Red's Fly Shop | Power Hour Fishing Report - Yakima River Fly Fishing Report

Red's Power Hour Fishing Report
July - September 2005

The Power Hour Fishing Report is brought to you exclusively by Red's. The content of this report is not the generic "fishing has been good in the morning, and afternoons, and later in the evenings, too." Rather, when we go fishing, we will analyze one session and report the day, time, location, fly, number of fish caught, species, and size (if we caught any). We'll also write up the method we used. Keep in mind that the fishing report is based on a prior day's fishing and weather conditions.

Flies: sz. 10 October Caddis Nymph, sz.16 Silver Lightening Bug, sz. 16 Purple Haze, sz. 18 BWO, sz. 18 CDC Baetis Emerger, sz. 10 Orange Bugmeister, sz. 10 Orange Stimi

The dry fly fishing is definitely improving. We fished dries throughout most of this float and turned a fair number of fish other than those recorded in the results. These included both podded actively eating fish as well as casting into likely looking seams and foam lines. It is cloudy in the canyon today, and while doing a shuttle this morning at about 11:00 am we witnessed fish sipping on the surface at Frustration Flats. The temperature is suppose to reach 78 degrees today, and the weatherman is predicting cooler temperatures (low 60's) over the weekend. The river flow this morning is 955 cfs.

9/27/05

Flies: sz. 8-10 Kaufmann's Stone, sz.16 Silver Lightening Bug, sz. 14 & 16 Flashback PT, sz. 16 Copper John, sz. 16 Purple Haze, sz. 18 BWO, sz. 18 CDC Baetis Emerger, sz. 16 Soft Hackles

First off, I have to tell a story on us regarding our recent weather forecasts. Over the past few days, we have been showing a forecast with temperatures in the 50's. This morning when I pulled up the forecast we showed a current temp of 29 degrees. I thought to myself this can't be true. I spent several minutes looking at all the information on the forecast window, and then I found it. In a spot that is easy to overlook were the words Smithers, B.C. Steve left yesterday on his annual trip to Smithers. End of story. Fishing yesterday was pretty much the same as it has been. Most of the day was spent nymphing on the go, but we did get a chance to cast at podded fish actively eating some BWO's on the surface. We are starting to see a little more surface activity, and we expect it to keep improving. The real temperatures here in the canyon are suppose to be in the 70's for the rest of the week, and the flows are still hanging in at around 1000 cfs.

9/26/05

Flies: sz. 8 Brown Rubber Legs Stone, sz. 10 Kaufmann's Stone, sz.16 Silver Lightening Bug, sz. 14 & 16 Flashback PT, sz. 18 WD-40, sz. 16 Purple Haze, sz. 18 BWO, sz. 18 CDC Baetis Emerger, sz. 8 Orange Bugmeister, sz. 16 Soft Hackles

We had a weather forecast for yesterday that predicted a temperature of 51 degrees and possible rain showers. Instead we had a beautiful Fall day with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the high 60's or low 70's. Fishing with nymphs on the go was our most productive tactic. However, we did find a pod of nice fish eating on the surface, and we tricked them with both the Purple Haze and a BWO and Emerger combination. We also picked up a decent fish on a soft hackle. The largest fish of the day, that we got to see, ate Kelly's CDC Emerger and decided to do some aerial acrobatics for us. It was great. The dry fly fishing should just continue to get better. The weatherman is still forecasting 50 degree temperatures throughout the week with some rain mixed in. After yesterday, I guess we will just have to take each day as it comes and not rely too heavily on their predictions. The river flow is still hovering at around 1000 cfs.

9/22/05

We had one of the better weather days of the whole season yesterday with sunny skies, 75 degrees, and not a hint of wind. Garth, a bonefishing guide in the Bahamas, and his friend, Anne, were impressed even by their standards. Nymph fishing remains steady and dry fly activity is picking up. We spent most of our time nymphing on the go, but we did anchor up on a couple pods of more consistent feeders and had some luck with dry flies. The amount of bugs flying and fish feeding are increasing, and should get more predictable over the next week. Flows have been steady around 1000 cfs, enabling easy access and great clarity. A couple of the fish we were casting dry flies at picked the fly up as it started to drag at the end of the drift, which likely indicates the season has arrived for swinging a soft hackle...

