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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
Current
Report....
The
Weather
In
The News
April 28, 2008
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.
Waterside,
The Hatch
April 24, 2008
Tough fishing
yesterday -
Bugs fished....everything in the box
9 or 10 trout landed (biggest 14") 6 Cutthroat, 3-4 Rainbows
Very Light Bug
Hatch
Waterside,
The Hatch
April
22, 2008
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
Waterside,
respectfully, fish-on and river ramblin',
The Hatch
April
15, 2008
'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....
On
another note - the Upper Columbia has been Two Thumbs Up!
The Hatch
April
14, 2008
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.
We will keep you
posted as things change.
The Hatch
April
13, 2008
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.
The Hatch
April
7 , 2008
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.
The Hatch
April
2 , 2008
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
March
31, 2008
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.
Refer
to the chart above for Bugs
The
last two days have been avg in the The Lower Canyon and Farmlands.
No report from The Upper Flatlands.
jack
March
28, 2008
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
only nymphing done was with a dropper @ 18" below the Skwala....
Biggest
fish---17" for the day
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"
peace
out trout,
jack
March
25, 2008
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.
waterside
March
18, 2008
Average
fishing on the Yakima continues to be the factor.....A little bit
of dry fly fishing and a little bit of nymphing,
jack
March
14, 2008
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.
waterside,
jack
March
5, 2008
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!
waterside,
jack
March
2, 2008
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.
waterside,
jack
Feb
25 , 2008
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.
jack
Feb
20 , 2008
Good
fishing yesterday. Stats as follows
10am -
2pm
Landed 13 Yt's
Zero
Trout
2PM - 6PM
Landed
18 trout - hooked and lost another 7 confirmed trout
Landed
6 YT's
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.
jack
Feb
18 , 2008
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.
jack
Feb
12 , 2008
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.
The
Pass situaton seems to be under control...NOOOIIIICCEEE.
jack
Feb
7 , 2008
For
2008 program highlights
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
jack
Jan
22 , 2008
Stay
home.....lots of ice.
jack
Jan
19 , 2008
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.
fish-on
jack
Jan
16 , 2008
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.
For
2008 program highlights
Respectfully,
fish-on, waterside
The Hatch
December
29, 2007
The water temp
has dropped a bit throughout the system....Fishing remains good
in the Farmlands and Upper Lower Canyon.
Fish-on
The Hatch
December
24, 2007
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.
Respectfully,
The
Hatch
Dec
18, 2007
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
fish catching has been good!
The
Hatch
Dec
9, 2007
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
Hatch
Dec
4, 2007
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....
Fishing
was good prior to the bump in flows-we'll keep you posted.
Waterside,
The
Hatch
Nov
27, 2007
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.
Tip
of the day...
Our
suggestion is to forget the deep slots and target the shallow funnel
drop off's...This can be some of the best nymphing,
Waterside,
The
Hatch
Nov
19, 2007
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.
Tip
of the Day:
Remember
the white fish spawn is part of the late Fall , Early winter food
source for all resident fish
The
Hatch
Nov
16, 2007
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.
More
to come on this subject as we enter a favorite season on the Yakima.
Tip
of the Day:
Remember
the white fish spawn is part of the late Fall , Early winter food
source for all resident fish
The
Hatch
Nov 8, 2007
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 Hatch
Oct 27, 2007
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 Hatch
Oct 24, 2007
The fishing is rockin'...end of story!
The Hatch
Oct 17, 2007
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!
For Current Steelhead fishing reports click
here
The Hatch
Oct 11, 2007
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.
jack
Sept 26, 2007
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!
Tip of the day....Nymph small #16-22
jack
Come spend 2-4 days with us
this Fall at The Steelhead Ranch!
Sept 16, 2007
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!
jack
Come spend 2-4 days with us
this Fall at The Steelhead Ranch!
Sept 9, 2007
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
peace out trout,
jack
Come spend 2-4 days with us
this Fall at The Steelhead Ranch!
August 29, 2007
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!
peace out trout,
jack
Come spend 2-4 days with us
this Fall at The Steelhead Ranch!
August 12, 2007
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!
