The river has finally dropped down to a good wading level and with the cool morning we had today, it's starting to finally feel like Fall. We're starting to see more and more Fall bugs like October Caddis and Crane Flies, as well as the streamer game really picking up. Now is the time for you wade anglers to start hitting the Yak!
Dries
For dry flies, our favorite fly for most of the Fall is the Gypsy King. We recommend having a variety of colors and sizes, but anything from natural golden to purple will work this time of year. Other bugs like Stimulators, PMX's, and Chubby Chernobyl's in size 12-8 are all great options to imitate the Stones and October Caddis that are out right now. And don't forget about skating Craneflies to help you cover a ton of water! For more success, try different presentations like skating/twitching the flies, and with or without a small dropper.
Streamers
As far as streamers go, now is great time to bust out those smaller natural patterns, or even start looking at a trout spey setup. Swinging small Sculpins or Soft Hackles is a very fun way to pick off some fish, and can be very effective throughout the Fall. Try to stick to stick to those big riffles with a lot of big rocks or wood, and if your in the upper river (bullfrog area) then try stripping them with a sink tip through deeper water, and especially working the wood piles hard.
Nymping
For nymphing, now is the time to starting lightening things up. Dropping tippet size, sticking with fluorocarbon, dropping down indicator size or using yarn, and trying to avoid split shot. We love anything with a bit of orange in it for the top fly such as a size 8-12 pat's stone in orange/brown, or even the Dirty Hipster jig. For the small dropper, fishing size 18 Pheasant Tails, Princes and Hare's Ears are a great way to go in the soft riffles.
Shop Update:
We are now allowing 1-2 people in the shop at a time! Masks/facial coverings are required and we will have masks available if you need one. Plenty of hand sanitizer is available at the door and we encourage you to use it, and of course please be cautious of social distancing with shop workers and others. Thank you all so much for your business and patience during these confusing times!
If you have any questions, feel free to give the shop a call at (509)674-2144 or 509-962-3474 and we'd be happy to help!