9/19/05

Flies: sz. 8,10 Stonefly Nymphs, sz. 16 Flashback PT, sz. 16 RCJ, sz.16 Silver Lightening Bug, sz. 16 Beaded Prince, sz. 14 Pearl Lightening Bug, sz. 14 Copper Soft Hackle, sz. 14 Beaded PT Soft Hackle

We spent the entire day fishing a deep nymph rig and mostly on the go. There was not a best bug. We hooked fish on all of them except the Beaded Prince and Soft Hackles. The riffles and faster water slots produced best; however, we did hook a couple of fish in at least one of the flat water stretches on the float. We are suppose to see 80 degrees here today, but the weatherman says it will be back in the high 60's by the weekend. River flows are hovering between 1000 and 1050 cfs. We are looking forward to better dry fly fishing soon.

9/16/05

Flies: sz. 8,10 Stonefly Nymphs, sz. 16 Flashback PT, sz. 16 RCJ, sz.14 Lightening Bug, sz. 8 Marathon Bug, sz. 16 Purple Haze

Results: 6 or 7 Rainbows landed (10"-15"), several Whitefish, and a big Yakima Sucker

Nymph fishing remains consistent, while the dry fly fishing seems to be anything but consistent. We had good activity throughout the drift using a standard nymph set up with a strike indicator. We did try some dry flies - both small Mayflies and some bigger October Caddis patterns, but didn't see much action at all on the surface. Reid came up a NPM short of his Yakima River Grand Slam. After he caught his Sucker, he figured he had a good shot at it, but just couldn't get it done. Boy was he disappointed...Ha Ha Ha! Flows have been holding around 1100 cfs, and the river is in good shape.

9/14/05

Flies: sz. 8,10 Stonefly Nymphs, sz. 16 Flashback PT, sz. 18 WD-40, sz. 16 RCJ, sz.14 Lightening Bug, sz. 18 WD-40, sz. 16 Purple Haze, sz. Para Adams, sz. 18 CDC Baetis Emerger

Nymph fishing was consistent throughout the float, and probably picked up a bit in the afternoon. We saw a few scattered feeders late in the day and switched to small Mayfly dries on the go. We were able to set up on a few of the more consistent feeders at that point, but fishing the small dries to likely spots was also effective. At the current levels, there seem to be some fairly long sections that are too skinny to hold fish - don't spend a lot of time in this water. The small dry fly fishing is picking up, but the best of the Fall is ahead...

9/10/05

Flies: sz. 8,10 Stonefly Nymphs, sz. 16 Red Copper John, sz. 16 Silver, Pearl Lightening Bugs, sz. 18 WD-40

What a difference one day makes... Two days ago, we fished dry flies all day long; yesterday, we stuck with nymphs under an indicator for the entire trip. Strong winds throughout the day made things difficult at times, but we stuck with it and had a pretty productive day, particularly in the afternoon. Some of the nicer fish we caught were on the larger Stonefly patterns, but overall we hooked more fish on the smaller droppers. We have some cloud cover and a light sprinkle this morning, which should be conducive to some good Mayfly activity. Flows have continued to drop and are just now, at 1150 cfs, starting to show signs of stabilizing. Wade fishing is once again a feasible option in the canyon.

9/9/05

Flies: sz. 8 Plan B, sz. 10 Phat Fly, sz. 16 Purple Haze, sz. 16, 18 Sparkle Dun, sz. 16 Para Adams, s, sz. 14 Feth's Hopper

We had what looks to be the last of the hot weather we'll see for awhile yesterday, and the fish seemed to like it. We were able to fish dry flies all day long, and had some good surface activity. We encountered several pods of feeding fish, and although most of the fish were dinks, we landed several nice fish drifting small Mayflies through the middle of them. Later in the afternoon, we got on another pod that were eating reddish-orange flying ants. That's not a joke - we saw hundreds of flying ants on one piece of water and the fish were keyed in on them. That's the first time I've seen the likes of a flying ant hatch - each ant we saw floating down the slot was getting picked off in a splashy swirl. I don't think this hatch is one that you can set your watch to, but it was a lot of fun to experience. Although we did fish Hoppers and Stonefly dries on the go, the big dry fly fishing is very slow. Flows continue to drop and more gravel bars are showing each day.

