North Washington guide service

YAKIMA

The river is at Fall levels now and the Flip Flop is pretty much done.  Water temps remain good, varying from 54-62 degrees depending on time and zone.

Current Food
#10-12 Craneflies
#8-10 October Cddis
#16 Yello Mayflies
# 16 Tan Caddis
#4-12 Hoppers
#12-16 Ants and Beetles
#18 Fall Baetis

Hot Patterns
#14-18 Perigon in Brown, Lavender, Purple,
#8-12 Orange Gypsy King,
#8-12 CHubby’s in orange, tan, purple
#12 Orange and black Pat’s
#14-18 Lightning Bugs,  CDC Princes
#10-12 Adult Craneflies

The entire rive is fishing good.

KLICKITAT

Clarity on 9/9/21 just above town at 12 noon.  We should see the river in good shape with the up coming cooling trend:)

UPPER COLUMBIA

As per usual, the UC is finicky.  Understandably as it is a BIG body of water.  Swing, dry and nymph tactrics have all been successful with some beauties to be caught….. certainly not a numbers game.

YAKIMA

The Yakima is on a hard drop .  The annual Flip Flop.   Fishing has been good throughout.  Water temps were a little marginal in the Lower canyon during our last heat spell.  However, currently water temps are great throughout.

Dry Droppers, Dry Flies, Nymphing and some Streamer fishing.

Current Bugs
Crane flies  – This is KEY right now
Terrestrials – Hoppers, Ants and Beetles
Caddis
Summer Stones

KLICKITAT

While the numbers over Bonneville are not good….Recently they have improved quite a bit.  Let’s hope there is a thermal block with steelhead somewhere.  On another note, We are supposed to see a HUGE number of Coho coming into the system.   Will be good for the biomass and certainly a worthy target.

The river is definitely with cycle currently.  Down low in the morning is about 2.5 feet of vis.  By afternoon the lower river is at about 18 inches of visibility.

More to follow…

YAKIMA

Water temps are ranging from 52-58 in the AM Depending on Zone.

Like a broken record – The Yakima is fishing pretty dang good, considering the heat…..Looking forward to it cooling down however.

Covering water and tossing likely food sources for the opportunistic fish has been the game. Sometimes 20 miles is not enough, lol.

Predominant food sources include
Hoppers
Stoneflies – Summer stones
Ants and Beetles
Salmon Smolt
Sculpins
Caddis
Pale Evening Duns

UPPER COLUMBIA

Everyday is different when it comes to the amount of smoke recently.. Today isn’t so good.  The lodge is closed for fishing as this time of year due to the short window of activity and water temps….

Fall is a beautiful time anywhere, including the Upper Columbia!

Available packages are limited for 2021 …You can view availability HERE

KLICKITAT

Currently ‘Willy Wonka’…..Pray for cooler weather!

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:)

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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

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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

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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.