6/28/04

Anglers: Steve and Kjell

Location: Umtanum to Slab

Flies: sz. 6 Tan Nightmare, sz. 8 Feth's Hopper

Time: 7:00 am until 11:00 am

Results: 12 Nice Trout landed 13"-17"

The Yakima River summer fishing seems to have arrived. We had fish up this entire float casting Stonefly and Hopper patterns tight to the banks on the move. When targeting bank water, we usually do not utilize droppers (nymphs, small dries, or emergers) because they limit how close you can put your dry fly to the edge. Typical summertime trout lies are under the deep cut banks and grass pockets, looking for bugs to fall from the vegetation. Getting the fly in tight to the bank is imperative to success. One guide I used to work with explains it this way, "if your fly is 3" from the edge of the bank, then it's 3" too far!" Flows appear to have stabilized for the time around 2900 cfs, and the weather forecast calls for temperatures in the high 80's through the week.

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6/26/04

Anglers: Colin, Fenton, and Steve

Location: Umtanum to Slab

Flies: sz. 8 Plan B, sz. 12 Dirty yellow Stimulator, sz. 8 Feth's Hopper, sz. 8 Tan Nightmare, sz. 12 Para Hopper

Time: 7:00 am until 2:00 pm

Results: 5 or 6 Rainbows 11"-15" landed

Dry fly fishing was better today than what we have seen for the past several days. While the fishing did slow down after about 10:30 or 11:00 am, we had sporadic fish up to dries throughout the drift. Flows are just under 3000 cfs and the river is in good shape. We are back to fishing Hopper patterns in tight to the banks, and on some of those grassy banks, 6" out is not close enough! We have had some good Summer Stonefly emergences over the past 3 days. The morning fishing is getting better, and the last 2 hours of daylight is still the best time to be on the water.

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6/24/04

Anglers: Tyler, Dan, and Brian

Location: Big Horn to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 12 Dirty yellow Stimulator, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimulator, sz. 8 Nightmare, sz. 16 X Caddis

Time: 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm

Results: 3 Rainbows 12"-13" landed

We put on later in the day and fished dry flies on the move for the entire float. There were a few sporadic feeders along the way, but nothing real consistent. Flows have continued to come up about 150 cfs per day and are currently at 2688 cfs. Our most productive strategy has been alternating between deep nymphing with larger, heavier Stoneflies and dry/ droppers during the day, then switching to big dries and Caddis after the sun goes off the water. We had a high temperature of 102 degrees yesterday, and the forecast looks like 90's today and Friday, then cooling down for the weekend. Don't forget your sun block, sun glasses, and a hat!

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6/22/04

Anglers: Sean, Mark, and Steve

Location: Reds to Roza

Flies: sz. 12 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimulator, sz. 10 Kingfisher, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 8 Plan B, sz. 16 X Caddis, sz. 8 Matt's Stonefly, sz. 8 Double Beaded Golden Stone, sz. 16 Lightening Bug, sz. 14 Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Disco Stone

Time: 1:30 pm until 9:30 pm

Results: 5 or 6 good fish (13"-20") and some smaller ones

Daytime fishing was once again on the tough side. We switched back and forth between dries with a dropper and a full on nymph rig fished deep. We picked up a few fish during the warmer part of the afternoon, but it wasn't until later in the evening that the fish really started moving. After the sun went off the water, fishing big dries tight to the bank on the move brought up some big fish, including two of the nicer fish I've seen this year. For the past 4 days now, flows have been on a nice gradual rise, coming up about 150 cfs per day. As these are controlled dam releases, visibility is not affected and it should help our big dry fly opportunities. Those grassy banks are filling with water and will start to hold fish looking to eat Hoppers and Summer Stones, which we saw a few of each yesterday.

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6/19/04

Anglers: Hank, Michael, and Steve

Location: Bighorn to Reds

Flies: sz. 12 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimulator, sz. 8 Matt's Stonefly, sz. 8 Double Beaded Golden Stone, sz. 16 Lightening Bug, sz. 14 Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Disco Stone

Time: 10:00 am until 8:00 pm

Results: 3 or 4 better fish (12"-16") and some smaller fish

We started the day fishing one single hopper set up, and the standard two nymph set up (sz. 8 Double Beaded Golden Stone and a sz. 16 Lightening Bug). To my amazement the first fish was caught on the hopper about 5 minutes into our float, a nice 14" bow. After that, we didn't see another decent size fish come up for a dry until 5:00 pm. Like the previous mid-afternoon floating we switched a lot between straight nymphing and a dry dropper set up. Nymphing proved to be the best method between the two, but only produced a few good fish. After a late riverside lunch we began the last part of the float with dries. From then on, we had consistent activity on any dry fly that was close to the bank with a drag free drift. If I can give you one piece of advice for anyone coming out and fishing; stay out as late as possible! You will be rewarded.

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6/18/04

Anglers: Mary Jo, Michael, and Steve

Location: Red's to Roza

Flies: sz. 12 Para Hopper, sz. 10 Feth's Hopper Tan, sz. 10 Tan/Brown Nightmare, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimulator, sz. 14 Royal Wulff, sz. 16 CDC Emerger, sz. 8 Matt's Stonefly, sz. 8 Double Beaded Golden Stone, sz. 16 Lightening Bug, sz. 14 Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Disco Stone

Time: 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm

Results: 3 or 4 better fish (12"-15") and some smaller fish

We spent all day switching back and forth between nymphs, dries, and dry-dropper set ups. The fishing was slower yesterday, with us seeing mainly smaller fish until the sun went off the water later in the evening. Once the evening shadows hit the water, we found more and better fish willing to come up for the big dries. Flows have started to bounce up the past 2 days (currently at 2076 cfs). Visibility remains unchanged, for the most part, with 2'+ at the shop. With temperatures reaching 90 degrees yesterday, and forecast to do the same through the weekend, the higher flows are a welcome change. Yesterday was also the first day I left my waders at home and put on shorts and sandals. I had to have Michael and Mary Jo make longer casts to keep the glare off my white legs from spooking the fish!

