YAKIMA

The fishing has been fabulous on the river from top to bottom.  The river remains in great condition for this time of year

CLARITY REPORT

UPPER PROPER  – 5 FEET
UPPER FLATLANDS – 6 FEET
UPPER CANYON – 5 FEET
FARMLANDS – 5 TO 3 FEET
LOWER CANYON – 2 FEET

INSECTS AND FOOD SOURCES

March Browns are on their way out
PMD’s are on their way in:))
Baetis
Caddis
Worms
Salmon Smolt
Salmon Fly Nymphs
Carpenter Ants

FLIES  DE JOUR

Nymphs

1. #14 PT Jig head CDC

2. #4-6 Pats Stone –  Orange and Black

3. #14 Hares Ear Soft Hackle

4. #8 Dali Llama

5. # 4-8 Sparkle Minnow

6. #10-12 San Juan

7. #12-16  Prince

8. #16 PMD trigger nymph

Dry Flies

1. #14Quigley March Brown

2. #12 Black Carpenter ant

3. #14 Egg laying Caddis

4. #10 Skwala

5. #14 Purple haze

6. #14-16 Quigley PMD

7. #14-16 Yellow Humpy

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UPPER COLUMBIA

This one has been fishing good  as well depending on the day. Mostly subsurface with some intermittent  dry fly activity.

Water levels are typical for this time aof year and the clarity good….

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Klickitat

The Klickitat opens June 1 and the clarity is good currently with about an overall 3 feet of visibility.  Barring any major heat wave the river should be good for the opener.

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OTHER  –  Lots of other target fish now days….

While at The Steelhead Ranch or scheduling specifically on its own, we can  fish for Smallmouth Bass, Carp, Trout, Shad, World class Sturgeon(conventional tackle)

In addition we provide Scenic River Floats for the non-angler.

Buddies, serious angling, company off sites, family getaways – Let us know, we will make it so!

The river is in amazing shape. Some isolated dry fly fishing for sure.  Searching with the dry fly has been OK at best, but there are certainly some fish looking for March Browns and the like specifically between 1-3 pm.

Make sure to stop by the shop and pick up supplies at our ‘Covid Friendly Drive Thru’  Did I just say that?

We will most like see a bump in river flows this coming weekend  due to some warmer weather but it appears the weather will be cooling down next week  according to Mr Weather.  Barring any major heat wave the 2020 run off should be reasonable and we will most likely be able to fish through it, with a slight hick up here and there.

CLARITY REPORT

UPPER PROPER  – 5 FEET
UPPER FLATLANDS – 6 FEET
UPPER CANYON – 5 FEET
FARMLANDS – 5 TO 3 FEET
LOWER CANYON – 2 FEET

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INSECTS AND FOOD SOURCES

March Browns
Baetis
Caddis
Worms
Salmon Smolt
Salmon Fly Nymphs
Carpenter Ants

FLIES  DE JOUR

Nymphs

1. #14 PT Jig head CDC
2. #4-6 Pats Stone –  Orange and Black
3. #14 Hares Ear Soft Hackle
4. #8 Dali Llama
5. # 4-8 Sparkle Minnow
6. #10-12 San Juan
7. #12-16  Prince

Dry Flies

1. #14Quigley March Brown
2. #12 Black Carpenter ant
3. #14 Egg laying Caddis
4. #10 Skwala
5. #14 Purple haze

The river is in EXCELENT Shape

CLARITY REPORT

UPPER PROPER  – 5 FEET
UPPER FLATLANDS – 6 FEET
UPPER CANYON – 5 FEET
FARMLANDS – 5 TO 3 FEET
LOWER CANYON – 2 FEET

Refer to the last report regarding bugs / flies etc…..

Let’s get back to ‘Normal’ and currently  being referenced as the ‘New Normal’  where fluidity won’t be as simple.

If above is the case….*’Hydrotherapy’ is in order and just around the corner.

• Hydrotherapy   – The relaxation and insight gathered while waterside. Term spawned by Jay Virnoche and  part of the Guidespeak dictionary

Water levels on the Yakima have been fluctuating and up quite a bit lately with the warmer weather and some of the precipitation. Between now and stabilization (somewhere in mid to late June) the river will be up and down based on run-off and dam releases. Ther is going to be some GREAT fishing in this time frame…There is also going to be some tough fishing

Current Clarity Chart

Upper Proper   2-3 feet
Upper Flatlands   3 feet
Upper Canyon    2-3 feet
Farmlands   2-1 feet
Lower Canyon   1 foot

Yakima river hatches currently include

1. March Browns #

2. Blue Wing Olives

3. Caddis

DRIVE THRU ACCESS

We know your time is valuable. In addition, with the Covid restrictions we have opened our drive thru so those who are in a hurry and want to keep themselves isolated can pick up tackle with out leaving their vehicle.

We have protective plexiglass and a hand sanitizer station in store as well.

