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Hello friends, we hope you have all enjoyed your
busy summers to their fullest extent and
accomplished all the goals you set out to
achieve outdoors. If fishing was on that list
and hasn’t yet been accomplished, or if you have
gotten out but just can’t get enough, don’t
forget about the fall as a highly productive
time to fish. |
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Fall on the Yakima
is beautiful, as of Labor Day weekend we have
gone through the annual “flip-flop” where the
river flows are reduced from about 4000 CFS to
1000 CFS. This creates new river conditions
where many different fishing tactics can produce
numerous and large fish. |
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The days of
throwing hoppers tight to the bank are
nearing their end, but where one food source
diminishes, a new one opens up. The two
hatches that will happen throughout the
month of September are the Crane flies, and
the Baetis mayflies. Both of these offer
exciting dry fly opportunities into the
fall. In October hatches of big, bright
Halloween (October) Caddis will begin
appearing along with Mahogany Dun Mayflies.
At this time, skating a orange bodied caddis
imitation provides some excellent dry fly
fishing time while surrounded by
unbelievable autumn colors. |
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Over the next
couple of weeks King Salmon will begin
spawning in very specific stretches of the
Upper Yakima and Cle Elum River drainages.
Here, trout will feast on millions of eggs
that begin tumbling throughout the riffles.
If catching big Yakima trout is on your list
this fall these sections can be great places
to fish during the spawn for egg feeders.
If this isn't your style of fly fishing
travel farther to the Ellensburg Canyon
section of the river. No such activity
takes place in this section of the river and
here you can concentrate your efforts on
trout feeding on aquatic insects. |
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DAILY FISHING REPORTS
DAILY FISHING REPORTS |
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Another
amazing statistic is the Upper Yakima has
over 2200 returning Sockeye Salmon which
will also be spawning. This is good
news for our resident fish and the river in
general. Along with the King Salmon,
the Sockeye provide an abundant bio-mass of
eggs, flesh and fry that is needed to grow
large trout in our system. Please be
careful when wading and anchoring a boat in
these sections not to disturb the spawning
bedds. If you are unsure how to
identify the bed, feel free to call the fly
shop and we can help you. |
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Additionally,
nymphing begins to be an effective way to catch
fish off of ledges and in the riffles in the new
low water fishing. Another effective way to
catch fish is through wading, or getting out of
the boat and fishing a run on foot. During the
high water, wading can be dangerous, but with
lower water brings safer and more productive
wading opportunities. The fall is a great time
for the angler who wants to try and catch fish
on as many different flies as possible! Don’t
miss out on the fall fishing on the Yakima
River! |
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Another popular event that starts taking precedence
as the weather cools is fly fishing for summer
steelhead on many of the Columbia River tributaries.
The most popular streams that generally hold
steelhead in Washington State in the fall are the
Klickitat, Wenatchee, Grande Rhonde and Methow
Rivers. As many of you know the Klickitat is open
from June 1 until November 31. This creates a stable
fishery that is always open regardless of fish
counts. This year has been looking pretty grim for
the steelhead angler trying to catch STEELHEAD on
the Klickitat. The river system will again be
dominated by a record return of king salmon, making
the already dwindling steelhead that much harder to
catch. |
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Another,
disturbing scenario is the extensive
wildfires around the Methow River this
summer. The steelhead fishery on this river
is still a big question mark for many as the
river and community are still recovering
from the vast devastation that occurred
here. We will wait and see what the fall
brings and keep you all posted as we learn
more. |
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My personal
opinion is the Wenatchee River will be the
best bet for the anglers looking to fish for
steelhead this fall. The river is beautiful
in October with the changing leaves from the
orchards and other deciduous trees lining
the river, as well as ample sunshine to keep
you energized on a crisp fall day. |
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A final hidden
gem during the fall is the Smallmouth Bass
fishery on the Lower Yakima River. As the
Yakima cools, fish that moved to the main
stem of the Columbia begin migrating back
into the Yakima to feed heavily on the last
meals of the fall. Fall bass can be very
aggressive and will fight extremely hard
with the higher amounts of oxygen found in
cooler waters. |
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The resident
Smallmouth fishery has been established here
since the 1950’s, so many of the bigger
adult age class fish also begin foraging.
Top water flies as well as a variety of
baitfish and streamer patterns are
productive and exhilarating ways to fish
throughout the day. |
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If any of
these options sounds like something you
either need to try, or continue to perfect
your skills, give us a call at the shop to
book your fall fishing adventure. |
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Our staff
hopes you have a great fall and are able to
get out and enjoy the great outdoors fly
fishing in your favorite Washington State
venue. |
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Check our
Facebook page as well for current updates on fly
fishing in and around Central Washington. |
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Daily honest
accounts on the Central Washington Rivers as well as
current weather and water conditions for the Yakima,
Klickitat, Wenatchee, Methow and Desert Basin region
of our state. |
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