Now even though water reserves are at near full capacity water volumes are being regulated in small increments even with the sudden wave of warm temperatures we are now experiencing.  The river over the past several days is seeing a moderate staging of more water where volumes are increasing at a few hundred feet a day.  This trend will most likely continue as long as the warm temperatures persist. 

There is also another factor to consider.  Almost 4500 Spring Chinook Salmon this year have breached the dam at Roza and are at this time making their way up river to their annual spawning grounds in the Upper Yakima Basin.  Spawning will begin in late August or early September.  A season on hatchery fish is under way at this time below Roza and will continue until July 15^th unless otherwise advised.

So as you can see it hasn’t been a normal Yakima River spring.  But we are quickly on our way to turning that around as the summer fishing gets underway.  With river flows on the rise, wading the river is going to be more difficult for those that were out last week, especially when it topples the 3000 ft level (which it did today in the lower canyon).

At this time your traditional summer bugs are happening throughout the river system.  Caddis, Mayflies and Stonefly hatches are happening along the river as well as the beginning stages of our summer terrestrial fishing.  Grasshoppers, ants, beetles and other attractor patterns are all working well at this time.

For those that like to pursue the warm water species, the Lower Yakima at this time is in as Smallmouth fishing has been happening over the past couple of weeks.   Though there has been some terrific days of fishing here with flies, this section of river needs a shot of water to keep the river in good condition through the month of July.  By the looks of the graph today we are getting just that. 

The staff and management of Worley Bugger Fly Co. wishes everyone a Happy 4^th of July.  Thanks to our forces here and abroad for their continued sacrifice!

As the first official day of summer begins this Saturday, the once swollen Yakima River has dropped significantly over the past week.  After several weeks of operating at nearly twice its normal flow for this time of the year, Central Washington’s Blue Ribbon trout stream is now flowing at an unusually low volume for the mid month of June.

The river continues on a downward trend after a blazing heat wave in May and early June quickly dispatched the snow pack water reserves in the Cascade Mountains.  As swift currents of water infused the Yakima’s Reservoir systems storage capacities were filled and accommodations had to be met to account for summer water reserves. 

Pale Morning Dun Mayflies will be happening through these sections as well in the early portion of the afternoon.  A pattern fished in size 16 is dead on in both dry and nymph.  Watch for a Green Drake hatch in the afternoon as well through the Farmlands and the Upper Yakima.  It’s the time of year when the river will produce a hatch of these ultra large mayflies.

There is also plenty of stonefly activity as Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies are now prevalent through the majority of the river.  We are also in the beginning stages of terrestrial fishing, so ants, beetles and other attractor patterns can be important and somewhat overlooked during the day.  It won’t be long and the “hoppers” will be dancing through the tall, green river bank grasses as well.

After three weeks of blistering hot sunny weather those late winter, early spring snow pack accumulations that piled up in the Cascade Mountain Range quickly began to liquefy under the blazing Central Washington sunshine.

The main storage reservoirs that control the Yakima River’s main stem flow filled to capacity in a hurry.  Water releases from these man made facilities was being discharged in large volumes to make room for in coming water supplies for basin irrigation needs and recreational usage this summer.

Over the past couple of days, discharge from the reservoirs has been drawn back and reduced as the Bureau of Reclamation steadily regains control of the water.  Cooler day time temperatures have assisted in the cause and are a welcome site to many of us. The past couple of days the river has dropped in volume considerably.  Even earlier in the week when flows were high, water clarity was still around two feet.  With big reductions in water discharge each day, we should see the river return to normal summer flows by this weekend.

The fish will begin adjusting to a somewhat normal rhythm of water and summer fishing will be underway.  You can expect the same with the river aquatic species as well.  Once the river has settled, the Yakima will begin to produce a consistent summer time hatch of caddis, stones, and mayflies.  Expect Golden Stoneflies, Yellow Sallies, Pale Morning Duns, Green Drakes, Craneflies and several varieties of afternoon and evening caddis hatches.