Just around the corner…
Mother’s Day Caddis #14
Salmon Flies #4
PMD’s # 16
Golden Stones #6
Green Drakes #10-12

HATCH CHART

REPORTS PRIOR TO CLOSURE

YAKIMA

Amazing early season for our home water. Lots of big fish with good Skwala Stoneflies, Blue Wing Olives and March Browns.   The dry fly fishing was very good on select days.

Assuming the river opens back up soon, the bugs of choice will include

March Browns
Blue Wing Olives
Caddis
Salmon Fly Nymphs
Salmon Smolt patterns

OLYMPIC PENINSULA

As things were getting shut down the Olympic Peninsula was getting a much needed freshet.   All said and done, the winter steelhead season was pretty good; just cut short. We look forward to next year…. FYI – We are currently 1/2 full for 2021

UPPER COLUMBIA

The river is in super shape and we are looking forward to our hatch season, just around the corner

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Well,  who would have thought this pandemic and the state of affairs would be the case for us in 2020.   We hope all are fairing as best can be expected.  Some great people in our communties are lending a helping hand where needed;  That is America!     ‘We are our brothers keepers’ an age old saying a good friend delights in quoting.  The humanatarian part if this debacle is refreshing.  Sure, there is some of the opposite, but I prefer to focus on what is positive.  The old cliche, ‘This too shall pass’ comes to mind at this juncture and I think we all look forward to that time.

The govener just ordered the ‘stay in place’ until May 4 and along with that all river closed to fishing.

So with that,  our shop and lodging operations have been closed since the mandate and we are hunkering down as required and needed.

I did sneak out to swing a fly on a new river. I took my pop up camper and social distanced to a place I had never been which makes my river journeys near the 200 mark.  Rivers, they are the arteries of the earth and as with most of you, I have an affinity for them.

The two days were spent on a rugged river in southern Oregon with a high air temp of 57 degrees.  Possibly the most ‘wicked’ wading I have ever done. Beautiful country. After fishing, I followed the artery to its headwaters high in the Cascade mountains where there was at least 5 feet of snow on the ground and a ‘face on’ snow blizzard.

Nothing quite like being on or near the water. Food for the soul.

Oh I forgot to mention,  I fished a black and blue muddler, a 3 inch per second sinking leader behind a 45 foot head  on the old 7136 Sage Brownie.

I tossed her at about 90 degrees across from me and then brought my tip to the downstream bank….No mends were made.   I was rewarded with 3 fish to hand and quite a few other grabs in the two days.   One particular fish I will never forget.  She was about 8 pounds, nickel bright for being 50 plus miles from the salt and she was in the air more than in the water.

#arteriesoftheearth #nomendenitis #washington #twohanders

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Amidst the current situation, the trout and steelhead are happy and fishing remains good …… probably the finest SD anyone could ask for!

YAKIMA

It was a beautiful day on the #yakiamariver, we got to practice our #socialdistancing and catch a few fish. #skwalas & #marchbrowns are working well on top in the afternoon. Mayfly and stonefly nymphs before the hatch, emergers and dries during. #openspaces #nature

UPPER COLUMBIA

Swingtime with some nymph fishing here and there.  Utilize varioussink rates based on depth, flow and mood of the fish.

Streamers…

OLYMPIC PENINSULA

Sunshine and Steelhead lately.  Lots of sunshine and a few fish:)))

Swing tactics and nymphing…..

YAKIMA

Like a broken record….The Yakima is rockin’  with some good dry fly action!

Great week of skwala fishing on the Yakima river.  Fish are on ]dries in the afternoon and ready to put up a fight. Worms, stones and streamers also working well.

YAKIMA

Like a broken record…. Fishing  is GREAT right now.  We are seeing a few adult Skwalas currently.  Fishing an adult pattern in likely water is WORTHY.

TIP of the day – Never overlook the slow froggy water to fish the adult Skwala. More about the Skwala

UPPER COLUMBIA

Currently the river is on the drop and in great condition with 8 feet of visibility. Utilizing a variety of sinking lines in various lengths and densities based on depth and flow has been a worthy angle.  ‘Bobbercation’ aka ‘Nymphing’ has been worhty as well.

Bugs of Choice
#4-6 Sculpzilla
#4 Sex Dungeon
#4-8 Catch all
#6-10 Pats Ston
#12-18 Nymphs – Prince, Lightning Bug, Rock Worms

March 20 – May 20    Take advantage of our early season rates.  See some great country, experience some good fishing with no one around.

The entire river is fishing great after the big bump of water. Stones, worms, sculpins, and various streamers working  well. Next couple weeks look very mild and should be some great  fishing. Not too long and we will see some adult Skwalas flying around.

The Yakima is in GREAT shape and fishing just as well.  Plain and simple the only thing we have been using is a stonefly and a worm combo under an indicator….with a bit of streamer fishing mixed in.

You may want to here something more profound and see some crazy video that is EPIC… But, I dont have one. On the water 365 since 1988.