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6/15/04

Anglers: Hank, Dustin, and Robbie

Location: Ringer to Red's

Flies: sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimulator, sz. 8 Tan/Brown Nightmare, sz. 8 Tan Para-Hopper, sz. 8 Tan Wing Thing, sz. 10 Madame X

Time: 10:30 am until 7:30 pm

Results: 5 or 6 Rainbows (10"-12") landed

We got on the water at about 10:30 with the sun already beating down. We began the day fishing bigger dries, and had our first fish up within the first few minutes. Big bug fishing stayed fairly consistent throughout the day, but was slower between the hours of 1:00 and 3:00. Although later in the afternoon we began to see some beatis, mayflies, and caddis fly around, there was no consistent feeding taking place. Fishing began to pick up around five, and was at its best the last hour we were on the water. Although nothing of any size was landed, we had plenty of nice takes on the bigger bugs. Fishing these flies tight to the bank with a drag free drift (standard procedure) seemed to produce the bulk of these takes. The big bug fishing isn't as good as we have seen it, so be patient. The fish aren't keying in on them 100% yet but as the month draws near your luck with the bigger bugs will be getting better and better.

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6/14/04

Anglers: Stephanie, Clint, and Rod

Location: Ringer to Red's

Flies: sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimulator, sz. 8 Tan/Brown Nightmare, sz. 8 Tan Para-Hopper, sz. 8 Tan Wing Thing, sz. 10 Madame X, sz. 14 Para-PMD, sz. 16 PMD Emerger

Time: 9:30 am until 3:30 pm

Results: 5 or 6 Rainbows (12"-15") landed

We set out to fish dries throughout the entire float and didn't even have a nymph rig in the boat. The results are not the rest of the story, as we had several misses on the big bugs fished in the seam lines and close to the grass and brush. All of the misses were bigger fish. Good presentation using a twitch sure doesn't hurt your chances of bringing a nice fish to the surface. Especially when fishing hoppers or patterns with rubber legs. If you are wade fishing, we recommend that you concentrate on the nymphing water with Stonefly nymphs. The river is coming up today with a flow this morning of 1853 cfs. The weather is consistent with a temperature of 68 degrees and some wind in the forecast.

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6/13/04

Anglers: Brian, Rod, Dylan, and Steve

Location: Below Roza

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock X Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 10 Plan B, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimulator, sz. 8 Black Cone 20"er, sz. 16 Silver Lightening Bug

Time: 6:30 pm until 9:00 pm

Results: 6 or 7 Rainbows (10"-12"), and a couple of NPM's

We loaded up the rafts last night and headed South for an evening float. As most of you know, access is terrible on the river below Roza Dam, and there is no shortcut to four guys grabbing a handle and carrying those boats to the bank. Flows below the dam are under 500 cfs, which leaves a lot of "frog water" between riffles. We fished dries on the move and had some rises, but mostly smaller fish. Right at dark we saw a fair number of small trout and some Whitefish feeding in smooth water. Our best pattern was the Electric Blue Stimulator, which Brian left in one of the better fish we brought up. Flows at the shop are 1703 Cfs this morning. The river has cleaned up and looks great. We have seen a good emergence of Summer Stoneflies near our lower boat launch each of the last 2 mornings. Fishing larger Stonefly nymphs through the day, and bigger dries during the low light periods has been the most effective gameplan.

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6/10/04

Anglers: Banning, JJ, and Steve

Location: Red's to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 8 Root Beer Bugger, sz. 8 J&J Special, sz. 16 Peacock X Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 10 Plan B, sz. 12 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Black Nightmare, sz. 12 Marathon Bug, sz. 12 Rock Creek Stone, sz. 18 Silver Lightening Bug, sz. 18 FBPT, sz. 20 WD-40

Time: 11:00 am until 8:00 pm

Results: (4-5) 14"+ Rainbows and many smaller fish

Fishing yesterday was back on track. We caught fish on dries, streamers, and nymphs throughout the day. Some of the better fish we landed were on streamers, but we also brought some nice fish up in the evening on big dries. I also saw the first 2 adult Summer Stones that I've seen this season. We had a fairly big rainstorm roll through during the night last night, which has Wilson Creek dirtier than normal and muddying up the lower river. This should clean up fast, especially with some increased dam releases from the reservoir. Visibility is currently about 18" at the shop, and much cleaner above Wilson.

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6/9/04

Anglers: Frank, Dave, and Steve

Location: Ringer to Red's

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock X Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 14 Para PMD, sz. 12 Yellow Para Hopper, sz. 12 Marathon Bug, sz. 14 Bird's Nest, sz. 18 FBPT, sz. 20 WD-40, sz. 8 Root Beer Bugger, sz. 8 Olive JJ Bugger

Time: 11:00 am until 7:30 pm

Results: (1) nice 16" Rainbow, a few 12"-14"ers, lots of 6"8"er's, and some NPM's.

We fished dries, nymphs, and streamers. Like the last week, we had action throughout the day, but mostly smaller fish. The larger trout that we'd been catching during the heart of the Caddis hatch have become rather scarce lately - at least we haven't figured out how to catch them consistently. Don't be afraid to experiment with fly patterns and techniques when the fishing is tough - those bigger fish ARE eating something! As the river flows go up, we'll keep fishing big dries tight to the banks and expect the success rate to pick up. Until then, enjoy the weather and quiet during the week. The busy season is just around the corner!

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6/7/04

Anglers: Brian and Rod

Location: M.P. 10 to Slab

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis, sz. 16 Blue Butt Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 5:00 pm until 7:30 pm

Results: a bunch of smaller trout(6"-10")

The number of evening Caddis on the water, between wind gusts, was good; however, we did not see many decent fish feeding. We did see one big fish eat Caddis several times. He was tucked away in some brush, and we were unable to cover him with a good enough drift to get him to take our offering. We are looking forward to the upcoming "Big Bug" fishing. In fact, Steve found a hopper in one of our dog's water bowls on Saturday evening. The weather was cool yesterday with thunderstorms during the late afternoon. We have installed a remote weather monitoring station at the shop, and it recorded the actual rainfall yesterday at .12 of an inch of rain. River flows still remain low for this time of year, and they are currently fluctuating a bit. However, we still expect them to be at summer time levels by mid June. The river flow today is at 1600 cfs. The forecasted temperature for today is 65 degrees. The weather forecast for the rest of the week is for temperatures ranging fom the mid 60's to mid 70's with mixed periods of both clouds and sunshine.

