12-31-01/As the remaining day of the season arrives, snow falls over the Kittitas valley and local fly fishermen take time to enjoy the mild winter time temperatures and the waters of the Yakima.  A mishmash of anglers traverse the high mountain pass, crossing the east slope of the Cascade, descending into the basin, each seeking solitude and peace that only an Eastern Washington trout stream can provide this time of year.  Snow covers the roads, as well as the banks and hillsides of the river.  Elk, deer and Big Horn Sheep struggle, pawing at the earth for the remainder of covered grasses.  Bald eagles and red tailed hawks take refuge in the pines along the river, waiting patiently for the renewal of spring.

With the season quietly coming to an end, a new season will be ushered in.   The days pass quickly and before we know it, the first productive hatches on Eastern Washington's rivers and lakes will be upon us once again. Anglers scramble each day, scurrying through the shop purchasing a wide variety of furs, feathers and synthetics to imitate the naturals.  Countless hours this time of year are spent tying and constructing their imitation.  The anticipation of a new beginning propels the imagination with thoughts of the coming years fly fishing adventures.

Worley Bugger Fly Co. is currently conducting half day winter fly fishing trip on the Yakima River.  Please contact us with questions and  availability or stop by our proshop in Ellensburg.

We will resume trips in the spring to our other exciting fisheries in the 2002 season.  Come join us!

From the staff and management of Worley Bugger Fly Co. have a Happy And Safe New Year!

Rocky Canyon Cam

Ellensburg Cam

For the die hard fly fishers that will develop cabin fever during the month of December, utilize the warmest part of your winter days to find the most productive Yakima River fly fishing. 

By 10:00a.m. the mercury begins to rise to a comfortable level.  The afternoon fishing can be enjoyable and you may find you have the entire river to yourself.  As late afternoon approaches, you can feel the temperature begin a rapid decent.

You may encounter some dry fly fishing during the warmer portion of the day, but weather conditions will dictate the midge activity. It is likely, various nymph strategies in combination with several different streamer tactics will be your most productive methods.  With low river flows and frigid water temperatures, fish your imitations accordingly.  Stop by the pro shop in Ellensburg for the latest report and a hot cup of worley bugger mud before heading out..

  Klickitat River Wild Steelhead

11-15-01/A continuous stream of early winter storms develops over the Pacific Northwest, as the rain showers continue on course through Eastern Washington, plummeting the Cascade Mountain Range. 

The downpour has triggered a premature melting of low lying snow pack, swelling the main tributaries that feed the Yakima system increasing river flows and dredging up sand and silt along the way. 

The rivers water clarity at this time varies between 6 to 12" in the lower sections of the Yakima.

A break in the storms is predicted over the region by late Friday afternoon, but expect much higher flows through the system than what you have experienced this fall. 

11-8-01/The days of November now cast an evident impression over the Yakima River valley as fly fishermen continue to take advantage of the rivers last productive insect emergences of the season.  As the morning sun appears over the Kittitas valley, a chill that hasn't been apparent for sometime, reminds us that winter is close at hand.  By early afternoon, a warm blinding array of sunshine blankets the Yakima River basin and you will find yourself enjoying the last remaining days of fall.

An appearance of tiny Baetis Mayflies begins around 11:00 a.m. and the Yakima rainbows start a methodical feeding cycle that will continue throughout the warmest part of the day.  An appropriate imitation tied with a thin, dark profile body, so small you will wonder in amazement why a trout would expend its energy reserve to eat something so tiny, fished on an long fine tippet and placed precisely in the feeding lanes will be a necessary part of your arsenal.

For the more selective fish, try a Baetis emerger fished just under the surface film with greased tippet of 16 to 20".  Keep your casts short and precise will watching for a dimple or rise form at the waters surface.  A soft hackle in the early or latter part of the day has also been an effective.  Don't neglect the streamer fishing this time of year as well, it has been a highly productive fishing method over the past weeks.

The Yakima River Clean Up Day will be held this Sunday.  For those of who you that would like to attend, but have not yet registered, you can do so at the link provide below.  For participants that need directions to the Ringer Road boat launch, you will find a map of the area provided here.

11-01-01/As we begin the month of November, an extension of mild temperatures continues, producing warm comfortable, productive days of fishing.  Early morning fog banks settle in the valley on occasion, but quickly disperse as the sunshine slices through the low lying cloud banks, thinning the chill rather quickly. 

A reoccurring emergence of fall Mayflies continues throughout the lower Yakima River system as the trout leisurely feed at their discretion.  You can anticipate a Baetis emergence developing in the tail outs of the system by mid-day in addition to a scattering of Mahogany Dun Mayflies. 