9/7/05

Flies: sz. 10 Marathon Bug, sz. 16 Purple Haze, sz. 18 Sparkle Dun, sz. 16 BWO, sz. 18 Baetis Emerger, sz. 8 Rubber Leg Stonefly nymph, sz. 18 WD-40

Flows are on the drop, the weather is cooling down, the leaves are starting to turn, Labor Day Weekend has past, and the Fall fishing season on the Yakima is underway! The river is at 1438 cfs this morning, and coming down streadily at a rate of about 200 cfs per day. We look forward to this time of year, although for the first couple of trips when the river drops, it looks like a completely different river. Nymphing has remained very productive, utilizing a fairly shallow rig (3'- 4' b/t indicator and top fly) on the go. We have been picking up fish on both the smaller droppers and the larger Stonefly nymphs. Big dry fly fishing is slowing down, but we have started seeing some nicer fish podded up and feeding on small Mayflies and Caddis - mainly in the evening. It's getting dark around 7:15 right now, and a 10 mile drift at these levels can easily be an all day affair.

9/3/05

Flies: sz. 8 Nightmare, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 10 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 10 Winged Thing, sz. 10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 6 Kaufmann's, sz. 10 Dbl. Bead Prince, sz. 16 Lightening Bug, sz. 16 RCJ

Dry fly fishing and nymph fishing were spotty throughout the day. We had our best luck with dries before noon, including one of the nicer fish we've seen this season. Long, drag-free drifts are essential with Hopper and Stonefly dries right now. Expect the fish to start moving a bit as flows drop over the next 10 days. Some of the banks that these fish have been living tight along for the past 2 months will start to get skinny and dry up. We are coming into the time of year when a dry dropper combo fished along the seam lines where the water color changes from brown to green is going to be productive.

9/2/05

Flies: sz. 10 Phat Fly, sz. 10 Para Hopper, sz. 16, 18 Sparkle Duns (Grey, Rusty), sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 10 Winged Thing, sz. 8 Marathon Bug, sz. 10 Dave's Hopper

Big dry fly fishing has remained pretty slow, although it seemed to pick up a bit during scattered periods of cloud cover. We didn't find any pods of fish rising on this evening float. Overall, flows are continuing to drop and are at 2234 cfs this morning. There are still not rocks sticking up, and you're not going to wade across the river anywhere, but we are at the start of the Flip Flop.

9/1/05

Flies: sz. 6 Plan B, sz. 16 Para PMD, sz. 16, 18 Sparkle Duns (Grey, Rusty), sz. 16 Purple Split Wing, sz. 10 Winged Thing, sz. 8 MT Bar Fly, sz. 10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 6 Black Cone 20"er, sz. 6 Kaufmann's Stone, sz. 14, 16 Lightening Bugs, sz. 16 RCJ

The big dry fly fishing was only so-so yesterday; however, we did find a few small pods of fish feeding (apparently on Mayflies, as that was what we saw the most of - in a variety of colors and sizes, although there are still some Caddis, too) and had good luck fishing small dries for the first time in over a month. We went back and forth in the afternoon nymphing, which was also very productive with fish eating both the larger Stone and the small trailer. Gemini registered a Yakima River Grand Slam catching Trout, Salmon (smolt are easily distinguished by the green or orange tattoo near their eye), Whitefish, NPM, and a Yakima River Sucker (fair hooked on the Lightening Bug). The Sucker is the toughest one to get - that's like the triple! Labor Day weekend is just around the corner and then we'll be into the flip flop. We usually do see a potpourri of bugs start hatching when the river starts dropping.

8/28/05

Flies: sz. 6 Plan B, sz. 10 Winged Thing, sz. 8 MT Bar Fly, sz. 10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 8 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 6 Black Cone 20"er, sz. 6 Kaufmann's Stone, sz. 14, 16 Lightening Bugs, sz. 14 Disco Stone, sz. 16 RCJ

This was the first fishing trip we've run past mid-day in nearly a month. Dry fly fishing was pretty good in the morning, and then slowed down around noon. We started fishing nymphs at that point, and had a fair amount of action the rest of the way down. Water temperatures the past 3 days have been favorable for fishing through the afternoon and evening. We had a couple of days where it never got above 67, and then registered just over 68 degrees yesterday. It looks like the weather is going to cool down throughout the next week, with lows at night in the 40's. If this holds true, we are expecting to have an all day fishing window until flows drop after Labor Day Weekend. Once that happens, we'll see how the weather shapes up and hope for some cool nights. We really appreciate the effort everyone has made to lay off the fishing in the 70+ degree water - be sure it's made a big difference!

