YAKIMA RIVER

One of the best in the west during the months of July and August!  Current water temps in the afternoon near Cle Elum are 50 degrees.  Not many rivers can quote that stat right now.

Summer Stones, Hoppers, Ants, Beetles, Caddis, PED’s and Salmon Smolts are pretty much what is on the menu.

Early morning in the Lower Canyon has been good.  Don’t need to get up so early for the Upper River.

KLICKITAT RIVER

Hoping for some cooler weather soon.

YAKIMA

Fishing is good overall. Flows have been managed favorably so far.

Clarity is as follows
Upper proper  5 feet
Upper Flatlands 7 feet
Upper Canyon 7 feet
Farmlands 7-4 feet
Lower Canyon 3 feet

Trout food includes;
Golden stones
PMD’s
Caddis
Salmon smolt
Green Drakes

Patterns of the week
PMD Trigger nymph
Pats stones- imagine that
YB’s
CDC Pheasant tails

The euro nymph game is good just like it was thirty years ago…. it’s just now we don’t use fly lines which makes it easier:). Watch Joe Humphrey get it done with a fly line!

Dry fly fishing has been ok.. and definitely zone specific and overall sporadic.  Searching with the dry fly has been slow. Most of the dry fly activity we have seen is to specific fish rising to insects.

Salmon smolt are definitely on the trouts menu:)

—————————-

UPPER COLUMBIA
Up and down overall but average to good fishing.  Smorgasbord of bugs including… Baetis, PMD’s, March Browns and Drakes:)

Jan with a bent rod

Buddy with Big Smile

——————————

ALASKA
Opening week on the Kvichak while not consistent daily had some sweet momemnt.  This big resident rainbow, not your typical big fish from the Kvichak, put a smile on Brer’s

Fall dates available… message Jack @ 509.859.2280

Brer with a grande from Alaska

————————–

KLICKITAT

River is definitely on a cycle.  Photo above is this morning down low with 2.5 feet of visibility.  By late afternoon at the same location the visibility is about 1.5 at max.

There are defintely fish in the river.  We have not been on yet this year but that is about to change!!

Rob Miller with a Yakima Beast

Clarity is as follows

Upper Proper   4 Feet
Upper Flatlands  5 Feet
Upper Canyon 4-3 Feet
Farmlands 3-2 Feet
Lower Canyon  >2 feet

Current Trout Food…
March Browns
Blue Wings
Salmon Flies
Flying Ants
Caddis
PMD’s
Salmon Smolt
Sculpins

While every day is different, fishing and catching remains good overall. Some big fish being hooked and some even landed:)

Dry fly fishing has been average at best.  Fishing sub surface continues to be the ticket.  The dry fly opportunities are mostly to specific fish that are already rising to March Browns or Caddis in general.   The searching with a dry fly for us has be below average at best.

This picture illustrates the blizzard of Caddis that many rivers have been experiencing….including our home waters of the Yakima and Upper Columbia.

Rory with a nice Yakima bow

The river continues to fish avg to good depending on the day…based on weather, clarity and flow.  The river below Wilson creek in the Lower Canyon is a little rough.

Clarity is as follows

Upper Proper   4 Feet
Upper Flatlands  5 Feet
Upper Canyon 4-3 Feet
Farmlands 3-2 Feet
Lower Canyon  >2 feet

Bugs Include:
March Browns
Blue Wings
Salmon Flies
Flying Ants
Caddis

Fishing has been all over the board recently with some worthy highlights .

The best of the day currently is during the 1-3pm March Brown hatch extravaganza.  If you are not in a spot with bugs or fish rising, move:)   The window of opportunity for this hatch can be short.  Try to be in a spot early – like 12:30.

Also a common mistake is walking in ‘on’ the fish.  You can find feeding trout in very shallow water, especially on March Browns.