Which insect the trout are essentially feeding upon at the time will be a visual examination for you to determine.  The trout's feeding behavior can be rather picky this time of year and they can easily distinguish between a natural and the imitation being presented. Be prepared to encounter a variety of situations during your day.

www.wildsteelheadcoalition.com

10-23-01/With the month of October fading rather quickly, a spectrum of fall colors now flourishes along the banks of the river.  A variety of eye catching distractions has formed, creating a scenic diversion from the productive fishing that is currently underway.  The Big Horn Sheep have returned to roam the hills of the lower Yakima River Canyon and dominance is now being established as Rams exchange bone crushing blows to determine who will participate in the yearly mating ritual. The foliage that was once lush and plentiful just a short time ago is now starting to lighten and fall away.

Two insects of importance continue to play an active role in the Yakima River rainbows dietary consumption. The Fall Caddis are now emerging during the early morning hours and sporadically throughout the day.  This activity will entice the rainbows to subsurface feeding activities throughout the majority of the morning. An October Caddis imitation fished upon the surface will also draw a trout's attentions during this time.

As the afternoon develops, fall Baetis in sizes ranging from 16 to 20 emerge a top the surface film. The Yakima rainbows quickly turn their attentions to these plentiful Mayflies. The trout will require you to present them with a drag free drift, along with an appropriate pattern before any attention are directed towards your imitation.

With low water and bright sunny skies occurring during the month, try light tippets of 5 or 6x  fluorocarbon. Light refraction from regular tippet material can spook fish. This added tippet tool will be a necessary item in your arsenal for both dry fly and nymph fishing during the month of October and November.  It will help reduce light refraction and will aid in the prevention of fly refusal.

 Klickitat River Wild Steelhead

Even though we are seeing a very different river this fall, the lower sections around Eburg and lower Yakima Canyon are still floatable in drift boats, rafts or pontoon boats.  The upper sections of the Yakima you are going to find extremely difficult to maneuver and just plain get around.

With the river as low as it is, an assortment of dries, nymphs, streamers and soft hackles will all be productive throughout different parts of the day.  The lower canyon is experiencing several different hatches of Mayflies and Caddis. Mahogany Dun Mayflies and Baetis emerge most of the day, but we are still encountering a very nice fall, with warm, bright sunny skies.  Look for the shady spots of the river and you will find the rainbows slurping them on the surface.  The October Caddis is sporadic during the day, but by late afternoon these giant insects begin showing up in greater numbers and the trout then commence their nightly feeding activities.

Both Blackstone and Baseline Lakes are now open for fall fishing.  With nightly temperatures dropping into the 30° mark, these two fabulous fisheries are both producing some very nice fish The lakes water temperature has come down to a safe and manageable condition and both are seeing excellent insect activity at this time.

The Fall Caddis or October Caddis are still somewhat sporadic.  Some evenings, the river produces a good emergence, while other nights not much is taking place. 

As the fall season progresses this incredible hatch of gigantic Caddisflies will become much more consistent.

Yakima River Blue Wing Olive

With the river as low as it is, most anglers are finding the early fall fishing to be a welcome relief from the heavy flows of summer. 

The river is still floatable in almost all area's, (above the confluence of the Cle Elum will be difficult) however picking the appropriate water, while reading water depth is key to floating the river in the fall. 

Remember wading anglers have been confined to the banks the past several months, so fly fishers floating in boats try to remember proper river etiquette.  Most fly anglers are finding the river to be fishing extremely well at this time. 

A hint of advice we can give to anglers floating in drift boats, rafts or pontoon boats; 

use your boat as a vessel to float from hole to hole, while fishing from run to run.  Talking with anglers in our pro-shop this past week that were drifting the river, did find the river to fish somewhat slow.  A change in tactics is required from what you were doing just a few short weeks ago.  Anchor your boat above the runs, fishing it completely before drifting over them.  The trout are podded (schooled) and floating over the fish only spooks them, at the same time ruining the hole for fishing.

The salmon that returned early this spring have begun there spawning ritual in the upper river, so a change in tactics is required in these reaches of the system.  In area's where the Chinooks are creating reds, trout will be feasting on the eggs that the spring and fall salmon are now releasing.  You may find several pairs of salmon spawning throughout the lower river as well.

Yakima River Rainbow

With the air temperatures fluctuating from day to day here in Eastern Washington, fishing has been unpredictable as well.  Some days the bigger fish are active and taking imitations, while other times the pesky littler fish are hard to keep away.  We are seeing cooler nights with lows dropping into the 40's, so early morning and evening fishing has been best, especially when a good emergence of Fall Caddis takes precedence.  The fish are on the move throughout the day, so concentrate your attentions in the morning hours on the river's fall water.  You will find the Yakima rainbows slurping small Baetis and Mahogany Duns in the morning.  As day time temperatures heat up, concentrate your flies in the faster runs and riffles as well as the foam lines and seam structure.

