North Washington guide service

YAKIMA RIVER

Fishing has been great.  We recently saw a bump in the flows due to unseasonably warm weather.  Fishing was kinda off for those two days. We are back on track right now with a dropping and clearing  river.

Bugs of choice…

San Juans
Stonefly nymphs
Prince nymphs
Smolt patterns
Sculpin patterns

UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER

Nice weather across the state!  Swingtactics are in order on this fishery.  Light to heavy tips based on depth and flow.   Sculpins, Seal buggers, Stones, Minnows.

OLYMPIC PENINSULA

Swinging, fly bobbers and conventional float rods have been the tools lately. It is all a personal choice!

This 39.5 inch fish ate a 2.5 inch unweighted black and blue fly behind 10 feet of T-14.

Jedi Craig with a bright one.  Waters have dropped fairly low on the North OP.  The next 72 hours is going to give the region a good surge of needed water.

The Winter steelhead season has started out pretty dang good from the Olympic Peninsula to Northern Cal.  Reports have been sturdy!

Tip of the day….The Speed of which you fish the run depends on the clarity. Target the run with a likely fly and likely tip & line to put you in the zone .  Get your distance down before you start stepping.  That means standing in one locatiuon start short and make your swing. then add some line and do it again.  Repeat that process until you feel you have the overall length needed to target the run.   Then work through the run.

Step sequences based on clarity
->2 feet of clarity 3 big steps
->3-4 feet of clarity 4  big steps
->5 feet of clarity 6 big steps
->6 feet or more 7 big steps

A big step equals 2 feet – Many people take mini steps or commonly referred to as  ‘Great grandpa steps’  and they equal maybe a half of a foot in length.  If this is the case…..You will never get through the run.

Hang downs are important but marinating hangdowns in marginal ‘Hang down’ zones is counterproductive.

Examples of marginal hang down zone would be,
1  Skinny fast water not associated to travel lanes
2 Tanky swirly water

……In the next report –  Steelhead tip – Target the ‘One Off’  zone

Yakima river is in GREAT shape and the catching has been good

The usual winter fare is on the menu.

#8-12 Skwala Stone nymphs
# 8-12 San Juan Worms
6mm Whitefish Eggs
#14-16 Bead head nymphs – Perdigon, Prince, PT’s
#18-20 Brassies
#4-8 Sculpzillas, Sparkle Minnows etc.

The entire river is fishing good, from top to bottom.

YAKIMA REPORT

Fishing has actually been pretty dang good……The weather has been a bit wintery! lol….

Lots of nymphing with the tried and true winter ensembles…..

#8-12 San Juan worms, #8-10 Stoneflies,  #4-8 Smolt and Sculpin patterns, #18-20Midge Larvae,  #14-16 Princes, Caddis larvae.

The entire river is in good condition.

If you are thinking of a little tying this winter…. Click here for a recipe and vid on tying the Dalai Llama on a tube.  The Dalai Llama is a great bait fish pattern…Specifically a smolt pattern.

YAKIMA RIVER

The river is in perfect shape and the White fish spawn is on!

Whitefish Egg patterns, Stoneflies, Worms, Caddis nymphs, Midge larvae and Baitfish are all great choices!

The Yakima has been fishing good when the river is in shape. Currently it is looking greatand should stay that way for quite awhile.

Techniques include;
Swinging flies
Stripping flies
Nymphing

Current hot nymph bugs include;
# 8-12 San Juan worm variations
#8-10 Stoneflies – Pat’s, Peacock double bead etc
#14-16 Rock worms, Princes, Lightning bugs, Perdigons, YB’s

San Juan Variations….

Current Streamers
#6-10  Sculpzillas, Sheila Sculpins, Dali Llama’s. Wolly Buggers, JJ’s

YAKIMA

Fishing has been a little off the last couple of days. Likely because of the unsettled weather. Nymphing with small flies and stoneflies was fair. The blue wing hatch is coming later around 2 in most spots and going to 4p. Some October caddis still showing as well as some smaller caddis in the upper.

Regardless, some wonderful fall days:))

Blue wings are strong in the upper and lower canyon. Little nymph game  until 1PM then dries til 2:30. Hatch will continue to get better over the next 3 weeks. October caddis happening in the shadows and cloudy days. Streamer fishing on the strip, under an indicator and swinging bringing some bigger fish. Bring your game!

YAKIMA

Current Food
#10-12 Craneflies
#8-10 October Cddis
#16 Yello Mayflies
# 16 Tan Caddis
#18-20 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 river is fishing AVG to GREAT depending on the day. The terrestrial game is definitely slowing.  One of the best techniques as of lately is a Dry/Dropper.  Fairly long on the dropper .  Targeting the grade A water…. Drop offs, Inside corners and some banks.  Water flow is at Fall level. This means that targeting the bank all day is not a good idea.  Much of the grade A water is not focused on the bank.

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KLICKITAT

The Klick has seen some fluctuations this fall. Clarity has been very tempermental. There are fish in the system but the steelhead numbers are certainly lower then past years stats.  We should start to see Coho showing up soon; which will be a great bonus.

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UPPER COLUMBIA

Swing, dry and nymph tactics have all been successful with some beauties to be caught….. certainly not a numbers game.  Fall is in the air. Lots of great places to be at this time of year.  This is certainly one of them.

Current food ..
Baetis #18-20
Yello Mayflies #16
October Caddis #10

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KVICHAK RIVER ALASKA

Great late Fall season with some beauties hooked, lost and landed.  Weather was unseasonable cold which pushed some of the fish back into the lake but we managed to angle with overall consistency.   Great groups and lots of fun.  Scheduling for 2022 now.