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6/3/04

Anglers: Jim, Pierce, and Steve

Location: Red's to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 16 Silver Lightening Bug, sz. 14,18 Olive Bird's Nest, sz. 18 FBPT, sz. 10 Golden Stone Nymph, sz. 16 Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 14 Para PMD, sz. 12 Grasshopper, sz. 10 Plan B

Time: 11:00 am until 8:30 pm

Results: a bunch of smaller trout(6"-10"), a few decent Rainbows (12"-14"), some NPM's, and a couple of Whitefish

Nymph fishing was productive throughout the day. We found one pod of better fish working the surface around noon, and then nothing significant on dries (both big and small) until the evening. We caught a bunch of fish in the 6"-10" range, on both nymphs and dries. We did hook 4 or 5 larger trout that came unbuttoned before we got them to the net. It looks like we are currently in the Spring to Summer transition for dry fly fishing. The PMD's, BWO's, and Caddis that we've been fishing for the last month and a half are not as effective, and we're still a little early for the Hoppers and other terrestrials that will become the focus in the weeks to come. Higher flows will help in this summer transition, as the fish will move back in tight to the banks and occupy the prime feeding lanes and shade pockets for finding these land-based insects. Summertime weather definitely made an appearance yesterday, with temperatures breaking 80 degrees. The weather forecast looks good for the rest of this week. We expect flows to ramp up by the middle of the month - until then, the river is in great shape and very wadable.

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6/1/04

Anglers: Mike and Rod

Location: Lmuma to Slab

Flies: sz. 12 Pearl Lightening Bug, sz. 16 Bird's Nest, sz. 18 Caddis Pupae, sz. 12 Red Copper John, sz. 18 Sparkle Dun

Time: 2:00 pm until 5:30 pm

Results: Several small rainbows and smolt (6"-10") and 1 Whitefish landed

We fished nymphs on the go throughout most of this float. The Bird's Nest and Caddis Pupae were the most productive patterns. The two biggest fish of the day, I decided to release before they got to the net, and one of them we saw feed. He took the Sparkle Dunn. We did not see alot of actively feeding fish, and the ones we did see were small fish. River conditions are staying fairly consistent with the flow at about 1575 cfs this morning. After a cooler Memorial Day weekend, we are seeing sunshine today. The weather is supposed to get warmer through this week with temperatures reaching the 80's, and then cool down over the weekend. Forecasted temperatures for the weekend are in the mid 60's with wind.

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5/28/04

Anglers: Jeff, Dick, and Steve

Location: Red's to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 12 Lightening Bug, sz. 14 Bird's Nest, sz. 18 Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Copper John, sz. 16 Elk Hair Caddis Peacock, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 18 BWO Emerger, sz. 14 Para PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger

Time: 11:00 am until 7:00 pm

Results: 9 Rainbows (12"-17") and 2 Whitefish landed

Yesterday was another good day on the water. Nymph fishing was great for the first couple of hours, and then we had some dry fly opportunities from about 1:30 until 3:00. The wind came up in the afternoon, which pretty much took care of our dry fly window and made casting nymph rigs more challenging. Despite cloud cover for most of the day, we saw more Caddis on the water than anything else. The weather forecast for the weekend looks like partly cloudy skies and periods of wind. Water temperatures were 54 degrees (probably still a little cool for wet wading!).

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5/25/04

Anglers: Frank, Jorti, and Steve

Location: Red's to Mahre's

Flies: sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 18 Grey Sparkle Dun, sz. 18 BWO Emerger, sz. 14 Frankies PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger, sz. 14 Lightening Bug, sz. 12 Prince Nymph, sz. 18 Barz PMD, sz. 8 Turk's, sz. 10 Chernobyl

Time: 9:30 am until 7:00 pm

Results: 10-12 Rainbows (10"-16"), a couple of Whitefish, some NPM's (Northern Pike Minnows), and a 20"+ Yakima River Sucker

Another calm cloudy afternoon made for some productive fishing. We caught fish throughout the day, going back and forth between nymphs and dry flies. We had pods of fish eating BWO's and PMD's early in the afternoon, and then Caddis in the evening. Dry fly fishing really got going around 1:30 pm. Prior to the clouds setting in, we had a few sporadic feeders in tough spots to get a cast, that were awfully selective once you did get it in. As you can see, the nymphing produced quite a variety of different species. Jorti was momentarily disappointed when we saw a gold underbody instead of a bright red stripe when we caught up with a famous Yakima Sucker; however, it was one of the heartier fish of the day - making several big upriver runs. River conditions have remained fairly consistent over the last 3-4 days. Visibility remains at 18"-24", but has certainly not affected the fishing. The weather is sunny and nice this morning, and it looks like partly cloudy skies and a chance of rain through the rest of the week.

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5/23/04

Anglers: Jamie and Rod

Location: Big Horn to M.P. 20

Flies: sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 14 Parachute PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger

Time: 11:00 am until 4:00 pm

Results: 4 or 5 Rainbows (12"-18") landed and several LDR's

We fished dry flies the entire float. The first two fish as well as several misses were on the Caddis Emerger. The rest came to the PMD adult and Emerger combination. The best fishing was right in the middle of the heaviest down-pour of the day. The cloudy, rainy weather really brought out the PMD's. We also saw alot of Big Yellow May's as well as some Blue Winged Olives later in the afternoon. The river flow this morning is at 1796 cfs and visiblility is about the same as the last couple of days. The weather in the canyon this morning is cloudy, temperature in the low 60's, and a light wind. The weatherman says there is a 30% chance of rain today. Temperatures are suppose to warm a bit (mid 70's) through the first part of next week.

