6/26/03

Anglers: Joe and Steve

Location: Irene to Big Horn

Flies: sz. 12 Ugyn Bug, sz. 12 Yellow Para Hopper, sz. 16 PMD Emerger, sz. 14 Yellow Sallie, sz. 8 Yellow Feth Hopper, sz. 6 Brown Nightmare (dries), sz. 6 Matt's Stone, sz. 16 Silver Lightning Bug (nymphs)

Time: 11:00 am until 8:30 pm

Results: We had a good day of fishing, but caught mostly smaller fish

We started out with the smaller Hopper and Yellow Sallie patterns on the move, switching to a full nymph rig (Matt's Stone and Silver Lightning Bug) to work some of the better nymph runs on this float. We actually had quite a few fish eat the Lightning Bug at the end of the drift as it was swinging across, or as we were picking the line up to re-cast. A technique some anglers like to utilize is "swinging soft hackles." To do this, use a fly with a soft hackle neck (emerging insect) and cast it across the current and slightly upstream. To get the swing, simply don't mend your line - just let the natural bow build in your line and then strip in enough line that you have tension so you can feel a fish grab the fly as it is coming down and across the current. No strike indicator is needed when using this method. This technique is most effective in faster moving riffle water (well oxygenated) with a depth of 2'-4'. We had some nicer fish come up to the big dries in the evening.

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6/25/03

Anglers: Rod and Richard

Location: Umtanum to Roza

Flies: sz. 8 Yellow Feth Hopper

Time: 6:30 pm until 7:30 pm

Results: 3 Nice Rainbows landed during this hour (13"-17")

Once again, the fishing was pretty productive all day long. Currently, the best window for dry fly fishing seems to be in the evening, after 5:30 pm. We have been running a combination of Dry, Dry-dropper, and full-on nymph rigs throughout the day. Fishing a Dry-dropper set-up from the boat on the move is efficient because the water depth is always changing. Trying to fish the full-on nymph rig (strike indicator, split shot, and two nymphs) on the move can be difficult and frustrating because you may find yourself spending a lot of time tying on new flies (constantly snagging up in shallow water or on submerged logs). One thing to keep in mind with the Dry-dropper is that you do sacrifice the ability to get your dry fly within inches of the bank due to the extra cushion needed to land the dropper. For this reason, when you get to a really nice bank, you may want to cut the dropper off and go dry only. River flows are up slightly this morning to 3083 cfs. Saturday currently looks like the best day of the extended forecast with a high of 89 degrees and calm conditions.

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6/23/03

Anglers: Craig, Rod, and Gary

Location: Red's to Roza

Flies: sz. 6 Johnny B's Yellow and Black (streamer), sz. 16 Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 14 Yellow Sallie, sz. 12 Ugyn Bug, sz. 8 Yellow Feth Hopper(dries), sz. 16 Silver Lightning Bug (nymph)

Time: 10:30 am until 8:30 pm

Results: Pretty consistent activity all day long (12"-16" trout, and one Whitefish)

We had success yesterday fishing a variety of flies and utilizing a variety of techniques throughout the day. There is a fair amount of bug activity going on right now, both on the surface and sub-surface. We saw Caddis, PMD's, Big Yellow Mays, Yellow Sallies, and some tiny sz. 20 Baetis. We have been seeing large numbers of Stonefly nymphs, and last night when we pulled a boat out, we saw the first female adult Summer Stone that we have seen this year (approx. 3" long with tan to light yellow underbody and black egg sack). Overall, fishing has been good these past few days, even with the strong winds we've been experiencing; and it should continue to improve over the next couple of weeks as the Summer Stones and Hoppers get more active. Water flows have come up to 2900 cfs this morning due to dam releases, which has not sacrificed clarity at all. The weather forecast is calling for warmer and calmer conditions through the week.

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6/21/03

Anglers: Tyler and Logan

Location: Red's to Slab

Flies: sz. 6 Gold Fruit Fly, sz. 6 Root Beer Bugger, sz. 10 Yellow Feth Hopper

Time: 3:30 pm until 7:30 pm

Results: 7 fish landed 12"-16"

With the windy conditions we have seen the last two days over here, we opted to do some streamer fishing. We have varied the retrieve from a fast strip immediately after the fly lands, to making a big downstream mend and utilize a slow retrieve picking up the slack as the fly "swims" downstream. We had success using both of these methods. The most effective Streamer pattern is currently anything with some yellow in it. We did fish a yellow Hopper pattern last night for a while and had a few fish eat it, as well. The river has come up about 400 cfs over the past three days due to elevated dam releases. Clarity-wise and water temperature-wise, it is in excellent condition. Afternoon Mayfly activity (Big Yellows, Mahoganies, and PMD's) has still been taking place. We are seeing yellow Sallies and Caddis (late evenings!) on a daily basis, and the Hoppers are getting fat!

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6/18/03

Anglers: Mark, Walt, and Steve

Location: Red's to Slab

Flies: sz. 12 Yellow Para Hopper, sz. 10 Ugyn Bug, sz. 12 Whiz Kid, sz. 16 PMD Emerger, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 8 Black Cone 20"er, sz. 16 Silver Lightning Bug

Time: 10:00 am to 8:30 pm

Results: The best "big dry fly" day we've seen since the Skwalas

We started out fishing a hopper and a dropper on the move. We picked a few fish up on the dropper right out of the gate, and then from noon on, we had consistent action on dry flies. We did stop in a few places and fish nymphs with some success. River flows are currently down to 2328 cfs. Water temperature yesterday at 1:00 was up to 63 degrees. As these water temperatures climb, it is important to practice safe catch and release techniques.

