The Mother's Day Caddis Hatch is ON!

May 7, 2019

The 2019 Mother's Day Caddis hatch has officially begun!  As air temperatures touched 80 degrees over the weekend for the first time this year, the Grannom Caddis began emerging and the fish took notice.  With river flows at a stingy 1900 cfs today, the pods of feeders have not been in the traditional bankside habitat; rather they have preferred the edge of the big current seams in the middle 1/3rd of the river.  The hatch began in earnest yesterday about 11 am, with fish looking up sporadically into the evening.  Focusing your efforts to good dry fly water and being patient is key to being successful in this game.  Anchor on a foam line and wait until you see a feeder before casting.  Give yourself plenty of time in those zones that are traditionally good, and you'll locate a quality fish sipping bugs.

Caddis Hatch

 

 

 

 

 

 

The annual salmon smolt migration is now underway, as well.  These 4"-6"'ers have filled up the back eddies on their outward migration to the ocean, and some of the larger trout in the system have taken note.  Fishing a sparkly streamer pattern with a long leader on a floating line or a shorter one behind a streamer tip line can put some quality fish in the net!  The key to success with streamer fishing is committing to it.  Don't let yourself fish just one or two runs then chicken out.  Streamer fishing is not about quantity - definitely quality.  One good fish on a streamer can make your whole day.

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And finally on the bobber front, we have been mixing this up until we find some feeders.  We've had a tremendous salmon fly hatch in the canyon this year, and the big Pat's (sz 4) have been effective fished as a single bug or trailing a sz. 14 Lightning Bug or Yeager's YB Hare's Ear about 18" behind it.  With the river at this skinny level, don't set your bobber too deep.  We've been running a max of 4'.

As far as dry flies go... here is a hot bug!

 

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The arrow leaf balsamroot and lupine are in bloom, the sheep are out, and the nesting eagles are ready for their eggs to hatch.  It is a beautiful time to spend a day in the Yakima Canyon!    

 


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