Its been a tough one this early season.  But all that is behind us now.  It is now the time of year where I get to work.  It’s an all day erry day time of the season…true Guide Season for me.  When there are no days off, and the days start to run together and your body moves off of any sort of normal schedule and you are just on river time.

I start telling the same stories to new clients 5 out of 7 trips, I get to make new stories with my repeat clients.  I basically have my dial set to 11 all day long and it goes down to about a 6 at night and then back up to 11.  I fish two a days, I snorkel in between, I don’t see my kids or wife much now.  My dog is always anxiously waiting for my return from the river.  I drive home during the sunsets and take off river in the alpen glow of the upper river.  The fish are hungry, healthy, and hearty this season, they are picky as ever and present a challenge every day.  I wouldn’t have the Yakima River any other way.  Those big wild trout that do show themselves, are memorable down to the last spot.

I get to really ramp up my game now that flows, water temps, weather, and food are becoming consistent here on the homewater.  I get to search for those perfect lies, where the biggest and brightest trout are hiding.  We get to test my guide flies, and my ability to get clients to cast that perfect drift and trick these persnickety wild trout.

I get to row, and I get to row my ass off.  I love rowing the upper river.  It is my f’ing jam.  I still to this day receive compliments and fat wads of $20’s for my rowing skills and ability to hold the boat in water and give anglers ample opportunity to cast flies at these wild trout.  I am starting to feel the river, she is starting to tell her secrets.  The fish are where they should be, and the cutties are in the fast water.  The big bugs are coming, the mornings and evening becoming consistent.  Trout feeding on cycles, trout holding in specific water, my beardy face calling trout to the fly and watching clients lose their minds…yes…dudes…its F’ing Guide Season.

Come join me this season…I can guarantee that it will be fun.

 

Tamarack

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Published by tamaracksguideservice

I have been fishing the Yakima River and its surrounding tributaries, creeks, and lakes for 10 years. I have been tying flies specific to this river for 10 years as well. I have guided not only the river but also many of the hiking and mountaineering trails in the area and fished some of the more remote lakes and streams. I love to fish the Yakima River and have been running my driftboat here for 5 years. I guide a little differently than the other services here and have a slightly different philosophy on guided fishing trips. Its all about the experience, and while I can't promise there will always be cooperative trout, there will always be good times. I learned from some of the greatest anglers the Yakima has both on the water and at the vise and I guide to share and pass on that knowledge and expertise so others can enjoy this river as much as I do. I love to teach people to fish, I love to teach people how to read the river, and I love showing people the beauty and art of fly fishing. My service is a bit cheaper but that is because I have no shop taking a percentage. I use a lot of my own fly designs and patterns that no other guide has and have spent the past 10 years fine tuning my tying and patterns specific to this river. I have flies, leaders, tippets, and fly rods and reels, and always welcome anglers to bring their own gear. If you need waders and boots I can arrange for a rental. I support my local fly shop for my trips as well as it is important to me that our local shops stay open. When you take a trip with me it all about fishing and the experiences that happen along the river. I love getting my clients to have great moments with our trout here. Ask me all the questions you can, I want to teach as much as you want to learn. Whether you are an experienced angler or brand new to the sport I love sharing this river with people. I guide the Yakima River and many other secret waters in the area. When you give me a call I will ask you lots of questions as I want to make sure you have the best experience possible while chasing the trout we have here. Whether its a guided river float or a hike and fish, or a walk and wade to the secret places, I can help make your fly fishing experience memorable and fun. Give me a call today and lets set up a time to go fishing.

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