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6/16/03

Anglers: Rick and Steve

Location: Slab to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 8 Black Cone 20"er, sz. 16 Silver Lightning Bug, sz. 14 Black Beaded Prince, sz. 16 Black Beaded Hares Ear, sz. 8 Golden Stone, sz. 16 Disco Stone

Time: 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Results: A good afternoon nymphing session

Weather-wise, I would have to say yesterday afternoon was one of the nicer days of the season. The nymphing game continues to be the major producer for finding fish, and it has been good these past few days. Our best set-up yesterday was the Black Cone 20"er with a Silver Lightning Bug. Rick landed one fish on the Lightning Bug that we taped at just over 20". Our standard nymph rig has been a yarn indicator about 5' above your top fly, with 18" between flies. If there is a need to use split shot for additional weight, we have been putting that approximately 8" above the top fly. It is also important to make sure and give yourself at least 12" between the end of your floating line and your indicator to help "dampen" your mend, keeping your indicator on the water and those flies down. We did have a few dry fly opportunities right before we took off, and caught a couple of fish on Caddis Emergers. We didn't try any big dries yesterday, but any day now...

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6/15/03

Anglers: Hank and Brian

Location: Red's to Slab

Flies: sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 12 Yellow Para Hopper, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 8 Golden Stone, sz. 16 Disco Stone

Time: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Results: 7 fish landed 12"-17"

Except for a strong wind that picked up around 7:00 pm, last night was a great float. We started out nymphing for the first hour and a half, catching a few fish on the Disco Stone (a chartreuse bodied fly with rubber legs, black head and bead). About 7:30 pm, the Caddis started coming off in numbers, and we switched to the CDC Caddis Emerger pattern. We had pretty consistent action until we took off. There were not many fish actively feeding, due mostly to the fact that the wind was blowing a lot of the bugs off the water. We worked hard against the wind to get the flies down and mended without getting blown out of the seam lines, but when things worked out, we'd often find a fish looking up. We did try a dry and dropper setup with the Yellow Hopper and Disco Stone in between the nymphing and Caddis fishing and had a few fish come up on the Hopper.

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6/13/03

Anglers: Rod, Logan, and Steve

Location: Umtanum to Red's

Flies: sz. 8 Golden Stone, sz. 16 PT, sz. 14 Yellow Soft Hackle, sz. 8 Black Cone 20"er, sz. 16 Silver Lightning Bug, sz. 16 Black Bead Hares Ear

Time: 6:30 am to 7:30 am

Results: A heavy 19"er and a few dinks landed

We snuck a quick float in this morning, stopping and nymphing 3 or 4 spots along the way. We actually had more action than the results would lead you to believe. Rod broke one nice fish off and lost another, and Logan had a couple come unbuttoned. Just about the time I started giving them grief, Logan hooked and landed the nice fish at Pac Man. The river is in as good of shape as we have seen it all year. Flows are decreasing and should stabilize, and clarity is favorable at 3+ feet. The afternoon Mayflies and evening Caddis remain the most consistent opportunities for dry fly fishing, but any one of these days could be the first day that the fish start eating the Big Bugs.

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6/12/03

Anglers: Tom, Randy, and Steve

Location: Ringer to Red's

Flies: sz. 14 Yellow Sallie, sz. 12 Yellow Parachute Hopper, sz. 14 Royal Coachman

Time: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Results: 2 trout landed during this hour 12",14"

We started out fishing nymphs in the morning, and we hooked fish on a variety of different patterns including Lightning Bugs, Golden Stones, and a Flashback Pheasant Tail. Around 1:00, we switched to dries and stayed with them for the rest of the float. Our most productive dry fly pattern was the small Yellow Hopper, fished tight to the banks on the move. At about 2:00, we had a fair number of PMD's and Big Yellow Mays coming off; but we did not have any fish working the surface in the particular section we were on at the time. I'd say we're still in the "transition" period for the summertime Big Dry Fly Fishing that we are all so fond of. There will be some slow times during the day where you may go one or two miles without bringing a fish up to a dry fly. These slow periods are as much a part of the day as the two hour Caddis feed in the evening. We use them to enjoy the surroundings, practice challenging techniques, and make it a goal to learn something new about the river. We took off before the Caddis got real active at about 6:30 pm. River flows are currently 3200 cfs, with water temperature at 56 degrees. The weather pattern looks fairly consistent for the next week with calm, sunshine, and highs in the 75 to 80 degree range. We only saw one other boat the entire day yesterday.

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6/10/03

Anglers: Rod and Steve

Location: Red's to Slab

Flies: sz. 8 Gold Nightmare (dry), sz. 8 Large Prince, sz. 8 Golden Stone, sz. 16 Lightning Bug, sz. 16 Hares Ear

Time: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Results: 7 trout landed (12"-15") and a hefty 21" Whitefish

The river is currently down to 3874 cfs and is relatively stable. We are looking at 3+ feet of visibility, and water temperatures of 54 degrees. We were hoping to get on the water yesterday and fish big dries on the move the entire float; but after casting for over an hour and seeing only two fish, we switched to nymphs. We caught most of our fish on the Stonefly patterns fishing likely seam lines and structure pockets. Overall, one should expect the best dry fly fishing to be late evening (Caddis) with some scattered pods eating Mayflies (PMD's, Big Yellows, Mahoganies) earlier in the day (better with cloud cover). Before and between those times, we recommend fishing nymph and streamer patterns, concentrating on smaller areas of likely habitat. True, the higher volume of water tends to spread those fish out more, but focus on the softer water. The nymph fishing and late evening Caddis rise should remain steady until we get some Golden Stones popping out, which we hope to see within the next week or so.

