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Central Washington and the Yakima's most knowledgeable Guide Service/Fly Shop
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The Evening
Hatch Home l
Riverside Adventures Home l
Report Page _________________________________________________________________________________________ 2004 Yakima River Fishing Reports
The
following charts and report will be updated as often as we can
get to the computer. It is provided by The Evening Hatch and Riverside
Adventures staff which have well over 120 combined years of
experience and over 5,000 drift trips in the last 16 years on the Yakima
River. Covering the river from its headwaters to Roza Dam, The
Evening Hatch/Riverside Adventures has an intimate knowledge of the
Yakima and we look forward to hosting you riverside in 2004.
Winter Hours until
Feb 1 The Evening Hatch will no longer be providing boat rentals and shuttle services. We have decided to cancel these services and concentrate on what we do best...Take People Fishing as well as provide a convenient retail outlet. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause
Respectfully and fish-on
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Notices:
___________________________________________________________________________________
Bugs of the Winter
Nymph suggestions
#16-22 Bead head
Brassies in the aforementioned colors
#16-20 Bead head
and standard PT's, Princes, Hares Ears, Soft hackle PT's
#18-22 WD's
#8-12 Skwala Nymphs Streamers and Buggers
#4-10 Cone head or Bead head Rubber leg
or standard Buggers in
Black, Brown, Olive, White or combinations of, JJ's, Double Bunny's etc.....
Yakima River Report for Saturday Dec 26th, 2004 The nymphing today was good to great in the Lower Canyon. Utilizing the proverbial Stone nymph and dropper (the dropper being of various types). Make sure to fish the shallow water before you step out into the run as many fish can be caught where most people stand! The streamer fishing wasn't half bad either, on both the swing and strip. We are also seeing some decent midge activity in isolated zones. Midge rises tend to be in the slower water areas, so keep a sharp eye as the rises are very zone specific. Don't get to technical with the adult midge patterns as the fish tend to be fairly willing as long as it is a reasonable rendition and presented decent. The weather for the next week looks like so... Tonight. Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows 25 to 30. Light and variable wind. Fish-on jack
Yakima River Report for Saturday Dec 23th, 2004 Aside from the incredible winds we received for two days, the weather has been quite nice. In fact yesterday and today look to be as nice as it gets during the winter. Regardless of the wind factor the other day we managed to scratch out a fairly decent day, landing around two dozen fish. We have been on the water every day for the last four days and have predominantly fished streamers on the strip and or swing. We have done a bit of nymphing, but not much. We hooked a couple incredible fish lately, one that would likely have gone 22-23 inches but unfortunately did not make it to the net for a photo. The swing fishing is back on track for the time being. We had a bit of a lull there for awhile!? Anyhow the midging looks as thought may start up again as well. We have seen a bit of activity lately, yet nothing to write home about. Wishing all of you the best of holidays, Until after Christmas, fish-on jack
Yakima River Report for Saturday Dec 18th, 2004 We continue to catch fish with both nymphs and streamers. When nymphing make sure to cover the water short before you fish out. During the winter you will find fish in shallow waters near the drop-offs. It is easy to walk into some of the best trout lies. Fish a combo nymph set up...A stone nymph (Skwala like) and a trailer (carry a variety-CJ's, PT's, RL Princes, Hare's Ears, Brassies, Lightning Bugs, Caddis Larvae) in #14-20 size ranges. If your not catching fish, tweak it; Meaning do something a bit different. Maybe add a bit more weight, more depth, a step up or out. When nymphing by foot you have to geometrically probe the slot that you are targeting. There are so many variables when it comes to nymphing that as an angler you need to be willing to change it up a bit if your not catching fish. Pick out your nymph spots and work them;
Change up if your not catching fish. We like to refer to it as "Tweaking
it". If one thing isn't working when nymphing, try another. Variables
that you can change when nymphing include but are not limited to- Stripping streamers has been "ok" and the sink tip swing has been "ok" lately. Check out some of our great Christmas specials... The biggest hit lately is the Battenkill Barstock III Reel Reg. $129 Sale price $85. Don't forget to buy your favorite person a Guided Adventure Gift Certificate! Check out our new photo section called Beyond the Net! By popular demand and default from the river rising on the 11th , we have added a couple more Winter Tactics Clinics in Jan on the following dates; Jan 8th and 15th! Nature is a "really big office", have a seat and enjoy! Happy holidays from the Hatch jack _________________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report for Wednesday Dec 15th, 2004
The river is in
beautiful condition and the fishing is good with both nymphs and
streamers...end of story!!!
Happy Holidays and fish-on Yakima River Report for Sunday Dec 13th, 2004
The river is dropping
into shape rather quickly and the fishing in the Lower Canyon and
Farmlands was certainly worthy today!
Happy Holidays and fish-on jack Yakima River Report for Sunday Dec 12th, 2004
Just as the rain and
warmer temperatures have played havoc with the west side rivers, the
Yakima is currently out of shape as well. The Yakima is far
from flood stage, but definitely up and dirty. All the
tributaries are culprits and therefore from Easton down the river is
affected. Mr. Weather is calling for colder temps and no
precipitation so the river should drop and clear to a fishable
level/clarity over the next five days. We will keep you
posted.
Happy Holidays and fish-on jack Yakima River Report for Tuesday Dec 7nd, 2004
The entire Kittitas
Valley received her first dustings of snow yesterday morning, as
well as today. By the end of yesterday the snow had
melted away for the most part and looks as though it will again
today. The fishing has been average overall. The swing
fishing has been less than expected over the last week...for one
reason or another? Watch for that to pick up soon. The
nymphing has been good! Utilizing the proverbial stone nymph
and dropper is always a good bet. Have a variety of stone
nymphs, especially Skwala like. Also carrying a variety (CJ's,
PT's, RL Princes, Hare's Ears, Brassies, Lightning Bugs) of
droppers in the #14-20 size range. Adult midge patterns in the
box are a good idea as well.
Remember Pearl Harbor-Today! fish-on jack
Yakima River Report for Thursday Dec 2nd, 2004
The river is back
to typical flows for this time of year. The water temps are
holding at the 38-40 degree mark for the most part. The
fishing has been average to good. The midge activity has
slowed quite a bit in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon. Watch
for that to change as this next week progresses. We should see
an increase in surface activity as well as an overall upswing in the
fish catch. The catching lately has been average to good at
best.
This past few days the weather has been quite nice...cold, but nice! On the water jack Yakima River Report for Monday Nov 28th, 2004
The river
experienced a significant rise over the holiday due to a serious
amount of rain here on the dry side of the mountains. All the
tributaries from Cabin creek down were inflated and affecting the
system. The river is on the decline in levels and the clarity
is decent to good. We have been on the river everyday this
week. The catching has been a bit slower then it was
prior to the level change. Yesterday we managed to hook up
with approximately 25 fish and landed around 10.
Water temps have dropped over the last few days. Things are stabilizing and the best of the Winter fishing is just around the corner. On the water jack Yakima River Report for Monday Nov 22th, 2004
Yakima
Report
The fishing continues to be good to great in the Farmlands and the Lower Canyon. Multiple techniques can be used to fool the trout. Water levels and temps have dropped recently. Wading anglers will find ample foot access throughout the system. Our Winter Tactics clinics have been quite successful, enough so that we have added a few more dates. On the water... jack _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report for Monday Nov 15th, 2004
Yakima
Report
The water is clear
and low as we speak and the fishing is rockin! Multiple
techniques can be used currently to catchem. Casting dry fly
midge patterns to rising fish has been a fair game lately and should
only get better. Lately the rises have been sporadic
throughout the day. Nymphing both shallow and deep has been
effective along with stripping and swinging baitfish imitations.
Generally, the peak midging of the Winter is in December; just around the corner! In addition, the fishing on the swing is just plain awesome. Spent the last week on the Methow...Started out good and ended a bit weak! fish-on jack _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report for Friday Nov 5th, 2004
Yakima
Report
The river increased in flows approximately 400 cfs over the last 48
hours due to snow melt into the tribs.; It is currently dropping.
When the river increased it picked up a large amount of debris,
namely leaves which made the fishing a bit slow. The water clarity
remains good throughout the system. The fishing was great today but
the catching was a bit slower in comparison to the past week.
