What They Eatn'?

 

At this time the big Yakima trout are eating both hoppers, stoneflies and a variety of different terrestrial insects throughout the day.  In the evening, once the low light and heat of the day begins to cool, the caddis fire up and steal the show. Fishing a tandem dry fly rig anchored with your favorite hopper or attractor fly with a caddis trailer will be a productive method during this time.  Of course, a single caddis is also effective, however in the low light the bigger dry fly functions as a visible reference and it allows the angler to see the soft, surface breaks on the caddis much easier. Light, slurping feeds from big trout at times can be difficult to see and for many can be challenging to pick up in soft light.

For those of you that love streamer fishing or are looking to hone this part of your skill level, now is a good time to consider fishing the Yakima.  Here's why.  Last year, the Yakima experienced an abundant run of Spring Chinook, Coho and Sockeye.  We calculated and based our estimate on adult salmon spawning levels and concluded that this spring there would be approximately 72,000,000 salmon fry freely swimming the waters of the Upper Yakima.

With absolutely no spring run off this year, millions of salmon are now literally chocked in the river, unable to move towards the pacific.  Their migration route typically occurs in April, when we start to see low lying snow pack melt from the Cascades Mountains.  During this time salmon use the high water flows where they can freely move down river much quicker and with less predation incidents.  Without that high spring water, these small fish have become targets for our upper age class rainbows and cutthroat trout. These fish provide a base of pure protein and in conjunction with the aquatic insect populations, are helping to establish some of the largest trout we have seen in the Yakima Basin. 

Learning key techniques on how to streamer fish and present a fly as well as the key areas of the river to target, are some of the aspects of learning how to properly present a streamer.  Also breaking down water types, proper fly lines and rod actions to use as well as learning about small fish habitat can add a additional dimension to your fly fishing experiences, where ever your fishing takes you.

So far this summer, the fishing has been at its best during the early and late hours of the day. Our experience tells us this is most likely due to the big, bright light during the middle of the sunlight hours. Also with the high heat levels we experienced in June, most folks prefer to fish before or after that time of the time as well as most guides. Although the river is about 1000 cubic feet per second lower than normal for this time of year, the fish can still be found tucked up tight against the banks, as well as the riffle dumps and faster seam lines.  

 The flow projections from the Bureau are being relayed to the fishing and agricultural community for the remaining days of summer and their projection is that water conditions and flows will remain consistent through the end of August. What this means for anglers is that fishing should remain excellent for 6 more weeks, before low water and unforeseen temperatures could create a high stress environment for trout. Although legal closures have not yet been discussed for the main stem Yakima River most of the Teanaway and Naches river systems are now closed due to low, warm water.  Make sure to check the current closure if your planning an upcoming fishing trip. Most of the rivers and streams in Montana and Oregon are also falling under closure or "hoot owl" regulations.

What all of this means is to get out and do your fishing now! We have several prime openings through the end of July and most of August. Book your trip now before prime hopper dates get filled up!

Dum-Dum-Extend-A-Stone

 

As professional fly fishermen, we pride ourselves not only on the work we do with our customers on the river, but also the dedication the pro-shop staff exemplifies to other aspects of the sport.  Fly Tying is just one of those examples.  Each member of our staff is a qualified instructor in the fine art of fly tying. 

Our custom 8 person fly tying station in the pro-shop is used weekly to teach students how to perfect this art and begin there own journey in tying flies.  The pro shop is stock with one of the largest amounts of fly tying materials and tools you will find anywhere and we ship those products world-wide on a daily basis direct from the Worley Bugger.

If you are interested in learning the art of fly tying, contact any of the members of our staff and we will be happy to assist you with it.  One on one classes and group sessions are always available.

Summer Steelhead Fishing Opportunity

 

Steelhead opportunities are few and far between currently. The best choice for summer steelhead now is the Klickitat River in South Central Washington. The Klickitat is still off color due to the warm days and nights we have experienced, because the glacier on Mt Adams begins to melt and create a glacial sediment that is deposited into the river during warm peridos of summer. 

Target the cooler days and nights for good fishing conditions here.  In addition, road work is also being conducted along the lower stretches of the river below the town of Klickitat which is adding some color as well.  The positives with the Klickitat is there is less pressure this time of year and the water is still cool. And remember you don't need crystal clear water to catch steelhead.  We prefer about a foot to foot and 1/2 of visialblity for fishing the "Klick". We are waiting and see what the Wenatchee River steelhead season holds as the fish continue coming over Bonneville Dam this summer.

 

I hope this fishing and river conditions update will help guide your fishing adventures for the remainder of the summer and into the fall.  If you have any questions about the current state of any of the local Central Washington fisheries, please feel free to contact us at the proshop here in Ellensburg.  We will be happy to assist you with the most current and reliable information available.  

A big thank you to all of our fly fishing friends that support the efforts of Worley Bugger Fly Company, and we hope to see you all soon.

Steve Worley

Worley Bugger Fly Co.