The die hard fly fanatics have been hard at it during the day.  For the most part, tippets rigged with smaller Skwalla Stonefly nymphs and an assortment of enticing trailer flies has been the mainstay.  Working streamers in the deep slow moving waters with a short sink tip during the warm portions of the afternoon has also been part of the daily events.

The river is producing a mass amount of Skwalla Stoneflies this year.  They have been collecting along the banks since late November.  If spring conditions cooperate this year, we should have some very good adult Skwalla fishing.

With only a few short days remaining before the holiday, a Christmas blizzard has settled over the Yakima River Valley insuring the residence of Central Washington, a beautiful white Christmas.  Big flakes of snow began falling late this morning and will most likely continue throughout the day.  With absolutely no precipitation and mild December fishing days this winter storm arrived just in time for the holiday.

The fishing the past couple of weeks hasn’t been typical of what we usually see this time of year, especially with the mild winter days we have experience so far during the month of December.  Some days the fishing has been good while other days not near as predictable.

The midge fishing has been inconsistent from day to day with afternoon sporadic feeding in some of the areas of the river.  We should start to experience better daily hatches after the new year.  The winter snow storms always seem to spur good hatches of midges.

Fishing with nymphs, wet flies or steamer patterns this time of year is much more reliable.  A tandem set up, rigged with a small stonefly pattern as your point fly accompanied by a second trialing fly works best for nymphing situations.  Choose appropriate patterns in size and color for water and stream conditions.

However, exacting fly patterns to duplicate any one specific insect are hardly necessary this time of year.  The trout are not seeing big hatches of aquatic insects and aren’t nearly as picky as they are other times of the season.  The most important factor is fishing the correct depth, the appropriate holding water and maintaining a drag free presentation during each drift. 

The staff and management of Worley Bugger Fly Co. would like to thank everyone for your business this year and we look forward to seeing you in 2008.  We wish all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.   Thank you to all of the men and women serving in our military around the world. Your sacrifice, especially this time of year is greatly appreciated.  We wish all of you a speedy return.  A happy and safe holiday season to everyone from Worley Bugger Fly Co.

As the first week of December comes to a close, the first major winter storm of the season rolled across our state dumping several inches of precipitation.  Cities east of the Cascade Range never escaped the storm as the snow dumped several inches of powder on the Yakima River Valley, creating a virtual winter wonderland just in time for the Christmas season. 

Unfortunately, the snow turned to rain and the base layer of pack that was building in the foothills of the Cascades quickly turned to mush.  Several of the major tributaries of the Yakima filled quickly with water swelling bank to bank.  Discharge from these small mountain streams rushed into the main stem of the Yakima driving flows up, creating high, murky winter water conditions.

The dry weather over the past several days, accompanied by chilly December nights has the Yakima’s water conditions quickly dropping and clearing.  The river is returning to its winter mode as less and less water volume streams through the main stem. Today the river is in good shape and the winter fly fishers are out enjoying the blue skies and sunshine.

Before the sudden change in water conditions, the Yakima was fishing well for the start of December.  The Skwalla Stoneflies have begun amassing in their winter migration along the banks of the river, so stonefly nymph patterns fished appropriately were productive during the warmest portions of the day.  With the big drop in water, this productive type of fly fishing has resumed.

Remember its also Whitefish and Sculpin spawning time so both of these species are busy during the day in specific areas of the river.  A sinking tip line is a good tool to carry this time of year if you want to try your hand at Sculpin fishing.

Rocky Ford Creek, north of the towns of Epharta and Moses Lake draws plenty of attention this time of year.  While the river was out of shape early this week, local Ellensburg fly fishers visited this small fly fishing only creek and found cooperative rainbows.  Most were fishing small midges and nymphs just under the surface.  Most times the “Ford” fishing consistently good throughout the months of winter.

As the start of the holiday hustle and bustle begins, the first big storm of the season has blanketed the valley and surrounding hillsides in a deep insulating layer of snow.  The flakes began falling yesterday afternoon and continued on into the night, accumulating several new inches of base layer.  Today, the snow continues to trickle, creating a winter wonderland throughout the river valley.

With the sudden changes in weather, water and air temperature, the aquatic insect hatches of fall have come and gone for the year.  Now another set of circumstances begins evolving on the Yakima.  Fish of all species begin forming in their winter holding lies and food forms, diet and their feeding activity changes.

Winter fishing isn’t for everyone.  Personally I enjoy this time of year on the river, I always have.  As a boy I spent every Sunday with family on the Jefferson River in Montana fishing from the ice shelves for rainbows and browns.  It’s peaceful, quiet and the fishing can be quite good.  To be comfortable and enjoy yourself you have to have the right gear and layer appropriately.  If you don’t dress for the conditions you’ll be miserable, cold and jaded.  During the winter months certain elements begin occurring that peak the interest of fish and keep trout on the feed.  Whitefish begin their yearly spawning cycle and take over the tops of the shallower riffles and runs of the river. 