Expect the fishing to be good over the next week. Be ready to
mix it up a bit...use hairwing attractors in the #14-18 sizes as
well as nymphs and streamers. If you find rising fish, match the
hatch with Blue Wing and Mahogany Dun patterns. I will
personally be on the Methow for the next week!
fish-on jack ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report for Monday, Oct 31st, 2004
Yakima
Report
Yesterday and today
the weather has been a bit windy in the Kittitas valley...We
eloquently refer to it as Frikennuken, (It's kinda
windy); However, most of the days recently have
been beautiful and less harsh. The fishing report from the staff
shows the small fly game continuing to be the name of the game.
Utilizing a variety of small patterns from #16 to #22's is the fare
and again presentation is key. The water levels have lowered a bit
and continue to be conducive for both wading and drifting. Clarity
is great throughout the system and barring any unusual events should
remain low and clear for the most part until March. The river does
generally see a small increase in flows (as shown in the graph
below) somewhere in mid November to December due to the first
mountain snows melting into the tributaries on the late fall days.
The Lower Canyon
continues to offer the "bigger window" of opportunity on a daily
basis for the dry fly game as well as the overall window of
opportunity. The Farmlands have also been quite consistent. The
Upper Canyon and Upper Flatlands window is certainly smaller,
however the rewards can be great...and most certainly with less
pressure around. The Lower Canyon was literally inundated with
anglers yesterday.
Some of my favorite
fishing is just around the corner.....If you are interested in
learning more about winter fishing
check this out!
Respectfully and waterside 365...jack
Yakima River Report for Monday, Oct 20th, 2004
The last few days
of fishing here on the Yakima river have been quite good. In fact
the risefests we mentioned in the previous
reports have materialized. Little flies are the fare and at times
the fish are quite picky.
Presentation, presentation and
presentation /
Position,
position and position are critical in successful hookups on the
water...especially with dry flies and floating emergers. Water
temps have dropped significantly over the last week due to the
cooling trend Washington is experiencing.There is a direct relation
to the risefests and the cooler water
temps. We should see some great action over the next 20 days!
Fish-on jack Fishing on the Methow River has been good!
Yakima River Report for Monday,
Oct 15th,
2004
Well it has been a while since the last report! This phenomenon is mostly due to being on the water just a little, I mean quite a bit! The fishing on the Yakima has been good to great depending on the day. Overall strategy would be "Little Bugs"...especially nymphs. Dry droppers and nymph rigs have been the best approach for numbers of fish and flies from #16-22 the fare. We have been blessed with classic fall weather days lately making the surroundings quite pleasant. The risefests of the fall have not materialized throughout the system yet but being in the right place at the right time has been predictable for dry fly fishing. We should see increased surface feeding activity during the daytime as the month progresses and make sure you stay out until the last hour currently as the rises have been good at the end! The weather for the upcoming week is as follows...
By the way the Methow river fishing has been awesome; Don't let anyone tell you different! fish-on jack
Yakima
River Report for Monday,
Oct 2nd,
2004
The following weather
report is favorable for both the fishing and the fisherman.
Hatches are light
to medium overall and the Mahogany Duns have not materialized in
any number yet for the 2004 season. In the Farmlands and Lower
Canyon, the Baetis (BWO) continues to be the predominant bug of choice
followed by the Hydro psyche Caddis. Other bugs include the Light
Cahill, Mahogany Dun , Crane flies, Bees, Ants, Hoppers and
the October Caddis. The Upper Canyon and Upper Flatlands continue
to sport better numbers of the October Caddis
Remember from the
Fall into early Winter on the Yakima is most definitely
the far and fine season and will require a keen eye at times to decipher
what the swimmer is eating... Is it the Dun, emerger, spinner
or nymph of the particular insect that the trout is selectively keying
in on? Keep an eye on rise forms as sometimes that is a
great way to figure the selectivity.
Some of the best
of the Fall rises are yet to come. Generally the third and
fourth week of Oct can be the most intense...
waterside,
jack
Yakima
River Report for Monday,
Sept 29th,
2004
The river
saw a bit of pressure this past weekend as many people took advantage
of the wonderful weather Central Washington is famous for. Mother
nature dealt the cards right this last weekend with cobalt blue skies,
almost zero wind, cool nights and warm days. We would like to
thank all of you who stopped by the Customer Appreciation Day ...and
we hope you enjoyed it! We will make it an annual event.
The fishing over the last few days has been good to great throughout the system. The techniques have varied as usual...everything from far and fine, big and ugly and in between. All in all the nymphing has probably been the mainstay for numbers of trout. The trout are certainly tuned into a multitude of food sources and changing up techniques in reference to a part of the day, part of the river and the weather is worthy strategy The upcoming week of weather looks like so....
Flies of the Fall--Suggested
List
Terrestrial Flies #8-12 Dave's Hoppers, #10-16 Parchute Ants, #12-16 Yellow Jackets Attractor Dry Flies
#14-20 Parachute Wulff's, Royal Wulff's, H&L Variant, Humpies,
Para Adams
Hatch Specific Dry Fly Patterns
#14-18 Light Cahill's in Parachute and Standard Thorax ties
#18-22 Parachute, Sparkle Dun & Comparadun Baetis
#16-18 Parachute, Sparkle Dun & Comparadun Mohaggany Duns
#18-22 Para Midge
#16-18 Hydropsyche Caddis (Tan) #8-10 October Caddis #8-12 Cranefly Adults Nymph suggestions
#16-20 Bead head Copper Johns in Red, Black, Green and Brass
#16-22 Bead head Brassies in the aforementioned colors
#16-20 Bead head and standard PT's, Princes, Hares Ears, Soft hackle
PT's
#18-22 WD's
#12-16 Egg Patterns Match the hatch Wet fly suggestions
#14-18 Light Cahill
#18-20 Partridge and Peacock
#16-20 Blue Dun
#16-20 Soft Hackle PT
Streamers and Buggers
#4-10
Cone head or Bead head Rubber leg Buggers in Black, Brown, Olive,
White or combinations of
#4-10 JJ's, Double Bunny's etc.....
on the Water... jack
Yakima
River Report for Monday,
Sept 24th,
2004
If you are not
catching fish currently on the Yakima system....change up, as the fishing
is rockin!
End of story....on the water jack
Yakima
River Report for Monday,
Sept 20th,
2004
As we are basically
catapulted into the fall season the fishing rocks on. The little
dry fly and nymph is becoming the mainstay especially in the Farmlands
and Lower Canyon. This time of year and the aforementioned techniques
require slack line drifts and great presentation. The smaller
dry flies are more difficult to present in a drag free presentation
mostly because of the size of the fly. The big bugs of the summer
are easier to keep on the surface and although some dimension of drag
is most likely present with the summer hopper and/or the stonefly, the
fly is certainly more buoyant than the likes of the #16-20 Baetis, Mahogany
and Cahill patterns used in the fall "risefests"
Flies of the Fall--Suggested List
Attractor Dry Flies
#14-20 Parachute Wulffs, Royal Wulffs, H&L Variant, Humpies, Para
Adams
Hatch Specific Dry Fly Patterns
#14-18 Light Cahills in Parachute and Standard Thorax ties
#18-22 Parachute, Sparkle Dun & Comparadun Baetis
#16-18 Parachute, Sparkle Dun & Comparadun Mohaggany Duns
#18-22 Para Midge
Nymph suggestions
#16-20 Bead head Copper Johns in Red, Black, Green and Brass
#16-22 Bead head Brassies in the aforementioned colors
#16-20 Bead head and standard PT's, Princes, Hares Ears, Soft hackle
PT's
#18-22 WD's
Match the hatch Wet fly suggestions
#14-18 Light Cahill
#18-20 Partridge and Peacock
#16-20 Blue Dun
#16-20 Soft Hackle PT
Streamers and Buggers
#4-10
Cone head or Bead head Rubber leg Buggers in Black, Brown, Olive, White
or combinations of
#4-10 JJ's, Double Bunny's etc.....
Currently water
levels are built for wading and/or drift fishin and will remain
this way until mid April barring an unusual winter freshet. We
will be hosting 2 and possibly a 3rd Winter
Fishing Clinic based on the demand . This course will
teach the ins and outs of the "Other Season" on the Yakima...
On the water 365 fish-on Jack Yakima River Report for Friday, September 15th, 2004 The valley has seen some interesting weather over the last week; Ample clouds and rain showers has been the pattern with a bit of wind mixed in here and there. The weather for the next 5 days is basically more of the same, minus the wind!