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6/6/03

Anglers: Tiffany, Garth, and Rod

Location: Ringer to Red's

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 Hot Butt Peacock Caddis, sz. 14 X-Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Results: 3-5 fish landed with a few LDR's (12"-16")

Well, the river is on the rise for the normal summer time flows. This morning the flow as recorded at Umtanum is about 3200 cfs. Visibility is approximately 1-2 feet. Throughout the hot part of the day the best way to go is with nymphs. We hit the Rock Garden at about 5:00 pm just in time for that section of the canyon to be in the shade. We started to see fish feeding on Caddis and spent the rest of the float fishing a Peacock Caddis, X-Caddis, and CDC Caddis Emerger. We had plenty of targets to cast to during the rest of the float. In fact at one point, Garth and Tiffany both commented "it is too dark to see my fly." But they both kept casting and looking for the swirl.

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6/5/03

Anglers: Natalie and Steve

Location: Umtanum to Red's

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Caddis

Time: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Results: 8-10 fish landed (12"-16")

We got on the water in what was probably the most productive dry fly window of the day. We had fish feeding aggressively throughout the short float. In a few places there were enough fish working that you could have gotten away with "flock shooting" the pod; but for the most part, the fly needed to be presented to A fish in a drag free manner. The daytime fishing yesterday was a bit tougher. The Mahoganies, Big Yellows, and PMD's didn't come off as well as they had on Monday. Our daytime recommendation is to keep your eyes open for feeders in the shaded underbrush, with some nymphing in between. For nymph choices, we've had our best luck on a Gold Lightning Bug and a Flashback PT, both in size 16. If you're running a double nymph rig with an indicator, fish them under a size 6 or 8 Stonefly nymph in your favorite pattern. A dry - dropper combo is a good option from the boat on the move. Keep your dropper at 24"-30" below the dry fly, and we recommend using Fluorocarbon tippet to attach the dropper nymph.

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6/3/03

Anglers: Paul, Kent, Steve

Location: Red's to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 12 Yellow Sallie, sz. 12 Yellow Parachute Hopper, sz. 16 Sparkle Dun PMD, sz. 14 Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 and 18 CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 10:30 am to 8:00 pm

Results: Another good day of dry fly fishing

Despite the bright sunshine yesterday, a variety of Mayflies came off. PMD's were still pretty good, but we also saw a strong showing of Mahogany Duns and Big Yellow Mayflies. There were scattered fish feeding on these Mayflies from approximately 11:00 until 2:30. Although we didn't find one fly that was automatic during this period of surface activity, we had most of our luck fishing the yellow flies (even the small yellow hopper!). Those Big Yellow Mayflies are monsters - the naturals are about a true size 10! Just wait until the next cloudy day... The dry fly fishing slowed down a bit from 3:00 until 5:30, and then we started finding fish feeding on Caddis. The Caddis line was not as consistent as it had been, but there were enough fish working to keep everyone occupied. We caught some nice fish up to 18" yesterday, and Paul hooked one that was significantly larger. This scrapper ate a Caddis on the left side of the boat and then came at us on the hop - its' second jump almost landed in the boat. It then proceeded to go under the boat and down river into his backing. we picked up anchor to catch up with it (with Paul quietly shouting "I'm running out of line, I'm running out of line!"). Once we got re-positioned on it, he played tug of war for another minute or two and then the fish decided to head back upriver. The fish took off again, and then the line went slack. Paul did give the fish one shake of his fist, but then he just sat back and smiled. That was one of the better battles I've seen in a long time - the kind that will always make you say "just one more cast" before you reel in the line at the end of the day.

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5/27/03

Anglers: Steve, Greg, and Rod

Location: M.P. 10 to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 16 Hot Butt Peacock Caddis with sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Results: 6 or 7 fish landed (14"- 18")

We managed to get away from the shop in time to enjoy a nice evening float. The shade was on the water and enough fish were working that we had targets to cast at throughout the trip. Most of the fish ate the Caddis Emerger, a few ate the adult Caddis, and a few more scholarly trout were not fooled by anything we threw at them. Once again, we were very excited about the dimensions of the fish we saw last night. These Yakima River Rainbows are as healthy and feisty as we have ever seen. We are not the only ones who feel this way, we have had many people in the shop echo these same sentiments. For the record Greg and Rod did pretty well getting fish to the boat, Steve did not fare as well. Rod and Greg believe Steve was thinking more about his Smith River trip this week than the task at hand. But Greg's leaving and Rod mumbles in the boat so what do they know!

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5/25/03

Anglers: Dave and John

Location: Red's to Roza

Flies: sz. 8 Dirty Yellow Stimulator with sz. 12 Pearl Lightning Bug dropper

Time: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Results: (1) 12"er to hand, two others got away!

