The Spring time weather is finally starting to show itself a bit, and this weekend is looking like it’s gonna be awesome! We might even hit 50 degrees! This means that this week will most likely be the start of the Skwala hatch, so make sure that you’re prepared!
We carry a very large variety of Skwala dries, so make sure you stop on by to fill in that extra space in your box! Flies such as Pete’s CDC Skwala, Stimulators, Fat Freddy’s, and Bullet Heads are all our go-to’s when we start to see them popping off. We also love to fish them with a dropper, with our favorite being CDC Pheasant tail jigs. It just so happens that we just got a ton of them, so grab them while they’re hot!
Nymphing will also be awesome with stones and March Browns being very active under the surface. A stonefly nymph with a pheasant will be the name of the game, and fishing a lot of riffley water where the nymphs will be most active.
Swinging streamers will also pick up a bit with the warmer weather. Swinging small sculpins, leeches, soft hackles, and buggers can be a very effective way to pick off some big fish this time of year. An unweighted fly on a sink tip line can be pretty deadly with the low clear water.
As far as conditions go, the boat launches on the upper river through Cle Elum are still in pretty rough shape. South to state is really the main float right now with Hansen getting in worse shape as this snow softens up. As far as State goes, make sure to bring a long rope so you don’t have to back your trailer down the launch. It’s also a good idea to keep it to 4wd, as well as keep a set of chains in the truck.
If you have any questions about fishing or conditions, feel free to give us a call at (509)674-2144.