The fishing and catching has been good. We are starting to see a few pods of fish feeding on the Baetis! This is a nice change to the basic searching with dries we have been seeing for the last few months of high water. The water is wader friendly throughout the system as well. Utilizing multiple techniques to catch the trout including, big dries, little dries, full-on nymphing, dry droppers, streamers and the swing are all worthy techniques. Remember, the Fall can be " The Far and Fine" season on the Yakima... Finer tippets and smaller bugs, especially with dry flies and nymphs! Fish-on The Hatch and Riverside Yakima River Report for Friday, September 8th, 2004 The cobalt blue skies and cool nights of Fall are here. Air temperatures have been swinging from around the 45 degree mark at night to 80 degrees during the day. The water temps are swinging as well about 5-6 degrees throughout the day. The overall fishing throughout the system has been good. We have been seeing lots and lots of fish in the 9-15 inch range coming to the dry with an occasional surprise into the high teens. Most of the big fish lately have been on the streamer. Nymphing has also been good for numbers of fish. Remember, as the fall progresses the small nymphs will be key. The fall also promotes fishing the traditional wet fly on the swing ...just ask Mrs. Lechner! The Irrigation return in the Upper Canyon is now flowing....so be careful. Also, the mosquitoes are on the prowl. Fish-on The Hatch and Riverside Yakima River Report for Friday, September 3rd, 2004 It's officially rodeo time here in Ellensburg and the summer flows at the start of Labor Day weekend on the Yakima are currently dropping rather rapidly. Mega flows on the Yakima will be a thing of the past come the start of next week and dare I say the fishing has been downright smokin' over the last few days? We have been experiencing some much cooler than normal air temps and the fish are breathing a collective sigh as the water temps subside. You name it, its been good! Dries, streamers, and nymphs have all been good particularly in that exact order. Who wants to nymph anyway when the fish are literally attacking the dry fly and or streamer? If your coming over this side of the mountains for anything outdoors, be sure to dress warmer than usual as it is downright chilly in the mornings and evenings with a forecast for much of the same. High temps through the weekend will barely eclipse the 75 degree mark with breezy and blustery conditions throughout the valley. The fishing forecast this weekend looks to be shaping up perfectly. Nuff' said, see you on the river! --Hatch and Riverside
Yakima River Report for Monday, August 31st, 2004 The fishing remains average to good throughout the system of late with the occasional "whack fest" taking place on those unseasonably cool and stormy days. There has been an abundance of bugs for the fish to choose from lately with the majority of the action happening under a stone or hopper pattern. If your in the right place at what seems to be the right time and nothing is working, switch it up, as the pattern you are throwing might not be the ticket. Fish can be finicky this time of year as they have "seen it" a thousand times in many instances and would probably eat something else if it hadn't been thrown their direction time after time for the last week straight. Hot days are hopper days, cooler days are stonefly days. It often pays to adjust your patterns accordingly. Another option this time of year is to downsize your patterns as the smaller bugs make their entrance through late summer. Short Wing Stones are quite prevalent right now as well as Yellow Sally's. Yellow Mays and Baetis continue to hatch sporadically but watch for these to be the dish of choice over the next few months. The cooler weather we are experiencing is great for the water temps and the hatches of Fall. On the water 365! jack
Yakima River Report for Monday, August 25th, 2004 The weather change
we received lately was certainly welcomed. The cooler temperatures
are definitely a reprieve from the past month of hot and abnormally
humid temps. The river water temps, while still not optimal, have
cooled an average of 5 degrees across the board from the Upper Proper
to the Lower Canyon. Fishing has been good throughout the system.
From the Upper Flatlands to Roza the fishing and catching has been
good. As of lately, we would rate the slowest section of
the river in the Upper Proper. The combination of late summer/fall
yellow mayflies or Cahills, a variety of terrestrials, summer
stoneflies and summer Baetis are keeping the trout looking
up. With the cooler weather, some anglers may opt to bring
along the wading gear as the day time highs are projected to be in the
lower 70's in Ellensburg and in the high 60's in the upper county for
the next week. The weather report looks good for the fishing over the
next week.
Fish-on The Hatch
Yakima River Report for Monday, August 19th, 2004 Wow,
Warm water temps...especially in the Lower Canyon. Go
easy on the fish!
The hatch Yakima River Report for Monday, August 14th, 2004 As the summer rolls
on, so does the water. Currently the river is shy of the typical
full summer volume. Over the last few days the water has dropped
a bit each day. As the water blazes on, so does the heat.
Air-temps over the last few days have reached the 100+ degree mark!
Currently the water temps on the Yakima are close to alarming and are
of concern. We are seeing water temps ranging from 64-65 in the
am to 66-70 in the pm. Typically the water temps are
at their coolest during the heat of summer at around 9am and at their
warmest around 7pm. Executing proper and efficient catch and release
tactics is always a goal. When water temps are warm, such as they
are, this goal becomes even more crucial as the trout's
survival is at higher risk during these conditions. Fishing
in the mornings is always a good bet for this time of year and these
conditions.
Over the years we have seen some warm water temps; however the last two years of releases out the Cle Elum Reservoir statistically are warmer than the average. The Cle Elum is a bottom fed tailwater and should stay cool. It is possible the lower than normal inflows into the reservoirs as well as the overall lower reservoir capacity over the last few years has allowed the waters to warm to above average reservoir temps during the summer time Anyhow, our service has been from the headwaters to Roza over the last week and we have seen some great fishing. However, as mentioned before, the water temps have slowed things down a bit and the "Big Boys" have not been on the prowl as much over the last few days. Pray for cooler airtemps...... Fish-on jack @ the hatch
Yakima River Report for Monday, August 11th, 2004 ........and it continues. The fishing has been just plain good (from a boat) all week long. Fortunately, the barometer has been nowhere near stable lately and the weather patterns keep rollin' through creating fabulous fishing conditions. Unfortunately, the next few days the weather man is forecasting some EXTREME temperatures for our area which in turn could and should push the action to the mornings and evenings. Lately we have been seeing some good caddis activity throughout the lower canyon and the fish are eating both dry and pupa patterns. Lafontaine's, leviathan's, sparkle pupa's, lightning bugs, pheasant tails (CDC) and rock worm patterns have been really effective fished either in tandem with a stone pattern or dropped off the back of a big chernobyl. Although, come late in the evening, disregard everything just mentioned and throw a big dry with a little bit 'o' action tight to the bank. Last night it happened at 8:00pm sharp. The nocturnal summer stone activity has been quite prolific lately and just because they aren't visible throughout the course of a day doesn't mean they aren't there. Yesterday, I dropped my anchor in a grassy bank and literally 40 to 50 fresh stone shucks came floating out. It definitely pays to do a little investigating along the banks from time to time to figure out just what is going on. Not everything that triggers fish activity in the insect world happens just while an angler is on the water. Tip of the day: To effectively fish a big dry fly in close quarters to a bank, line control is key! Most often when an angler is having a hard time "sticking" fish after fish when the bite is on, the reason is simply line control. Even if an angler claims to be the greatest caster in the world, if they can't execute a proper mend, well... let's just say it can be incredibly frustrating for everybody within earshot. A "proper" mend takes place in the first 3 to 6 feet FROM the fly. If that line is not properly deposited upstream of your fly just after hitting the water, it literally takes just one second for a belly to form in your line resulting in a substantial decrease in hook setting control in the cast. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it! --The Hatch and Riverside
Yakima River Report for Monday, August 7th, 2004 The last 5 days of fishing has been quite awesome. We tend to see big fish at this time of year! Covering water with various dry flies is a great strategy. The last few days we experienced mega cloud cover which helped the fishing as well. However, the big fish are looking for the fly regardless of the day as seen in these photos. fish-on jack Yakima River Report for Monday, August 4nd, 2004 It is nice to be back in the county; I have personally been out of the area for approximately 40 days in Jurassic River Country! To view photos of smiling faces, big trout and great landscapes from the Rio Dinosaur, click here & here! The Yakima River is currently in typical Summer form. While multiple techniques can be used to dupe the trout at this time of year, conditions often favor themselves to tossing dry flies all day long (certainly my favorite). Covering water while fishing grass banks, rock walls, undercut banks and the like with terrestrials, summer stones and a light mixture of smaller insects (Caddis, Summer Baetis and Yellow Mays (especially in the fringe hours)) provide an angler ample opportunities with the dry fly. Make sure to have a variety patterns as some days they like'em big and fat and other days they like'em skinny and low profiled. If nymphing is your fancy, often times a dropper behind a large dry is very effective as many fish are fringe dwellers at this time of year and water depths near the edges tend to be in the 2-4 foot depth. Droppers often times need more weight to get them down quickly. Don't be afraid to add a tick of micro-shot above your nymph to get the dropper down quickly. When fishing a dry dropper, it is essential to have a dry that is a "good floater". Some of the C-Ant patterns and hopper patterns tend to be more buoyant than others. Full on strike indicator fishing is always an option as well. The big flows and currents of the summer make this style of fishing a bit more demanding due to "getting the nymph down" as well as presenting the fly "drag free via slack line techniques." It is most certainly a worthy option especially where one can get out of the boat and work an oxygenated piece of water with various depths and bugs. When nymphing unsuccessfully, be willing to change up by either adding more weight, more distance between the indicator and the flies, changing your patterns, and tweaking your position! just another day in paradise... fish-on jack Yakima River Report for Monday, August 2nd, 2004 The fishing the last week or so has remained steady through the entire Yakima system with the mornings and evenings providing the bulk of the entertainment. We have also experienced some good fishing mid-day, depending on the day, with both big dries and sub surface bobber tactics. Yesterday the fishing was good from 2:00pm on into the evening using both techniques. With the weather the way it has been, it's either going to be good throughout the day and slow in the evening, or slow through the day and good in the evening. This is a typical rule of thumb during the hotter months as the fish tend to not be quite as fisherman friendly for long periods throughout a typical day; although, it is not ALL TO uncommon to experience a ridiculous day of fishing from dawn till dusk if the weather is just right. Speaking of weather, here is the next week's worth according to NOAA!
