The Yakima has stayed in great shape and fishing has been fishing great too! It’s been a nymphing game with a little bit of streamer action in the right water, but overall the fish have been eating pretty consistently.
Stick to fishing walking speed water from 3 to 6 feet deep, and try using a a heavily weighted stonefly nymph like the double beaded peacock stone or a tj hooker to get your bottom small fly down, versus using split shot or tungsten. The long, natural drifts have been making a big difference versus short and heavy drifts. The fish have been fairly active when you can find them, and they’ve also been podded up a lot, so when you find one fish there’s typically a few in that same zone.
Flies
Nymphs:
1.) Double Bead Peacock Stone – Size 12 – 6
2.) TJ Hooker – Tan, Black, Black/Brown – Size 12-6
3.) Brassie – Red, Copper – Size 16-20
4.) WD40 – Olive, Black, Wine – Size 16-20
5.) Lightning Bug – Pearl, Silver, Purple – Size 16-18
6.) Midge Emerger – Size 18-20
7.) Copper John – Any Color – Size 16-20
8.) CDC Pheasant Tail – Size 14-18
Streamers:
1.) Carey Special – Size 8-10
2.) Woolly Bugger – Olive, Black, Brown – Size 12 – 8
3.) Goat Leech – Brown, Black – Size 14-8
4.) Peacock Bugger – Size 10-8
Tips
1.) If you’re going to avoid nymphing and want to fish streamers, stick to the idea of “low and slow,” meaning stick to swinging, not necessarily deeper water, but make sure your flies are getting down the fish with a sink tip. This is why trout spey can be so deadly this time of year, you’re covering water and getting your flies down, while also having control over your slow swing.
2.) For nymphing, really exaggerate those really long drifts. If you’re in a boat, bring extra beer for your buddy and make him row laps for you. If you’re fishing from the bank, this means that you want to cast as far upstream as you can while still ensuring that you can set the hook and keep a drag free drift. Especially since fish have been in slow water, you really don’t need much for extra weight. Even just the lead wraps on a pats can be enough to pull your flies down in slow water, as long as you get a long drift.
3.) Fish with a little bit softer action 5 weights, or even a 4 weight when fishing these light nymph rigs with small bugs. The lighter action rods tend to help keep those little bugs pinned in fish better, and can also offer a nicer hook set with those little bugs as well. Even if you’re 5 weight just has a softer tip, it can help you get more big fish to the net with those size 18 bugs. Here’s our favorite rods for this time of year, especially the 4 weight boost.
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Echo Boost$249.99 -
Echo Trout$349.99 -
Echo Carbon XL$169.99
As far as some good layers to keep you warm while on the water this time of year, we have some Patagonia jackets on sale right now that are perfect for this time of year, and the sale only lasts as long as we still have these products, so try an grab them before they’re gone!
If you have any questions feel free to shoot us an email here, or give us a call at (509)674-2144. Stay safe out there!