The river came up about 300 cfs during the day yesterday and another 500 cfs overnight. The rise is due to a combination of dam releases, which is pretty clean water, and some runoff from the Teanaway, which is not as clean. Currently, we are looking at approximately 18" of visibility at the shop. The dry fly fishing was slower yesterday than it has been, due largely in part to the bright sunshine we had all day long. Caddis and PMD's continue to be the main focus, although we've seen several Golden Stones starting to move and still a few Salmon Flies. A dry/ dropper set up on the move is our recommended option until you start to see some consistent surface activity. If you are wading, find yourself a good riffle and try nymphing with a Golden Stonefly nymph with a Hares Ear or Lightning Bug dropper.

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5/22/03

Anglers: Joe, Rich, and Steve

Location: Lmuma to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 14 Para PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger, sz. 14 Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 Caddis Emerger

Time: 12:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Results: Another productive dry fly session

The great dry fly fishing continues, with the PMD's starting around 12:30, and the Caddis getting more attention about 4:00 pm. The recent string of cloudy days we've had have made for some very consistent PMD activity. When the bright sunshine arrives, we expect the Caddis to become the main focus and the prime dry fly fishing window to move back a little later in the afternoon. Early shade will become very important.

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5/21/03

Anglers: Rod, Armando, and John

Location: Lmuma to Slab

Flies: sz. 16 Sparkle Dun PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger, sz. 16 Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 Caddis Emerger

Time: 2:00 pm until 3:00 pm

Results: One 13" fish to hand, several eventful LDR's

There were fish feeding on the surface from the time we put on at 1:00 until we took off at 7:30. The Caddis activity was even more dominant yesterday than it has been; and they were once again accompanied by PMD's and BWO's for most of the afternoon. These fish have beefed up considerably over the last couple of weeks, having taken advantage of the smorgasboard of food that's been so readily available. We have seen, and hooked some very girthy trout recently! We had a calm day yesterday with scattered clouds, and today looks like more of the same.

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5/19/03

Anglers: Jeff, Kris, and Steve

Location: Lmuma to Slab

Flies: sz. 16 Sparkle Dun PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger,sz. 14 Peacock X Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 12:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Reults: A very good day of dry fly fishing

We started out nymphing in the morning, having our best luck with a Lightning Bug and Red Copper John. At 12:00, the PMD's started rolling and we had some excellent match the hatch casting opportunities to feeding fish until we took off. The fish seemed to switch over to Caddis around 4:00, but we had a period of time where I wouldn't exactly say we were dialed in on what those fish seemed to be eating. We were getting good drifts over them with PMD's and Caddis with no takes. Granted, there is the timing factor that one must consider as well. Feeding fish will get into the "come up eat a bug, go down, look up, come up eat a bug..."rhythm, and a well placed cast may not bring that fish up if he's not in the right mode when that fly passes over. There were also some Midge and BWO's coming off at the time which made us wonder...but persistence paid off and after 10-15 minutes, Jeff caught that fish on the same Sparkle Dun pattern that we had most of our luck on during the PMD hatch.

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5/17/03

Anglers: Joel and Rod

Location: Red's to Slab

Flies: sz. 14 Para PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger

Time: 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm

Results: 4 fish landed during this hour (12"-15")

Mother Nature offered us a variety of fishing conditions yesterday including periods of rain, hail, wind, and cold. Despite these nastier elements, the PMD's held true to the mayflies "foul weather bugs" reputation, and came off from 1:00 until 4:00 pm. During periods of calm and no rain or hail, the fish were pretty well keyed in on the PMD's during within this window. There were not many Caddis present yesterday, but fishing Caddis patterns later in the afternoon and evening brought some fish up as well.

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5/15/03

Anglers: Joe and Steve

Location: Lmuma to Slab

Flies: sz. 14 Para PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger

Time: 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Results: 3 fish landed during this hour (12"-14")

Our best PMD hatch of the year began around noon yesterday. After the fish went off of the PMD's around 2:30, we spent an hour nymphing with some success on a Sparkle Caddis Pupae. Although there were Caddis on the water for most of the day, we didn't find many fish eating them until about 4:00 pm. The most productive Caddis window has remained later in the evening if you can stay out there. The wind was fairly gusty yesterday, and is forecasted for 10 - 20 mph today before settling down tomorrow. We broke a few fish off on the hookset yesterday. The terminology I use to describe a small dry fly hookset is "quick but soft - just tighten the line." If you're a repeat offender, you may be the recipient of a Bill Dance baseball cap.

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5/13/03

Anglers: Pete, Placede, and Steve

Location: Ringer to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Elkhair Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 12 Royal Coachman, sz. 8 Dirty Yellow Stimulator (dries), sz. 14 Tan Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Red Copper John (nymphs)

Time: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Results: 5-6 fish landed on Caddis patterns in this hour (12"-18")

The 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm window turned out to be our most productive slot for the Caddis Hatch. We started fishing nymphs in the morning and then switched to dries around noon. Our most productive nymph rig was the tan Caddis Pupae with a red Copper John. We saw only sporadic surface activity until the wind calmed down a bit around 3:30. At this point, the trout lined up on the foam lines, and we had some great sight casting opportunities. After this died down, we fished larger dry fly patterns on the move.

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5/10/03

Anglers: Jim, Ed, and Steve

Location: Lmuma to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Elkhair Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 14 Para PMD, sz. 16 PMD Emerger

Time: 1:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Results: Another good afternoon of Caddis fishing

We spent the entire afternoon casting dry flies to feeding fish. Some of those fish we caught, some of them were very difficult to trick! Once again there were Caddis, PMD's, and BWO's all coming off simultaneously, and the fish seemed to prefer the Caddis. Things are looking good for the weekend, both weather-wise and fishing-wise.