Yakima River Report for Monday, July 26th, 2004 Much of the same! Fishing remains good early and late. Flows have been mildly fluctuating between 3700cfs and 4200cfs throughout the lower canyon. If anything changes, either fishing or weather related, we'll be the first to let you know; but just in case, here is the weather forecast for the next week. Remember, there are plenty of options that can provide some great fishing other than the lower canyon this time of year! Administering the twitch, --The Hatch and Riverside
Yakima River Report July 19th, 2004 The fishing has been good early and late, much like the last week or so. The weather has been just plain HOT with an occasional thunderstorm providing some decent mid-day action. When the sun is away, the fish will play! The forecast is for more of the same. Word on the street of late is that the "twitch" has been working in place of the dead drift when chucking big bugs to the bank--in some spots, not all! None the less, nothing but big bugs against the banks! --The Hatch and Riverside Forecast for Ellensburg, WA
Yakima River Report July 13th, 2004 The weather the last few days has become quite warm and the fishing during the day has slowed considerably. When the days become warm like they have been, to get the most bang for your buck, make sure you get on the water either super early, or super late! Last night the fishing was absolutely fantastic from 8:30 to 9:45pm. Before that, well... not so good. Cover lots of water, in a short amount of time, late in the evening; or else you will just be sunburned and tired when the going gets good. Nothing but big bugs against the banks! --The Hatch and Riverside
Yakima River Report July 8th, 2004 Oh baby!...........the fishing is good. It really hasn't mattered which time of the day you are on the water as of late. The fishing has been steady providing you can "get the job done" tight to the banks with a mend. There is something to be said for covering 20 miles in a day and throwing nothing but big, nasty, rubberlegged dries to the banks. As long as its big and in the water, its bound to get eaten sooner than later! Sorry its so short, but I'm going fishin........... Fish On! --Hatch and Riverside
Yakima River Report July 5th, 2004 If lately you have been looking for an easy way to beat the heat during the middle part of the day, the mornings and evenings of late have been providing some great fishing. We are currently three days removed from our last full moon phase and the cooler mornings and evenings have been action packed as the fish have been actively feeding throughout longer periods of the day. We have been covering long stretches of river lately while utilizing two basic techniques. The cooler, shadier times of the day have been great for throwing big dries against the banks, while nymphing two flies during the heat has been average to good. The best advice we could give at this time would be to cover longer stretches of water and fish to targets along the banks. Sort of a runnin' and gunnin' technique so to speak. Stones and hoppers have been the ticket lately on top and a variety of different patterns have been working sub surface in tandem with some sort of gawdy rubber leg stone pattern. Fish on! -The Hatch and Riverside ****Important Notice as of July 3rd******* There is a major blockage just down from the State boat launch in East Cle Elum. It is not advised that anybody pass through that section in any sort of floating device at this time. We will post any changes immediately! Yakima River Report June 29th, 2004 Well......., summer flows are officially here and I think it is safe to say that the game has changed throughout the system. Flows have made their way up to the 4000cfs mark in the farmlands and we are now hovering around 3000cfs in the canyon. It's that time of year to swap the fly boxes for the bigger terrestrial patterns and tuck yourselves in tight to the banks. Large attractor patterns such as stonefly and hopper patterns are starting to draw some serious attention when put into the right spot. Fish are now holding tight to the grassy banks which are providing ample shade and cooler hangouts during these incessantly hot summer days. We have been seeing most of our fish on dries, but we have been utilizing three basic techniques--big dries, dry-droppers, and deep water bobber fishing. All three techniques are producing, it just depends what zone you are in! It is that time of the year to remember the structure and depth changes you fished when the water was low a couple weeks ago. Some fish relocate all together and some just change position in the same holdings after a major influx in cfs. Nymphing stone patterns in a variety of different colors has been certainly worthy during the hottest parts of the day as the subsurface summer stone activity is starting to become a major factor. Don't forget to pack extra water and sunscreen! Fish On! --The Hatch Yakima River Report June 22nd, 2004 Just when we were starting to think summer might just go right on and pass us by, the days have finally begun to become just a bit warmer--97° degrees warmer to be exact. It's safe to say that summer is here and the regulated flows are starting to bump their way up to typical irrigation flows. Haven't had too many reports today from the river, but I can tell you this, the AC bug has been working quite well here at "The Hatch" and those sun drenched stragglers that have made it by the shop today have certainly left quenched after enjoying their fair share. We hope to get you another report in the next day or two to let you know what's happening on the Yakima as we are pretty much in the middle of the flip-flop. Fish On - and in the shade! The Hatch and Riverside
Yakima River Report June 19th, 2004 While we couldn't
feel all to comfortable in reporting that the catching of late has been
GREAT, we could most certainly feel comfortable telling you that it
has been worthy. The Yakima is a great stream that offers a myriad
of water types to fish throughout the 70 miles of Blue Ribbon
water. While the Lower canyon has been a great piece of water
of late, the remaining stretches upstream have offered some great
fishing as well. Over the years we have pretty much canvassed
the entire river from the headwaters to Roza Dam--Below Roza being most
certainly worthy as well. We are blessed to have such an abundance
of great water to fish on this river, so to focus on a certain stretch
for a majority of your time, is well.....dare I say.....silly!
The river between
Easton and Roza has been sporting some decent to great hatches lately.
We have seen most of our hatches this season a bit earlier than normal,
due to earlier than normal warmer water temps. Combining techniques
to dupe the trout is a great option if you are not dead set on fishing
one particular way. No two days have mirrored each other lately
and the reports on the river have been none two the same either.
Which in turn, means no single technique has completely conquered any
longer than an ephemeral Eastern Washington rain storm.
Fishing dry flies, nymphs under indicators, streamers on the dry line,
classic swings with sink tips and streamers as well as the traditional
dry line wet fly swing are all techniques that we utilize in different
stretches and at different times on the river. Having an arsenal
of techniques will only increase your catch rate.
Click here to see some of our recent beauties fooled with the fly! Fish On! The Evening Hatch and Riverside
Yakima River Report
June 10, 2004
The overall weather
lately has been fishlike. The valley has experienced a substantial
amount of rainfall and clouds over the last two weeks. The fishing
has been great and the catching has been average to great depending
on the day and the stretch of river fished. The Lower Canyon fishing
has been decent, but nothing spectacular. The farmlands
have fished about the same. The Upper Canyon has turned on a bit
in comparison to the past month. The Upper Flatlands has been
spotty but good and the Upper Proper certainly worthy.
The bug activity
throughout the system has been prolific at times recently with PMD's,
Large Yellow Mays, Yellow Sallies, Golden Stones, Drakes, Craneflies,
Caddis, Tan Mayflies and a variety of Terrestrials present.
The river is an
GREAT condition. Flows continue to be unseasonably low. In speaking
with The Bureau of Reclamation, lately their game plan has been
to ride out as much of this natural moisture as possible. Our
air temps lately have been rather warm and the amount of precipitation
while nothing like the west side has been significant. Most of
the moisture lately has been coming by way of rain showers and as an
overall rule has not been sustained for any amount of time....Perfect
Mayfly (Big Yellow Mays, PMD's, Drakes) weather and has also instigated
some good Cranefly activity. Summer Stones are not to far
away and their distant cousin the Golden Stone has been quite important
over the last few weeks. Combine the aforementioned insects
with Caddis and you have quite the selection!
