Month: September 2018

Anglers, I will be done guiding the Yakima River early this season. I will be leaving on the 14th of October. I will be returning for the 2019 guide season and will be adding many more things to the business over the off season.

With a lighter than average year in terms of guide and guideable days this season I am going to end early and start work on the next phase of my business and guide career. I am sad to say goodbye early and be away from the Yakima for so long but there are other rivers, other fish, and new people and places to share and experience it with. Also new options for all my Yakima River Clients for the 2019 season.

I currently have the 3rd, 5th, 7th-11th, and the 14th open. My last few days before I end early.

I hope to see you all again and new faces when I’m back next season camping and guiding in 2019. Thank you to all that came out this year and chased fish with me and those that have been coming out for the past 4 seasons with my beardy face. It has been a pleasure.

I look forward to new water, new and old clients, and returning to the Yak next year. Lots of new stuff heading anglers way next year!

Thank you,

Tamarack

I’ve spent a lot more time solo during the season. As my family and I have had some chaos in our lives I’ve been fortunate to be riverside a lot despite being away from my family for extended periods of time.

There are really only two things in my life. Fly fishing and Family. One at which I am really good at and the other I have had to improve upon, evolve, and change for the better. Fly fishing is something that I had to work very hard at to get good at. Like any fly angler that decides to put more into this gig, the world of fly fishing opens up and grows exponentially in the techniques, species, gear, places, people…it just gets bigger and better the more you put into it. I have become very good at fly fishing, and exceptional at tricking a trout with a fly. It is one of the only true skills I have developed and put effort in over my life. I’ll be honest, I have half assed a lot in my life. School, other work, marriage, fatherhood, I skipped out of a lot to chase fish. That is my life, riding that fine line between responsible adult and general trout bum. My wife can attest to it, sometimes she acts like she doesn’t understand it, but she does…better than anyone. At times she is the force, like gravity, that pulls me back towards the other world outside of trout, rivers, and flies. Without her I would be lost in rivers and have little else in my life. She gave me three beautiful and amazing children, and our early adult lives and the young lives of my children have both suffered and prospered due to fly fishing. I am away from them more now, which naturally makes me appreciate and long for them that much more. And moving forward I will be away from them for longer periods of time. Like now, I will not embrace my family again until the they end of trout season.

It’s like the long wait for spring trout fishing…I have this anxious, patience filled period where I must wait until I can see my family again. At times its excruiciating not being able to share my day with my lady. Hear my children’s excited voices when I come home off river, each child asking me about the trout and clients of the day. My 4 year old still learning what it is that daddy does for a living, constantly telling me that my trips are the longest ever. It breaks my heart a bit…more so than losing a battle with any trout. I miss things, like any parent, father or mother, that works away from home for a living, there are times when I am only getting glimpses of that part of my life. And my family only gets glimpses of the other part of my life. It all makes me work harder, it is what fuels me, where my energy comes from. Knowing that when the season is done…I get to just be a dad and a husband…something fly fishing has shown me is all you need to work towards being good at. Fly fishing has made me a better person, made me work harder at being a better father and husband. I may be gone for extended periods of time, but that time away makes me strive to be present and a part of my families lives when I’m home. Something I didn’t have too much of growing up, and I am working towards sharing more of this life with my family and involving them more in the future. A life filled with summers living riverside during trout season, winters together, springs in tropical places for salty fish, and showing my children that growing up a little non traditionally is a good thing. Why not, the 9-5 life was never the plan. Bringing everyone along for the ride has always been the plan. A plan my wife and I are constantly adjusting and improving for our kids and ourselves.

I share this river and these wild animals with so many people. People from all over the world, people from all walks of life, backgrounds, and creeds. We all share in this fly fishing experience and what I’ve learned over the years is that it’s not always about the fish…but the people you share them with.

I get paid to share these places and bring people into them through fly fishing. Some for just the fish, others for that thing all fly anglers can’t quite describe but we all can understand. There is something that fly fishing does to you if you stick with it long enough and let it invade more of your life. My children and wife see it from one angle, and the clients and anglers I fish with from another, and like sitting in my boat, I am in the middle taking it all in.

This gig isn’t about fish. Not catching the most, the biggest, being the best guide, being riverside more than others, it’s not about any of that shit. As one of my guide compadres has said, they all pay the same, and they do, but money, still to this day has been a well appreciated side effect of being a trouty person. I have had the good fortune to have done pretty good as an independant small business guide. I have no complaints and have seen what hard work and patience can give a more business savvy angler that wants to make a living off what they love. More important to me, my children see it.

I had the opportunity to work in a cubicle and make large sums of money. Live a totally different life, a life like many of my clients, where fishing is just something I do occasionally and plan to do more of in my retirement. It’s the old story of the fisherman who meets the MBA client that tells him to get more boats, grow his business and run it for several years, make more money, make a name for themselves, and then retire and do what they love for the remaining years. The fisherman doesn’t understand because he is already doing what he loves, working for himself and his, and is…content. I am working towards being content. Working in the field I got a degree in until I am old enough to retire and spend my remaining years doing what I loved just seemed backwards to me.

Why not work hard at what I love my whole life and spend all my years doing what I love instead of only my older years? My work never feels like a grind, like something I have to do. Even the hard days, the tough clients, and the persnickety trout can’t turn this gig into something that feels like a chore. That’s the work part of this job. If I can show my children, my wife, and myself that ones life doesn’t have to be a grind to retirement I will have succeeded in one of the things I am striving to teach myself and those I love.