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5/8/03

Anglers: Steve and Rod

Location: Slab to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Elkhair Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 PMD Sparkle Dun, sz. 16 PMD Emerger

Time: 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Results: A good afternoon dry fly session

The fish started looking up again yesterday! From approximately 1:30 until 5:30 pm, fish were rising throughout the entire canyon. Caddis, PMD's, and BWO's were all present, but we had our best luck fishing the Caddis patterns. There is a slight breeze blowing this morning, and possible rain forecast for the afternoon. Tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be beautiful days with lots of sunshine. If conditions hold through the weekend, it will indeed be a great Mother's Day Caddis Hatch!

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5/7/03

Angler: Rod

Location: Mile Post #9

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Elkhair Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Results: 3 fish landed (12"-15"), several other takes

Although there were not a lot of fish rising, the ones that were coming up were looking for Caddis. Only one fish ate the emerger pattern, and the rest were on the adult. At 1937 cfs, the river is well below the normal flow level for this time of year. Currently we are looking at approximately 3' of visibility, bright sunshine, and calm conditions.

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5/6/03

Angler: Steve

Location: Lmuma

Flies: sz. 8 20"er Stonefly, sz. 12 Green Rock Worm, sz. 16 White Caddis Sparkle Pupae, sz. 12 Pearl Lightning Bug

Time: 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Results: (2) 10" Rainbows

With a strong wind (mind you I said wind not breeze!) blowing in the afternoon, and no bugs or fish in sight; I opted to do some nymph fishing for the evening session. I tried the Stonefly and Caddis pupae first, and then went to the Green Rock Worm with the Lightning Bug dropper. I didn't have any hits on the first rig, and then picked up both small fish on the Lightning Bug. Overall, the fishing, and dry fly fishing in particular, has remained pretty inconsistent. While you can expect to see Caddis throughout the system, the most predictable part of this hatch has been around the Rock Garden. The upper section is still getting some brief March Brown activity around 1:00, and we have seen fair numbers of BWO's and PMD's coming off on the lower river above the Slab. Keep your fly boxes stocked with a variety of patterns for each of these bugs and don't get discouraged. Fish with the attitude that the next pod of fish is one corner or 10 minutes away!

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5/3/03

Anglers: Bob, Joe, and Steve

Location: Irene to Big Horn

Flies: sz. 14 Brown Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 12 Parachute March Brown

Time: 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Results: 4 fish landed during this hour (10"-15")

Once again, with favorable water conditions and lots of bugs, we had a tougher time locating feeding fish. Our most productive window came around 1:30, when we had a 15 minute eruption of March Browns which brought some nice fish off the bottom. After the March Browns, we found one pod of 3-4 fish taking caddis in a little back eddy, which we anchored up on and caught a couple. Other than these two pods, we fished dries to likely spots and brought fish up, but it was a hard working day of fishing, if there is such a thing!

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5/1/03

Anglers: Steve and Richard

Location: Big Horn to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 14 Brown Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger, Baetis Emerger, sz. 12 Bitteroot Skwala

Time: 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm

Results: Several fish hooked, no fish landed

We didn't find many fish podded up yesterday, but enough to get some good target practice in. We brought a few fish up on every pattern we tried, casting the seam lines with the Caddis and Baetis patterns, and beating the banks with the bigger dries. The fish yesterday did not seem locked in on one particular bug. Several times we'd hook a fish on a Caddis, change to Baetis after several more good drifts, and then hook another one right away. Although the sky threatened rain all afternoon, the weather and wind held out for us. We have some sunshine on the forecast for today, which should help renew some interest in the Caddis hatch. River conditions have remained stable with visibilty at 2' below Wilson Creek and flows near 2000 cfs at Umtanum.

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4/29/03

Anglers: Steve and Rod

Location: Mile Post #10 to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 14 Brown Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 10 Green Rock Worm, sz. 6 20"er, sz. 16 Sparkle Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Lightning Bug

Time: 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Results: (4) Rainbows landed (12"-15") and a 7-8 lb. Sucker!

The dry fly fishing was very slow yesterday in the lower canyon. There were a few caddis flying around, but similar to Sunday, there were not many fish rising for them. The nymph fishing was pretty good. We hooked most of our fish on the bigger flies (20"er and Green Rock Worm). Besides the summer-like afternoon weather, the highlight of the day came when my indicator took a dive and I set the hook on what felt and acted like a huge fish. After a fairly lengthy battle, I got the beast up to the surface and let me tell you, it was a big fish - just not the right species! It was a 28" Yakima River Sucker and it ate the big Stonefly nymph! Yesterday was the best water conditions we've seen in a week with 3' of visibility. It rained all night last night and hasn't let up so far this morning. Keep an eye on the flows and we'll keep you posted on visibility.

