Friday, November 29, 2013

The Yakima's Other Season

Plain and simple, the fishing on the Yakima during the Winter and early Spring can be incredible. Often times the river is low and clear and the fish tend to be 'funneled' and isolated to specific zones. Food sources are significantly less at this time of year so the trout and whitefish will target the available foods in the 'feed me' zones. Generally on the Yakima some of the best winter calories for the trout consist of Skwala Stone flies, Midge pupae and adults, Whitefish spawn (egg patterns), Caddis pupa and forage fish.

Typical 'feed me' zones can be described as defined drop-offs and slow downs following large riffles or less isolated waters such as long deep pools. Big broad open flats, riffles and pocket water with multiple current lines are inviting and intriguing but certainly not isolated . The trout are often 'holed' up at this time of year and will move with in that hole to 'funnels' zones. The fish are definitely more migratory within a zone during winter's low volume and cold water season. Usual water temps for this time of year range from 35-40 degrees.

Let's paint a picture here. 9am in the morning and the water temperature is 35 degrees. The midge activity is minimal. By about 11am the water temp has warmed up to 36 and the trout are starting to move up from the depths of 'the hole' toward the drop off that forms the hole. Feeding becomes more active as the midge pupae are hatching more regular and the trout target the pupae along with the eggs of the whitefish. (Whitefish spawn in the flat riffles of tail outs and the riffles at the heads of pools). The water temp peaks at 38 degrees and holds at that temperature from 1-2:30. The fish actively seek the aforementioned food sources combined with the occasional Skwala Stone nymph. The Skwala stonefly perpetuates with a two year life cycle and hatches in March+/- on most western streams, including the Yakima. Therefore, the most mature adult Skwala nymphs are active during the winter time as they are not far away from their emergence. (hatching). At about 3:30 the water temps start to drop usually and given the strength of the subsurface activity the trout may continue to feed or may settle back into the hole where they can conserve energy until the following day, eating here and there. Fishing streamers (forage fish) is a great technique at all times of the day in the winter. Sometimes, prior and post to the described days activity is optimal because the fish are not typically feeding hard, yet the calorie intake of a small fish is hard to pass up.

While every day is not exactly the same, the above description is representative of 'Winter Fishing'.

When conditions align for optimal fishing, some of the best fishing/catching on the Yakima River can be in the Winter. Proper attire is essential as the water temps and air temps demand quality outdoor gear designed to cushion the elements. Currently the air temps are ranging from 28-40 degrees. Water temps are in the mid to upper 30's.

Aside from the actual fishing, Winter brings a new perspective to rivers. The landscape is 'pared to the bone'. The birds of prey are on the hunt. The Big Horn sheep are wintering in the Lower Canyon after a long and arduous rutting season. The most patient fisher of all, the Blue Heron, is present daily. Small heards of elk find refuge near the river bottom especially from Ellensburg upstream. Rarely is the river crowded; In fact, never.

Winter Trout Fishing is not for everyone. Rarely does the airtemp reach above 44 degrees, layers of clothing are a must and fingerless or fingered polypropylene gloves are your best friend. If there is a wind, the chill factor can be biting. On a warm winter day, the weather is tolerable for the average angler. On a normal winter day the temperatures are marginal for the average fisherperson and on a cold winter day the temperatures are basically not enjoyable for the consensus. Winter fishing is for the angler, not for the fair weathered interested fisherman. Winter fishing is for someone who enjoys fishing and not catching. The catching can be great in the Winter, but when it isn't, the weather is an obstacle that most fair weathered fishers would like to do without.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Let it swing














The fishing has been tough. You step into a run and it is time to pick out a fly. The last 5 runs you fished, nothing worked. Big, small, loud, subtle, didn't matter; nothing worked. You grab the nicest one in the box that you tied; then you put it back. No way are you going to toss that fly in this run because if it doesn't catch a fish, you will have just blown your ace.

However, you realize that all you can do is fish the run to the best of your ability with that killer bug. Life is good. It is what you make of it. So be the best you can be, fish as well as you can and be happy with it.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Recent Images


In the hustle and bustle of running a business sometimes we forget how remarkable and fortunate we are to spend time in the offices we frequent. Here are a few images from recent fishing trips.  The third photo is compliments of Brian Chou.





Tuesday, September 24, 2013















They don't make trout like this everywhere - Link here for more photos! Fishing on the Upper Columbia has been avg to great this fall - It is fishing and not just catching - There however are some incredible specimens in the watershed, as seen above.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Ride with Clyde


















In life their are some things that become Iconic. The Drake Magazine has done an incredible job at portraying Fly Fishing Culture and in the same breathe adding a bit of satire amid the roses.