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5/21/04

Anglers: --

Location: Red's

Flies: --

Time: 8:00 am

Results: River update.

Clarity improved throughout the day yesterday, and by late afternoon, we had 12"+ visibility and fish eating PMD's and Caddis on the surface. The wind is blowing a bit today, but it should let up towards evening. The forecast through the weekend calls for partly cloudy skies and high temperatures in the mid 70's.

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5/20/04

Anglers: Steve and Rod

Location: Red's Upper to Red's Lower

Flies: sz. 14 Olive Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Olive Bird's Nest, sz. 14 Hot Butt Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 4:00 pm until 5:00 pm

Results: 3 Rainbows (12"-16") and 1 Whitefish (15") landed

By yesterday evening, water conditions in the canyon were in good shape. We fished nymphs for about 15 minutes until we started to see fish feeding. We then switched to the Caddis - Caddis Emerger combination and hooked and landed a couple of nice fish. About half-way through the float, we started hearing loud claps of thunder up river. We decided to end our float, and it was a good thing we did. Shortly after getting off the river we experienced some serious rain and hail for about an hour. Needless to say the river has raised again this morning (1864 cfs) and visibility has decreased to about 6 inches. The forecast for today is decent; however, the weatherman is predicting more thunder showers with wind in the 25 to 30 mph range tomorrow. The bike race will be held in the Yakima Canyon this Sunday, May 23. Our understanding is that fisherman will be given a pass and allowed access at the north and south entrances to the canyon. Last year we had some problems with this event, so keep our phone number handy and call us if you have problems getting through.

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5/19/04

Angler: --

Location: Red's

Flies: --

Time: 8:30 am

Results: River Update!

Flows are on the drop (currently 1756 cfs), and river clarity is improving; but we're still only looking at 12"+ of visibility. We'll post a fishing report tomorrow.

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5/18/04

Angler: --

Location: Red's

Flies: --

Time: 8:00 am

Results: River Update!

Visibility at the shop is slightly better than it was last night, but still not very good (under 12"). The rain has passed, and we expect things to clear up fairly quickly, but I'd give it at least one more day in the canyon. The water above Wilson Creek is still in good shape.

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5/17/04

Anglers: Rick, Patrick, Paul, and Steve

Location: Red's to Slab

Flies: SZ. 16 Grey Sparkle Dun, sz. 18 Baetis Emerger, sz. 14 Peacock Elk hair Caddis sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 14 Parachute PMD, sz. 16 & 14 CDC PMD Emergers

Time: 11:00 am until 5:30 pm

Results: Good dry fly fishing!

We put on in the middle of a steady rain and dropping temperatures - conditions that could have gotten better or worse! Fortunately, the rain stopped, the weather warmed a bit, the clouds stuck around, the wind that was forecast didn't materialize, and a potpourri of bugs came off. Baetis were the first to show, then PMD's with a few Big Yellow Mayflies, followed by the Caddis. We found fish that were keyed in on each of these different patterns. A few pods even switched their preference as we were casting to them. The highlight of the day came when Patrick was casting at a pod of nice fish on a deep foam line. A dimple showed and Patrick set the hook. The fish immediately went deep and headed down river in a strong current - no jumps, no headshakes - just a hard, fast pull. The whine of the reel never changed as the floating line ended and the backing came into daylight. We picked up anchor and started the chase, but it was too late. When we got caught up with the other end of the line, all that was left was the fly. It's not very often that a fair hooked trout gets into backing. "The one that got away" topped off a great day. Those are always the ones that you remember the most... Saturday also dealt some adverse weather conditions - starting out clear and sunny, only to have a major down pour move in with temperatures dropping from 70 degrees to 55 degrees within an hour. Don't forget your warm clothes and rain gear, even in the desert. We use a small clear dry bag and pack a fleece coat, vest, and rain coat in it.

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5/15/04

Anglers: Bob, Thomas, and Steve

Location: Lmuma to Slab

Flies: sz. 14 Peacock Elk hair Caddis sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 14 Parachute PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger, sz. 14 Olive Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Silver Lightening Bug, sz. 12 Pearl Lightening Bug

Time: 11:00 am until 3:30 pm

Results: 4 or 5 Rainbows landed (12"-15")

We fished both dry flies and nymphs on this midday float. With the bright sunshine, the PMD's were somewhat sporadic, and we were early to catch the main part of the Caddis hatch. We did find a few singles feeding in tough spots that gave us quite a challenge that we met with mixed success! We hooked some nice fish nymphing, which was productive throughout the drift. The most consistent dry fly window has moved to the latter part of the evening (after the sun goes off the water around 6:30) with Caddis.

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5/14/04

Anglers: Wendy, Mike, and Rod

Location: Big Horn to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 14 Peacock Elk hair Caddis, sz. 16 Blue Butt Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 PMD Sparkle Dun, sz. 16 PMD Cripple, sz. 14 Parachute PMD, sz. 16 CDC PMD Emerger

Time: 5:00 pm until 6:00 pm

Results: 1 Rainbow landed (13")

The dry fly fishing was somewhat slower on this trip than the day before. The cloudy, rainy conditions on the previous day lent itself to a good PMD hatch with actively eating fish from about 10:00 am through early afternoon. Yesterday, there were not as many PMD's on the water and the fish were alot more technical. However, We did see a fair number of decent fish eating throughout the day. We saw some Caddis all day long, but the fish did not start keying on them until mid to late afternoon. The river is currently flowing at 1475 cfs this morning. The weather here in the canyon this morning is sunshine with forecasted temperatures in the low 70's.