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4/28/03

Angler: Tony

Location: Red's to Lmuma

Flies: sz. 14 Brown Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Sparkle Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Lightning Bug

Time: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Results: (3) Rainbows landed (12"-15")

Unpredictable is the word I would use to describe the fishing in the canyon this weekend. Saturday started with cold,clouds, and hard rain. At about 1:00, the rain subsided, the clouds went away, and the sun came out. The sunshine was accompanied by a fair number of caddis, but by 3:00 pm, Wilson Creek was depositing the morning showers in the river, and we went from 2' of visibility to about 6". The temperature cooled down overnight and we awoke to clear skies and somewhat improved visibility below Wilson Creek - perfect caddis weather. And the caddis did come off - boy did the caddis come off - the only problem is that there were not many fish eating them. Overall, flows this morning are down to 2028 cfs; we've got a solid 2' of visibility; the sky is overcast; and there's a slight breeze blowing. The March Browns are still a factor on the upper sections, and the Baetis are still present down river. Caddis are the main menu item throughout the system. We recommend using a two fly set up for the caddis with an adult elkhair or X Caddis for the top fly and your favorite emerger pattern trailing 10" behind it. Keeping them this close together makes for less tangles, is easier to mend, and always keeps the emerger in your sight window when you are watching the adult.

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4/26/03

Anglers: Brian and Logan

Location: Umtanum to Red's

Flies: sz. 14 Brown Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Para Caddis

Time: 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Results: (1) 14" Rainbow landed, several missed strikes

After going up to approximately 2500 cfs yesterday, the river has settled back down to 2238 cfs this morning. Clarity-wise, things are similar to what we've seen for the last 3-4 days with approximately 2' of visibility. Now that the irrigation canals have been charged, Wilson Creek is once again the main culprit, clouding up the entire river. Don't be too alarmed when you encounter this transition, as it has not seemed to slow down the hatch. These hatches are consistent enough that the fish know where the bugs are going to be and when they are going to be there. If there is only 2' of visibility, then those fish will move within 2' of the surface to eat them. Caddis dry fly fishing has been productive from noon until 4:00 pm, with the majority of the feeding fish being seen around 2:00. The March Brown hatch, particularly around Big Horn, has remained predictable, as well. We have seen the dry fly fishing slow down considerably after 4:00 pm. Today is another rainy, cloudy day - similar to what we saw on Thursday - which produced some good March Brown and Baetis activity.

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4/24/03

Anglers: Gordy, Jamie, and Steve

Location: Red's to Roza

Flies: sz. 16 Split Wing BWO, sz. 16 BWO Emerger, sz. 14 Brown Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 10:30 am to 11:30 pm

Results: 5 or 6 fish landed in this hour (12"-16")

This mid morning hatch was the best surface activity we saw yesterday. We had a nice pod of fish working for an hour with Baetis and Caddis coming off. Once this pod quit, we saw a few feeders here and there, but nothing nearly as consistent. We fished a variety of flies (small, medium, and large dries with and without droppers) throughout the afternoon; and although we seemed to catch a fish or two on each of them, we definitely had to work for them. After the trip down river yesterday, I think the most predictable "hatch water" right now is probably between Big Horn and Red's. We're looking at some gray skies and rain this morning with flows at 1987 cfs. The river does not seem to have lost any clarity overnight, but we'll be keeping an eye on it.

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4/23/03

Anglers: Roger and Steve

Location: Big Horn to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 14 Brown Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 12 Royal Stimulator

Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Results: a great caddis day!

From noon until 1:30 pm the dry fly fishing was as good as it gets! The fish were not even in distinguishable pods because they were all blended together into one pod covering the entire river. There were fish working as far upstream and downstream as you could see. This mayhem ended around 1:30 when the wind really picked up. Before and after this took place, we fished caddis, Skwala, and Stimulator patterns to likely spots and had some success.

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4/22/03

Anglers: Steve, Rod, and Steve

Location: Umtanum to Red's

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm

Results: approx. 10 trout landed (10"-15")

Sunday afternoon marked the first big caddis emergence that we've seen so far this year. Although there were not as many bugs on the water yesterday as there were Sunday, there were still fish actively feeding on the surface in some locations. In other spots, we found fish willing to rise for the fly even if they were not showing themselves beforehand. The caddis hatch will continue to grow and should offer some great dry fly opportunities over the next couple of weeks. Flows are looking good, although it looks as though we did lose a foot or so of visibility at our place overnight - probably from some Eastern Washington rain and irrigation returns. Overall, the river is still in good shape with 2'+ of visibility and a pretty favorable weather forecast for the next week.

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4/20/03

Anglers: Tyler and Brian

Location: Umtanum to Red's

Flies: sz. 16 Para Tent Wing Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Results: 5 trout landed (12"-17"), numerous other takes

We hope Easter morning finds everyone doing well! Although there were not a lot of fish actively feeding on the surface last night, they were still willing to come up and eat the caddis imitations. Over the past two days we have started seeing increasing numbers of caddis taking flight. We suspect that within the next two weeks, the full-scale Yakima River caddis hatch will begin. As with all hatches, the early part of the caddis hatch can be excellent because the fish really aren't locked in on a specific size, color, or presentation. They have not seen many flies, so they are much less weary. Last year when the caddis hatch started (April 26), there were fish up from 8:00 in the morning until dark! Until the caddis hatch really kicks off, continue fishing March Brown and BWO dry fly patterns between 12:30 and 3:30, and then switch to caddis for the evening. For you nymph fishing enthusiasts, we recommend a large Stonefly or Green Rock Worm for the top fly, and a sz. 14-16 Lightning Bug, Caddis Pupae, or Pheasant Tail for the dropper.