Those that prefer the still waters of the eastern basin, the chain lakes, Lenice and Nunnally are fishing well.  The waters are still somewhat choked with weeds, so heavy tippets are required to land some of the bigger fish in the lakes.  Callibaetis Mayflies (below right), Damsels and Dragons patterns are all effective at this time.

Individuals who prefer a little less crowed water may find our (2) private lakes, Baseline Lake and Blackstone Lake a nice escape.  They will be opening later this month or early October for Professional Guide fly fishing trips.  With the planting of German Browns in Baseline Lake this spring, we anticipate some exciting fly fishing from this fabulous fishery in October.  

Our new still water fishery, Blackstone Lake, located just outside of Ellensburg just minutes from our proshop has the guide team of WBFC very thrilled.  We have been able to fish a few early mornings on the lake over the past 10 days and are very pleased with what we are seeing.  If you have any questions about either fishery, please feel free to contact us.

The second annual Yakima River Clean-Up is scheduled for November 11th.  We had an excellent turn out this spring (over 60 people) and would love to see even more fly fishermen turn out for the fall clean up.  There will be prizes award in several different categories from some of fly fishing's top manufactures as well as a host of fly fishing industry reps taking part in the activities.  Come on out for fun, fellowship and a great time as well as supporting our state's finest trout river.  You can acquire more information on the days events here.

Between these two points you will find the river running in the 500-600cfs range. 

According to Dave Hennemen at the Bureau of Reclamation we will continue to see the river at these flows until the flip flop with the Nachess and Tieton Rivers has stabilized.

Blackstone Lake Rainbow

Late evening hours are starting to produce some Fall Caddis, but it has been sporadic at best.  Watch for this productive fall hatch to much more intense as the month progresses. 

With cooler night time temperatures now dominating the last part of summer,  we are watching the water temperatures on Baseline Lake in George and Blackstone Lake here in Ellensburg, both private fisheries.  Blackstone is now in the process of turning over and water temperatures from morning to mid-afternoon are in the low 60's.  

Concentrate your attentions on the summer water, as the river begins its yearly decent.  The Yakima is now dropping in flow on a day to day basis. 

As of today, the flip flop is scheduled for the first part of September.  For those of you that may be unaware of this term; flows are greatly reduced in the upper Yakima, while water is released from the Bumping and Rimrock Reservoirs.

Water is then drawn from the Nachess and lower Yakima for irrigation purposes.  Farmers in the lower valley will be extracting water from this source until the middle of October.  Wading anglers restricted to the banks throughout the summer will find area's of the river much easier to safely access.  As the days progress, wading sections of the Yakima won't be a problem throughout most of river.

The second drowning in less than a month occurred this past weekend in the upper river at Bristle Flats as 2 young children surrendered their life to the river.  During the summer months, water is expelled into the river at this location from the Easton Canal for irrigation purposes.  Signs are posted of the water hazard on the left and right sides of the river.  It's a sad occasion when the lives of two so young are taken because of ignorance.  The use of common sense and good judgment go hand in hand on any river.  Make sure you use them at all times!

Worley Bugger wishes everyone a happy and safe Labor Day Weekend

8-25-01/The big bug fishing continues on the Yakima as the August fishing heats up.  The terrestrial activity is starting to peak as the Yakima Rainbow's metabolism runs high.  The trout continually feed throughout the day on a variety of natural insects such as hoppers, ants and beetles.  Dead drifting your imitation generally is the productive method for fly fishermen, however sporadic twitches across the surface will entice the fish to your imitation. 

Be prepared to imitate these terrestrials with a variety of sizes and colors that are now present on the Yakima.  Yellow, red and orange in sizes 6 thru 10 is a good color combination to match the natural grasshoppers (bottom left) that you will find along the rivers edge. Ant and beetle imitations in brown, red and black, size 12 thru 16 are working well also.  The night time Caddis activity has been somewhat sporadic over the past week.  Some days the river produces a good emergence, while other days the activity is almost non existence from weeks past.

After a week of blistering heat, a cooling trend has entered the Eastern part of the state. The weekend outlook calls for highs in the low to mid 80's with light and variable wind.

8-15-01/The scorching heat continues throughout Eastern Washington as temperatures rocket into or near the triple digit mark.  The vegetation along the banks of the river is growing thick and dense under the warm sunny skies and the summer time terrestrials are flourishing among it. 