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5/12/04

Anglers: Sid and Steve

Location: Umtanum to Red's

Flies: sz. 14 Brown, Tan, Peacock Elk hair Caddis, sz. 16 Tan Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Grey Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Sparkle Dun PMD, sz. 14 PMD Emerger

Time: 1:30 pm until 5:30 pm

Results: 7 or 8 Rainbows landed (12"-17")

The Caddis and PMD's remain a daily occurence with fish actively eating them throughout the afternoon; however, I would say yesterday was the first day that we saw the fish get more selective in their feeding. We had periods of clouds and sunshine in the afternoon. Particularly when the sun was out, they were not as active and more difficult to trick. Fly size, color and presentation are critical factors to consider (and change!) with tough fish that are not feeding with consistency. We worked several fish for 15-20 minutes - getting 4 or 5 good drifts, changing flies, going back, giving them a break until they come up again, changing flies, going back... Some of them we hooked, some we put down for good, and a few were still inconsistently rising when we pulled up anchor and moved on. The wind is supposed to let up for the rest of the week. Partly cloudy skies and high temperatures in the mid 70's are forecast.

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5/10/04

Angler: Rod

Location: Lower Red's

Flies: sz. 14 Tan Z-lon Caddis Emerger

Time: 5:00 pm until 6:00 pm

Results: (2) 16" Rainbows landed

We wrapped things up a little early yesterday and managed to get some wade fishing in. Both of these fish were seen feeding prior to casting at them, and they were both in difficult spots to get a fly. Patience is important when casting at feeding fish - pick your moment - get yourself in the best position, and don't try and force the cast. The Caddis activity remained steady through the weekend; although the hatch didn't come off until around 1:00 pm on Saturday, and noon on Sunday. The PMD's have now factored in, and you need to have some in your box each day. The PMD hatch will go from approximately 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm, with the Caddis overlapping and filling in the remainder of the day. Caddis will be the main focus on sunny days, and PMD's will be more numerous and attract more attention with overcast skies. The river is still in great shape, and other than some wind in the forecast today (Monday), the weather looks good.

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5/8/04

Anglers: Bruce, Kevin, and Steve

Location: Big Horn to Red's

Flies: sz. 14 Deer Hair X Caddis, sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Gray/Tan Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Sparkle Dun PMD, sz. 16 PMD Emerger

Time: 10:00 am until 6:00 pm

Results: A good day of dry fly fishing!

We fished dry flies for the entire day yesterday, and found fish actively feeding through most of it. The Caddis were as thick as we have seen them this year, and a good hatch of PMD's came off around 1:00 and lasted an hour. We really only found one pod of fish that seemed to prefer the PMD offering during this window, and the rest of the day was all Caddis. Flows have been stable and slightly dropping, and water conditions are great. We have had some wind in the afternoons, but it has been giving us enough opportunities between gusts that it hasn't affected the fishing. The weather for Sunday looks great with 75 degrees, calm, and partly cloudy skies. It could be a Mother's Day Caddis Hatch to remember...

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5/7/04

Anglers: Jeremy, Dan, and Rod

Location: Ringer to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 14 Deer Hair X Caddis, sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Gray/Tan Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis, sz. 16 Gray/Olive CDC Emerger, sz. 16 PMD Sparkle Dun

Time: 2:00 pm until 7:00 pm

Results: 10-12 Rainbows landed (12"-16")

The Caddis - Caddis Emerger combination was once again the most effective method of fishing all day long. We kept looking for actively eating fish. When we found one, we were able to get him to eat our bug in most cases. Most of the fish we found numbered from a single to five or six fish in a pod. As with the last few days, we saw quite a few PMD's. We even found one big fish eating both Caddis and PMD's. Like all big fish, he was in a place where it was hard to cover him with a drift. Jeremy was able to get him to come after his bug twice, but just couldn't quite get the hook set. I am sure that he will be looking for that same fish - in the same spot - his next trip down the river. The river is down some with the flow this morning at 1703 cfs. We are expecting the fishing to remain consistent throughout the weekend.

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5/5/04

Anglers: Bryan and Steve

Location: Lmuma to Slab

Flies: sz. 14 Tan X Caddis, sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis

Time: 11:00 am until 3:00 pm

Results: 5 Rainbows landed (14"-17")

The wind held off for us until late enough in the afternoon that we were able to find a few fish feeding. It seems like the fish feeding on caddis have spread out a bit over the past couple days. We have been finding more singles and less of the larger pods working the banks. The river is currently in great shape with flows somewhat stable around 2000 cfs. Once again, we saw quite a few PMD's in the air yesterday. These big Mayflies will provide some midday dry fly fishing opportunities on cloudy days. There are still a lot of smolt in the system, although all of these smaller fish are not salmon. Quite a few of them are actually juvenile Rainbows. Please take care when releasing these little fish - their jaws can be pretty fragile. It's really encouraging to see these small trout in the system.

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5/4/04

Anglers: Jon and Steve

Location: Lmuma to Slab

Flies: sz. 14 Tan X Caddis, sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Blue Butt Caddis

Time: 11:00 am until 3:00 pm

Results: 5 or 6 Rainbows landed (12"-16")

The Caddis activity in the late afternoon has remained strong and productive. The flows have come up about 300 cfs over the past two days, and visibility is 2'+. We have been seeing more and more PMD's coming off in the mid afternoon window - the next cloudy day we get should kick this hatch off - Friday has potential.... We have a strong wind warning in the forecast today, and then things should cool down a bit for the weekend.

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5/1/04

Anglers: Byron, Glen, and Rod

Location: Big Horn to Red's

Flies: sz. 14 Deer Hair X Caddis, sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis

Time: 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm

Results: 6-8 Rainbows landed (13"-18")

It was another good day of Caddis activity, and almost an exact replica of the day before. We saw bugs all day long with two main waves - the first from about 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, and then another from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm. We stuck with the Caddis - Caddis Emerger combination all day yesterday and had fish up throughout the day. During the 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm window, we saw more podded, actively eating fish then at any other time during the day. The sun is shining here in the canyon again today, and the forecasted temperature is 80 degrees with a light wind of 7 mph. The river is currently flowing at 1664 cfs. The fishing should be good.