Typical to many magazines, The Drake has its usual departments/features and 'Ride with Clyde' is a feature that was incorporated to The Drake Magazine a few years back.

'Clyde' (a 1972 Mercury Brougham) has traveled around to many watersheds and locals since the Mercury's rebirth.  Recently, Clyde has been hanging around at 'The Steelhead Ranch' and on the Klickitat River.  Not only does Clyde command the road but the Brougham lends itself to a conversation or two. More to follow on Clyde's visit to South Central Washington coming soon.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Two Hander Day - A Free Event - Check it out!











Two Hander Day on the Klickitat  -  Featuring a 'Whole Lotta Talent'
Brought to you by The Steelhead Ranch  - Sept 7, 2013

Monday, July 15, 2013

The Silver Bullet
















James and CJ

While the photo quality is 'less than desirable',  the fact that this is a wild Upper Columbia River Redband speaks for itself... The fish was 21 inches long in a 'Measurenet'.

Girth ?  Didn't take it, but...

Friday, June 14, 2013



I am a big fan of fishing the fly under tension...  It doesn't get much better.

While trout fishing with a streamer  on the move in a drift boat I refer to it as 'the one shot deal'.  Casting up and away (quartering back) while drifting the angler has a chance to present the streamer in a fashion that   requires the trout to react in  'ambush mode' and is similar to that of a warm water fish (Smallmouth Bass and the like) response.  When retrieving streamers from the boat the angler is required to sink the streamer into 'buckets' or deeper segments and conversly retrieve in the shallower zones.  This technique requires the angler to decipher the water type and present accordingly.

Often times during the down slope of 'run-off' the streamer opportunity is heightened as the Rainbow is hungry after a long winter and coming off the spawn as typically run-off occurs after the spawn on many western streams. In addition, during run-off the water is bigger and generally less clear and the trout can capitalize more eagerly on the "big meal deal'.  Regardless, a well presented streamer  can be good year 'round.   A great streamer 'take or bite' can be electrifying.

Choosing a streamer pattern for the watershed you are fishing requires a bit of knowledge and at the same time a bit of luck. A few key factors when choosing a pattern might include... 1) Knowledge of bait fish types that are prevalent in the river.  2) The color of the river and 3) The type of fish you are targeting...  Rainbows, Browns or Cutthroat.

Depending on the depth of the river and behavior of the resident trout, streamers can be fished on dry lines, sink tips and full sinking lines. Probably one my favorite lines for a river that averages 3-6ft in depth is the Streamer Tip by Rio-  6 Weight - Type 6.

Have fun fishing the streamer; it can be a lot of work....but the rewards can be awesome.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Mother Jan's B-day and the Klickitat Opener



















Great fishing, tough catching. We heard of a couple fish  caught over the weekend but our crew did not land any Steelhead. We did however have one big yank. Fish counts over Bonneville have been less than average but have recently bumped up over the past 24 hours. Regardless it was a GREAT weekend.
Techniques fished    Floaters to T-14 and Skaters to 6 inches of Pink -  Really?

The most important part of this weekend was celebrating Jan Cottrell's B-day!  The party migrated back and forth between  The Steelhead Underground in Klickitat and  The Steelhead Ranch on the breaks of the river.  An impressive amount of people showed up to give mother Jan a hug!  This organic party just keeps growing year to year.  It was a 'flat out' awesome gathering.

The Food Menu
Jan's New Mexico Enchilada - Unfrickenbelievable....The best enchiladas, ever, period, end of story
BBQ Pork
New Mexico Chile
Chocolate Cake

The unofficial list that came to give Jan a hug
Steelie Mike and Jennifer with Lily, Kade & Reece
Brian, Dawn and Natalie Chou
Andrea and Daniel
Becca
Bo and Kirsten
Ben Dow
Jack Mitchell
Barney
Jay, Shane and James Thacker
Trey and Phyllis Combs
Molly
Kerry and Mary Ann Burkheimer
Charles
Dustin
Roger

Photo album here 

Life is good -jm



Thursday, May 9, 2013

Upper Columbia


Bruce with a nice Upper Columbia Bow

Upper Columbia Rally - Check it out!  The past week on the Upper Columbia has been GREAT.  With a mixture of techniques including; 

Dry line soft hackle swing
Retrieving streamers on 200 grain heads

Swinging streamers on 200 grain heads
Nymphing under the bobber and 
Dry fly fishing.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Been awhile....


Photo credit :  Dustin Stetson


Just a thought;

A moment is just a point of time in one's life and within that realm all things change and are never constant - Like a river.

The coolest thing about a river is that it is never the same on a daily basis.  How boring would life or a river be if it was exactly the same daily. The artery will ebb and flow with the conditions and change course through it's travel but one thing is for certain; The predominant path and goal,  is the ocean.  It always has been and will always be.