Hot patterns include
#8-12 Unit Skwala
#14-18 Purple Haze, Quigley BWO
#12-14 March Brown Trigger Nymph
#12-14 March Brown Parachutes etc.
#16-18 CDC Pheasant tails, Flashback PT’s, Lightning bugs
#12-16 CDC Princes, Halo Prince
#16-18 Brassies
#6-10 Sparkle minnows, Sculpzillas, Bow River Buggers,

Snow pack is worthy for our 2021 fishing season here in Washington. We ar fortunate as a lot of othere states have not fared as well.

UPPER COLUMBIA

This spring continues to be a bit sporadic.  Water levels in the lake are way higher then normal for this time of year?

Bugs include Blue Wings Olives, Amelytus and a few Skwala.

Recent trout release….

YAKIMA

The last warm spell bumped the river up quite a bit.  Since the weather cooled the river is in great shape.  We are going to see some GREAT FISHING between here and stabilization (somewhere around the first of June)  but we are also going to see some serious fluctuations in the flow.

Current hatches include;
Skwala #10
March Browns #14
Blue Wing Olives #18
Amyletus #14

Coming soon;
Caddis #14-18
Salmon Flies #6
Fly Ants #12

Clarity Chart;
Upper Proper 5 ft
Upper Flatlands 7 ft
Upper Canyon 5 ft
Farmlands 5-4ft
Lower Canyon 3ft

OLD School Spring Dry Fly Selection for the Yakima

UPPER COLUMBIA

Catching has been sporadic.  Lake levels are higher than normal and the river flows are lower than normal.  Bugs include a few Skwala with some reasonable Blue Wings on select days.  Tactics have included both the swing and nymph.

YAKIMA

The fishing has been very consistent  throughout the river …. top to bottom.  Of course everyday is different.

Bugs include:
Skwala
Blue Wing Olives
Midges

Best dry fly action has definitely been from 1-5 pm which is typical for this time of year. Blue Wings have been reasonable.  Blue wings are typically found in the slower Boulder strewn runs as they are swimmers.

The nymphing has definitely been sporadic in the earlier part of the day

Hot patterns include
#8-12 Unit Skwala
#14-18 Purple Haze, Quigley BWO
#12-14 March Brown Trigger Nymph
#16-18 CDC Pheasant tails, Flashback PT’s, Lightning bugs
#12-16 CDC Princes, Halo Prince
#16-18 Brassies
#6-10 Sparkle minnows, Sculpzillas, Bow River Buggers,

UPPER COLUMBIA

In good shape…..Nice fish to be had.  Mostly swing tactics with a bit of nymphing mixed in!

We have some prime time dates available.

YAKIMA

The Skwala hatch is happening on the Yakima and the fishing has been good sub surface as well as on top…..The entire river has been fishing.  Every day is different however.

Best bugs lately include

#10 Unit Skwala
#8 Sculpzilla in Olive
#12 Olive and black Pats
#14-16 March Brown Trigger nymphs
#18 Red Brassie

UPPER COLUMBIA

Good fishing and the catching has been slow to good depending on the day. Flows are low  and the  lake level is on the drop as well.

Swing tactics predominantly with some nymphing and softies here and there

OLYMPIC PENINSULA

Derek with his first OP Steel

All rivers south of the Hoh to Willipa bay have been closed leaving only the Hoh and Quileute systems open.

Our early season  south of the Hoh was pretty dang good. The last week fell short of good and in fact was real slow.

We have Skwala Stoneflies – End of story!

YAKIMA

Has been fishing great. The river is currently blown out as are most in the state.  Based on the Northwest River Forecast she should come back in shap quick as shown in the graph below.

OLYMPIC PENINSULA

Some bright ones around and some once in a lifetime fish as well:)))  Currently in a high precipitation pattern.  The next couple days the rivers will be blown….Should be back on track soon.

All fishing by rule needs to be done by foot.

Best line recently… Standard Skagit
Best Sink Tip…..10 Feet of T-14
Best fly Colors….. Pink and Orange     Black and Blue