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Month: September 2014

UPPER COLUMBIA / KETTLE REPORT – 9/10/14

Author Jack MitchellPosted on
Columbia Highlands Redband – 9/9/14

The Fall continues to progress in the Northeastern corner of Washington –  AKA  ‘The Columbia Highlands’   or also could be known as the foothills of the Kootenay Mountains.

Typically this time of year means low and clear waters and it certainly isn’t any different this year with the rivers actually being lower and clearer than usual.  Pray for overall cooler weather as low and clear water warms and cools with the prevalent weather.
Overall tactics in the low and clear water calls for LONG leaders and a variety of terrestrials.  A well presented streamer here and there has also proven to be worthy.
Dale Depreist ‘AKA ‘Big Daddy’

Best Bugs this past week….

#12 Tan Morrish Hopper
#10 Cranefly

#8 Olive Sculpzilla

YAKIMA RIVER REPORT – 9/10/14

Author Jack MitchellPosted on
October Caddis

The
fishing on the Yakima river has been great this week…  That is, when
shade of any kind is on the water.  Mornings and evenings have yielded
spectacular fishing, with nearly perfect weather!  River flows are low,
1300 cfs at Umtanum, making for slightly warm mid day water temps. 
However, fish are lying in deeper water, foamlines, and focusing dryflies on
shady banks will produce topwater takes.  Fishing sub surface with Salt
& Pepper Pat’s Stones #10, Prince nymphs #16, #18 Red Copper John, #16
W-D40 (Blue Wing Olive) can be productive when trout are laying low. 
Smaller Hoppers, #10 and #12 flying ants, or a Tu Pac Stones, Caddis Patterns,
are all effective flies this week.  Crane Flies are the fly of choice this
week, fished by skating and bringing life to the fly will get the attention of
some big opportunistic Rainbows, just waiting for a meal.  Hatches
include: Crane Flies, Small Baetis and Caddis (#16, #18), with big October
Caddis on the way… We have spotted a few on the river banks
in the last few days. 

YAKIMA RIVER REPORT- 9/8/14

Author Jack MitchellPosted on

The flip flop is basically over. The fishing on the Yakima has been, quite frankly, great.  The dry fly, nymph and the streamer have all been productive.

Hatches include…

#16 Tan Caddis
#10 Crane flies
#8-14 Hoppers
#12-18 Ants and Beetles
#14-16 Yellow Mays

Don’t fall into casting at the bank…..While there are fish on select banks, the water is quite low and many of our fish are being fooled in the middle of the river.

The beautiful fish in this post ate a dry fly, nowhere near a bank!  Pattern of the week shown below…

Crane fly pattern

UPPER COLUMBIA REPORT 9/4/14

Author Jack MitchellPosted on
A view downstream from Black Bear Lodge

Overall the fishing has been good.  Techniques include the dry fly and the swing.  Bug of the week for the dry fly actually happens to be the #6 Orange PMX.


On the menu lately for the trout (What is hatching and available)  Ants, Beetles, Hoppers, Craneflies, Baetis, Fall Cahills, Tan Caddis, October Caddis.
The big fish pictured ate a swung fly…..a # 6 Brown Catch All.  Weather has been beautiful, save for a few days with some rain

AWESOME RESIDENT TROUT

KLICKITAT RIVER REPORT – 9/4/14

Author Jack MitchellPosted on
Masa with his first fish on the Two Hander
Trey ‘Getting it done’ 
Tomo with a sweet wild buck

Just spent the past 3 days chasing Steelies with Tomo Higashi, Masa, Trey Combs and Bo. Lots of fun and we swung up a good number of willing fish.  That is not to say that we landed them all  –  One particular fish ate the fly so hard it actually broke a partridge hook!Even though conditions were reasonable for the dry line we fished very light tips to medium heavy tips and were successful with the variety of densities.
Best fly this past week
Trey Combs’s new pattern-Steelflash
Honorable mentions 
The Bucket Bouncer
The Super Muddler
Images to follow soon
   
The river is quite low for this time of year…Hope we get some moisture soon.  The nymphing remains good as well utilizing the usual fare of Stonefly nymphs and egg patterns, including the bead.

Black Bear Lodge

Upper Columbia river »

The Steelhead Ranch

Klickitat fishing »

Olympic Peninsula

Washington river trips »

Yakima River Fly Shop

Yakima river trips »