8/25/05

Flies: sz. 8 Feth's Hopper, sz. 6 Dave's Hopper, sz. 6 Winged Thing, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 8 Royal MT Bar Fly, sz. 14 Beetle, sz. 16 Army Ant, sz. 8 Kaufmann's Stone, sz. 14 Flashback PT, sz. 14 Disco Stone, sz. 16 RCJ

Water temperatures have cooled considerably yesterday and today due mostly to evening air temperatures dropping into the 40's. The fishing this morning was tough, both on dry flies and nymphs. We did see a few nice fish come up, but they did so with much caution! If these water temperatures remain favorable, we will start taking advantage of the afternoon and evening fishing again. It looks like things might warm up over the next couple days before cooling back down again on Sunday. With this recent temperature drop, we are dealing with the water temperature issue on a day to day basis, and invite you to call the shop to plan your fishing day depending on where water temps are at. Only another week and a half before flows start to drop... a hint of Fall is in the air.

8/21/05

Flies: sz. 6 Winged Thing, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 8 Royal MT Bar Fly, sz. 12 Feth's Hopper, sz. 8 Kaufmann's Stone, sz. 14 Flashback PT, sz. 14 Lightening Bug, sz. 16 RCJ

The morning fishing is holding up pretty well - both on top and below the surface of the water. We had a fair number of refusals with the big dry flies, but it seemed like every time we'd get a good drift tight to the bank we had a look of some sort. Fishing a double nymph rig under an indicator is not nearly as technical as the dry fly fishing right now, and remains a very productive method to catch fish. Water temps are up again this morning (a full 1.5 degrees above yesterday), and it looks like we will hit the 70 degree mark this afternoon. Once again, we discourage anglers from fishing once temperatures reach this level, as it is harder for trout to recover from fatigue. The morning offers a fish-friendly window until around 1:00 pm. It's not a bad idea to pack a thermometer along to monitor this situation as you go. We'll keep you posted as these conditions change, and encourage you to call the shop to discuss your fishing plans.

8/19/05

Flies: sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 8 Royal MT Bar Fly, sz. 8 Dave's Hopper, sz. 12 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Marathon Bug, sz. 8 Kaufmann's Stone, sz. 6 Black Cone 20"er, sz. 14 Lightening Bug, sz. 16 RCJ

We went back and forth between fishing big dries on the go and nymphing. The big dry fly fishing was pretty good for the first 2 hours and then slowed a bit. We hooked fish on both the larger Stone nymph and smaller trailer about 5' below the indicator, including one fish that took Denny across and then up the river without even slowing down before coming unbuttoned. We never did see the fish, but one can only speculate... Water temperatures have improved over the past 2 days due to some cool evening air temperatures. It's a welcome change for now, and we hope this trend continues. This weekend is shaping up to be a busy one recreation-wise. These campers tell us some guy named Dave is playing at the gorge.

8/16/05

Despite slightly cooler air temperatures, the combination of the change in source from Lake Cle Elum and lower flows have elevated water temperatures to the point that we are hitting 70 degrees and beyond by mid afternoon. Once temperatures reach this level, they are not cooling back down until dark. This morning, we are currently at 67.3 degrees - 1.2 degrees warmer than yesterday morning. The fishing does slow down in the warm water; however, our concern lies with the health of the fish. Stressing fish under these conditions results in a higher rate of post-release mortality, especially with the larger trout, due to lower oxygen levels in the water. For this reason, we are only fishing the mornings, and we ask that you quit fishing at noon, as well. We are happy to meet people earlier than our 7:30 am opening time to accomodate these limited fishing hours. We will continue to monitor this situation and keep you posted as conditions change. Please do NOT plan evening floats right now, as this is the time of day when water temperatures have been elevated for several hours and fish are the most affected! Let's help these fish get through this summer in good shape and healthy for the Fall!

8/15/05

Flies: sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 8 Royal MT Bar Fly, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8 Plan B, sz. 10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 8 Feth Hopper

As has been the strategy for the summer, big dries on the go was the gameplan, and the activity was fairly consistent throughout the float. This activity ranged from a few good solid eats, to some sloooowwww eats where the fish followed the fly for several feet with their mouth open, to a fair number of bumps or flat-out refusals. Flows are down slightly this morning to 3060 cfs, and water temps are about 1 degree higher than we had at this time yesterday. This is probably due to a combination of lower water levels and changing some of the source from Lake Cle Elum to the other reservoirs (Lake Cle Elum is the coldest source). As some of you have commented on, we have had some technical difficulties with the website over the past week - we are working through them and hope to have things worked out by the end of this week (the weather station back online). Thanks for your patience.