Casting your favorite Hopper pattern along these area's will attract attention throughout the day from the Yakima's wild rainbows.  You can expect good to very good fishing throughout the entire river system at this time, despite the heat and temperatures that we are experiencing.

Water flows from the upper reservoirs of Lake Kachess and Lake Easton are now starting to recede, so wading in the upper sections of the river will be much easier for those that have been confined to the banks.  The water in the lower Yakima canyon continues to run over the 3000cfs mark.  Finding safe wading opportunities can be difficult at these flows, but there are some area's that are easily accessible this time of year.  Try the rock gardens, the Umtanum bridge and lower island splits for good wading potentials.

Worley Bugger Fly Co. is pleased to announce we are now the primary booking agent and professional guide service for the renowned  "Blackstone Lake" here in Ellensburg, just minutes from our pro-shop.  More details on guided trips and the lake in general will be posted to the site and shop later this month.  Both Blackstone and Baseline Lake will open for fall fishing sometime during the month of September when surface temperatures become much cooler (60°).

A high end rod and reel combination was recently discovered at a boat launch on the Yakima.  It was brought into our shop by a client of WBFC and we would like to see it returned to the original owner.  If you have recently misplaced a rod/reel at one of the boat launches on the Yakima and can correctly identify it, please give us a call or stop by our shop.

8-9-01/The heat is on as the hot days of August record temperatures over the 90° mark here in the Yakima River valley.  Expect warm, bright sunny skies through the rest of the week, lasting well into the weekend.  Despite the warm weather, fishing has been very good the past week.  We are finding the Yakima trout receptive to the big attractor, stonefly and hopper imitations during the day.  As the warm days progress, watch as the Yakima summer Stonefly activity, the Shortwing Stonefly hatch intensifies.  With more warm days expected, a rapid growth in the Grasshoppers holding along the brushy banks of the Yakima will occur. Casting big imitations to match the natural along these banks of the river will be productive throughout the day.  Bring your Caddis for the hatches that you will find happening in the latter part of the day, lasting well into late dusk.

A drowning sadly occurred this past weekend in the upper Yakima canyon, as a man in his early 40's surrendered his life to the river.  As the warm weather trend continues during the month of August, those looking to escape the hot dog days of summer will be heading to water looking for some relief.  Common sense and sound judgment must be used at all times.  Don't let it a good time on the water turn into the worst or last day of your life!

8-01-01/After a torrent of winds blanketed the Kittitas valley most of last week, weather patterns have some what improved, but summer time temperatures remain lower than normal for this time of year. With a change in the weather, a modification in your tactics is also required.  If you find the Yakima trout unresponsive to your dry fly during the day, go subsurface with a double nymph rig, soft hackle swing or your favorite streamer pattern.

With the warmer days of August upon us, the Hopper and Stonefly fishing will ignite.  Concentrate your imitations along the grassy banks, seams and boulders of the river. Imitating the natural with plenty of life like movement is the key to enticing the Yakima bow's to your fly.  The trout hone their instincts to the nervous commotion caused by the natural insect as they lie helpless upon the surface of the water.  Most fall victim to violent attack, crushed between bone and cartilage in the jaws of the Yakima river rainbows.  Your abilities to match the realistic movements of these two insects will be the challenge. 

Let's face it, nobody likes to fish in the wind, especially fly fishermen, however the windy summer days can be a blessing in disguise.  It will provide cooler air and water temperatures, while presenting an angler with top water action as many of the Yakima's summer time terrestrial insects are blown on to the water's surface.  Knowing how to fish in the wind can be a difficult for many, but can be quickly overcome with some practice and instruction.

We have found over the past week of fishing several of the larger Yakima Bows bloated, stuffed full of Stonefly nymphs and sculpins.  Fishing the deeper slots below the fast riffles and currents is where you will find the fish holding, dining at their leisure on this aquatic and baitfish food source.

The Caddis continue to be a main factor in the trout's diet and will continue to be a nutritional food supply well through the month of August.  The late hours of the day your focus will lie primarily with this abundant summer time insect.   The Yakima bow's will be eating emergers and adult Caddis, so be prepared with both to match the emergence.  The X-Caddis, (left) a dry fly imitation, works well imitating both stages of the insect, when fished appropriately.

7-25-01/The summer time fishing continues to roll on here in the Yakima River valley.  The early morning or late evening continue to be the best all around times to fish.  If an angler is persistent, fish can be caught during the heat of the day.  Try attractor patterns for surface fishing like Humpies, Trudes, Turks or Chernobyl Ants. During the breezy times throughout the day, tie on a Hopper imitation and cast it tight along the grassy banks for the best action.  With Stoneflies clearly in the diet of the larger fish now, your favorite stone nymph imitation or streamer pattern should work well for you fished deep during the heat of the day.