With the extreme warm temperatures that have been occurring, the desert lakes are becoming seasonably warm and fishing is slowing down in many of them.  Damselfly hatches are occurring in most at this time.  My recommendation for those looking for good lake fishing is to concentrate your efforts now in many of the higher elevation lakes at this time.

It’s also that time of year to begin targeting the warm water species as well.  As water flows recede in the Upper Yakima, Smallmouth fishing in our rivers lower end will begin shortly.  Water releases in the Naches Basin are still operating at a large scale, but as those flows are reduced over the next several days, the Lower Yakima will drop in volume and begin producing terrific Smallie and Bucket-mouth fishing.

This year the smaller tributaries and creeks of your favorite river (s) will open tomorrow, Saturday June 6^th.  After decades of opening the first day of June, WDFW changed that regulation this year making it the first Saturday of June.  The majority of them however are high and unfishable, but most likely be in better condition by the middle of the month.

The Klickitat Rivers Summer Steelhead fishing also opened on June 1^st.  Unfortunately at this time not many fish are breaching the dam at Bonneville.  Last years summer fishing was the best we had experienced in several years.  Well keep you updated as more summer fish enter the cool waters of the “Klick”.

After yet another series of warm, wet weather more spring runoff is coursing through the main stem of the Yakima at this time. 

A log jam in the main stem of the Yakima above the town of Cle Elum is creating problems as well.   Flooding is now occurring in this area of the river with water over some of the roadways. 

Cooler weather the past couple of days has aided in dropping the flows a bit, however the extended forecast for the next several days is projecting another warm spell with air temps predicted to reach the high eighties or ninety degree mark.

Another bout of high water ensues has several powerful rainstorms have pushed across the Kittitas Valley the past couple of days.  Water continues to be an issue for us this past 30 days as frequent reoccurrences between Mother Nature and consistent conditions continue to occur.  These heavy bouts of rain have driven water flows back up as many of the Yakima’s main tributaries have swollen in size with more snow melt.

At this time the today, the lower river here around and below Eburg has about a foot of visible clarity.  Water volumes are up around the 3000 foot level, which make it extremely difficult in most areas of the river for bank and wading anglers.  More rain showers are predicted for this morning with dry conditions over the next several days.  If dry conditions occur, we should see the river begin to settle once again and return to fishable condition within a couple of days. 

Mother Day is this coming Sunday and each May we expect to see giant blooms of caddis filling the river with clouds of Grannom Caddis activity.  At this point I would have to say that that hatch is going to be a week or more behind schedule.  Water conditions and water temperatures dictate the emergence of this aquatic insect, so most likely the hatch will be minimal at best if forecast and conditions ring true.  We will see what happens over the next couple of days.  Happy Mothers Day!

Its also big stonefly time and the Yakima is in its beginning stages of producing the monstrous stonefly, the Salmonfly.  Keep your eye out for this three inch or longer bright orange bellied stonefly if you plan to fish the river over the next week or ten days.  They have been showing up in limited numbers at this time.  It could be the turning point in your afternoon.

One thing that has been consistent is the basin lake fishing.  A lot of fly fishermen have been roaming the Central Washington desert lakes and finding good, reliable fishing almost daily.  The fly shop continues to receive good honest reports from the still-water fisheries.  I have had some reports that fishing has slowed at Lake Lenore, but at this point there are some many options in the desert for you to try.  Trout, Bass, Panfish and many more are all available now.

This past weekend at the Ellensburg Fairgrounds, the Washington State Council of Federation of Fly Fishers held their 3^rd annual fly fishing conclave and fly tying event.  Congratulations to the council members and club affiliates for another fantastic conclave!  Thank you to the volunteers that worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this yearly event happen once again.  Over 100 hundred volunteer fly tiers from Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California and Washington were on hand crafting flies for both salt and freshwater.  If you missed it put it on your list for next year! 