Waterside
jack
August 4, 2007
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.
Mornings continue to rock-on!
Waterside
jack
July 28, 2007
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.
Waterside
jack
Link here to view our new 'Steelhead
Ranch' Program
July 20, 2007
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!!!!
Waterside
jack
Link here to view our new 'Steelhead
Ranch' Program
July 13, 2007
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!!!!
Waterside and 'Peace out Trout' (to quote Johhny
B),
jack
Link here to view our new 'Steelhead
Ranch' Program
July 10, 2007
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...
Waterside,
jack
July 5, 2007
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-
July 1, 2007
The river is in great condition........................Get
r' done
Link here to view our new 'Steelhead
Ranch' Program
June 25, 2007
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 is in great condition.
Peace out trout, jack
Link here to view our new 'Steelhead
Ranch' Program
June 16, 2007
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.
June 14, 2007
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 remainder of the 2007 season on the Yakima shoud
be awesome!!!
Fish-on
jack
June 10, 2007
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 remainder of the 2007 season on the Yakima shoud
be awesome!!!
Fish-on
jack
June 6, 2007
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.
Fish-on
jack
May 30, 2007
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
Fish-on
jack
Check out our current photo
page.....
May 25, 2007
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.
Check out our current photo page.....
jack
May 18, 2007
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.
Fish-on
jack
May 14, 2007
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.
Fish-on
jack
May 9, 2007 - Caddis Bonanza!!!!!!!!
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.
Egg Layers, X-Caddis, The Super Duper Double Whammy Catch All etc
etc etc.....
Fish-on
jack
Note: The Caddis explosion happened the same day on the Yakima
as it did on the Big Hole.
May 7, 2007 - Caddis Bonanza!!!!!!!!
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..
Patterns for the emergence;
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.
Fish-on
jack
April 30, 2007
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
Fish-on
jack
April
24, 2007
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!
waterside, river ramblin and
respectfully,
jack
April 17, 2007
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.
Snotel stats show the snow pack
at about 100% of the average.
Pattern choices...
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.
waterside, river ramblin and
respectfully,
jack
April 14, 2007
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
waterside,
jack
April 5, 2007
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!
waterside,
jack
Mar 30, 2007 (This is our 17th March of guiding on the Yakima!)
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.
waterside 365,
jack
Mar 26, 2007
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!
We will keep you updated as conditions improve.
Link here to view a recent photo
gallery from the UC.
waterside 365,
jack
Mar 25, 2007
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.
We will keep you updated as conditions improve.
Link here to view a recent photo
gallery from the UC.
waterside 365,
jack
Mar 22, 2007
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...
A Skwala dry fly and a dropper
Double nymph rigs
Single Dry
Sinktip
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!
Tip of the Day-Dry Fly Skwala water can be almost frog water at
times!
Link here to view a recent photo
gallery from the UC.
waterside 365,
jack
Mar 21, 2007
The Yakima conditions are improving. The overall clarity is poor.
With the cooler weather patternthe Upper Flatlands may fish by the
weekend.
Link here to view a recent photo
gallery from the UC.
waterside 365,
jack
Mar 18, 2007
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.
waterside 365,
jack
Mar 15, 2007
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!
Waterside,respectfully, river ramblin and fish-on
jack
Mar 12, 2007
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!
Waterside,respectfully, river ramblin and fish-on
jack
Mar 10, 2007
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!
Waterside,respectfully, river ramblin and fish-on
jack
Mar 8, 2007
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.
Waterside,respectfully, river ramblin and fish-on
jack
Mar 3, 2007
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!
Waterside,respectfully, river ramblin and fish-on
jack
Feb 27, 2007
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.
Waterside,respectfully, river ramblin and fish-on
jack
Feb 23, 2007
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!
Respectfully,
jack
Feb 20, 2007
The fish are doing just fine, but the river is a bit out of
shape currently.
We will keep you posted.
Respectfully,
jack
Feb 15, 2007
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.
We will keep you posted. Too bad, as the fishing was good.
Respectfully,
jack
Feb 5, 2007
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.