The
Weather according to NOAA........
Nymphing has been a goto technique in the Lower Canyon and Farmlands lately.
on the water daily, fish-on jack
Yakima River Report
June 5, 2004
OK, so I have been a bit delinquent in posting.....mostly because we have been incredibly busy, I know, no excuses! The Evening Hatch, Riverside Adventures and our guide staff did an approximate 120 combined river days in May....Noooiiiccceee. Let's see, hatches have included; PMD's, PED's, Caddis in various sizes and shapes (mostly #16-18 tan and grey), Golden Stones, Green Drakes (yes Green Drakes-Don't let anyone tell you there aren't Green Drakes on the Yakima), Big Yellow Mays, Dobson Flies, Craneflies, Yellow Sallies, and Flying Ants The overall fishing has been average to great depending on the day and the stretch of river....a bit ambiguous but most definitely the truth. Every day is different and the weather is most certainly a factor as to whether the fish will be inclined to eat on top or not. Small nymphs in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon have been a mainstay lately with an occasional Stone nymph thrown in here and there. The Upper Canyon while not a numbers game has given up some good fish on dries in the last week. The Upper Flatlands and the Upper Proper sections of the river have produced some decent Drake and Yellow May hatches recently. Water flows out of the Cle Elum reservoir have increased a bit over the last week and we should see those flows increase even more over the next few weeks. The river has been unusually low so far and with the lighter reservoir capacity expected the average flows for the summer season will be lower then normal... Riverside Adventures Camp is up! State of the art Tent lodging waterside....hosted or un-hosted, click here http://www.flyfishnorthwest.com/host-nohost-plans.htm for more info! The Hatch and Riverside
Yakima River Report May
28, 2004
Riverside Adventures Camp is up! State of the art Tent lodging waterside....hosted or un-hosted, click here http://www.flyfishnorthwest.com/host-nohost-plans.htm for more info! If
you were to pick a perfect week for fishing the mayfly, this past week
hit the nail on the head. Cloud cover, a bit o' moisture, minimal
viento and willing trout. While not everyday was full of dry fly
opportunity, a few were stellar. The nymph fishing
has been incredibly reliable and in fact, downright awesome; It
is hard for me to say that as bobber fishing is personally my least
favorite! Hooking mega fish from 6' to 20".....many in the
13-16 inch range is not a bad thing. There are a lot of Salmon
smolt in the system which can be a nuisance here and there...For the
most part, they haven't been. There are also a representative
class of 6-7 inch trout feeding like sharks as well.
Both of these small fish need to be handled with care as they are the
future leviathans of the river. Regardless of their size....take
good care of these fish!
The Hatch Yakima River Report May 25, 2004 The Fishing Factor- Good Everyday is most
certainly different. The dry fly fishing throughout
last week was average at best. This past weekend however was
quite epic in the Lower Canyon despite the dark colored water.
One of the senior guides said it was one of the top 5 risefests
he has personally ever seen; Another one of the senior guides
stated it as the "best he has ever seen". The Blue
Wing hatches were out of sight, both Saturday and Sunday.
The weekend brought rain showers, thunder heads, dense cloud
cover , low pressure and great Mayfly hatches. On Saturday three
of our boats moved only an 1/8th of a mile in 5 hours!
What that boils down to is....rising fish!
The Farmlands
produced some decent rises here and there, but nothing in comparison
to the Lower Canyon. The weekend was quite cold in the Upper
County. The Upper Canyon and Upper Flatlands fished average
to good. The Upper Proper was average. The snow
level dropped to 4,500 feet in the mountains and there were actually
accumulations in the higher elevations.
The weather forecast
for the next week is as follows according to NOAA. Looks
as though we are in for some more great weather for fishing and catching.
The Caddis activity
has slowed significantly...but is still part of the game. The
predominant factor in the Lower Canyon this past weekend was
the Blue Wing followed by the PMD. Check out
May
Photos;
I finally updated!
On the water,
The Hatch
Yakima River Report May 22, 2004 The Fishing Factor- Good The fishing lately
has been varied but good. Recently, the nymphing
has been more productive. The dry fly fishing has been spotty.
The fish are in great shape as they are mostly post spawn and fattening
up. Water temps are quite warm for this time of year but are soon
to change with the coming of the water releases. The water
releases are god sent as they keep our water cool during the warm months.
The water releases will also be good in the "mixture factor' below
Wilson Creek.....In other words, the bigger flows will increase
the visibility of the Lower Canyon; Which recently has been quite
poor.
On the water literally 100 plus days in the month of May... fish-on jack Yakima River Report May 17, 2004 The Fishing Factor- Good to Great I can only remember
one Caddis season over the last 15 when the river was in such stable
condition for the entire Mothers Day bloom and the start of PMD's.
While every day is different, the last few weeks have been great on
the Yakima and a few of those days epic! Recently the Caddis blooms
have been less than they were but the PMD's have taken up the slack.
Guest appearances by both Mr Salmon Fly and Mr Golden Stone have highlighted
some of the fishing as well.
The Lower Canyon clarity is not pretty currently due to the Wilson/Cherry creek system. From the Farmlands upstream the river is in great condition re: clarity. Over the last 48 hours the valley tributaries, specifically Wilson/Cherry, have increased a bit due to the spring showers we are receiving and therefore the Lower Canyon is showing a slight rise in CFS. The overall fishing throughout the system has been good to great over the last two weeks. I would be stretching
the truth if I told you that a # 16 Super Duper is
a must to have in your box and that we used it from 9am to 11am and
then switched to the # 18 Catch All until dark, and
that it too, is a must to have in your box. However, I would
be telling you the truth that there a number of patterns that will work
on rising fish as long as they are reasonable and presented correctly.
Patterns that we
suggest for this time of year include;
Dry Flies Sparkle Duns
Parachutes
Comparaduns
Traditional hairwings
such as the Humpy, Wulff etc
Elk Hair Caddis
X-Caddis
ESP's
Stimulators
Parachute Madam
X's
Madam X's
Nymphs K-Stones
Hares Ears
Flashback Pheasant
Tails
Copper Johns
Brassies
Lightning Bugs
Flows on the Yakima
will increase over the next month...all due to man made releases, as
the 2004 run-off is over! Remarkable! BoR figures
they will end up with about 85% of the normal water available for
the typical demand. This equates to lower than average Summer
flows. We here at The Hatch and Riverside Adventures are looking forward
to the rest of the 2004 season.