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4/30/04

Anglers: Paul, Fred, and Steve

Location: Big Horn to Lmuma

Flies: sz. 14 Deer Hair X Caddis, sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis, sz. 16 Tan X Caddis, sz. 16 Blue Butt Caddis

Time: 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm

Results: 10-12 Rainbows landed (12"-16")

The Caddis hatch was back on yesterday. we actually saw two waves of bugs - the first from about 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, and then another from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm. The evening part of the hatch was more intense in terms of number of bugs and number of fish feeding; however, we were able to target and hook some nice fish in the noon window, too. Dry fly fishing slowed from 1:30 until 3:30, which would be a good window to run nymphs if you're so inclined. We have a favorable weather forecast and a dropping river (1700 cfs), which should keep this Caddis activity consistent through the weekend. Despite the bump we saw in water level, there are still plenty of salmon smolt in the river. When the bigger trout get on the feed, they will push the smolt out of those prime feeding lanes. Until that happens, remember: all an angler can do is put the fly in the right spot and if it looks natural, A fish will eat it - the size of fish that does is pure luck!

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4/29/04

Anglers: Rod, Dylan, and Steve

Location: Red's to Lmuma

Flies: sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis, sz. 16 Tan X Caddis

Time: 4:00 until 5:00 pm

Results: 4 Rainbows landed (12"-19")

There were more Caddis on the water yesterday afternoon than we'd seen the previous couple of days. We were able to find a few fish feeding on them, including one big post-spawn female. Between risers we fished to seam lines and likely spots and brought up several more fish on the move. The X caddis seemed to be our best pattern on the float. The river came up to 1948 cfs yesterday before peaking and starting back down. Things are in good shape this morning, both river-wise (1853 cfs) and weather-wise and we're optimistic about the next several days!

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4/28/04

Anglers: Richard and Steve

Location: Ringer to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis, sz. 14 Olive Elk Hair Caddis, sz. 14 Green Caddis Pupae, sz. 16 Disco Caddis, sz. 8 Black Cone 20"er

Time: Noon until 2:00 pm

Results: 3 decent trout landed (12"-16")

The past few days out here have been a little bit of everything and not a whole lot of anything. The dry fly fishing, particularly the Caddis, have become an evening event from about 5:30 pm until 7:30 pm. Other than that, we have been fishing some dries off and on throughout the day (Caddis and BWO's with clouds), and catching a lot of smolt and a few decent trout. If you're not seeing any surface activity, nymphing has been the most productive option for picking up fish during the day. With the lower water conditions this past week, we've found the trout moving into some of the faster, shallower water at the heads of the runs. Yesterday was a windy day on the river. About the time the Caddis started flying and a few fish started looking up was when the wind picked up. We had gusts up to 80 mph that lasted through most of the night. The flows have come up about 400 cfs over the past 2 days (current: 1796). Hopefully these higher flows will push some of these smolt through the system. Visibility is still good at 2+ feet this morning, and we expect the river to stay in shape. The wind is blowing at about 20 mph this morning, but is forecast to taper off throughout the day. We have stable weather and warmer temperatures predicted for Thursday through Sunday with highs on Saturday and Sunday at 85 degrees. This may be exactly what we need to get the Caddis hatch back on track!

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4/23/04

Anglers: John, Chris, and Steve

Location: Ringer to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Hot Butt Caddis, sz. 14 Olive Elk Hair Caddis, sz. 17 Olive RS2 Caddis Emerger

Time: 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm

Results: 8-10 trout landed (12"- 18")

Caddis, Caddis, Caddis! We put in at Ringer around 10:30, and the Caddis were already flying with fish already feeding. The first couple of hours was definitely when we saw the most fish feeding; however, this was also some pretty tough fishing because there were so many bugs on the water that it was hard getting the fish focused on your flies. It was truly a sight to behold. After the number of bugs started to decline around noon was when we were able to isolate some of these feeders and had our most success. The fishing slowed in the later part of the afternoon, but picked up again in the shaded areas of the river. Today (Friday) is supposed to be cooler with some clouds and wind (20-30 mph in the pm) in the forecast. Saturday and Sunday are predicted to be nice days with highs on Sunday approaching the 80 degree mark.

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4/22/04

Anglers: Rod and Steve

Location: Red's to Lmuma

Flies: sz. 14 Elk Hair Peacock Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 16 Split Wing Adams, sz. 18 Gray Sparkle Dun, sz. 18 CDC Baetis Emerger, sz. 18 CDC Purple Haze Emerger, sz. 6 Flat Foam Salmon Fly

Time: 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm

Results: 4 or 5 trout landed (12"- 15")

The river has continued to drop over the last couple of days, and the flow this morning is at 1355 cfs. Visibility is a little better with about 2+ feet. We did a short float in the afternoon, and overall the fishing was pretty good. Even though we did not see alot of actively feeding fish, we brought up several nice fish by casting the Caddis and Caddis Emerger combination to likely looking spots. The reason we fished such an assortment of flies in such a short period of time was because we encountered a tough fish along the way. Like most big fish he was in a spot that was tough to get a cast down and a good drift over him. We worked this fish off and on for about 20 minutes. We tricked him 3 times - twice with the Elk Hair Caddis and once with the Sparkle Dun, but we were unable to get the hook set. We were forced to concede when the fish finally quit feeding. He had given us our opportunity, and we enjoyed the challenge. The next time down river, we may meet this fish again, and we'll have a rematch. Maybe we'll fish better, or maybe this fish will make a mistake... We saw a variety of bugs on the water yesterday including several adult Salmon Flies, which may be something to keep in mind when selecting a dry fly for a dry dropper combination. According to the weatherman we are suppose to see some warmer temperatures over the next several days.

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4/21/04

Anglers: Rod and Steve

Location: MP #19

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

Time: 5:00 pm until 5:30 pm

Results: 2 trout landed (13", 14")

The river actually cleared up a great deal throughout the day yesterday, and is currently 2'+ of visibility at the shop. We had clouds for most of the day, and it would have been a great BWO day; except for a stiff upriver wind that blew most of the afternoon. We snuck out later in the day and found a few fish feeding on Caddis, but with the cooler weather and wind, the Caddis hatch was not as intense as it has been. We expect this to pick up with some warmer weather.

