Time to Get Some Fresh Air - Yakima River Fishing Report
February 9, 2016
Ive been lucky enough to spend a lot of time out on the river these past two weeks. The snow is starting to melt for the most part and luckily we havent had too much runoff yet. Hopefully the upcoming warm days and cold nights bleed off much of the low laying snow slowly.
Here are some suggested flies for current conditions:
Anato Mayfly Nymphs
Jimmy Legs Stonefly Nymphs #10's and 8's
20 Incher Stonefly Nymphs
San Juan Worms (anytime the flow rises a bit this is historically a good idea)
Amber Clinger Nymphs
WD-40's
Zebra Midge
Brassies
I have noticed the fishing has also been getting pretty dang good in comparison to where it was at 10 days ago. There are more fish moving now than there has been for a long time and they are sneaking up onto the fringes. And let me
tell you they are feisty as well with lots of jumps and great fight in them. Even the smaller fish are getting pretty
wild when they are on the end of your line. Which brings me to my next point
the smaller fish are starting to move which is good news! I have also been
seeing small midges starting to fly around as well as several fish rising
throughout the days. Which means one thing
Spring is coming!
Great Farmlands Cutthroat!
As far as how to fish
right now stick to the same set up as I mentioned before. A double nymph rig
set about 4 to the first fly then another 18 to the second fly. Use an
indicator, I love the New Zealand yarn system! It takes a little crafting to get the hang of it, but once you know the system you'll never look back when nymphing light setups. It helps detect some of the more
subtle takes that you can miss on the Thingamabobber. Don't get me wrong, the bobber has its place and all the guides use them but if you want to get the absolute best drifts try the New Zealand system. It certainly helped me anyway. The fish right now are being very
subtle on their takes for the most part every once in a while youll get an
aggressive strike but the rest of the time they are hard to see. Make sure to
slow your indicator down so you can get really give your flies time to sink
down to where the fish are holding. To find most of the fish look for a slot,
drop in, pool, or inside bend thats a good 3-4 deep and moving a slow walking
pace. Make sure there isnt too much water swirling around, this will make for
tougher floats and more work for the fish. Which lets face it, they are cold
and arent going to want to spend any energy holding in rough water. If it boils then move on.
Once you find one fish this time of year there is likely to be more holding in that spot. Find the pod and then spend some time working the same water. Once you feel like youve gotten enough floats through the hole and got every fish out of that pod throw one more cast and head on to find that next pod, or if you are wade fishing change flies, change depth, add or subtract weight. If you get into a good pod you can get 6-10 fish out of the same spot if you are patient and stealthy about it.
Right now is a great time
to be out and beat the fair weather guys. Try to get out and enjoy some time in the sun and maybe catch a couple of fish. It isn't about big numbers of trout in February, but you are assured a great average size fish and the scenery is really great. Lots of wildlife and it just feels good to get some fresh air. Theres still a little bit of chill in the air but when the sun is out
you dont even need a jacket, which feels like the turning point for spring. The chill is good for us though, itll keep the river
from blowing out completely. So get out and enjoy the river right now while its
perfect.
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So worth it right now
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Great report man! Well said. Winter fishing is at its peak right now!
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All true - wading yesterday took 6 NICE fish out of a small pool by changing bugs twice.