However for those of you residing on the west side, mark June 20^th on your don’t miss calendar for the 1^st Annual Jimmy Green Memorial Fly Fishing Fair and Casting Expo” will be held.  Sounds like a great event.  Check it out here!

Another round of water is now surging down and into Central Washington’s Yakima River after a chain of warm April days arrived here in the valley earlier in the week.  Hot, sunny weather is to blame for the recent swell in river volume. 

After a month long stretch of temperatures ranging well below the norm for this time of year, a couple of warm spring days earlier in the week have taken its toll on Central Washington’s, Yakima River.  The cold, snowy month of March has once again contributed piles of fresh new spring snows for the annual summer water reserves in the Cascades this year.  With that said, snow melt has found its way into the main stem of the Yakima.

Those cool day time temperatures we experienced also preserved a fair amount of low lying snow pack around the foothills of the Kittitas Valley.  Sudden warm temperatures over a couple of consecutive days topping out around the seventy degree mark on Sunday and Monday initiated a sudden snow melt and the tributaries of the Yakima began rising quickly.

At this time the Yakima below the Teanaway River and its confluence with the main stem Yakima are running high and muddy with zero clarity.  Water volumes in these sections have double in just a short period of time.  The Upper River from the headwaters above Easton to the Teanaway has increased in volume but remain in fishable condition.

It’s hard to say what Mother Nature has in store for us over the next several days.  This morning a small rain shower is passing through the Ellensburg Valley.  We will see how much moisture it has in it and what effect if any it has on the river flows over the holiday weekend.  The remaining weather outlook for the Easter weekend looks promising with expected cooler temperatures, which should aid in bringing the river back to fishable condition for us as long as it stays dry.

The stonefly hatch is still occurring in the upper river along with March Browns and Blue Wing Olive Mayflies.  Once the entire river returns to fishable condition, we should begin seeing more consistency in the hatches and the spring fishing.  The good news is it’s the first part of April and there are plenty of options for some good weekend fishing.  As of the first of the month, the majority of desert basin still water fisheries are now open.

  Reports have been trickling in to the fly shop all week about Dry Falls.  Some fly fishers have reported good fishing while others have experienced slower sessions.  The popular lakes such as Lenice and Nunnally continue to produce great fishing reports from the majority of fishermen.  Information coming from those fishing at Lake Lenore have been reporting slower conditions now.

The staff and management of Worley Bugger Fly Co. wishes everyone a safe and peaceful Easter Sunday.  The fly shop will be closed in observance of the day and will reopen on Monday morning.

Its official now as the arrival of this years spring equinox has occurred bringing with it some warmer days and evenings here in Central Washington.  Spring flowers dormant for months under ground have sprouted and are beginning to bloom. The fertile grasses of the Kittitas Valley have thawed from the hardened ground of winter and are starting to green and thicken.  Giant birds of prey have also returned to the Yakima River Basin.  Ospreys and Eagles dot the valley’s farmlands as they feast on the afterbirth of new born spring livestock.

For the past couple of weeks we have been anxiously awaiting some warmer weather and water temperatures.  The colder month of February extended itself into the first couple of weeks of March as each day the rivers water temp struggled to hit the forty degree mark. 

Last weekend we experienced a heavy set of rain showers both Friday and Saturday that settle around the valley floor. This melted some of the low lying hillside snow and in turn most of the smaller streams that feed the main stem of the Yakima were discharging some dirty water. 

Water clarity, height and conditions are now fine in the Upper River around Cle Elum, down thru the Grasslands of Thorp and on into the Farmlands around and below Ellensburg. The Lower Yakima River Canyon is reporting dirtier water conditions as the Wilson Creek drainage at the mouth of the Canyon is secreting somewhat foul water at this time.