The remaining
2004 Bugorama includes.....
Caddis and more caddis
PMD's PED's
Goldens and Salmon
flies
Drakes
Summer Stones
Cahills
Hoppertunity
Craneflies
Fall Baetis
Fall Caddis
Mohagany Duns
Midges
Respectfully and
fish-on
Jack
Yakima River Report May 12, 2004 The Fishing Factor- Great The fishing continues to rock-on! Fish-on Yakima River Report May 11, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good to Great Caddis and PMD's are the overall game from the Farmlands to Roza. The Upper Canyon , The Flatlands and the Upper Proper while not a numbers game continue to produce some great fish as well as some decent hatches. While every day is different, the variety of insects will vary depending on weather. The predominant Caddis activity can vary but emergence can be throughout the day and heavy between 10am to 2pm. Flights of ovipositing Caddis are generally most heavy from afternoon to the evening. The Mayflies (PMD's and Baetis) are generally strongest during the day, 1-4 pm. However you may find some fish in the flats during the evening keying in on the PED's and Baetis. Position and Presentation are key factors in catching rising fish with the dry fly. Position is one of the most important factors of trout fishing. Regardless of how accomplished a caster you are and how many specialty presentation casts you can perform, positioning yourself for the water you are going to fish is a primary technique. In fact depending on which type of presentation cast is going to be used in the attempt depends on what position you will be in to make the cast. In both dry fly and nymph fishing "getting as close to the target" as the water type and situation allows is always recommended. Positioning (Quartering up, Quartering down, Direct 90 degrees, etc....) depends on where the target is and what type of cast is going to be used. Home waters allow anglers to be less analytical because they are familiar with how certain holes fish and the trout behavior. However new waters call for a bit more caution as they are uncharted by yourself and although it is only trout fishing there are slight nuances about every river that are learned over time. Position, Position, Position!!!! Just spent three days on the Bighole with Rooster and crew; photos coming soon! What a great time! The entire crew at the 4 Rivers fly shop and the Stonefly Inn were awesome.... From Dana's and Rooster's hospitality, to the Venison Barbecue, to Greg & the Jefferson Ranch, Patrick, The Old Hotel , The New Puppies, The Two Moose Day, The Caddis Extravaganza and of course our guests...The Virnoche's and Bob and Gene! On the water daily..... jack
Yakima River Report May 6, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good to Great PMD's and PED's are certainly making their appearance for the 2004 season. Last night, the Lower Canyon rocked with rising fish. Every day lately has been a bit different. All in all, Caddis and PMD's are the game currently with the Salmon Fly making guest appearances here and there. As usual the Lower Farmlands and the Lower Canyon clarity is decreased by irrigation returns as the canals are being charged for the upcoming irrigation season. Currently, Wilson creek is much like a melted Willie Wonka Chocolate bar. Waters are un-typically low for this time of year. The KRD is stating that the water allocation this year will be somewhere between the 60-80 percentile. Run-off is over for 2004....remarkable! The next rise in the river flows that we see will be directly related to man made releases. The irrigation flows of the summer should start staging up come the third week of May. Overall flows will not be as big on an average this season due to the aforementioned reasons. On the water and catching fish... the hatch and riverside. Yakima River Report May 4, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good While the hatches through the Farmlands and the Lower Canyon have been quite strong lately, the catching has been average to good. This time of year can be challenging as the typical Caddis 101 techniques change to the tougher and much more in-depth emerger and pupa game. Fishing caddis pupa is without a doubt the toughest trick to master due to the fact that the bug often changes size, shape, and color from hatch to hatch. Emergent sparkle pupas, soft hackles, Lafontains, rock worms, and a myriad of other patterns can be the key when dries and or other nymphs are not producing. The last 1.5 hours has been producing some decent to great risefests depending on which stretch of river you are in. Mid-day in the Farmlands and the Lower Canyon has been more of a nymph game lately. A well stocked fly box with varying patterns this time of year can prove to sway the success factor in your direction. Technique is also a major factor. Drag free dry fly drifts are key most of the time, while erratic presentation can be very productive when fishing pupa's and nymphs. Don't be afraid to switch it up, but no matter what the game calls for, in the end, it's fishing..., and it's FUN! --end of story and on the water, The Hatch Weather for the next week is Partly cloudy with highs near 65 and lows in the upper 30's. The weekend looks as though we may have a few showers!
Yakima River Report April 26, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good Predominantly we've been seeing medium to strong Caddis hatches throughout the system , with March Browns and Baetis in isolated areas. Honorable mention's go to the Adult Salmon flies that have been spotted throughout the river. The dry fly fishing slowed quite a bit over the last few days especially in the Lower Canyon. The nymphing was the better ticket. NOAA's forecast is as follows....
Our overall flows throughout the system increased over the last 24 hours due to an incredible rain and wind storm the valley experienced yesterday....Certainly one of the most impressive we have ever seen here. The river decreased in clarity due to the slight influx. Water clarity and flows should settle back to what it was prior within the next 24 hours. Our water has been lower then usual for this time of year. Try and stay clear of the in-stream spawning beds as the trout are still quite active here and there. Knock on wood, but it looks as though the natural tributary "run-off" from the Teanaway, Tanuem, Manastash, Big Creek and Cabin Creek is pretty much over. Below is the current Tea cup graph for the reservoir system. The Bureau of reclamation states a less than normal snow pack this season. The Irrigation district will call for some rationing...however not as drastic as the previous two years. Irrigation flows will commence toward the end of May. PROVISIONAL DATA - SUBJECT TO CHANGE! Note: The Riverside Adventures / Evening Hatch State of the Art Camp will be up and running soon in its new location.....stay tuned for details. Fish On, The Hatch
Yakima River Report April 24, 2004 5pm The Fishing Factor- Good to great The fishing continues to rock-on throughout the system. From the Farmlands down the Caddis are strong especially on the warmer sunny days. The pattern for the emergence is usually mid morning to early afternoon with egg layers throughout the day. The hatch is assuredly strong from the Diversion to Roza currently. The landscape surrounding the entire river is absolutely gorgeous currently with Spring wild flowers and ample green. The past week has been great fishing. Most days are spent casting to rising fish. You can't beat that. Assuming all stays constant, this next week should be more of the same. We do have openings this week...Give us a jingle and we will cast dries to rising fish!!! On the water daily The Hatch Yakima River Report April 19, 2004 5pm The Fishing Factor- Good to great Plain and simple the fishing has been great over the last three days and the water has dropped and cleared. If we told you how many fish we have been hooking you wouldn't believe us anyways...so we won't. The bugs have been strong and the fish have been looking, end of story. Fish-on jack Yakima River Report April 17, 2004 5pm The Fishing Factor- Average to great The 2004 Caddis Hatch is starting to heat up. The American Grannoms (Brachycentrus) ............. Adult-Mottled grey-brown wings with Tanninsh olive
brown body. One of the key parts of the Mother's Day Caddis activity is actually post hatch where the trout key on the ovipositing egg laying Caddis activity. The game can be fairly simple other than the fact that your fly is one in a million on the water… Utilizing an Elk hair Caddis with a significant egg sack rendition off the back of the hook can be automatic. The intense Caddis activity explained above has not yet happened yet, but we are certainly drawing near. There are however a significant amount showing currently. Combine that with good to great Blue Wings and March Browns and well.... you get the picture......fishing is gooood. There are a few Salmon flies starting to show, specifically from the Farmlands up. The Salmon fly is not a very intense hatch on this river, however the trout know they are present and certainly key in on the migrating nymphs and opportunistically will eat the adult. Stop by the shop as we have over 28,000 bugs on hand...... On the water!!!!!! The hatch
fish-on Yakima River Report April 16, 2004 5pm The Fishing Factor- Average to great We are back on track and the fishing was gooooood today...March Browns and Blue Wings were the ticket! fish-on Yakima River Report April 14, 2004 5pm The Fishing Factor- Average The river is dropping and clearing as we speak....March browns are showing and the fishing should pick up over the next few days! fish-on Yakima River Report April 13, 2004 5pm The Fishing Factor- Poor Currently the Yakima from Easton Dam to Roza Dam is pretty much out of shape. According to Mr weather, there is a cooling trend coming our way and most likely the river will drop into shape soon. When it does, the fishing should be good as the forecast calls for continued overcast...perfect for March Browns! fish-on Yakima River Report April 9, 2004 7am The Fishing Factor- Avg at best We would love to tell you that the catching has been every bit as good as the weather lately, but that would be a major stretch of the truth, and we aim at being the straight shootin' kind around here. The same factors that have been hampering the catching over the last week or so are still contributing, but the midnight sun has started to wain and the fish are again starting to eat during the normal, more fisherman friendly, hours. The bulk of the spawning activity should fade soon. The flows have increased and the clarity has dropped a bit, but the visibility in the Lower Canyon is still two to three feet. We are also experiencing a merge in the major hatches this spring as the caddis are starting to show through the lower stretches. In a week to ten days, we should see major caddis activity and some serious evening rises to the American Grannoms as the Blue Wings and Skwala start to exit stage right. March Browns have been on the sputter mode so far this season...however the next cloudy day could be worthy. Other than that, 72 and sunny without a stitch of the W_ _ _! Fish On! Yakima River Report April 5, 2004 7am The Fishing Factor- Poor to Avg The catching over the last three days has slowed dramatically..... the fishing remains good. The entire Yakima river is in great condition as we speak. The water clarity is good and the flows have increased a bit....The fishing is just tough. Contributing factors may be that we are in a full moon phase, the fish have actively been spawning and the hatches have lightened quite a bit. The Blue Wings are considerably lighter then last week; the Skwalas are still here and there and the 2004 March Browns have only sputtered so far this season. On the water The Hatch __________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report March 31, 2004 7am The Fishing Factor-Great Depending on the day.....The Lower Canyon has been producing some GREAT Blue Wing hatches and Skwala action. The Farmlands continue to be mostly a nymph and/or streamer game with isolated dry fly action. The Upper Canyon has some isolated dry fly action on Skwala and Blue Wings with streamers and nymphs as a mainstay. The Upper Flatlands has been good dry fly fishing and the Upper Proper...Average. Here is NOAA's weather outlook for the next 5 days..... Today.