Winter is also a time when exacting fly patterns to match a specific hatch aren’t nearly as important as fishing the right water, the correct depth and the right presentation.  Low, clear water conditions give fish plenty of time to see and react to a fly.  A drag free drift the majority of the time will initiate a response.   Dragging your flies keeps you out of the zone and out of the fish.

This is also the period of the season when midges become an important food form for fish.  This can be a fun and exciting dry fly experience in the afternoons.  This week with the warmer weather, Yakima River fly fishers have found good midge hatches forming in the slow moving pools and foam lines of the river.  Fish of all species will take part in the feed, especially when a dense hatch of midges is occurring.

Steelhead fishing for the year comes to a close on the Klickitat on Friday.  I have to say it was a good year for fish despite the lack of fall salmon in the river.  It was fun to fish with everyone and we look forward to the opening of next year’s season in June.  I spent one day on the Methow last week with two local fellows.  Despite the colder temps and lower water conditions we did hook up two fish.  Unfortunately both came unbuttoned.  A quote from the famed steelheader, Lani Waller, “it happens, but I sure don’t like it”.  The Methow will remain open until the last day of March.  If conditions cooperate this spring set your sites on March fishing on this fabulous Northern Cascades steelhead stream.  It will be good

It’s the end of an era as our aquatic insect hatches on Central Washington’s, Yakima River begin to diminish and fade away for the season.  However, nobody has been complaining.  Fly fishermen from all areas of the state have been enjoying our warm weather the past couple of weeks through the first portions of November.  Typically by now, we experience thick, frosty mornings and snow covering the low lying hillsides of the Ellensburg river valley.  No sign of the white stuff yet even though they have predicted it over the past couple of days.

Each afternoon a small little window of Baetis fishing will open up and you will have an opportunity to experience some match the hatch fishing.  These tiny mayflies will begin emerging late in the day in the slower tail outs, foam lines and pools of the river.  Delicate, precise presentation is the formula for success.  It can be a fun and challenging, sometimes frustrating style of fly fishing , but mayfly match the hatch fishing at its best. 

Most days it lasts only a short time with a mixture of the bigger Mahogany Duns making an appearance as well.  This one’s hard to miss as they centralize with the Blue Wing Olive.  A larger, brown bodied mayfly, it’s cycle is short lived as the hatch of this slow water emerger is beginning to narrow for the year also.

Don’t get the impression that because our bigger aquatic hatches are finishing up for the year that the fish in the Yakima will begin some kind of seasonal hibernation through the winter.  Hardly so.  There are plenty of enticing details beginning to occur below the surface that will keep the trout in the Yakima preoccupied over the next several months.  If conditions allow and the river stays in good shape, winter fishing can be exceptional.

Steelhead fishing is still going strong, but the crowds of fishermen is beginning to thin on both the Klickitat and the Methow Rivers.  Not a soul wetting a line on the Methow yesterday.  The Klickitat has been the same.  A late arrival of Fall Chinooks has pushed up the Klick, however not in the big numbers like we usually see every year.  They were late this year showing up as they finish their spawning life cycle. The Klickitat closes for to steelhead fishing at the end of the month.

As the month of October comes to an end and the first day of November begins, the autumn changes have rapidly developed in the river valley.  The trees and shoreline vegetation that were in full bloom just a short time ago along the Yakima have been stripped of their fall flora.  The folliage has fallen to the canvas floor, blanketing the river banks in leaves, brush and other natural debris.

Mayflies each afternoon continue to steal the show in sections of the river.  Baetis and Mahogany Duns both appear in the slow tail outs and foam lines of the river.   The Light Cahill seems to have finished its incredible cycle for the season.

Afternoon weather conditions are much warmer then usual for this time of year with highs reaching the upper fifties each day.  Cool evenings and frosty mornings are common, but the early afternoon sunshine warms things up quickly.  Weekend weather forecasts are calling for ideal November fishing afternoons, so we should see some good insect hatches lasting well through the week.  It looks like Saturday will be the ideal day to spend on your favorite river.

The October Caddis continues its hatch cycle during the day as well in some areas of the Yakima.  The Upper Farmlands and Upper Canyon are places to target to be specific.  This caddis is typically a late afternoon emerger, however I have seen them sporadically hatching throughout the day. 

Steelhead fishing is going gang buster in the central area of our state.  The Klickitat, Methow, Wenatchee, Grand Rhonde and small tributaries of the Walla Walla River are all reporting good catches throughout the day.  With dry conditions this past week, these beautiful Pacific Northwest Rivers are low and clear.

