some decent dry fly fishing in isolated zones, specifically on Midges and Blue Wings. The nymphing continues to produce fish. Mr. Weather is predicting our temperatures should be consistent and daytimes in the mid 50's with nighttimes in the low 30'sover the next two weeks, which is ideal for Skwala action!

We are definitely on track for Skwala action...a tad bit slower in comparison to the last few years, but then the last few years have been quite mild! We are seeing a few Skwalas now. Watch for the fish to really turn on to the adult over the next few days.

I will personally be on the Upper Columbia next week so I will most likely miss the first major wave...I will be sure to document the UC bows and post upon return.

There continue to be a few Blue Wings and midges in isolated zones. Watch for these hatches to blow up in the next week as well.

Irresistables #10-16, Royal Parachutes #10-16, Super Skwala #10, Parachute PT Hi Vis #14-16

Apologize for the delay on posting Feb photos……we will get them all up soon. We have had a bit of a computer glitch lately.

Prior to the last cold spell the Skwala was close to taking flight and there were a few reports stating actual adult sightings….We however have not seen any. There are good numbers of Skwala nymphs in the drift currently as many of the mature nymphs are close to hatching. Recently the nymph action has been heightened in the late afternoon until dark most likely due to the increased nocturnal nymph activity of the Skwala. Mr Weather calls for favorable conditions over the next week for insect hatches… Highs close to 50 and lows in the upper 20’s. Perfect March fishing weather. This should be an awesome week!

We are seeing a few adult Blue Wings and Midges as well and during the month of March the aforementioned insects are the morsels that bring the fish to the surface in pods. The Skwala is really an opportunistic food source and is the first Big Mac of the season. However, very rarely do we see fish feeding in pods, targeting Skwalas.

We are tired of watching indicators (bobbers) and looking forward to some dry fly action.

Fishing is gooooood / kinda’ real good! Still on the nymph game predominantly. A few streamers here and there. No real dry action yet. Get er’ Done! We could make a list of flies here with sizes and times that we fished, but we won’t. Afternoon has been better…..utilize a variety of stone nymphs; remember the Skwala is not a big stonefly.

While I can't guarantee no ice flow throughout...There is definitely free flowing water in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon as I write this....with no ice flow. It is possible that in the Farmlands there still might be some blockages due to ice from the previous days...therefore, currently we would not recommend floating that stretch. The same with Umtanum down. Fishing and catching should be good this week.

Apologize for the major delay in posting here on the conditions of the Yakima. Cold temperatures for a few days is the forecast. Water temps have dropped significantly since the last report. The catching has been good not great. No dry fly action yet. This next warm-up should spark some gooood activity. Mother nature calls for highs in the low 40's and lows in the mid to upper 20's next week which makes for a great Skwala package. Currently the sub-surface game is the plan. Rest assure, the first chance that I can say dry fly...I WILL.

The Fly Fishing Show was fun this year...Thanks to all who visited. We are looking forward to hosting and helping you all out in the 2006 season.

My favorites patterns for the next month

Dries- &L Variant, Royal Anything, Super Skwala, Bugmeisters, Irresistible,

Nymphs-Super Duper Double Whammy Stone nymph, Al's Stone Nymph, Trigger nymphs, Prince Variations

A bit of humor to help you through the week;

Guide Time…. is a term that refers to the schedule of which a guide keeps. This schedule could vary in degree. For instance, some guides might show up 30 minutes late with the smell of ciggs and beer on their breath, get you into fish all day, and pull off the river at "O-Dark Thirty" and we would refer to this scenario as Guide Time. Another example of Guide Time might be when the guide shows up at "Butt Crack Early" and has all his ducks in a row in an anal fashion, or at least he thinks he does, and then only to realize as he pulls into the launch that he forgot his sticks (oars); This would also be a Guide Time scenario. So in essence there are no real parameters for Guide Time. Guide Time "Is What It Is" and is very closely related to Guide Like.