Caddis and Yellow Sallies will show up in good numbers at sundown and the daily feeding ritual will occur.  It is good to have both adult and emerger form to match the naturals.  Fish sizes 12-16 appropriately.  With water temperatures now in the low 60's, concentrate your imitations in the fast seams and currents of the Yakima.

7-13-01/The hot days of summer have arrived to the Kittitas Valley as temperatures soared into the upper 90's this past week.  The weekend weather predictions are calling for cooler temperatures with highs hitting the 80°+  mark. Water flows continue to run high, recording flows well into the 3000 cfs (cubic feet per second) range throughout the system.  Wading anglers looking to find relief from the high water will find the sections above the confluence of the Cle Elum much easier to access. 

As temperatures continue to climb, brush and vegetation along the river banks will continue to flourish, growing thick and dense especially in the lower Yakima river canyon.  In these area's, the Hoppers (grasshoppers) are starting to show in good numbers and in a variety of colors.  Be prepared with several different imitations to match the assortment of sizes and colors that are now active along these banks of the river.

Their is also a stonefly migration in progress at this time.  The Short-wing Stone (right) has began it's yearly exodus from the water to the banks of the Yakima. Over the past week our professional guide team has seen quite a few males showing up now along the banks of the Yakima. 

Watch for the females of the species to return to the water in the late afternoon hours.  Your favorite stonefly adult or nymph pattern fished appropriately throughout the day will draw attentions.

With the hot weather that is occurring here in the valley, fishing tends to be slow during the heat of the day.  The early morning fishing and late evening has been the most productive.  The Caddis put on quite an evening display of hatching, mating and egg laying, while the trout come alive in a feeding frenzy, taking full advantage of this summer time smorgasbord.

7-5-01/An increase in water from it's main source over the past couple of days has the Yakima flows on the rise for the first time this summer.  A discharge of water from the Cle Elum Reservoir has increased the Yakima River flows below the confluence of the two rivers anywhere from 600/800cfs at this time. Expect to the see the river running above the 2000cfs range below the convergence of the Cle Elum and Yakima, still way below it's normal output for this time of year.  The river above this area is still low and easily wadable.  The water has just a tint of color to it, but as the river settles in the next day or two expect clear conditions throughout the system above Wilson Creek. 

With temperatures on the rise here in the eastern desert, a release of water is good news for the river and the fish.  This will keep the h2o temperatures manageable due to the fact the water from the Cle Elum Reservoir is discharged from the bottom of the dam. This release of water will also help flush out the remainder of salmon smolts that have been holding in the river for some time now.

During the mid-afternoon fishing the dry fly action can slow some. Try your favorite attractor pattern to entice the Yakima bow's to the surface (Madam X/Chernobyl Ants/Stimy).  We are beginning to see a good number of Short Wing Stones emerge along the banks, both male and female species. This happens to be one of our largest population of stones in the Yakima and they have arrived early to the river this year. 

As dusk begins, the river comes alive with multiple Caddis hatches and the trout once again begin the nightly feeding ritual.  Early morning nymphing as well as streamer tactics have proven to be highly successful throughout the heat of the day.

We hope everyone had a safe and stress free holiday this past 4th of July!

6-28-01/The Yakima river continues to fish with it's same consistency that we have seen over the past couple of weeks.  Periods of strange and unusual summer weather continue to roll through the valley, producing some wet and windy conditions. 

Water flows are less than half for this time of year in most area's of the river.  Wading anglers will find sections of the Yakima easily accessible throughout the system, however one will have to pick and choose the appropriate paths to take as low water flows have created fast and deep slots in the river.  Water temperatures are fluctuating with the different air temperatures from day to day, but it remains to run in the middle to upper 50's.

Throughout the day an angler can expect to find a wide variety of insect's hatching on the Yakima.  Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, and Yellow Sally's are the (3) most prolific insect's that the trout are feeding on at this time. 

We have begun to see the male species of the Short Wing Stones begin to emerge in the lower sections of the river and the trout are keyed in on them.  A Madam X or similar pattern fished appropriately will do the trick. 

Yakima River Brown Drake

Throughout the day an angler can expect to find a wide variety of insect's hatching on the Yakima.  Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, and Yellow Sally's are the (3) most prolific insect's that the trout are feeding on at this time. 

We have begun to see the male species of the Short Wing Stones begin to emerge in the lower sections of the river and the trout are keyed in on them.  A Madam X or similar pattern fished appropriately will do the trick. 

