The Yakima is fishing great right now with lots of fish still eating on the surface. They’re still going after October Caddis but we’ve also noticed quite a few fish eating BWO’s. Fishing a double dry has been effective with an orange stimulator or PMX as thr top fly, and then a BWO dry behind it, such as a Sparkle Dun, Parachute Adams, or Purple Haze. Keeping your top dry a size 10 or 8, and you bottom dry could be anywhere from a size 14 to an 18. A soft hackle dropper off a dry has also been effective.
If you get stuck fishing on a rainy day and can’t get away with fishing dries, then nymphing two small nymphs has been the most effective. A large (size 10 or 12) Hares Ear, Pheasant Tail, or Copper John as the top fly, and a small tungsten jig fly, or any of the previously mentioned flies in a size 16 or 18 as the dropper. Stick to fishing riffley water rather than the deep slow pools, and you can pretty much keep the indicator at about 3 feet deep all day.
Please make sure you watch your step wading the river, any light patch of gravel could be a salmon redd so make sure you steer clear!
GORGEOUS fish. Westslopes are my favorite!