Welcome fly-fishing enthusiasts to the WBFC Summer Fly Fishing Newsletter! With the strangest of days happening in all of our lives at the present time, a short escape to your favorite river or stream with your fly rod in hand, may be just what the doctor ordered.  It has been a trying year for all small business people across the country, as we juggle government enforced shut-downs for months at a time, mandated orders to keep our doors open, and a complete shutdown of fishing for several weeks in Washington State.  It has created and crafted an absolute disruption in the supply chain for everything.

The good news is fly fishing in Central Washington has been absolutely off the charts fantastic.  The Yakima River, Washington State's foremost wild trout fishery has been exceptional and the WBFC Guiding Staff have been busy on the water, since the reopening of fishing in May.  The trout, both Rainbow and Cutthroat occuping the river at this time are large, and perhaps the healthiest we have ever witnessed, in over two decades of operating our outfitting business in Ellensburg.  This isn't just guide talk.  Pictures tell the tale of this constantly changing river fishery and we continue to appreciate the magnificents of it.  We count our blessings daily and hope that the river continues in this healthy trajectory for the years ahead.

As the Yakima River grows in popularity, more fly anglers will want to experience the fishery. Commercial pressures will have to be addressed or we will be faced with the ongoing problems that other rivers are experiecing throughout the west.  By retaining a seat on the Kittitas County Public Lands Advisory Council, as well as a seat on the Yakima River Access Committee, I can assure you that this issue is being discussed.  We look forward to implementing a plan as well as addressing several key elements on Public Access points of interest in the Upper Yakima River Corridor. 

The last several months have made it trying to say the least, as a volunteer committee we have had to work remotely.  It has made the processes even slower, but there has been some excellent work and traction made. 

The Yakima River Access Committee has been awarded a grant and Public Works has matched those funds. The kitty continues to grown and implementation of the access plan that have been proposed along the Upper Yakima River Corridor can now begin taking form.  The beginning stages are strategies for spreading out the entire pressure and creating less impact on the fishery, land and habitat.  This is a public document and you can download it here for viewing. 

We will begin to see the fruits of these labors in the coming months.  The plan, that the group worked hard to put together, has been recognized and awarded, which in turn opens the door for additional funding and the means to continue and improve on access issues related to the Upper Yakima River watershed.

As we approach the 3rd week of July, many popular trout rivers across the Pacific Northwest are dropping in volume daily from their initial spring, snowpack, winter runoff and are coming into fishing shape for the summer.  As this natural event occurs, the complete opposite forms here in Kittitas County. The agencies that control water rights and distrubution throughout Central Washington, begin increasing river flows in the Upper Yakima River Basin.  This action is completed to provide irrigation water to farmers, ranchers and orchardist across three separate counties.  The reservoir water enters the river near the town of Cle Elum and after many uses, converges with the mother of all Pacific Northwest Rivers, the Columbia near West Richland, Washington.  Currently, summer river stream levels are high, clear and cold, throughout the Upper Yakima River.

This cold, clear, water streaming from the bottom of the Cle Elum Reservoir has the Yakima River moving swift, along most of its eighty plus (80) miles of "Selective Gear Fishing".  Wading the river this time of year, anywhere below the confluence of where the Cle Elum River and Yakima River unions collide, is next to impossible. The start of summer, has been unusually windy, with excess speeds of over 30mph.  With wind like this, mostly blowing from a westerly direction, it will increase the speed of any floating device on it's surface.  Novice or inexperienced oarsmen should avoid the technical pieces of water at all costs.  Tubing the river without any type of controlling agent is just plain stupid!  Our first responders have already been busy this week, pulling lifeless bodies from the river.  If your plan includes floating the river, I highly recommend doing plenty of homework ahead of time. Their are less techincal places to float and enjoy and live to fish another day.

Fly anglers without a sound and reliable river taxi, have two seperate options.  Spend your time wade fishing the smaller rivers, creeks or still water impoundments, for the day, until we reach the mid point of August.  At this juncture in the summer, the river will begin to subside in flow and the water releases will be drawn back as the seasonal flip-flop, will begin to take place.  Hiring a guide is also a great alternative for the day and a great way to learn how to fish the river, during summer height.  The WBFC Guide Staff takes pride in our repuation and are amoung the hardest working Professional Guides on the river to date.

As we approach the third week of July, the warm, summer sun is blasting its far reaching UV rays across Central Washington.  As the northern hemisphere moves closer to the sun, the mercury begins to thin and rise. You can expect the daily temperatures over the next several weeks will reach well into the upper 80's and 90's.  Even, a few triple digit heat days thrown in as well, are not uncommon and should be expected in August.

The Yakima River has an ever growing, rich aquatic base and bio-mass of aquatic insects. During the summer months, the river bank grasses and other folliage will provide a base of non-aquatic food sources as well.  Aquatic river insect life such as Green Drake Mayflies, Yellow Sally Stoneflies, Caddis, Pale Morning Dun Mayflies and Summer-Shortwing Stoneflies will all be common throughout the Upper Yakima River watershed. Over the course of the day, during the remaining months of July and into August, be prepared with a variety of patterns in size 8 thru 16 to match whichever insect hatches you happen to encounter.