Man could take a lesson from this one.


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

The Real Shark Bow


Check out the teeth on this big resident buck rainbow caught on the Upper Columbia yesterday. My guess is this fish weighed 12 pounds+  @ 29 inches.  

Monday, March 25, 2013

Fly Fishing Troubadours

    

    Kerry Burkheimer and Trey Combs     Photo by Tomonori Higashi                                             

How cool is this photo!  Recently I spent a week on the OP chasing steelhead with Trey and Tomonori.  It was time for me to head home on the day that Kerry arrived to fish.  I would certainly have enjoyed fishing with both of them!  Tomonori snapped this pic when Trey was hooked up.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Small Victory for American Reach Redbands


This paragraph was copied and condensed from the Upper Columbia Blogspot - Good friend and fellow Upper Columbia advocate,  Steve Bird's blog. Steve and I called concerned anglers to action on this topic a couple months back.....Somehow, someway our voices were heard in addition to others!

Beginning in May, Lake Roosevelt American Reach fishing regulation will reflect the increase daily kill limit of Walleye, currently 8, being increased to 16 in an effort to reduce predation on net-pen raised and native Kokanee and Redband Rainbow trout, as well as other natives. You folks who took the time to drop a comment to the WDFW, pat yourself on the back, your voices over-rode a strong spiny ray lobby fearful of losing their favorite fish.  More to come on the specifics of the slot limit etc...... Will keep you updated.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Skwalarama

This has been the story on the Yakima for the past two weeks.  Unfortunately the last few days mother nature added quite a bit of volume to the river and in addition we saw the clarity go down.  Regardless, it is a great time of year to be on the Yakima.  Beautiful, healthy-pre spawn rainbows are hard to beat.

...and,  'The Invisible, Imaginary and Important Skwala Hatch' is a great way to kick off the season

Family - Perlodidae - Sub Family - Perlodinae 
Genus - Skwala Curvata and Americana or Parellela


"...The Skwala nymph becomes fairly active at around 38-40 degrees and the adults will generally hatch anywhere from the 42-47 degree mark. The nymph generally emerges in the late afternoon and into the evening. 

Nymph Characteristics
Body length 1/2" ( abdomen and thorax), with antenna and tail - 11/4"
Long Tails 1/2" 
Color- Tan to Olive Dun 

Adult Characteristics
Body length 1/2" (abdomen and Thorax), with antenna and tail - 11/4" 
Long Tails- 1/2" 
Color- Dirty yellow to bright yellow to dark/olive-black 

Skwala - Fact or Fiction?
Some would say they don't exist and others say they are prolific. Neither is true. Then what is there importance? Why the big talk of the Skwala?

The Skwala Stone is a typical stonefly in that it prefers faster oxygenated water. As with most stoneflies the life cycle is one year and it survives as a predator by eating other aquatic insects. They are an important food source for trout for many reasons: 

1) As active nymphs they are often found in the water/food column for the trout, being knocked loose and free drifting. This is especially true during pre-hatch periods when their movement activity increases dramatically. 
2) They are also available to the trout as the female adult returns to the water to lay eggs. 
3) On a windy day as the adult is blown on to the water, and; 
4) As a spent adult that falls on the water to die. 

The Skwala nymph becomes fairly active at around 38-40 degrees and the adults will generally hatch anywhere from the 42-47 degree mark. The nymph generally emerges in the late afternoon and into the evening. 

The Skwala activity is strong beginning mid February and generally lasting until mid April. Certain years don't offer as good of dry fly opportunities as others; It would be fair to say that dry fly Skwala action in February is certainly a lower percentage occurrence than in March, yet it has happened and will most likely happen again. The nymph migration however is always a key factor at this time of year.

This is fishing folks. Things change and not everything is constant. Insects are cyclical, and every day is different. If I were to pick what would usually be the best adult Skwala weeks over the years I would have to say the last two weeks of March and the first week of April. During those three weeks three to four days will be optimal, 4-5 days will be good, and the rest of the days will be, fishing! 

The Skwala is a very important hatch in that it is the first Big Mac, Double Quarter Pounder, Super Big and Tasty meal of the season. Regardless of how many adults there are, the fish know they are there. Fish make their living on eating the predominant insects and food sources of the season.


The Yakima is a success story.  I started fishing the river in 86' and although it is a busier river now, as most are, the quality of the fish are as good or better.  In fact there are some remarkably large resident  trout in the Yakima river. It has been a fun river to evolve with.  If you haven't experienced it, I suggest you do.



Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Comeback


I watched Trey Combs convert two short takes on two different occasions into two comeback hookups this past week!  

From Trey's wisdom...'Just come tight with the line, not the rod!.'