Its also mayfly time on the Yakima as afternoon hatches of Blue Wing Olives have been occurring in some areas of the river.  Right now the hatch is a little less predictable then what it will be in a week from now.  As the month of April approaches, the rivers March Brown hatch will begin to take form.  If you have yet to fish this spring mark April on your calendar. 

The fly fishermen that have been dedicating their time to the still waters of the Central Basin continue to report fine fishing at Lake Lenice, Nunnally, Beda, Quincy Lakes and now the ice free Lake Lenore.  Some have chosen to fish Chironomids while others continue to run slime lines or sinking tips with leeches or buggers.  Both methods have faired equally well.

It’s the middle portion of March already and we are still anxiously awaiting the start to our stonefly season on Central Washington’s, Yakima River.  Water temperatures are the biggest nemesis to its start.  At this point the cold night time temperatures continue to drop the mercury below the freezing level each evening.  The good news is each new dawn the days grow longer and we see the air and water temperatures becoming warmer.  Consistency in both each day is the key to propelling the start of the aquatic hatch. 

This past weekend their was some sporadic adult Skwalla activity through the Farmlands sections of the Yakima and also some mixed reports of seeing them thru the Lower Canyon in places in the afternoon.  The staging has been happening for weeks as both the male and female have congregated along the banks of the river waiting for the opportune time. 

Steelhead fishing on the Methow is still open and the river is seeing more and more fish each day reenter from the winter holding waters of the Columbia.  At this time the river is expect to say open until the end of the month.  These are summer steelhead from last season, not fresh chrome winter fish.

Our stillwater fisheries continue to produce extremely well and most of them except for Dusty, Lenore and Dry Falls (April 1^st opener) are completely ice free.  Lenice and Nunnally are producing some very nice sized rainbows, browns and tiger trout.  A mixed assortment of flies have been effective.  Chironomid fishing has been good, but will most likely be better in April when water temps come up a few degrees more.  Leechs, buggers and other attractor type flies fished on slime lines or sink tips have been working best.

As we begin the first week of March in the Yakima River Valley, a variety of weather disturbances has moved across this portion of the state.  A mixture of precipitation in the form of heavy rain showers at times combined with flurries of sleet and snow have drenched Kittitas County over the past 72 hours.  However over the past three days, the Central Washington sunshine has been exploding with warm spring rays.

By the looks of the extended weather forecast, another cold spell is setting in for the weekend.  Earlier this week the rivers water temperature surged well above the 40 degree mark for the first time in over two weeks.  What you will find when this occurs is actively feeding fish well into the late afternoon as those water temps increase and stabilize. 

On Sunday, March 1^st   the start of the statewide seasonal lake opener got underway.  Both Lake Lenice and Lake Nunnally reported excellent fishing on the first day and the pro shop here in Ellensburg continues to receive daily reports of the same. 

This past Saturday, fly fishers from around the state converged on the grounds of the KOA along the banks of the Yakima River for the 10^th Annual “Yakima River Clean Up”.  In total 79 participates (-3) lent a helping hand and picked refuge and other debris from the Green Bridge in Throp all the way to Roza Dam in the Lower Yakima River Canyon.  We can not thank everyone enough that participated for their hard work during the day as they collected over 2800 pounds of trash from the river.  These fine individuals also donated 267 pounds of non perishable food to the cause.  The “Fish Food Bank” was very grateful for this contribution and extended a whole hearted “Thank You” to the fly fishing community!  We also do the same!!  THANK YOU!!

Spring has just about sprung in the Yakima River Valley as the residents of Kittitas County bask in the rays of the Central Washington sunshine every day. The arrival of our spring migratory birds like Robins and Swallows have returned this week, so we know the cold days of winter are just about behind us.

The river had been fishing very well throughout the week but for what ever reason we experienced a much slower day yesterday then what we have seen since the river returned to fishable condition in January?  I think everyone was scratching their heads yesterday. Hopefully today the fish were more cooperative for everyone.  Yesterday was a bright, warm sunny day and at this time the Yakima is low and clear.  We are experiencing more cloud cover today and much more is expected this weekend which in turn should help the fishing over the weekend.