We have had received numerous calls here at the pro shop about Green Drake Mayflies hatching on the Yakima.  In order to hit this emergence of big Mayflies one must be in the right place at the right time.  We have seen sporadic hatches of Green and Brown Drakes (left) here in the lower river this year, so be prepared in case you happen to encounter this mid afternoon insect emergence.

Luke and I spent the last couple of days on one of Eastern Washington's premier Steelhead river's swinging flies for big chromers.  Steelhead fishing is hot for big runs of hatchery fish with the wild sea going rainbows not far behind.  Steelhead fishing on the fly is no easy task. It requires a tremendous amount of work, as well as gear that is built for big fish, but the payoff is enormous and easily addicting!  Call us if your interested in chasing these big migrating rainbows this summer and fall.

6-20-01/The windy conditions have diminished and the weather has greatly improved, however we are now seeing day time highs reaching into the middle or upper 80's.  Bright sunny skies are blanketing Eastern Washington.

The fishing does tend to slow during the heat of the day, even though water temperatures are still running in the low 50's.  The best fishing times by far are early morning and late afternoon into dusk.  Expect slow to good fishing on the bright sunny days. Days with some cloud cover have produced optimum fishing.

A variety of insects are making their pre summer appearances during the day.  Expect to see good consistent hatches of Caddis, Yellow Sally's and PMD's. on all stretches of the system.  Their is some Brown and Green Drake Mayfly activity occurring throughout the Yakima, but being in the right section at the right time is key to hitting the emergence.  The upper Yakima is also seeing a large amount of terrestrial activity during the day, so be prepared to see them if you happen to be fishing in those sections.

Klickitat River Steelhead

The summer steelhead season began this month and Luke has had great success in hooking up with several in the upper 10-12 .lbs.  If you are interested in pursuing steelhead on the fly this summer with him, please call ahead.  Days and availability will be limited with increasing temperatures.

6-15-01/Another week of unusually cool, wet, windy weather has settled in the Kittitas valley.   Despite the weather conditions, the fishing has been good.  Consistent hatches of Caddis, PMD's, and Yellow Sally Stones throughout the day, mixed with good water conditions for this time of year, have the Yakima River rainbows actively taking the naturals.  With the mixture of weather we are now experiencing, a variety of imitations and methods are working equally well.

For those that prefer fooling the fish to surface, we have definitely seen an improvement in this method over the past week, especially with the attractor and small terrestrials patterns.  Their are however moments when wading through the thousands of Coho salmon smolts can get rather discouraging.  They aggressively push the trout from their natural runs and holding lies.  Fishing the right water types will be your key in hooking up with the Yakima's wild rainbows. Attaching one of your favorite big uglies and going under should take care of this annoying problem. Working the summer water will be your key to success!

6-6-01/The cooler weather has dominated the valley this past week, which in turn has brought water temperatures back down into the low 50's.  This has provided the Yakima river fly fishers with plenty of good fishing.

The Yakima did see a slight increase in water flows due to the first cutting of hay that was underway in the Kittitas valley last week.  It continues to run at below normal summer operating flows.

With cooler temperatures the insect hatches have been lasting longer throughout the day.  The river is now generating a good Pale Evening Dun emergence just before dusk. This Mayfly is a bit bigger cousin of the PMD, almost drake like.  Fishing the imitation in a size #12 is ideal.

5-31-01/After a week of hot weather, accompanied by some very strong winds, the river flows continue to run low and clear.  What does this all mean?  Most of the snow pack that was melting through the month of May has slowly been seeping into ground water.  We can expect to see low flows on the river throughout the month of June.  You may see a slight increase in water flows towards the end of June, as local Kittitas irrigators will not longer be drawing water from the K.R.D. (Kittitas Reclamation District) canals.  As of now, June 28th is their last day for river water.  After that, emergency ground water wells will be used by local farmers, ranchers and orchardists.

What does that mean for fishermen?  Lower than normal water flows throughout the summer months.  This very well could impact the wild rainbows of the Yakima, as warm weather heats the water to a deadly degree.  We will be monitoring water temperatures closely over the next several weeks.  As of now the cool 40° nights are keeping the water at a safe level and fishing continues to be consistently good.

The river is experiencing several spring time insect emergences.  Expect to see Caddis, Golden Stoneflies, Yellow Sallies and PMD's throughout the entire system.  Some area's of the river are seeing more prolific hatches of Golden Stones than others.  The Crayfish (right) are also underway with their yearly molting ritual, so streamer fishing with light and dark colored imitations are working well.