Partly cloudy. Highs 48 to 53. West wind 5 to 15 mph. Although our weather has been all over the board...One day nice and the next cold and windy... the fishing has been good to great depending on where you are in the system. Windy days can be a bit of a nuisance but they can also promote great Skwala action as stone flies are clumsy flyers and windy days promote more stoneflies blown into the water. March Browns continue to make small appearances in the Lower Canyon, Farmlands and Upper Canyon. We have not seen a major March Brown hatch yet......Blue Wings have been incredible in the Lower Canyon, especially on the cloudy days. The river is currently in great shape and looks as though will stay that way into next week if NOAA is on target. The Spring Chinook are starting to show in the system. The intensity should increase over the next 2 months. The actual Chinook season on the Yakima is below Roza Dam....link to this page https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=148 for more information. On the water 365 fish-on Jack __________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report March 27, 2004 7pm The Fishing Factor-Great Today was a Skwalarama day in the Lower Canyon.......Great Skwala dry fly fishing. The Blue Wing hatch was less than it has been. On the water 365 fish-on Jack __________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report March 26, 2004 1pm The Fishing Factor-Great Oh yeah!!!!....Great dry fly fishing with Blue Wings and Skwala in the Lower Canyon; The Farmlands nymphing is great; The Upper Canyon fishing is ?; The Upper Flatlands is not a numbers game but most certainly worthy and the Upper Proper is fishing average. On the water 365 fish-on Jack __________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report March 25, 2004 8pm The Fishing Factor-Good The river experienced a spike in flows over the last 48 hours...decreasing clarity as well. Currently the entire system and its contributors are either stabilized or dropping. Last Saturday and Sunday we saw some absolutely incredible Blue Wing Hatches in the Lower Canyon.....Basically it was a Rise Fest. The weather today looks good for a good rise, assuming Mother nature does not deal us any w_ _ _d! The water is most definitely up and a bit tinted in comparison to a few days back, yet again everything is stable for the time being. Mr. Weather's outlook is as follows......
Fairly cool nights and some nice days coming our way.....Skwala and Blue Wings are the main fare! fish-on Jack ___________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report March 20, 2004 8pm The Fishing Factor-Good to Great Every day is different on the water. Some days your the bug and some days your the windshield. On one particular day this week, the numbers of Skwala adult were significant and on another the adults were hard to come by! We have seen some decent to great Blue Wing Olive hatches throughout the system over the last week and there still are some #16-18 Little Black Winter Stones in the Upper Proper and Upper Flatlands. March Browns in the Lower Canyon have made a light showing lately in isolated zones. Last night our temperatures dropped significantly helping to solidify snow melt! Fishing was great today in the Lower canyon. On the water! Yakima River Report March 15, 2004 8am The Fishing Factor-Good The river is back to fishing good! In the last few days the river has shaped up and the fishing is definitely average to good! On the water... Fish-on The Hatch Yakima River Report March 14, 2004 8am The Fishing Factor-Average The river is looking better daily. The overall clarity throughout the system has been improving. From now until run-off is over (Approximately June 1) the river will see some fluctuations...Some of them will be substantial and others minimal. We will see some great fishing during this period as the river will sport some great hatches in between. The bugs of the next month will include.... Blue Wing Olives, Skwala, Midges, March Browns and Caddis. On the water... Fish-on The Hatch Yakima River Report March 12, 2004 8am The Fishing Factor-Poor to Average Ditto last report......there is however a bit of clearing throughout the system below the Teanaway as the Teanaway and other tribs have subsided and cleared a bit On the water... Fish-on The hatch Yakima River Report March 10, 2004 8am The Fishing Factor-Poor to Average The entire river is currently being affected by the recent warming and run-off... From the Teanaway down the river is pretty much "out"; From The Teanaway up the river is decent.. On the water... Fish-on The hatch Yakima River Report March 8, 2004 6pm The Fishing Factor-Good Unfortunately the incredibly warm weather we received today has changed the color of the river as well as increased the flows, specifically from the Teanaway down. All the tributaries from the Teanaway down are contributing to the discoloration. The weather calls for colder nights and things should look better by the end of the week. The last few days on the Yakima has been good fishing. Fish have most certainly been keying on Blue Wings over the last week. The rises have not been prolific and in fact quite subtle. Therefore, taking your time and observing will pay off. The fish as usual want their dry fly offering, drag free. Skwala action while not incredible, has certainly been worthy. Our water has been lower then normal (until today) for this time of year which makes for less water bankside....Bankside is some of the best habitat for Stone Activity. Regardless, Skwala action remains in 2nd gear. On the water fish-on jack Yakima River Report March 4, 2004 6pm The Fishing Factor-Good Skwala action is fairly zone specific and the last three days has been fairly decent in certain stretches. Water temps are varying from 37-40 degrees in the morning to 39-42 in the afternoon depending on which stretch you are in. Weather has been a mixed bag ranging from 58 degrees clear, blue and beautimus to snowing! On the water fish-on jack Yakima River Report March 2, 2004 6pm The Fishing Factor-Good On the water............ fish-on jack Yakima River Report Feb 29, 2004 12noon The Fishing Factor-Good Fishing has been good throughout the system. Nymphs, dries and streamers are all part of the arsenal now. The dry fly fishing can be specific to certain zones and on certain days particular to the time of the day....Specifically mid to later in the day. By all means this however is not the gospel. fish-on jack Yakima River Report Feb 26, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good to great The Lower Canyon saw a bump in volume and a decrease in clarity today, mainly due to Wilson/Cherry Creek. The low lying creeks increased in volume due to an unexpected 4 inch deluge of wet snow yesterday in the afternoon. Yesterday morning the weather was fairly stable with high clouds and then mother nature dealt a wild card! Regardless, the entire river above the Lower Canyon is currently in great condition. The Lower Canyon should clear quickly as well. Fishing is goooood throughout the system...End of story. On the water... jack Yakima River Report Feb 23, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good to great Apologize for the delay as I have been away from the computer at the Fly fishing show. We had a fun time at the show and The Yakima River presentation was well received. We however ran many a guided trip this weekend while i was gone and the reports have been good to great. In short we have had some light Skwala action down low on the system as well as some great midging in the Farmlands and Lower Canyon. The streamer action was certainly worthy as well. Bill Arthur, one of our many guests this weekend managed to land an incredible bow, as shown above! On the water... jack Yakima River Report Feb 17, 2004 6am The Fishing Factor-Good to great Since our last report we have seen some interesting weather (wet snow), been humbled by a few rising fish, and hooked some jim dandies. The entire river is in excellent condition. Active insects include adult Midges and Blue Wings and a myriad of active nymphs. Water temps have dropped about a degree throughout the system. Look for our both at the FF Show Feb 20-22nd; Our booth will be at the end of the casting pond! We will be doing a presentation on the Yakima River (The Yakima; A River For All Seasons) in the Destination Theater all three days; Friday @ 1:30pm Saturday @2:30pm Sunday @ 12:30pm. The Shop in Ellensburg will still be open and we will be guiding daily. ON THE WATER... Jack Yakima River Report Feb 14, 2004 6am The Fishing Factor-Good Oh my, the weather is certainly more conducive for fishing , as compared to the last week. Absolutely beautiful in the valley today. With the warming trend (Night time air temps-mid 20's Day time air temps 40-45) the water temps have warmed as well. Blue Wings are showing again in decent numbers and we are literally just around the corner from significant "Spring Hatches" .....with all things constant. Look for our both at the FF Show- Feb 20-22nd. We will be doing a presentation on the Yakima River (The Yakima; A River For All Seasons) in the Destination Theater all three days; Friday @ 1:30pm Saturday @2:30pm Sunday @ 12:30pm. The Shop will still be open and we will be guiding daily as we have a large crew! ON THE WATER... Jack Yakima River Report Feb 12, 2004 6am The Fishing Factor-Avg The last 40 hours the valley has experienced some dense low lying fog and the air temps have stayed rather cold over that period. Water temps have dropped significantly and the fishing has been average. The Blue Wings have been a no show for the last two days.....solomente midges. Weather for the next week is as follows.....
Respectfully, jack Yakima River Report Feb 11, 2004 7am The Fishing Factor-Good The last few days have been incredibly beautimus here in the valley. The nights have been cold with temps dropping to 18. The days have been pleasant with temps hitting low to mid 40's; mostly sunny after the low lying fog burns off and no wind! Water temps reached 39.5 in the lower canyon two days ago but only topped out at 38 yesterday. Although we have seen some Blue Wing Olives throughout the winter, three days ago marked the first "Light Hatch" of the 2004 season. No adult Skwalas yet, however there are ample nymphs shore side. The following is a report from MR Weather.......