8/12/05

Flies: sz. 8 Royal MT Bar Fly, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8 Plan B, sz. 10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 8 Feth Hopper, sz. 12 Yellow Phat Fly, sz. 8 Kaufmann's, sz. 14, 16 Lightening Bugs

Fishing was tough this morning, both on the dry flies and running nymphs. We stuck with dries until around 9:00 am, and then started nymphing a few sections. We had a fair number of fish bump the dries that we didn't get pinned, but even at that, the fishing was slower than we have seen over the past 2 weeks. Flows have remained steady around 3200 cfs, and this cooler weather looks like it may keep water temperatures under 70 degrees for the weekend, at least for the majority of the day. We are monitoring this situation on an hourly basis and are happy to take calls regarding your fishing plans.

8/11/05

Flies: sz. 8 Para Quill Hopper, sz. 6 Dave's Hopper, sz. 8 Dirty Yellow Stimi, sz. 8 Royal Stimi, sz. 6 Bugmeister, sz. 10 Black, Brown Kaufmann's Stone, sz. 14, 16 Gold & Silver Lightening Bugs, sz. 16 Red Copper John

Although a couple of the bigger fish we saw came to dry flies early in the float, nymphing produced the most consistent action. The key to fishing dries is keeping your fly tight to the bank with a drag free presentation. The relatively cooler weather we are seeing is giving us some temporary reprieve from the 70 degree water issues and should allow anglers to fish through the day this weekend. We are monitoring this situation closely and are happy to field calls regarding your fishing plans. Get the fish landed and off the hook in a timely manner.

8/8/05

Flies: sz. 8 Royal MT Bar Fly, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Dave's Hopper, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 10 Feth Hopper

Once again we stuck with the big dries on this trip down the river. The Feth Hopper was the most productive pattern. Over the past few days we have seen air temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, and river water temperatures reaching 70+ degrees at approximately 2:00 to 3:00 pm. The water temperatures in the canyon are not dropping below 70 until late evening around 8:00 to 9:00 pm. The coolest water temps of the day have been at about 8:00 am. Please keep this in mind when planning a trip and do what is best for protecting the fish. River flows this morning were at 3180 cfs.

8/4/05

Flies: sz. 8 Royal MT Bar Fly, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Dave's Hopper, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper

The big dries fished well throughout this float with the Dave's Hopper being the best pattern. Weather and water temperatures are starting to creep up again. Water temps topped out at 69.0 degrees yesterday afternoon at about 4:00 p.m. We are recommending that anglers restrict their fishing to the morning hours and try to be off the water at about 2:00 p.m. The coolest water temperatures are at about 8:00 a.m. We are suppose to see 97 degrees today with the same forecast for the next few days. The current river flow is at 3180 cfs.

8/2/05

Flies: sz. 8 Royal MT Bar Fly, sz. 8, 14 Feth's Hopper, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8, 12 Para Hopper, sz. 6-10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper

We experienced a cooler day weather-wise yesterday, and both the fish and water temperatures responded very favorably. We had high cloud cover for the majority of the day with air temps near 70 degrees. Water temps peaked at 68.5 degrees yesterday and are below 63 starting out this morning, which is a huge improvement over the past 3 days. It does look like the weather will heat up again by the weekend, but one cool day sure helps...

7/31/05

Flies: sz. 8 ROyal MT Bar Fly, sz. 8, 14 Feth's Hopper, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8, 12 Para Hopper, sz. 6-10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper

It was another good morning dry fly session. The surface activity did slow down just before we hit the takeout, which can be expected with the 95+ degree heat wave we are experiencing. There is lots of recreation traffic on the river on weekends. Floating the Lower Canyon in the morning and/or the Upper half in the evening allows you to miss the majority of the crowds. If you do find yourself on the water during the heat of the day, deep nymphing and pulling streamers can be effective. We hate to sound like a broken record, but water temperatures are becoming an issue. The longest window for cooler water is the morning hours until noon. By noon temps are up to 68+ degrees and by 4:30 pm, we had 69.5 degrees yesterday. Even at 9:00 pm, temperaures are still up in the 69+ range. Save the picture taking for Fall, use a net, and even slack line release the little guys.

