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