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You
may always know a large trout when feeding in the evening. He
rises continuously, or at small intervals-in a still water
almost always in the same place, and makes little noise--barely
elevating his mouth to suck in the fly, and sometimes showing
his back fin and tail. A large circle spreads around him, but
there are seldom any bubbles when he breaks the water, which
usually indicates the coarser fish.
Sir Humphrey Davy,
1868 |
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Rocky Ford Creek, a Central
Washington desert spring creek, is located northeast of the small farming
community of Ephrata, Washington. It percolates underground and
seeps from the rich,
desert Columbia Basin soils flowing south, eventually intersecting
the massive still water impoundment of Moses Lake. |
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This small, well known trout stream
is home to multitudes of aquatic insects and most often hatches occur on a
year around basis. It has also earned a respected reputation for
growing some of the regions largest rainbow trout. Here, fish feed
freely on a vast supply of aquatic and non aquatic organisms throughout
the year. |
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Water flows and temperature remain
fairly consistent much of the season and fish can travel easily through the
slow moving waters of this small fly fishing only stream.
Trout exceeding 5 pounds are common in the creek, however rainbows
measuring in the 16 to 20 inch fork length are customary. |
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Rocky Ford Information |
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Fly Fishing Only
Regulation |
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Catch & Release |
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Single Barb-less
Hook |
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No Affixed Lead To
Line Allowed |
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No Wading Allowed |
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Open Year Round |
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| This small
spring creek is a virtual mayfly factory during the year. The
waters of Rocky Ford churn hatches of Blue Wing Olives, Callibaetis,
Pale Morning Duns as well as Trico Mayflies throughout the season.
Midges are a constant emergence at the "Ford" three hundred sixty five
days a year. Specific times during the season, when mayfly
hatches are scarce, these small Chironomids attract the attentions of
Rocky Ford Rainbows as they fin freely, harvesting these minuscule
insects from the surface. |
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| There is
really never a bad time to fish Rocky Ford, however weekends during
peak periods, especially the warming spring months, can get busy with
fly fishermen. There is however plenty of room to fish.
The creek offers over 3 miles of accessible fly fishing water with
bridges on both sides of the creek for easy access from one side to
another. |
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February and the first portions of March will begin producing
consistent daily hatches of Blue Wing Olives. By April,
Callibaetis and spring Caddis will enter the show and fish will
have a variety of aquatics to feed on. |
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Throughout the late spring and summer months of the season, fish
forage on a host of terrestrial insects as well. Ants, Beetles
and Grasshoppers flourish under the desert sunshine and will present
the rainbows of Rocky Ford Creek with a summer time feast during the
long dog days of summer. This is especially true when
strong desert winds blow across the Columbia Basin. These tiny
creatures are hurled into the water and become a favorite forage for
fish this time of year. Large Grasshopper patterns twitched and
skated along the banks, cattails and weed beds will also prove
productive. |
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| The warm summer
months also provide another aquatic event as well.
Damselflies as well as Dragonflies, mostly associated with our
still water fisheries, also inhabit the waters of Rocky Ford in
vast numbers. Trout anxiously await this cycle each year
and nourish themselves on both the nymph and adult stages of
the insect. Exacting mitations to match this summer food
form will work well during peak periods of their activity. |
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Stalking the shoals
of the Ford quiet and carefully during a Damselfly hatch can
be an exhilarating experience. Site casting to large
cruising rainbows as they foolishly feed on these summer time
critters is one of our favorites at the Ford.
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Blue, olive and tan
adult Damselflies during the peak months of June, July and
August can provide fly fishermen with a fun and exciting dry
fly fishing experience at the creek. |
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Guided Tour Details |
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A minimum of two required. |
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All Flies Are
Provided. |
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Barbeque Lunch
For Each Guest |
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Transportation to and from Rocky Ford from the Ellensburg
fly shop available at no additional cost. |
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Life below the water's surface at Rocky Ford is abundant as well.
Scuds by the thousands inhabit the muddy bottom and thick plumage of
weed growth that blooms throughout the creek. Trout root along
the stream bottom, its deeper shelves and of course the weed line,
gorging on these fresh water shrimp. Leeches, as you can imagine,
are also a consistent forage for rainbows. These two constant
food sources aid in growing fish to proportionate sizes very quickly.
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| When winter
arrives in Central Washington and some of our trout rivers close under
seasonal regulations or cold temperatures have invaded the Kittitas
Valley chocking the
Yakima River with slush ice, the water of Rocky Ford stays spring
creek consistent and the fish continue on their relentless feeding
opportunities. Even during the coldest of winter days, Midges
and Blue Wing Olives with appear in the afternoons. The
winter months can be a popular time for some Rocky Ford fly fishing
enthusiasts. The colder weather and other winter time activities
have chased away the summer time crowds. However, the die hard
fly fishing fanatics will be there and they have it figured out. |
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| Rocky Ford
Creek has a long fishing history. A trout hatchery was first
erected on its banks in the early 1940's. Fishing became
renowned and its popularity quickly grew. Over the past decades,
the creek has endured several hatcheries and has under gone
environmental changes. Fish barriers were placed at the creeks
confluence with Moses Lake to repel non game fish from entering the
creek. These intentions were well deserving, however to date
both suckers and carp flourish in the creek in specific areas.
However, these fish do supply a food source during their yearly
spawning cycle, which trout eagerly anticipate and take full advantage
of a fleshy meal. |
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Rocky Ford Creek is one of
the few "Fly Fishing Only" streams in the state of Washington.
Special regulations were set in place in the late 1990's to establish
a consistent lunker rainbow fishery and it seems to be working.
The creek remains catch & release only, no bait fishing and a single
barb-less hook is required. There is also no wading allowed in the
creek, so casting must be completed from the bank. There's not
much need to wade the water anyway because an accomplished caster can easily sling
line to the other bank with very little effort. Cattails and
other plumage grow along the water's edge, which provides shade and
cover for the fish during the hot, barren summer sun as well as
provide insects refuge from lurking rainbows. |
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| Our
professional guiding team and pro shop staff constantly monitor stream
and fishing conditions at Rocky Ford Creek. If you have any
questions about our professional services or the many fly fishing
adventures we offer, please feel free to contact us toll
free-(888)-950-FISH (3474). We will be happy to answer any
questions that you
may have. |
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We look forward to hearing from you and showing you the splendor of
Central Washington's, Rocky Ford Creek. |
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