7/30/05

Flies: sz. 8 Yellow Phat Fly, sz. 8 Dirty Yellow Stimi, sz. 1 Plan B, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8, 12 Para Hopper, sz. 6-10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper

Big dries on the move remains the hot weather strategy in the Canyon. The productive fishing seems to come in isolated spots. You might go a mile or more without seeing a fish and then turn 3 or 4 in one little section. We have had our best luck fishing Stimulators at the start and then switching to Hoppers around 10:00 am. Water temperatures are starting out around 65 degrees in the morning, and hitting the 69 degree mark by 4:00 in the afternoon - please continue to take care in releasing fish safely and quickly especially in the evenings.

7/27/05

Flies: sz. 10 Royal Bar Fly, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8, 12 Para Hopper, sz. 6-10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 8 Royal Stimi, sz. 16 Caddis

The fishing is not neccessarily easy right now, but getting the fly fairly tight to the bank with a good drift produced consistent action until about noon. We had our best luck on Stimulator type patterns early and then went with a Hopper assault around 10:00. We had a little mid morning excitement when we decided to pull into the bank for a water break. As we reached the shore, I saw some movement in the grass which was immediately followed by the distinguished buzz of a native Pacific Northwest Rattlesnake. Scott (or maybe myself!) suggested at that point that we find a different spot to take five. This was only the second buzztail I've seen on the river. They're not something you need to worry about - just take caution if you have to walk in tall grass or brush. We have more hot weather in the forecast with highs in the mid nineties through the week. Water temperatures are starting to creep up with a high reaching 68.6 degrees on Monday evening. Two key things that help reduce stress on fish are bringing them in quickly and keeping them in the water.

7/22/05

Flies: sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8 Para Hopper, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 8 Royal Stimi, sz. 8 Nightmare, sz. 8, 10 Stonefly Nymphs, sz. 14 Lightening Bug, sz. 14 Prince, sz. 16 PT

Once again, the tight to the bank sections and faster moving riffles were the locations where we picked up fish. Patience is a key factor with dry fly fishing right now, as the majority of our eats were very slow. It's hard not to set the hook prematurely when you see a nice fish coming to the fly from several feet away with it's mouth wide open! The fishing started to slow down about the time we took off, which is understandable as air temperaures reached the triple digit mark. The late evening window has also remained productive once the sun goes off the water.

7/20/05

Flies: sz. 6 Para Chernobyl, sz. 8 Royal Stimi, sz. 8 Plan B, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 6, 8 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Black Cone 20"er, sz. 12-16 Lightening Bugs

Except for a couple of faster flowing sections, we fished big dries on the go the entire drift and had pretty good action until the last mile. The fish are definitely holding tight to the grassy banks - sometimes 3" out is 2" too far! Getting a good drift along these grassy runs is often difficult, as your mend tends to move the fly too much. One trick we like to use is to feed a little slack from the reel end into the mending motion. This helps to "dampen" the mend (keeping your fly tight to the bank) and also allows for an extended drift. As warm air temperatures continue, practicing safe Catch and Release becomes very important. So far the water temperatures have not been an issue, but these fish have a long summer ahead of them. A little extra care in keeping them in the water and getting them swimming quickly is helpful.

7/18/05

Flies: sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 10 Hot Legs Hopper, sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 6, 8 Para Hopper, sz. 8 Nightmare, sz. 6-10 Stonefly Nymphs, sz. 12-16 Lightening Bugs, sz. 16 PT's

We're experiencing a heat wave in the canyon, and it has moved the peak fishing times to the morning and late afternoon hours. Dry fly fishing has been good during this window and produced some of the nicer trout we've caught recently. It is imperative to get the fly tight to the bank structure, especially in the shaded areas. Nymphing on the go has remained the most effective method to catch fish during the heat of the day, but has slowed down from what we had seen the previous couple of weeks. The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the 90's through the remainder of the week. Congratulations to the O'Keefe family on the birth of their daughter!

7/14/05

Flies: sz. 10 Bugmeister, sz. 6, 8 Para Hopper, sz. 12 Marathon Bug, sz. 6-10 Stonefly Nymphs, sz. 12-16 Lightening Bugs, sz. 16 PT

It was not easy fishing yesterday, but we kept at it and scratched out a pretty good day. Fishing big dries or a big dry with a dropper on the go was our most productive technique. We had a number of refusals and many of our Hopper takes were very slow - be patient! We tried running deep nymph rigs in a few slots, but didn't have any luck. With the flows up to 3015 cfs this morning, a good gameplan is to do a longer float and fish on the move.