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4/18/03

Anglers: Michael, Craig,Steve

Location: Red's to Lmuma

Flies: sz. 16 Para BWO, CDC Baetis Emerger

Time: 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm

Results: 5 trout landed (10"-18")

We got into one of the better BWO hatches I've seen this year. On the left corner just below our place, we sat on a pod of 20-30 sippers for about an hour. They weren't the easiest fish in the world, but when we got a good drift over them, they seemed to like that Baetis Emerger. I had thought that the BWO's were winding down for the spring season, but the fish were certainly not done with them yesterday. With as good as the nymphing had been these past two days, I figured we'd be doing a lot of that. I'm glad we didn't have to rely on it, because we did stop and nymph one run with the same fly these fish have been liking (Black Conehead 20"er), and we didn't touch a single fish in 30 minutes. After the fish got done with the BWO's at 3:30, we fished big dries on the move until we took off about 7:00, and had enough action to keep things interesting. After only seeing a couple of 18"-range fish through January and February, we have landed several over the last two weeks. We noticed the same trend last spring, too. Those bigger fish seem to eat more readily after they complete their spawn, which I know two of the big fish we've caught had recently done (long, skinny, some wear on their fins, not real aggressive fights). If you do catch a fish that looks as though it has recently spawned, try and get it back in the water as quickly as possible.

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4/17/03

Anglers: Steve and Brian

Location: Red's to Mile Post #10

Flies: sz. 8 Black Conehead 20"er Stonefly, sz. 12 Bitteroot Skwala

Time: 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Results: 6 trout landed (13"-18")

We fished the Skwala on the move and stopped in 2 spots to fish nymphs for about 10 minutes each. We did find a few fish still looking up for the big dry fly, including the biggest fish of the day - an 18"er that came up in less than a foot of water. The nymph fishing was very productive, with fish aggressively attacking the big Stonefly nymph. I saw two adult Salmon flies on the water today, and two yesterday, as well.

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4/16/03

Anglers: Steve and Natalie

Location: Ringer to Big Horn

Flies: sz. 8 Black Conehead 20"er Stonefly, sz. 16 Peacock Body Elkhair Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Results: 7 trout landed (12"-15") and one Whitefish

River flows are currently down to 2532 cfs, and clarity has remained steady at about 2'. We fished a nymph for the first hour and then switched to Caddis, which seemed to be the target of the 20 minute surface frenzy that we witnessed at about 4:00 pm. We did see a fair number of March Browns and Baetis when we first put on, but did not see any fish up on them. We may have been a little late to catch the active part of the mayfly hatch.

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4/15/03

Anglers: --

Location: --

Flies: --

Time: --

Results: --

After I was sure that the river was headed out yesterday, it did spike and head back down. It is currently flowing at 2892 cfs, and visibility is 2' at our place. Clarity has held up due to the fact that the largest source of this influx of water is dam releases.

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4/14/03

Anglers: Nick, Mark, Steve

Location: Red's to Roza

Flies: nymphs: sz. 8 Golden Stone, sz. 8 San Juan Worm, sz. 14 Gold Lightning Bug, sz. 16 Copper John (red and copper) --

Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Results: 3 fish landed in this hour (12" and 16" Rainbows and a 22"-24" Sucker!)

Given the conditions of the rising river and decreasing visibility, our primary method of fishing yesterday was sub-surface. We had our best luck on sz. 16 Copper and Red Copper Johns. While visibility held pretty steady yesterday at 2'-3', today the river is still on the rise (2932 cfs) and we're now down to approximately 1'. We did fish dries for 3-4 hours and caught a few fish, but it was pretty tough fishing! Water temperatures have been steadily increasing (50 degrees), and the Yakima River Rainbows appear to be very healthy.

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4/12/03

Anglers: Paul, Hunter, Steve

Location: MM 19 to Red's

Flies: sz. 16 Para BWO, sz. 16 CDC Baetis Emerger, sz. 14 March Brown Dun --

Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Results: 2 fish landed in this hour (12",13")

We put on at 11:00 and started fishing some March Brown patterns. We didn't start seeing consistent surface activity until about 12:30, with the fish sporadically eating both March Browns and BWO's. At 1:30 we found a pretty good pod of fish that were locked in on BWO's. The mayflies slowed down around 2:30, and we finished the day fishing Stimulator, Skwala, and a few Caddis patterns. The evening fishing was a little slower than the past few days. The highlight of the day came in the afternoon when Paul hooked a fish on a Baetis emerger that went straight upstream for 50 yards, turned back towards the boat, and then headed for the big current in the middle of the river. Unfortunately we didn't get to see that fish before it broke off, but that was typical big fish behavior. Paul did have a few choice words to express his "appreciation" to that fish for giving him that opportunity.

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4/11/03

Anglers: Pat, Matt, Steve

Location: Red's to Roza

Flies: sz. 10 Brown Stone, sz. 16 Red Copper John, sz. 16 Lightning Bug (nymphs); sz. 12 Bitteroot Skwala, sz. 10 Bugmeister, CDC Baetis Emerger, sz. 18 BWO --

Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Results: 4 fish landed in this hour (13"-18")

We were on the water about 10:00 am yesterday, and we ended up fishing nymphs until lunch time. The red Copper John was our best nymph pattern. We started throwing the big dries again right after lunch (around 1:00) and had pretty good action on those all the way up to dark. We never did see any podded fish on this float (BWO's or March Browns). Like I said, I think the bugs are currently a little more consistent on the water between Big Horn and our place. Despite the warm daytime weather we've been having, the river has been pretty stable and is still in great shape.