5-21-01/The cottonwood tree's are in bloom under the warm sunny skies of the Yakima River Valley, as the spring time fishing continues. Low water flows dominate the entire system as a multitude of insect emergences are occurring on the Yakima. 

Caddis, P.M.D.'s (pale morning dun), Yellow Sally's, Salmon Flies, Crane Flies, March Browns (upper river), and now our Golden Stone (left).

Dry flies, nymphs and streamers are all producing equally well.  Dry fly fishing throughout the day has been consistently good, expect Saturday which anglers had to tolerate 35-40 mph wind gusts.  Sunday of course was a much better day to be fishing.

The river is running low with just a hint of color. Wading anglers will find area's of the Yakima that are usually not accessible this time of year, available to them.

5-10-01/Caddis, Caddis and more Caddis will be your major concern if you plan to fish the Yakima in the next few days.   A thick emergence in an assortment of adults and emergers, with sizes ranging from 12 to16 are hatching on a consistent basis on the Yakima.  You will find early morning blooms starting just after day break and lasting well into the afternoon.  The late afternoons Caddis are also producing some great dry fly action.  Anglers are still finding some March Brown activity, mostly in the upper stretches above Ellensburg about mid-day.  There are still some big monster Salmon Flies (below left) roaming around, so tossing a big imitation may provided you with some excitement.

We have had some fairly strong winds the past couple of days, which has made the insect activity somewhat slow during these times.  When we do experience these gusty winds, finding the sections of the river such as corners and well protected area's will be the key to finding fish feeding on the surface.  The weekend weather looks good with the strong winds decreasing by Friday.

5-2-01/The Yakima conditions have greatly improved  over the past couple of days and the river is back down running low and clear.

Water clarity has also improved, but do expect parts of the Yakima canyon, south of Ellensburg to be a bit off color due to Wilson Creek. 

Along with improvements in river conditions, insect hatches have also returned in large numbers.  Some of the upper stretches of the Yakima are still seeing good hatches of March Browns. 

The Salmon Fly (right) hatch was also in it's beginning stages early last week and these big stones were hatching in large numbers.The emergence is moving quickly up river, so watch for the huge females to begin showing up around mid-afternoon. 

Caddis are also hatching in equally large numbers throughout the day, so be prepared with dark bodied emergers and adults to imitate the naturals.

4-27-01/Grab your lake gear and head to the Basin, the Yakima is in tough shape, running chocolate brown in most area's.  Snow pack melting from the Cascades is being feed into the system from all the surrounding tributaries.  The river is on the rise and with the warm weather Eastern Washington is now experiencing, relief from the spring runoff won't come in the next couple of days. 

Our professional guided fly fishing trips have all been reschedule or anglers are fishing Baseline Lake, WBFC's new fly fishing playground, just a short drive from Ellensburg.

A release of water is scheduled for this weekend as well and irrigators throughout the valley have agreed not to pull any water from the system until early next week.  Why?  Chinook Salmon smolts were deposited into the Yakima about 10 days ago. State and tribal officials want to flush them through the Yakima system into the Columbia.

4-25-01/The warm spring time temperatures are starting to arrive here in the Yakima River Valley, which means our meager snow pack in the Cascades may begin to dissolve.  We will be watching the gauging stations closely over the next couple of days as temperatures are predicted to reach into the high 70's even possibly the lower 80's. 

The Teanaway River, a major tributary of the Yakima will be the one of the main sources of run off feeding the river.  As of now, the Yakima is in good shape and the fishing has been consistently good.

The monster Stone Fly, Pteronarcys californica (salmon fly) has been migrating a little early this year and we have already begun to seen numerous egg laying females returning to the water. 

Most of this Stone Fly activity at this time is in the lower area's below Ellensburg.

Pteronarcy Nymph (salmon fly)

The K.R.D. (Kittitas Reclamation District) has begun charging the irrigation channels for farmers and fruit growers here in the valley and word is, irrigation season will begin on May 1st this year.  However as of now, the canal will be shut off the first part of July.  A tough water year is in stow for everyone here in the western part of the states.  Hopefully a hot summer won't drive water temperatures up where fish kills in our western rivers becomes a major concern.

4-19-01/The spring fishing rolls on here in the Yakima river valley.  Multiple mid afternoon hatches of March Browns, Baetis, Skwala Stones and now Caddis have the fish gluttonously feeding upon the surface.  Subsurface feeding techniques are working equally well or better throughout the day.

The river is running low and clear, which means the fish are working in pods and are spookier than usual.  A drag free presentation of light tippet (5 or 6x./9-11ft.) is needed to fool them into slurping your imitation from the surface .  If you can't accomplish these techniques, a wet fly or emerger fished just below the surface will prove successful for you. 