7/11/05

Flies: sz. 8 Bugmeister, sz. 6, 8 Para Hopper, sz. 6 Nightmare, sz. 6 Lollipop, sz. 6 Para Chernobyl

The big dry fly activity has picked up over the weekend. This is the time on the Yakima to cover some water and beat the banks. There are many stretches of the river where both banks are productive, so don't feel like you need to follow 2 or 3 boats through a section - switch sides and keep moving. If there's not enough water against the bank to hold fish, then target the ledge 10' off the bank. Nymphing is still a productive option, but there's a good dry fly window to be taken advantage of. Flows are steady at 2815 cfs, and the weather forecast looks good with highs in the upper 80's and stable conditions.

7/09/05

Flies: sz. 8 Para Hopper, sz. 6 Winged Thing, sz. 10 Cricada, sz. 6 Lollipop, sz. 8 Plan B, sz. 10 Fire Truck, sz. 8 Royal, EB Stimi, sz. 8 Kaufmann's Stone, Sz. 14, 16 Lightening Bug

We experienced a significant weather change yesterday, going from bright sun and heat to cloudy skies with cooler temperatures and even a light sprinkle at times. This weather pattern didn't seem to affect the fishing, other than we didn't get any fish up on Hopper patterns (which we've had a couple of decent days with). Our dry fly action was all on Stonefly imitations, and was somewhat streaky - with a flurry of activity in one section, and then a break. We did fish nymphs through a couple of riffles and did well, picking fish up on both the bigger Stone and smaller dropper. River flows have declined slightly to 2883 cfs, and it looks like the weather through the weekend will remain cooler with some cloud cover.

7/05/05

Flies: sz. 6 Pink Nightmare, sz. 8 Para Hopper, sz. 6 Para-Chernobyl Orange,Tan, sz. 10 Cricada, sz. 6 Lollipop

Ribs were on the menu for the 4th of July BBQ, followed by another evening dry fly session. As is often the case, the results of this trip don't tell the whole story. We had a fair number of fish up that came unbuttoned or we didn't hook at all. In one sudden moment, the nicest fish we saw ate Brian's fly and headed downriver so fast it wrapped the slack line he was holding around the butt end of his rod and might have pulled it out of his hand if he didn't have line wrapped around that, too! When the fish hit the "end of the rope", the hook popped out and left Brian holding a first class bird's nest. I offered him a piece of ice to apply to the line burn on his finger, but he didn't think it was as funny as I did! Overall, the fishing is picking up. We are seeing more action, even during the middle of the day, with dries (Stimis, Hoppers, Foam Bugs, Sallies, and Caddis). Nymphing in faster flowing water, both from anchor and on the go, has remained consistent.

7/04/05

Flies: sz. 6 Tan Nightmare, sz. 8 Electric Blue & Royal Stimi, sz. 8 Winged Thing, sz. 6 Para-Chernobyl Tan, sz. 6 Peach Nightmare, sz. 8 Tan Feth Hopper

We finished things up around the shop in time to throw a few burgers on the grill and then hit the river for an evening float. We fished big dries on the go the entire time and had pretty consistent action throughout the drift, although many of the risers at the start were just bumping the fly. We did see a fair number of fish feeding on Caddis in certain areas; but they were mostly smaller fish, and we didn't take the time to anchor up and change bugs. Of course, Brian thinks this routine is going to become a part of the regular work schedule now. Happy 4th of July!

7/03/05

Flies: sz. 6 Tan Nightmare, sz. 8 Electric Blue Stimi, sz. 8 Winged Thing, sz. 6 Para-Chernobyl, sz. 6 Peach Nightmare, sz. 8, 10 Dave's Hopper, sz. 8 Feth Hopper, sz. 8 Button Hopper, sz. 8-10 Assorted Stone Nymphs, sz. 14 Flashback PT, sz. 14 Silver Lightening Bug, sz. 14 Pearl Lightening Bug

Dry fly fishing was good between 8:00 and 10:00 am, and then slowed down when the bright sun hit the water. We've had a fair amount of wind in the afternoons the past couple of days, but it looks like things should stabilize by tomorrow. Fishing nymphs under an indicator 10' off the bank is still effective, and produced the nicest fish of the day - a healthy 17"er. With blue skies, calm conditions, and 85 degree weather, today has definitely been the nicest of the Holiday weekend... so far!