One of the biggest and most anticipated events of August, is the "Hopper" fishing.  With day time temperature at its highest points for the year, Grasshoppers in a variety of colors will be a fruitful food form for many of the trout in the Yakima. 

Their are two particulars that create excellent "hopper" fishing on the Yakima.  One is the man-made, enormous water event that occurs during this time frame. This can trigger some of the trout, to seek refuge within a close proximity to the river bank, where the grasshopper reside. Also in many sections of Yakima, river current will flow tightly along the bank grasses, creating not only an ideal holding area, but also act as a secure environment to aid in protection from predators, such as Osprey's, Eagles and Kingfishers.  Many of these non aquatic insects, become a favorite protein packed meal for trout, during the month of August. 

The dense, grasses along the bank are ideal grasshopper habitat and will house many Yakima River, wild trout.  These terrestrial insects will fall victim to the afternoon wind or just their clumsy nature in general. When this scenario plays out, they often times become an ideal food source to fuel trout into the coming months. 

Banks that grow high and dense with grasses and other vegetations, will host a variety of colorful hoppers.  Fly patterns in a variey of colors like red, pink, yellow, orange, tan and purple are some of the more popular and productive imatations that you can choose from.  If you prefer to tie your flies, like the staff at WBFC, I would suggest checking out the WBFC Fly Tying Video Libary. 

Dom Singh, pro-staff team member at WBFC, shows you how to tie the "Pink Pookie" hopper pattern and head guide, Aron Larsen demonstrates the "Hi-Vis Beetle".   Both of these are very good Yakima River Summer Terrestrial imitations that you can find success with on our home waters or where ever your fly fishing adventures take you.

The month of August will also be the precursor for the fly fishing months to come.  Several, Autumn aquatic insects will begin their seasonal life cycles and your thoughts and actions as a dedicated fly angler will come into play. 

Perhaps, fly patterns and techiques that worked well for you one day, may not produce the desired effects on another.  This is the "thinking person's fishing" and in order to find stream success, you will be required to use intellect and deductiable reasoning.  You are in competetion with Mother Nature, so break down the natural order of seasonal events, and begin to grow in your fly fishing skill sets.  Do it for yourself and find the satisfactions in your successes.

One weekend a month, beginning in June and operating until the end of September, the Professional Guiding Staff encourages you to join us in "Trout Camp".  The WBFC Trout Camp is designed to give you and your party, the ultimate outdoor experience, while learning or fine tuning your fly fishing skills, under the close observations of a professional instructor.

Trout Camp, is a two day, fly fishing experience and camping extravaganza, hosted by the guiding staff of WBFC.  Here, you will spend one and a half days, floating and fly fishing the famous blue ribbon waters of the Yakima River, in a comfortable, custom drift boat with a Professional Guide from Worley Bugger Fly Co. 

You can find more detailed information about the WBFC Trout Camp here.

This past spring, during the government mandated quarantine and lock down, WBFC Pro Staff members began adding daily uploads to our "Fly Tying Video Series" library.  If you are an avid fly tier or just getting started, in what we consider to be an intricate part of the sport of fly fishing, then you may find our library of videos helpful.  Here, the WBFC staff has put together an assortment of fly patterns that are productive to fish throughout the world and fun to tie.  You will find detailed, step by step instructions and full pattern recipes, as well as the ability to purchase the entire fly tying kits, for each fly pattern.  You can also purchase just the fly materials that you may not have, to put each pattern together. 

The WBFC Pro-Staff will package your order neatly and get it out the door to you as quickly as possible.  Easy, online ordering or feel free to place a phone order with us.  Questions are always welcome.

I am particularly proud of my staff at the moment, and I believe through this series it demonstrates their true professional credentials.  Understanding the thousands of fly tying materials available (many of them available at the WBFC Pro-Shop or Online Site) and putting them together in a way that produces new and exciting fly patterns, not only shows their intricate knowledge of the sport, but their true fishing abilities.  To understand the concepts of how and why, these particular patterns fish the way that they do, takes skill and understanding of how fish, flies and the natural world collaborate together.

The library offers a wide range of freshwater and saltwater patterns.  Each week, we will introduce you to a new favorite staff pic.  Check back often or subscribe to the WBFC YouTube Channel.  You will automatically be informed, when a new video is produced, uploaded and ready for viewing. 

We also give the viewing public, a chance to purchase either a dozen or half dozen of any fly pattern that is available in the library.  This has been particular popular and the staff appreciates your support and your business.  Thank you.

THE WBFC VIDEO SERIES LIBARY

I wish you and yours well this summer.  We hope, that despite all of the craziness in our world that you are finding time to get outdoors with family and friends. Everyone here at WBFC looks forward to seeing you on the river!