The "Klick" is seeing a push of wild fish entering the system which is normal for this time of year.  The past two years in November the river has been completely blown out, but it looks like this year we are fishing.  The Silvers are also beginning to enter the river and the word is there are good numbers of them at the mouth right now.  The river remains open until the end of the month.

The Methow fished very well last week with warm over cast conditions.  October Caddis are hatching in the biggest numbers I have seen anywhere this fall in areas of the Methow.  Steelhead were boiling and proposing on pupa and emergers during the peak of the hatch.  Bring a good wading staff with you if you plan to fish the river.  Its slick and slimly and will test your river walking abilities.

We have been so busy the past couple of weeks I have yet to try my hand at the Wenatchee.  Reports have been sketchy and I have yet to hear anything consistent.  I am trying to plan a day of fishing their next week but I am not sure if it will happen or not.  I’ll give you an honest report when I do.

Autumn has arrived in the river basin as a banquet of beautiful colors now adorn the banks of the Yakima River Valley.  The green summer foliage has now been replaced with the vibrant fall shades of yellow, orange and red, creating a feast of eye catching contrasts for those enjoying the day along Central Washington’s premier trout fishery.

This weekend we experienced the first frost of fall here in the Ellensburg river valley and our summer plants and gardens felt the full sting of the chilly night air.  Cooler temperatures with some intermittent rain showers blanketed the basin during the weekend.  However, the extended forecast for the week is calling for beautiful warm October days with day time highs reaching into the upper sixties.   Today is gorgeous with just a slight westerly breeze.

The Yakima continues along its fall schedule as river flows and conditions remain consistent for this time of year.  Irrigation return through the KRD ditches was concluded for the season late last week, so we will begin to see improvements in water clarity and color throughout the Lower Yakima River Canyon.  Wilson Creek will steady drop and clear for the winter.  The upper portions above this small tributary remain crystal clear.

Aquatic insect hatches so far this month have been fantastic throughout the river valley.  Each afternoon the river produces a mayfly emergence of Blue Wing Olives, Mahogany Duns and a persistent Light Cahill hatch on a daily basis.  The dry fly match the hatch fishing for Baetis Mayflies has been exciting as a variety of older generation class rainbows and cutthroats feed on this tiny olive bodied insect.  You'll be lucky if you get away with a size 18 this week.

The October Caddis as well is playing an important role during the late afternoons in the Farmlands and upper portions of river.  As the mayfly hatches begins to diminish for the day, fishing a good pupa pattern during the early portions of the emergence is recommended in these areas of the river.  Adult patterns properly presented and fished will also provide plenty of action when egg laying females are present.

October rain showers in the Klickitat Basin earlier this week have played a vital role in the ongoing Summer Steelhead fishing.  The river remained fishable with over three feet of visibility and we are now starting to see a big push of native steelhead push into the river.  Drier weather conditions and over night low temperatures, the past several days has cleaned the water and gin clear conditions have returned.

After a decade of river closures, steelhead fishing on Central Washington’s Wenatchee River opened for the first time today.  WDFW is expecting about 4000 wild and hatchery steelhead to return to the system.  Wild steelhead hooking and releasing mortality will be a major concern for fisheries biologist and they will be watching fish and fishermen carefully.  Like a mentioned before, we will not be guiding the Wenatchee River at all this year.  Treat the river and fish with the respect it deserves and maybe we will see steelhead season each year.  It’s projected to remain open until the last day of March 2008.

It’s that time of year once again when dramatic changes are occurring throughout the Yakima River Valley.  Mother Nature is busy creating a bounty of eye catching colors as the lush summer foliage that grew thick along the stream banks of the Yakima, under goes its seasonal transformation.  The dense cottonwood trees and other river bank vegetation, now aluminates the river basin in a spectacular picturesque presentation.

It’s hard to believe the month of October is already upon us.  However, I don’t believe there is a finer place to spend a day this time of year then on one of our many Pacific Northwest Rivers.  The scenery is spectacular, the afternoon insect hatches are abundant, the weather is warm and pleasant and the fish are more then cooperative.  What more could a fly fishermen ask for?

The mayfly hatches each day have been absolutely fantastic!  This year, the river is producing an incredible Light Cahill hatch that I have never witnessed in my many years of experience on the river.  Each afternoon this size 14 mayfly has been emerging in vast numbers and the fish are taking every available opportunity to fill their bellies with them.  Be prepared with nymphs, emegers and the adult duns in the appropriate size and color to match this all intensive mayfly hatch.

Blue Wing Olives of course are a staple this time of year and are hatching within the same time frame as the Cahill.  At this time, we are seeing a variation in sizes, however the smaller the better for productive Baetis fishing.  Be prepared to fish patterns no bigger then a size 20 to match this tiny mayfly.