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Today as the 12th of March gets underway,
massive, grey thunderheads blacken the western
horizon as the mountainous barrier between the
Yakima River Valley and the metropolis of Seattle
receives a much needed blast of new spring snow
fall. Sun breaks from the east and patches of blue
sky collide with this spring storm, while a fortune
of much needed moisture is deposited into the higher
elevations of this central portion of our state. |
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The night time temperature has remained above
the freezing level consecutively for the first
time this month and as we begin to see more
constant days and nights like these, we will
also see more consistent water temperatures,
insect hatches and fishing conditions in the
river. What this means for us is the fishing
and the hatches will become more predictable
during the day instead of the afternoons at this
time being the most productive times to fish. |
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As this occurs, we will begin to see a variety
of hatches with stoneflies and mayflies as well
as dense hatches of midge clusters. If
accurate, the weekend forecast should begin
producing this effect, especially as we enter
the beginning of the new week. With river flows
on the rapid decent, warmer nights and days will
prevail and so will the fishing. |
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This past Saturday, March 6th over a
hundred and twenty five people gathered at the
banks of the Yakima River to participate in the
”Eleventh” annual clean up event. Thank you
again to everyone that contributed as your
dedicated efforts produced over a ton of garbage
collected from the banks of the Yakima once
again. Your generosity also in the morning
yielded over 600 pounds of canned food for the
local Ellensburg FISH food bank. Kudos to
everyone and may the fish Gods smile upon thee! |
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We also collected bags of fly tying materials,
tools, etc that will be shipped to Canada next
week in an effort to help many of our wounded
servicemen and women serving in the Middle East
conflict. While in the recuperation process in
a mulit-national hospital in Afghanistan, many
of our soldiers and allies are being introduced
to the art of fly tying. |
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Members of the armed forces teaching these
skills have asked for our assistance as their
supplies have dwindled. We will continue to
except your donations at the fly shop thru
Wednesday of next week. If you have any
questions about this effort, feel free to
contact us. This is our little part to do what
we can to support so many that sacrifice so
much! Thank you to everyone in the fly fishing
public as well as many of our fly fishing
manufactures that contributed to this effort. |
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We are now into the second week of still water
fishing and as a whole the fishing remains
consistently good. Most fly fishermen over the
past week have chosen the Chironomid style at
varying depths, colors and sizes to catch fish.
Others continue stubbornly to troll or strip
leeches and wolly-buggers from their pontoon or
float tubes with varying successes. |
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Lake Lenice at this time seems to be fishing the
best with slower fishing results at Nunnally and
Lenore. Windy days of course have been a
factor as well as water and air temperatures.
Warmer days to come will produce more consistent
fishing throughout the desert basin fisheries. |
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Enjoy your weekend! |
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As
an early spring storm passed over the Cascade
Mountain Range nearly 48 hours ago, the low lying
hillsides that surround the Kittitas Valley still
covered with a thin layer of February snows, were
drenched with a barrage of moisture. The numerous
tributaries that finger along the basin bleed our
first spring run off into the main stem of the
Yakima creating an increase in water volumes while
stirring sand and sediment as well. |
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Overcast skies and a succession of cool night
time temperatures has the river stabilizing,
dropping in flow and the silty discharge from
mountain tributaries has begun to settle.
Warm, sunny afternoons are prevailing
throughout the day creating an ideal fly fishing
scenario in the
Central Washington
Basin. |
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A sporadic daily appearance by Skwalla
Stoneflies has been happening throughout
sections of the Yakima River this past week. At
times, heavy hatches of these creamy, olive
bodied insects have fish on the prowl, crushing
exacting imitations on the waters surface.
Other days the hatch is stunted with just a mere
trickle of females returning to the rivers
edge. Searching and hunting the right water
types that will hold a large trout, keyed in on
stonefly adults is the key to successful Skwalla
fishing and should be your strategy.
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For those traveling the river on foot it may
take a bit more work on your part, but the
payoff is well worth the expense. The trout
aren’t spread out this time of year and finding
those fish that are feeding on Skwalla adults
may take a bit more effort as well as some
expertise. It’s been fun as well as a bit
challenging each day because of the stoneflies
erratic behavior, mainly due in part to the
inconsistent water and air temperatures. We’ll
expect the hatch to peak around the middle of
the March with a few strangling emergences
throughout the remainder of the month. |
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With warming temperatures both water and air
mayfly emergences will become the dominating
factor during the afternoons as Blue Wing Olives
will steal the show. We have already
experienced some intermittent hatches of Baetis
over the past two week period with more
consistent daily emergences right around the
corner. |
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On Monday many of the
Evergreen
State’s
still-water fisheries opened for the season and
reports so far this week have been outstanding.
Fly anglers are using varying tactics and having
repeated success.
Chironomid pupa’s fished deep or shallow
depending on lake depths as well as those
stripping a variety of leeches and buggers are
reporting consistent action with trout species
ranging in varying sizes. Ideal weather
conditions are happening now and this weekend
you’ll experience much of the same as people
venture to their favorite destinations for some
early spring fly fishing. |
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Tomorrow, Saturday March 6th marks
the
11th annual “Yakima River Clean Up”.
and once again the gracious owners of the KOA
will host the event. Over the past 7 seasons,
Jerry and Brenda Leath have opened the
campground at the KOA for the participants of
the clean up and helped establish this yearly
event.