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4/20/04

Anglers: Rod, Clint, and Rick

Location: Big Horn to Umtanum

Flies: sz. 16 BWO, sz. 18 CDC Baetis Emerger, sz. 14 Elk Hair Caddis Brown, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger, sz. 12 March Brown Blackbird

Time: 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm

Results: 5 or 6 Rainbows landed (13"-17")

Flows have continued to drop over the past few days and the dry fly activity has remained strong. Caddis, BWO's, and March Browns have all been present. The best window to find fish feeding on the surface has been from 12:30 until 4:00. If you find a pod of fish feeding and can't get them to eat one of these imitations, switch to another and go through them again. Prior to, and after this time, nymph fishing and dry-droppers have been decent with a Silver Lightning Bug and a Red Copper John being our most productive nymph patterns. Flows were all the way down to 1400 cfs last night and have come up slightly this morning to 1500 cfs. We had some rain last night, and visibility this morning is about 18" at the shop. Wilson Creek is the culprit, which is often the case this time of year. Normally these light rains are not enough to affect the river much; however, the difference now is that flows in the main stem are low enough that the Wilson Creek in-flow is not getting diluted. It's hard saying how the fish will respond to the decreased clarity. With as good as the hatches have been, it's likely that the dry fly fishing will remain consistent even in the off-color water. If it gets worse or shuts down, the water above Wilson Creek is a cleaner option.

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4/17/04

Anglers: Jim, Terry, and Steve

Location: Ringer to Red's

Flies: sz. 16 Split Wing Adams Purple, sz. 18 CDC Baetis Emerger, sz. 14 Elk Hair Caddis Brown, sz. 12 March Brown Blackbird, sz. 12 Dirty Yellow Stimulator, sz. 8 Black Cone 20"er. sz. 16 Red Copper John, sz. 16 Silver Lightening Bug

Time: 10:00 am until 7:00 pm

Results: The best day this year!

The 2004 Caddis hatch kicked off yesterday, and it was a great rise from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm. We did the best on the Caddis patterns, but also caught fish on March Browns and BWO's in select pods. At one point, there were fish feeding as far up and down the bank as you could see. Prior to seeing fish feed, we did well fishing nymphs. After the majority of the fish quit feeding in the evening, we fished a larger dry fly on the move and continued seeing a few fish come up. When the Caddis hatch first starts like this, you will find fish feeding on them earlier in the day (1:00 or 2:00 ish) and feeding for a longer duration. Over the next couple of weeks, this hatch will start coming off later in the day towards evening. The river has come down significantly over the past two days and is in great shape.

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4/16/04

Angler: Rod

Location: Umtanum

Flies: sz. 16 Split Wing Adams, sz. 18 CDC Baetis Emerger

Time: 5:00 pm until 5:30 pm

Results: (1) 17" Rainbow

Water conditions and dry fly fishing have dramatically improved over the last 2 days with the cooler, cloudy weather that has moved in. Yesterday we saw pods of fish eating March Browns between 12:30 and 2:30 pm, and Baetis in the later part of the afternoon. The forecast is calling for scattered clouds and a chance of rain both today and tomorrow (Saturday), and then sunny and calm on Sunday. We have seen the majority of the March Brown activity in the waters upstream of the Rock Garden, and through the Big Horn, Ringer, and Irene sections. The cooler weather has slowed the Caddis activity for the time being, but with the warmer weather Sunday and early next week, we expect that to pick back up. Flows are currently down to 2390 cfs this morning and should level off.

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4/13/04

Anglers: Brian and Steve

Location: Lmuma to Slab

Flies: sz. 10 Matt's Stone, sz. 14 Silver Lightning Bug, sz. 16 Caddis Pupae, sz. 8 20"er, sz. 12 Dark Wing Skwala, sz. 14 Bitteroot Skwala, sz. 14 Peacock Caddis

Time: 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm

Results: (1) 13" Whitefish

We spent time fishing nymphs and dry flies on the move. Overall, the fishing was tough and the only thing standing between us and a complete shutout was a 13" Whitefish that we hooked on a nymph! We did hook a couple other fish nymphing, but the dry fly fishing was not productive. We had several obvious refusals on the Skwala imitations, and that was it for the big dries. We have seen some fish eating Caddis in the evenings, and March Brown's have been more numerous in the Upper Canyon around Big Horn. The cloud cover and cooler weather has arrived this morning and even a brief spattering of rain with it, which is a welcome change. Flows are up a bit (2993 cfs) and visibility is still 2'+. The cloud cover could be just what this river needs to get the March Brown's on track...

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4/12/04

Anglers: Trevor and Steve

Location: Red's to Lmuma

Flies: sz. 12 Royal Wulff, sz. 8 Bugmeister

Time: 5:00 pm until 6:00 pm

Results: 1 (14") Rainbow landed, several other rises

My brother in law, Trevor, and I managed to get away for an evening float. We fished dries on the move the entire time. We had 3 or 4 fish come up, but the dry fly fishing is still tough. I think we're at the "in between" stage on the Spring bugs - the Skwalas and BWO's are winding down, and the Caddis, March Browns, and PMD's are gearing up. We have been steadily seeing more Caddis and March Browns each day. Despite some incredibly warm weather with highs the last 2 days in the upper 70's, the river has remained in good shape with flows between 2700 and 2900 cfs. We are right on the verge of the full blown 2004 Caddis Hatch.

