It is that time of the season where I am on river less than I would like to be but am forced to the fringes of the day to chase trout.  August is my least favorite month personally for fishing, but it is by far one of my favorite for guiding as long as conditions allow.

Big bugs, big eats, fast retrieves, and quick releases.  Do that 15 to 30 times, rinse repeat, 5 hours at a time, every morning and evening, for about 3-6 weeks straight if you’re lucky.  I am getting ready for 7 days on in a row starting at 5:30 am tomorrow.  Guiding in the summer is fast, fun, and high energy, and for someone like me, it is just a blast.  And it is by far the best time for new anglers to come learn to fly fish here on the Yakima.

One of the other reasons I get stoked this time of year besides the awesome guiding, is the fact that every day brings me closer to my favorite time of the year…Autumn.  The sockeye return, the river drops, the temperatures cool, the days slow down, and the trout become eager for food, and begin acting like their normal trouty selves after a heavy water summer.  It’s gonna be good.

I love guiding the summer, especially with new anglers, but the late season is also one of the most consistent times of year for good fishing here on the Yakima.  My September is already filling up quickly.  You say crane fly and cutthroat in the same sentence to the right person and they are telling you to take their money to reserve a day.

We are in the meat of August and summer time fishing.  Its hot, but it will simmer down next week.  The early morning water temps are good, but the late afternoon is starting to show us 65 degrees and above in the lower canyon sections of the river.  Upper river is high but fishing well.  Water temps are good.

I have days still open in August, hopper fishing is in full swing, stoneflies are hatching, and of course the very popular caddis is always a good bet.  Early mornings are stellar right now.  Give me a call, and we can chase some wild trout before noon and you can beat the heat of the day indoors or at the local swimming hole.

Next Blog, “Mending is making your presentation shit.  A lesson on proper dry fly casting from someone who watches people miss fish for a living.”  Or something like that.

Tamarack