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4/10/03

Anglers: Steve and Bill

Location: MM 19 to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 18 Para BWO, sz. 16 CDC Emerger, sz. 12 March Brown, sz. 12 Bitteroot Skwala --

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Results: 2 fish landed (10",13")

Yesterday was a bright sunny day, which somewhat slowed the BWO and March Brown activity. We had some of the better evening fishing that we've had this season. We went back to the Skwala patterns for the last hour and once again had a fair amount of interest. I was worried with the nice weather yesterday that we might see some runoff, but the evening once again cooled down and the river is in great shape. We are currently getting some rain this morning.

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4/8/03

Anglers: Steve and Rod

Location: Red's to Lmuma

Flies: sz. 18 Para BWO, sz. 16 CDC Emerger, sz. 12 Ugyn Bug, sz. 12 Olive Stimulator --

Time: 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Results: About 6 fish landed (12"-17")

We were on just in time to catch the last 15 minutes of the Baetis hatch yesterday, which started at approximately 12:30. The water temperature reading was the highest of the year at 48 degrees. Currently, the prime window for dry fly fishing seems to be noon until 3:00 pm, scheduled around the peak Baetis and March Browns. On cloudy days, there has been good Baetis activity throughout the canyon; while I would say the best March Brown activity has been on the sections between Big Horn and our shop. The late afternoon big dry fly fishing has slowed down a bit from past weeks, but still offers some opportunities with Skwala, Stimulators, or any other attractor you enjoy throwing. Air temperature is forecasted to hit 63 degrees today, which could create some snow melt over the next few days. Keep an eye on the flows (currently 2129 cfs) and if things dirty up, we'll let you know.

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4/5/03

Anglers: Steve and Tony

Location: MM 19 to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 12 Dark wing Skwala, sz. 10 Bugmeister, sz. 16 Grey Sparkle Dun, sz. 16 CDC Emerger --

Time: 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Results: It was another good dry fly session

The dry fly fishing was back on again yesterday. Aided by some afternoon cloud cover, we had a late Baetis hatch around 3:00 pm. The river has continued to drop, currently flowing at 2615 cfs, and has remained in great shape. Water temperature yesterday at 4:00 pm was 45 degrees. We saw a few March Browns, but nothing like the day before. We probably were on a little late for the March Browns. Have a variety of Skwala, Baetis, March Brown, and even some small Caddis in your box, and don't be afraid to switch up if things are slow. Just because a pattern doesn't work early in the day - don't rule out going back to it later on.

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4/4/03

Angler: Steve

Location: Lmuma

Flies: sz. 10 Red's Para Skwala --

Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Results: 2 fish landed 12",14" - missed 3 or 4 others

Flows are currently down to 2898 cfs and the river is in excellent shape. We had some nice cloud cover yesterday, which coupled with no wind, made for some good Baetis and March Brown surface activity from about noon until 3:00. Water temperatures were 44 degrees at 4:00 pm. A good game plan for the weekend is to start out with smaller dry flies, focusing on Baetis and March Brown patterns, and then switching to Skwalas in the afternoon. When wade fishing and casting big dries close to the banks, some pockets can be reached from below with an upstream cast, and others are better fished from the upriver side. Remember that your first cast into the pocket should be your best one. If you put a bad cast down, the fish (especially big fish) are going to recognize that, and no matter where your next few casts go, they aren't going to eat. Be patient when you're wade fishing and ask yourself, "Am I in the best position to get a good drift through that pocket?"

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4/3/03

Anglers: --

Location: --

Flies: --

Time: 7:30 am

Results: --

The river is now down to 3240 cfs and is definitely fishable. Visibility at the shop this morning is 2'+, which will continue to improve. We'll have a fishing report posted for you tomorrow. The canyon marathon will be run out here this Saturday. Recreation traffic will be allowed in the canyon, but the road will be closed to through traffic. We have once again donated the use of the parking lot for the halfway station. Also, don't forget to pick up your new fishing licenses for 2003. The 2002 license expired on April 1. I visited with the Game Warden yesterday, and he said they would probably be out checking to make sure everyone is updated this weekend. We don't sell licenses at the shop; however, you can get them online at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov or over the phone by calling 866-246-9453. An authorization number will be issued with both of these methods which serves as a temporary license until the official one arrives via mail.

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4/2/03

Anglers: --

Location: --

Flies: --

Time: 7:30 am

Results: --

After peaking yesterday at 4065 cfs, the river is on its' way down and currently flowing at 3744 cfs. Clarity at the shop is 1'- 2', and will continue to improve as flows recede. Fishing today may be a day premature, but if it's your only opportunity, find yourself some slack water and pull streamers or drift nymphs. Who knows, as well as these fish ate dry flies this past week, you may be able to find a persistent few looking up this afternoon. The cooler evening weather (sub 30's) is supposed to continue all the way through the weekend, and should keep the river headed in the right direction. The forecast even calls for some clouds to roll in, which could be good for the Baetis (BWO's) and March Browns.

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4/1/03

Anglers: --

Location: --

Flies: --

Time: 7:30 am

Results: --

While there was still some visibility yesterday at our place, I would say the river is unfishable today. Flows are up to 4000 cfs and still on the rise. It did not get as cool last night as we had hoped, and today looks to be shaping up for more sunshine. It's just that time of year when the river will be fluctuating like this. If the weather warms dramatically, we're going to get some runoff. Next week it may be a series of afternoon thunder boomers. Whatever the cause, it's not necessarily a bad thing - the fish will be there, and they'll be hungry when things clear up.

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