Respectfully,
jack
Feb 2, 2007
Here is a run down of yesterday's day on the water
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!
waterside 365, river ramblin and fish-on,
jack
Jan 29, 2007
The weather looks great for the upcoming week.
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!
Upcoming meals for the trout include...
Cluster midges
Blue wings
Skwala
Respectfully and waterside,
jack
Jan 21, 2007
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.
Upcoming meals for the trout include...
Cluster midges
Blue wings
Skwala
jack
Jan 19, 2007
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.
The fishing should be decent as the trout are probably going
to be active.
jack
Jan 11, 2007
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.
jack
Jan 8, 2007
Wind, rain and above freezing temps yesterday = higher water
today. Don't come this way today or manana.
jack
Jan 7, 2007
Fishing the fly on the swing and or retrieved today was certainly
worthy. Skwala's are just around the corner.
waterside,
jack
Jan 6, 2007
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!
Pats stone, Brassies, Al's Skwala, Egg Patterns, PT's, San Juan
Worms
waterside,
jack
Jan 1, 2007
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)
Pats stone, Brassies, Al's Skwala,, Egg Patterns, PT's
Respectfully, fish-on, waterside and river ramblin,
jack
Dec. 29, 2006
Mega ice flow due to LOOOOWWWW air temps; will keep you updated
when conditions change!
Respectfully, Fish-on, Waterside and River Ramblin,
jack
Dec. 23, 2006
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...
Merry Christmas!!!
Respectfully, Fish-on, Waterside and River Ramblin,
jack
Dec. 13, 2006
Water is on the rise...will keep you updated as to how far she
goes.
Waterside and respectfully,
jack
Dec. 10, 2006
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.
Waterside and respectfully,
jack
Dec. 6, 2006
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.
respectfully,
jack
Dec. 3, 2006
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
- There are minimal people
- The river is typically low and defined
- The wildlife is ample
- and we catch alot of fish.
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.
Pointers
- Nymph shallow with drag free drifts. 2-4 feet below the indicator
(bobber)
- Don't fish broken pocket water.
- Fish Drop offs, medium to slow glides and inside corners.
- Sometimes one fly without the dropper is better
- Steak and eggs can be the meat and potatoes of the winter
- Remember Skwalas are only 60-75 days away and therefore skwala
nymphs are Steak.
- Swinging the fly can be very productive...yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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.
Jack
Dec. 1, 2006
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!
Jack
Nov. 17, 2006
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.
Respectfully,
Jack
Nov. 12, 2006
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.
Respectfully,
Brett
Nov. 6, 2006
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’ll keep you posted if there is any change!
Respectfully,
Brett
Oct. 29, 2006
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,
waterside, river ramblin' and respectfully,
Jack
Oct. 24, 2006
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!
Respectfully,
Jack
Oct. 17, 2006
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!
Respectfully,
Brett
Oct 2, 2006-Update
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.
Tip of the day...
Watch for the best rises in October to occur when our water
temps drop down into the low 50's.
respectfully, fish-on and river ramblin,
jack (Steelhead bound for the next month!)
Sept. 19, 2006
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
waterside, river ramblin' and respectfully,
jack
Sept 9, 2006-Update
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.
Waterlevels are dropping and close to normal Fall levels!
waterside, river ramblin' and respectfully,
jack
Sept 6, 2006-Update
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!
Dry fly fishing and nymphing
the last two days has been our game.
Tip of the day-Tis' the season
for the traditional hairwing dry!
waterside,
jack
Sept 4, 2006-Update
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!?
Does anyone have a case of Steelhead
Jazz!
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waterside,
jack
Sept 2, 2006-Update
Plain and simple the fishing in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon
is good to great with the hopper/stonefly looking dry. End of story.
Does anyone have a case of Steelhead
Jazz!
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waterside,
jack
Aug 30, 2006-Update
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.
Does anyone have a case of Steelhead
Jazz!
click here for the current newsletter
click here for Guidespeak
waterside,
jack
Aug 24, 2006-Update
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!
click here for the current newsletter
click here for Guidespeak
waterside,
jack
Aug 19, 2006-Update
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. Wa | 