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For that we thank them both and now wish them
the best of luck as they relinquish their
ownership in the KOA Campground and move on to a
new and promising life in Arizona and Alaska.
We wish them the best and welcome the new
ownership to the Ellensburg community. The
Clean Up will begin at 8:00 am with a barbeque
to follow later in the afternoon. |
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Once again we will be holding a non-perisable
food drive for the local “FISH” food bank. For
every item contributed to the drive you will
receive one raffle ticket for a drawing to be
held later in the day. The drawing as a $500.00
dollar value! Food banks throughout the state
are overwhelmed with requests for food. We know
times are hard from many, so please do what you
can.
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We are also in the process of gathering fly
tying materials, hooks, tools, etc that later
this month will be shipped to a medical welfare
officer stationed in Afghanistan. This medical
soldier is in charge of injured American,
British, Canadian and Australian soldiers that
have been wounded in combat in the Middle East
conflicts. Part of their recuperation and
recovery process is learning the art of fly
tying and he has asked for our help. His
supplies have dried up and he has no funding
available to purchase items to continue with
this process. So, we are on a mission and we
are also asking for the fly fishing publics
support. We will also be accepting these items
at the Clean Up Event. For those not attending
the clean up, you can drop your items off at the
Worley Bugger Fly Co proshop in Ellensburg over
the next week to ten days. The response so far
from the public as well as many fly fishing
manufactures to this cause has been
overwhelming. We thank everyone that has shown
their support for those that sacrifice so much
for every one of us!
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It’s
been nearly sixty days since I sat down now to add a
current journal entry. Why? Well frankly up until
now nothing overly exciting was happening on the
Yakima. The cold winter days that started off the
month of December were somewhat displeasing to
everyone and it looked like perhaps old man winter had
another round of intense winter storms in store for us
once again. |
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Shortly there after, the 2010 New Year was
welcomed and since that time the residences of
the
Yakima River
Valley
have been treated to a mild, nearly frost free
start of 2010. After the last two consecutive
harsh winters followed by an avalanche of water
in the spring of 09, this years start has fly
fishermen out and about, buzzing with the
anticipation in hopes of some good spring
fishing. |
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With the start of a mild February, we welcomed
the site of the red breasted Robin to the valley
nearly ten days ago. This is by far the
earliest I have ever seen them return during my
fifteen years in the valley. So with their
early arrival, we knew the hatch of stoneflies
couldn’t be far behind.
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 Yes it true, stoneflies are hatching on the
Yakima and they have in sparse amounts since the
5th of February, however not in great
quantities and not everywhere on the river.
This could all change over the next several days
as forecasted highs are predicted to exceed the
fifty degree mark as today the temperature has
hit 53. If this occurs if could be all we need
to get the dry Skwalla fishing going and big bug
fishing taking precedence on the river.
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The nymph migration however is for real and a
large mass of them are beginning to gather along
the shorelines of the entire river. Shallow
water nymphing in ideal holding areas where
these aquatic critters gather is one of the keys
to successful stonefly fishing. Finding these
spots may take some time and effort, especially
for those on foot but once you do, the reward is
well worth the effot. Remember, the fish aren’t
everywhere this time year. Working the right
water is one the key elements in successful
Yakima River fishing. |
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For many, the March 1st lake opener
can’t come soon enough this year. The frozen
layer of winter surface ice is gone from many of
the desert basin lakes and most still-water fly
anglers are anticipating another great spring.
We have also forecasted another great spring at
the basin lakes, so this year we have added
nearly 600 dozen new fly patterns with half of
them being lake bugs. A super selection of
killer new patterns for 2010! |
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Last years record run of steelhead is drawing
attention once again as the warming temperatures
are driving fish back into the river systems.
The Wenatchee, Methow and Grande Rhonde are all
fishing well now and will continue to do so thru
the remainder of the spring. The Wenatchee will
close at the end of February while the Methow is
scheduled to remain open until the end of March
due to the over population of hatchery origin
steelhead. |
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On Saturday, March 6th Worley Bugger
Fly Co. will once again host the
11th annual “Yakima River Clean Up”.
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We encourage everyone to come out for the day to
join us. To date with your help, clean
up participants have collected and cleaned nearly
30,000 pounds of trash from the banks, boat launches
and river bed of the Yakima.
We will also be holding a “Canned Food Drive” for
the local FISH food bank here in Ellensburg. With
so many less fortunate struggling now to make ends
meet help us raise non-perishable food items for
those in desperate need. The food banks are
overwhelmed with food appeals. We do ask If you
plan to attend the clean up event, please
pre-register at the pro shop in Ellensburg or
online. |
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A
Professional Fly Fishing Outfitter Service |
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306 South Main #3
Ellensburg, WA 98926
888-950-FISH
worleybuggerflyco.com
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This
site is constructed & maintained by W.B.F.C. for fly fishers by fly
fishers! Use of
any information, pictures or text prohibited without written
permission
©