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The Cool Factor


Caddisfly larvae build protective cases using materials found in their environment. Artist
Hubert Duprat supplied them with gold leaf and precious stones. This is what they created!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Conservation on the East Fork of the Lewis


Brought to my attention by Ben Dennis (flyrodranch@comcast.net) and noted in 'Conservation Currents', the Washington State Council Federation of Fly Fishers magazine is an article on The East Fork of the Lewis. At the end of the article it has a call to action for concerned individuals to email Clark County Commisioners and/or the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board members.

A simple statement such as,

I _________ request that the East Fork of the Lewis restoration project must commence the Summer of 2013;


Will Suffice!

Please email the below contacts with the highlighted text

boardcom@clark.wa.gov

jbreckel@lefrb.gen.wa.us

Sunday, January 27, 2013

That time of year...


When coastal chrome can be all you think about - Recently it has been good with both the swung and drifted fly.

 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Fishing Buddy


Good friend and angler Jeff Cutter spotted this most likely Mako,Bull or possibly a Great White shark at approximately 20 yards from him while he was fishing for Blue fish and other species at the very tip of Cape Cod.  The sharks came in to feed on a school of baitfish. He had to take a few casts at the sharks, 'Just Because' , but to no avail.
 
About 4 weeks prior, the first great white attack in 100 years took place about 5 miles down the beach on the ocean side.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Why do Steelhead bite the fly?

 
Why do Steelhead bite the fly? - Over the years this debate has been hashed over many beers or a single malt. Recently, I heard this description which I thought was 'kinda cool'...

Steelhead bite flies for one of three reasons;
1)Aggression
Definition - An attack made without reasonable cause.
Often times this particular reason is equated to the male Steelhead, reffered to as a Buck.

2)Curiosity
Definition - An object that arouses interest, as by being novel or extraordinary.
This particular reason is equated to steelhead in general; especially the females or hens.

3)Recall
Definition - Bring (a fact, event, or situation) back into one's mind.
This particular reason relates to when the fish was in the river as a smolt before they went to sea. As a smolt the fish routinely ate nymphs, dries and the like. Upon return to the river as an adult they 'bite' a fly in 'recall' of their youth when they lived in the river eating nymphs, etc. to survive.

Interesting analogy!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Upper Columbia Inspired

This little blurb of inspiration was jotted down recently and then refined and refined again. A ‘ little shorty ‘ that captures the essence of Drake fishing on the Upper Columbia.




FREE DRIFTING

Free drifting, the sun setting in the west. Glare on the water is a golden toned negative, the visual hard to comprehend. In the flow at seven miles per hour you feel you are motionless, on pause, in a time warp of water and sky.

Redband trout inhale twilight drakes, the water erupting like popcorn at each rise. Bats dive and weave picking off the big mayflies. The fading light projects a sense of urgency to the drifter, yet, at the same time, it is calming too.

Sliding into Tailout Grande is a good time to clip the hook.

Clipping the hook allows multiple takes and thus more gratification. As if the fishing is virtual. Yet it isn’t. The caddis are thick and the trout will eat the after dinner mint, but they are focused on the Rib Eye, and they are in rare form. They seek the drake, the cache smorgasbord after a long winter and spawning ritual. They need the drake, the clockwork hatch appearing when it is time to revitalize the redbands after the hard work they have endured.

Drifting free, the glare is gone. The lack of urgency is pinnacle. No visual at all, just the sound of late night gulpers and the Caddis. Caddis so annoying but in the same breath pleasant as they swarm the headlamp and face. The fly is under tension and casts are made selfishly to the sound of feeding redbands which should never be taken for granted. Thank you. Nothing virtual, just nature unfolding.-jm

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Last day buck on the Klick


November 30th -  Ben lands a good one. Great way to end the season. Ben described the take as a 'crusher' - Gotta love it.

Human Free Fall from 128,000 feet - 24 miles high

 
Maybe not be the most exciting video to watch, but it is flat out incredible!  I hadn't seen this 'til just the other day - Might be old news for some... (Sept 2012)

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Good Eats - Dixies Home Cookin'



 First time my wife and I ate at Dixie's Diner was January of  2011.  That morning was the first day of the 5 day Washington Sportsman Show at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.  We ate there every  morning for the remainder of the show days.  In 2012 we did the same.  We won't break stride for 2013 - We will be at the Washington Sportsman Show Jan 23-27 and eating at Dixies every AM.  We would love for you to come see us at the show and make sure you... Check out Dixie's Home Cookin   GREAT Breakfasts!   15717 Main Street E    Sumner, WA 98390     253-863-0111


 

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year!

Keven Samuelson with a recent coastal steelhead

Just seemed like a great way to bring new year hope and excitement to 2013