Salud,

jack

Beautiful days here in the valley. Water temps in the Lower Canyon are conducive for Skwala action. Have not seen any adults yet...but Mr weather looks good. Earliest I have personally seen Skwala adults is on the 16th of Feb. Water is in good early spring condition. We certainly should not have a problem with the lack of water this season. For those of you going to the FF Show in Bellevue, we look forward to seeing you there this next weekend. After the show, you can bet Iwill be waterside chasing Skwala hungry trout

Another day in paradise...

jack

Wow, the last three days have been absolutely beautiful here in the valley. In fact, I have not needed to wear gloves for the first time in two months! There is a bit of irony in this statement however as the catching of numbers of fish seems to be better when you have to wear gloves! Regardless, the fishing has been quite good over the last three days....just different. We have seen some BIG fish, not to many YT's and have noticed the fish moving into the deeper slots, and outside edges a bit more. What this equates to is slightly warmer water temps and a more active food base for the trout. We are literally 15-30 days away from seeing our first Skwala, weather dependnt.

We have been catching fish all day, however the later half has been better! Flies used the last three days include....

Al's Skwala Stone #12 , The Super Duper Double Whammy Simply Remarkable Stone #10, RL Prince Nymph #12, Braided Gold Stone #10, Articulated Leech #6 in Brown and Olive.

Another day in paradise...

jack

Guided Monday in the Upper Flatlands stretch of the Yakima with Mark and Keith. The weather was a bit wild with literally 6 inches of snow falling that day. The catching was a bit tough. We managed to scratch out a handfull of nice fish and missed a few more, but pretty tough. Guided today in the Farmlands with Greg and caught quite a few fish. A large amount of YT's and quite a few nice rainbows.

The water levels throughout the system continue to drop and the clarity is good. Should see some good to great fishing over the next week. The river saw an icredible influx of water from the last rain and subsequent snow thaw. There are a few new repositioned logs in the Farmlands due to recent water level changes. No blockages...that's good!

Waterside, jack

Looks as though the river is cresting. Definitely got more rain and melt then what the Weatherman predicted. The Teanaway river looks as though she is as high as she is going to get barring any more rainfall. Mr Weather doesn't call for much more rain over the next week but that was what the prediction was 4 days ago, and look what happened. We will keep you posted. Last Monday's fishing was incredible. The Upper Flatlands could be fishable this weekend. Below the Teanaway, doesn't look so good for the weekend.

jack

Yesterday in one particular isolated spot we swung a "bugger like" fly on a dry line and ended up hooking two nice fish in approximately 20 casts. One fish was an exceptionally large cuttroat that managed to twist and turn itself (like they always do) off the hook. The other was about a 15 inch rainbow.

In another location while wading, we fished with two nymphs under a bobber and hooked 8 fish in approximately 40 casts, sytematically working a particular drop off.

And lastly, while drifting down the river from our boat, we (we meaning... Jack and his guest Ed Baker) managed to bust off a fish on 1x flourocarbon on the hook set! I sure would like to have seen that fish, it literally shook the boat!

The river increased in flows throughout the system over the last 48 hours due to previous wet snows and then precipitation in the form of rain. The fishing/catching will most likely be a bit less productive then it has been for the next couple days until things settle down. as noted above the overall clarity isn't bad.

Note- Just in from one of our guides on a "bussmans holiday" who called from the riverbank to say that the swinging was quite productive this morning...noooiiccceee.

Skwala nymphing is now....don't let anyone tell you different! Think about it...Stoneflies are a two year life cycle. Therefore, the Skwala nymphs that will be hatching during the months of March and April/06 are becoming real active right now as they are maturing. Combine the previous fact with potential river level changes due to precipitation/melting and you have a formula for Shallow Nymphing. Influxes of water will increase the trouts opportuinity for nymphal drift in the water column.

According to Sno-tel Stats, the Snow Water Equivalent averages in most of our basins are around 80% of normal. Some are down at about 68% and others near 100%. so far, better than last year. Pray for more snow, so that we can feed our watersheds with natures lifeblood.

We are excited for our 17th year of operation! Come join us waterside, you won't be dissapointed