Watch for us at the Fly Fishing Show in Bellevue.....Feb 20, 21 and 22. We have also been quite successful on the coast lately for some chromers. If you are looking for a steelhead adventure...give us a jingle. fish-on jack _________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report Feb 8, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good Wow....A couple more days like this and we will have adult Skwalas. The water temps have increased a degree and a half and today is bluebird with a bit of wind. The earliest I have personally seen adult Skwala action on this river is around Presidents day and it looks like it could happen with what Mr. weather is forecasting and considering the current water temps. At one time I used to say that the Yakima has the earliest Skwala Stone Fly Hatch in the west but in reality, California does. The Sacramento River sees Skwala Stone flies in the month of January! We, here on the Yakima experience a close second! Action is just around the corner....today we had reports of a few fish on big dry flies. fish-on jack _________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report Feb 7, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good As winter continues here in the Kittitas valley we are reminded how mother nature can usher in her own personality on a whim. The weather recently has been almost blue bird on certain days, grey and cold on others. Anglers can find reprieve from the big city hustle and bustle riverside ........... Where am I going with this? Fishing has been good lately. The nymph fishing and streamer game has been the ticket. Remember the Skwalas are migrating toward the shore and therefore fishing short is a great idea. Yesterday I felt like I was steelheading as we hooked three really large trout ( like big pre spawn 20 inch bows ) and did not land one of them....Kinda like steelheading! Any how, we are excited to see some dry fly fishing, and it is just around the corner. fish-on jack _________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report Feb 4, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good The fishing is goooood! The river is in great shape. Skwala nymphs are active. fish-on jack __________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report Feb 1, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Average Predicting mother nature is always a guessing game! The last report said it should be at least 3 days before there is fishable water on the Yakima. This is not the case, as the water is looking good throughout the system now. The flows are definitely dropping and the waters clearing. Nymphs and streamers are the game currently. This is the exact time the river went by the wayside last year. However, last year at this time the river peaked at 9,000! fish-on jack __________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report Jan 30, 2004 The Fishing Factor-poor With the rain and warming spell we received the river went by the wayside. Currently the colder temps are solidifying the snow pack and the Teanaway is starting to drop as well as the out flow from Lake Easton which is effected by the inflow of Cabin creek. Should be at least 3 days before there is any fishable water.... fish-on jack __________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report Jan 26, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Good The nymph activity on the Yakima is very active as we speak. Indicator fishing is most certainly a viable option, and a good one. The midge activity is still around, but very limited. We also continue to catch fish on the swing. There are days when the fish really want the stone nymph and there are others when the dropper can be more effective. If you are fishing in a productive zone and your presentation is worthy but the catching isn't...change up! Besides the Skwala (The first Double Big Mac of the season), the Blue Wing Olive and Amelytus nymphs are very active as well! The last two can be matched by various patterns such as the PT, Lightning bugs, CJ's, soft hackles and the like. We experienced a cold blast this winter which is not unlike other winters in the valley. It is just that the last two winters we were spoiled! Currently we are experiencing typical winter weather with lows in the 20's and highs in the upper 30's. fish-on jack By the way the coastal wild fish are showing! __________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report Jan 25, 2004 The Fishing Factor-Average The fishing has been good lately. Today's fishing however was average. There is definitely a weather change 'a happenin' and that may have something to do with less fish to the fly. Regardless, we had sun today! Wohoo; A first in a while! I am continually amazed at what I see waterside in this state..... West of the Cascades Jan. 23rd I spent a great day on the Wynoochee yesterday with fellow guide and friend Gus Garcia. We managed to get hooked up with about a 10 pounder that pretty much cleaned our clock, or should I say, cleaned my clock. While fishing we saw various fish being caught throughout the day by other anglers. (99.9% of the fisherman are gear/bait fishing) On one particular occasion, we witnessed two young gentleman double up and proceed to land their fish. The first one to land his fish seemed to be quite intent on beaching this fish and killing it without regard to its native or hatchery status. He did land the fish about 200 feet from us, and immediately killed the fish. The other angler landed his fish right next to us. He too, instantly killed the fish with a rock about the size of a basketball. As he walked by us we noticed it was a wild fish and asked him if he new the rules. We actually did not ask him in so many polite words....We were about as irritated as two fly anglers could get. Although we never saw the first fish landed, my guess is that it was a wild fish as well. East of the Cascades Jan 23rd And what about focusing on the “winter poaching” of wild rainbows on the Yakima? We took photos yesterday of 12 large trout that had been killed and filleted at Big Horn in the Yakima River Canyon. As long as the state allows a white fish kill, the poaching will continue. The time has long passed to make the Yakima totally catch and release and stop giving the anglers who don't appreciate wild fish an excuse to kill rainbows. Everyone knows its happening but no one is willing to take a stand. A suggestion for action when you witness a poaching situation.....Do not confront them. Dial......Poacher Hotline: weekdays 1-800-477-6224 WSP: weekends 1-800-283-7808 I know that is not what we did in the incident listed above, but, our cell phones were out of juice. fish-on jack ___________________________________________________________________________________ Yakima River Report Jan 22, 2004
Apologize for the delay with current reports, as our server went down
for three days! Although this may sound like a broken record,
the fishing on the Yakima continues to be great. We are about
40 days away from seeing adult insects (Skwalas and Blue Wings) and
therefore the nymph activity is most certainly optimal. After
years of fishing the river I can understand why it may be a bit frustrating
for new anglers on the river as there is plenty of water that looks
fishy that simply does not produce. However, my recommendation
is to put your time in and you will start to see what the river has
to offer as the numbers of trout caught will increase. I
remember talking with one of the 'ol timers' when I started fishing
the river and his premise was, "The Yakima has a large amount of
great fish water but only a certain amount of that water holds
trout." This is so true! Once you start to learn some
of the nuances of the river, your catch rate will go up! Yakima River Report Jan 17, 2004 The river is definitely back on track....Multiple techniques again have proved effective. Dry fly midge fishing has been decent in isolated zones. The nymphing is a mainstay at this time of year. The proverbial stone nymph and dropper fished at different depths depending on the water is a great angle. We are about 40 days away from both Blue Wing and Stone fly hatches and therefore utilizing nymphs matching the two aforementioned insects should prove effective. The nymphs of the two above listed insects are most definitely active as we speak. The magic temperature for adult insect activity is the 42 degree mark. That is not to say there will be no adult Blue Wing and Skwala Stone activity prior to that temperature, but when we start seeing that 40-42 degree mark on any consistent basis, all heck will break loose. Stone nymph patterns .....Double Bead Stones, Mini Rubber Leg K-Stones, The Catch All, 20inchers Droppers....Copper Johns in various colors, PT's, PT Flashbacks, Lightning Bugs, Brassies in various colors etc. Not to sound like a broken record, but swinging the fly has been a great technique as well. And as always, at this time of year, stripping streamers is worthy. This is certainly my most favorite time of year...Pre-spawn rainbows, cold and generally clear water, La Primera hatches of the season and ample wildlife; what more could you ask for! On another note...Just spent a day out on the coast with my friend, Gordon Gracey chasing Steelhead. Gordito's knowledge of the coast is remarkable...Actually, he is a bit uncanny! On the water, jack
Yakima River Report Jan 12, 2004 I should have posted this report a bit sooner as the fishing over the last couple days has been quite good. The cold snap has left the valley and day time highs have been in the upper 30's and night time lows in the upper 20's. If we were to see a big warming trend with rain the river could get "messy", but currently with the upcoming forecast, the river should stay in good condition. Fishing tactics over the last few days have included nymphing and the swing!
Stop by and see us as! The remodel is complete and we are ready for 2004! on the water, Jack Yakima River Report Jan 6, 2004 The Yakima has mega ice flow from Cle Elum down and completely iced across from approximately mm10 down.....stay home for now! There are actual complete blockages of ice above mm 10 as well. off the water on the Yakima, jack Yakima River Report Jan 3, 2004 Even though conditions are incredibly winter like currently.....swinging the fly will produce. Ice flows have decreased in the last couple days; In fact, currently there are no ice flows. One report from today was decent, considering conditions. Even with the guides icing up all day, the anglers hooked fish swinging the fly! fish-on jack
*** lots of good information on the Yakima *** 2005 Yakima River Fishing Reports
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