With our warm periods during the day we are beginning to see some insect activity on the river.  Winter Stoneflies and Midges have been occurring during these times.  Their have been a few reports to the fly shop earlier this week of some surface Skwalla fishing, however with water temps still in the low forties its not quite happening in full force yet.

If you do plan to head to Central Washington this weekend be careful of the states Highway patrol.  A step up program has been instituted to site more speeding motorist on 1-90 and Highway 10.  Be especially careful coming east down Indian John Hill and the Throp Hill.  These are two places that are watch carefully and speed traps are conducted during the weekends.

This year, the 10^th annual Yakima River Clean Up and Canned Food Drive will be held on Saturday, February 28^th.  Once again Jerry Leath, owner of the Ellensburg KOA will host this yearly river event.  We appreciate the KOA’s willingness to host the event again this year, especially after last months flood swept through the Ellensburg Campground leaving a wake of wreckage and debris for Jerry. 

If you do plan to attend or would like further information you can call the pro shop in Ellensburg or visit the clean up portion of our website.

Also remember this we are also holding another “Canned Food Drive” for the Kittitas County Food Bank.  With the state of our country and economy many less fortunate families are in desperate need, especially in rural Washington.  We appreciate everyone’s willingness to participate in what we feel is a very worth while event.  For every canned food item you bring you will receive (1) raffle ticket.  The more items you bring the more chances you have of winning the big prize at the end of the day.  This year despite the economy our manufactures and manufacturer representatives have generously provided the clean up with some extraordinary prizes!  We look forward to seeing everyone again this year.

Just a reminder, Central Washington’s quality still-waters will open March 1^st.  Less then 2 weeks away!

With the first month of the New Year now behind us, the first week of February has graced the Yakima River Valley with a barrage of sunshine and warm spring like days.  Cool, crisp, clear nights and mornings are still in normal range for this time of year.  However, those cool, frosty morning lows give way to gorgeous sun filled afternoons as the day time highs top out in the high forty degree range each day.  More of the same is expected over the weekend with a slight chance of some precipitation on Friday.

The river is in excellent fishing condition and is also operating at an unexpected warm water temperature for the first portion of February.  By early afternoon water reports are recording highs in the low forty’s.  This in turn is producing a higher metabolism rate for our Yakima Rainbows. 

It’s also encouraging a massive migration of stoneflies as we near the beginning once again of the Yakima River Skwalla Stonefly season.   Infinite numbers of stoneflies are now forming along the banks of the river in anticipation of the first new stone hatch of the season. 

With most of our spring run-off out of the way this year due to last months extreme flooding river and fishing conditions should remain very consistent this year.  There is still plenty of snow high atop the Cascades and it’s due to get more before the end of April.  However the majority of that snow accumulation most likely will be captured in the four storage reservoirs just below those rugged mountain peaks.

The start of 2009 for many families living in the Ellensburg and Cle Elum River Valley’s was an intense beginning as a massive thunderstorm swept over the Yakima Basin reeking havoc and driving all of the local rivers and streams to flood stage conditions.  Cooler, drier, winter weather over the past week has contained the Yakima River well within its banks but not before it crested well above flood levels. 

Despite all that bad news there is some good news.  The river has dropped considerably and is fishable.  It continues to flow a little high for this time of year, but we each day we watch it drop several inches.  The Worley Bugger Fly Co. guide staff has been out all week exploring the new river and many changes have occurred, especially in the Lower Farmlands section. 

It’s a dramatic start to a new year in Central Washington as Mother Nature raises her ugly head for the residents of Kittitas County.  After a month long bitter cold spell and heavy winter snow storms, massive rain showers doused the Yakima River Valley on Tuesday.  The Yakima River and all of its tributaries have swelled at an incredible rate and are now at or above flood stage.