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4/10/04

Anglers: Davey, Rick, Rod,

Location: Big Horn to Roza

Flies: sz. 10 Dirty Yellow Stimulator, sz. 8 Yellow Montana Barfly, sz. 12 Bitterroot Skwala, sz. 10 ELectric Blue Stimulator, sz. 8-8 Legged Skwala, sz. 8 Double Wing Skwala, sz. 12 Royal Coachman, sz. 8 Bugmeister

Time: 10:00 am until 7:00 pm

Results: 3 fish landed ( 13" - 14")

We stuck with the dries all day long fishing on the go, and overall it was tough fishing. We saw quite a few March Browns just below Big Horn, but no actively feeding fish. The number of rises to our bugs increased in the afternoon, but it was still not what it has been. Our recommendation right now is to spend time, from anchor or out of the boat wading, working nymphs through the nicer riffles and pockets. While on the move, fish a dry or a dry and dropper combination. The late afternoon is the best opportunity to bring fish to the dry fly. We have had inquiries from anglers, who have seen fish jumping way out of the water, wanting to know what they are eating. These fish are probably not feeding, rather they are most likely going through their pre-spawn ritual of breaking up egg sacs prior to depositing the loose eggs in their redds. The forecast over the next few days is for more sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high 70's. The river flow this morning is 2829 cfs and visibilty is about 2 to 3 feet. Remember, we will be closed on Easter Sunday!

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4/8/04

Anglers: Connie and Rod

Location: Red's to Slab

Flies: sz. 10 Dirty Yellow Stimulator, sz. 8 Yellow Montana Barfly, sz. 12 Bitterroot Skwala, sz. 10 Long-tailed Skwala, sz. 8 Conehead 20"er, sz. 16 Sparkle Caddis Pupae

Time: 11:00 am until 4:00 pm

Results: 4 or 5 fish landed ( 13" - 15")

The river has been gradually increasing each day over the last 3 days. Despite the increased flows (2865 cfs) it has remained in great shape, and the dry fly fishing was more productive yesterday. We saw BWO's, Caddis, and March Brown's, however, we spent the day fishing Skwala imitations on the go. The smaller patterns (sz. 12's) were the best producers, especially with the sunshine. Drag free drifts tight against the grass or on the foam lines and seam edges is what it takes to see fish come to the bug. We are still seeing sunshine and daytime temperatures in the mid to high 60's, and more of the same is forecast for the next few days. Our shop will be closed on Easter Sunday, and we wish you and your families the best.

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4/7/04

Anglers: Shawn, Ryan, and Rod

Location: Red's to Roza

Flies: sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 10 Dirty Yellow Stimulator, sz. 10 Electric Blue Stimulator, sz. 8 Yellow Montana Barfly, sz. 10 Matt's Stone, sz. 18 Silver Lightning Bug

Time: 4:30 pm until 6:30 pm

Results: 1 fish landed ( 15")

It was another beautiful day here in the canyon. Plenty of sunshine and very little wind. We tossed nymphs at several select locations in the morning and had some success on the Matt's Stone. The dry fly fishing has been a little tougher, however over the last couple of days. We saw several adult Skwala and Caddis, but few actively feeding fish. We did have several fish up on the Bugmeister in the late afternoon and evening, and they were all tight to the grass. The river is at 2636 cfs this morning. The weather forecast is calling for more of the same kind of weather, temperatures in the 60's and sunshine, over the next several days.

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4/5/04

Anglers: Clint, Rick, and Rod

Location: Big Horn to Red's

Flies: sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 12 Bitteroot Skwala, sz. 10 Dirty Yellow Stimulator, sz. 10 Long Tailed Skwala, sz. 10 Electric Blue Stimulator

Time: 12:30 pm until 6:00 pm

Results: 5 or 6 fish landed (13"-15")

What a beautiful day we had here in the canyon. Temperatures around 70 degrees, sunshine and best of all "NO" wind. We saw March Browns and Caddis, but few fish actively feeding. We covered water and fished Skwala patterns all afternoon. The Dirty Yellow and Electric Blue Stimulators were the best producers. The river has came up 150 cfs over the last day and the graph shows that it is still on the rise. Visibility is good, and we are expecting it to stay in shape. A little increase in flow will improve the Skwala fishing. The weather forecast is predicting highs in the 60's throughout the week.

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4/4/04

Anglers: Paul, Rick, and Steve

Location: Red's to Roza

Flies: sz. 16 SPlit Wing Purple, sz. 16 Grey Sparkle Dun, sz. 16 BWO Emerger, sz. 12 Bitteroot Skwala, sz. 10 Dirty Yellow Stimulator, sz. 10 Skwalameister, sz. 10 Electric Blue Stimulator

Time: 11:00 am until 6:00 pm

Results: 8 Rainbows (13"-16") and a fat 16" Cutthroat

Dry fly fishing was pretty well on track again yesterday. We found several small pods of fish on BWO's between 11:00 and 1:00, and then switched to the larger Skwala patterns for the remainder of the day. We also saw some scattered March Browns and a fair number of Caddis on the water yesterday. Both of these bugs are going to pick up in intensity over the next few weeks. Even with the 70 degree weather we had, this river is stable and clear this morning. With flows where they are (2238 cfs), some of these banks are a little shallow to hold fish - target the seam line where the shallow brown water changes to the deeper green color with the Skwala patterns. While we were having lunch yesterday, a Skwala adult floated past us. We watched as a nice 16" Rainbow inhaled it about 30 feet below us. Paul promptly picked up his rod and floated the Dirty Yellow Stimulator over the spot and got the same result. His grin widened and never left his face the rest of the day.

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4/3/04

Anglers: Brian, Rod, and Steve

Location: Umtanum to Red's

Flies: sz. 12 Bitteroot Skwala, sz. 10 Dirty Yellow Stimulator, sz. 10 Skwalameister, sz. 10 Ugyn Bug

Time: 4:00 pm until 5:00 pm

Results: 2 dinks landed

Fishing the big dry flies was a little slower yesterday than it has been. We fished a variety of different patterns in different sizes and had a couple of decent fish take a look, but it was definitely tougher fishing. We've had fair weather over the past few days with some gusty wind in the afternoons. BWO's have been around, but fish eating them have been scarce on the sunny days. We are still seeing more and more March Browns, and I have a feeling the first cloudy weather we get is going to kick that hatch off. The forecast through the weekend is supposed to be beautiful with 70 degrees, scattered clouds, and calm conditions. The river has continued to drop, currently at 2209 cfs, and remains in great shape.

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