During the early mornings and late evening try working streamers through the pools and tail outs. If you prefer nymphing, big Stones with a small Mayfly trailer will do the trick for you.  If you haven't fished the Yakima this spring.....now is the time to get out there! 

Baseline Lake Triploid Rainbow

Thursday and Friday evenings produced some of the biggest hatches of Skwala Stones yet this spring.  The water in some area's (mostly the middle stretches) where thick with these size 8-10 spring stones throughout the afternoon. The Yakima bow's have now been feeding heavily on them for well over 10 days, (nymphs and adults) and are keyed in on them.  Trying a stonefly attractor in the morning should produce effective results for you.   If you find the morning to be a bit slow on the surface, the big stone nymphs with a PT. nymph trailer should do the trick.

This time of year, concentrate on shorter distances to float. With the river running lower than normal for this time of year, shorter floats are the key to not passing the fishable waters.  The trout are pooled up and once they begin their daily feeding cycle, you may find yourself anchored or held up in some holes up to 1-2 hours.

Skwala Adult Imitation

Fishing this weekend was excellent, especially Friday and Saturday.  Dries, nymphs and streamers were all highly productive.  Friday the Yakima had a plentiful return of Skawla Stones (below left) to the water and the fish were eating them.  Saturday was overcast with a few sprinkles throughout the valley.  This produced great hatches of Baetis and March Browns (pictured right/the best hatch of the year!).  Their are even a few Caddis starting to appear early this year.   The river is in excellent condition and is still easily wadable at this time.

The small dry fly fishing will probably be better on Sunday, as overcast and some drizzle is predicted.

Rhithrogena Morrisoni {March Brown Mayfly)

Early morning your best bet will probably be Stone nymphs with a small bead trailer or streamers.  The afternoon should produce some big dry fly action as we begin to see the female Skwala's (pictured left) return to the water to drop eggs. 

The March Brown nymphs have been active over the past 10 days and the fish are beginning to key in on them.  It is still a little early to see consistent hatches of the Duns.  Watch for their emergence throughout the month of April. 

Midge cluster are still apparent throughout the system, but seem more prolific on the upper stretches of the Yakima.  Try a cluster pattern where this is evident.

The Yakima River Canyon Marathon is being held this Saturday.  If you plan on fishing in the lower Yakima Canyon, south of Ellensburg you will need a sportsman's pass to access Highway 821 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.  You can stop by our proshop in Ellensburg to pick one up.  They are free to the public.

3-26-01/Spring rains desperately needed throughout the Northwest arrived late Saturday night, pounding the Yakima River valley and continued throughout Sunday afternoon.  An increase in water levels, almost doubling water flows in the Yakima have water clarity running about 8-12 " of visibility at the banks as of this morning. 

Flows from the surrounding tributaries were the culprit and they have already begun to recede.  We will be watching the flows over the next couple of days as well as water clarity.  If the river conditions don't improve, those of you that have guided trips planned with us this week will be contacted for rescheduling once things do improve.

The weekend produced good hatches of Skwala Stones, Midges and a few Baetis.  Their has even been a mixed scattering of March Brown Mayflies seen thru some of the upper sections of the river. 

Watch for more consistent hatches of this excellent spring Mayfly emergence in the first parts of April.

The Native Yakima River Westslope Cutthroat

The large females (pictured right/twice the size of the males) have been returning to the water all weekend long and the wild Yakima bow's are keyed in on them.  However, some area's of the river are seeing a better return of female stones to the water than others.  The best Stonefly fishing is mid afternoon until dusk.

Midge Cluster Pattern

The proposed test Chinook Salmon fishery is still being considered and we have yet to hear a date on the meeting to be held here in Ellensburg at the Hal Holmes Center.  Once we do, everyone will be contacted and information will be posted in the pro shop here in E'burg as well as our site.  Support for the wild rainbows will be needed.  Everyone will be encouraged to attend. 

If you have not already read the WDFW email response to fly fishermen concerning last year's opening and this year's proposed opening, you can do so here.

Female Skwala Adult Stonefly (Bottom View)

The insect activity has still been inconsistent from day to day, so dry fly fishing has yet to be really good.  With warmer days predicted the dry fly fishing could break wide open with hatches of Stones and Baetis. Nymph fishing as well as streamers has been the most productive.  The Skwala nymphs have been moving quite a bit the past week, so dead drifting stones on the lower sections of the system has been picking up some of the better fish.  The wind is suppose to recede over the next few days, so weekend fishing should be good.

With water flows considerably lower than usual, water temperatures will be on the rise, which in turn, should produce thick hatches of Baetis (below right) and Skwala Stones