There will come a time when this life allows me to share more of it with my family. When it’s not just clients and anglers I’m sharing these places and fish with. This life has its perks. Living smaller, living smarter, and having time off to be just a father and husband gives me the ability to be myself and all the things I personally and professionally want for myself. As my family and I continue down this path we will have these opportunities to experience and share all the amazing things fly fishing entails together. While I may be gone and far away during times, my family and I are working towards the days when we are all together, travelling, fishing, and sharing it all.

I’ve had many riverside peeps and clients ask me about all the changes, check in on me, offer a meal or couch to chill on, and I am thankful to you all. Fly fishing just has a lot of good people in it. My family is grateful for the trips, the tips, and the support of our little guide operation.

Fly fishing is about the people you share it with. The more I do it, the more that simple concept sinks in. The younger angler I was selfishly ignored that concept for a long time. Yes I get excited for fish…but it’s more about the excitement I see in others that gets me going. If I could pay bills, clothe and feed kids with that energy I would. I have seen fly fishing heal, cure, calm, and invigorate people. The river and trout are the great equalizer in my life. Nothing matters to the trout except a good presentation and a respectful handshake before parting. My children can learn a lot from that. There’s a lot more going on under the water than meets the eye.

Unlike the dad that goes to the office every day and work is just what daddy does, the goal my wife and I are striving for, is that we as a family live this guide life, and we all share in what it offers. I cherish my time here on the river with clients, and look forward to the off season when I am just a Dad. A Dad that my children see doing what he loves and sharing it with them. Taking them fishing, which is so much more than just fishing, especially to a kid…trust me I know all too well what a simple boat ride can do. Tying flies with them, teaching them, coaching them, maybe one day guiding with them, but most importantly, sharing this life with them as they grow up. Never making it just something I do, and never just something for me.

This last push to the end of the season is the start of more to come. More to the business, more for my family. Working towards the ability to share it all with them and give my family a life that is content and happy, filled with trout, good casts, damp 20’s, new places and people, experiences not every kid gets to have, and a life that has a lot more than just fly fishing…but still…a lot of fly fishing.

See ya riverside anglers…

Tamarack

Fishtober…a term coined by my good friend and boat maker John St. John at Hog Island. Fishtober is that sweet time of the season that comes as things simmer down, the colors change, burn bans are lifted, big orange bugs start hatching, and trout start packing on the food for the winter.

Like most critters as the winter approaches, trout start feeding aggressively and gorging on food so they are nice and fat for the cold winter months ahead. This time of year on the Yakima River coincides with our October Caddis Hatch and our annual fall spawning salmon. Fish start hangrily eating food as they prep for the low water temps that will turn them into troutcicles and slow their metabolism down to zilch. They don’t eat much when they are damn near frozen, but like a bear that needs to prep for hibernation, so too do the trout.

Fishtober is that time of year when trout are just eating. Constantly. Sometimes snacking all day on stuff other times gorging when the hatches are peaking, but no matter where you fish here on the yak in the late season, there are trout eating.

It’s starting to get cold. Sometimes 30 plus degree temperature changes during the day. Water temps start to drop overnight and trout take their time waking up. Things slow down, the river drops in flow and the trout become more aware of their surroundings. The leaves are changing, the vine maple a scorching red and orange along the river banks. The cotton woods turning yellow, and soon when I look to the highlands, I will see the tamaracks change to gold. Frost will begin to greet me every morning, and mist is already hanging over the river every morning. Water temps are warmer than air temps before 10 am in the upper. The river is quieter, until you hear a kingfisher chatter as it zips by, or your concentration is broken by the sound of a large gulp that could only be a big trout rising just yonder.

The light fades fast now, but the fishing can be intense in the evenings as the cold sets in but the trout still have things to eat before everything cools for the night. I find myself taking my time in the mornings, starting floats and fishing later, and staying riverside after all the other anglers and boats are back at home in time for a little Netflix and chill. I’d rather chill with the fish and set up camp in the dark…the fish make it worth the inconvenience.

I can hear elk bugle at night, and listen to them walk by my tent every morning now. I even met a big bull riverside the other morning, we both wanted the same hole. Me for the fish, him for the drink and scenery I suppose. I let him enjoy it while I fished downriver until he decided he had watched me sling enough casts.

Fishtober is in the air anglers. In all my years fishing the Yakima, the last 4-6 weeks of the season have always been my favorite. I plan on fishing and or guiding every day until the end of October this year.

Hope to see ya out here this fishtober…get here before its over.

Tamarack

This season has been a little rougher than others. But my favorite time of year is here. The river has dropped back to her normal flow, the fish are moving about the system on a rhythm, and the bugs are starting to hatch. The Autumn, the Fall…the Late Season is upon us.

Some things recently in my life are making me relocate to south central Idaho for the off season. There I will be working on the south fisheries and a few tours down there to start exploring it. But I am also looking at working towards guiding other states and rivers beyond the Yakima for trout. I will always guide the Yakima River, it is near and dear to me. But I want more, as an angler personally, as an angler professionally, and as a guide. I want more challenges, more water to row and read, more clients and people to share the places and fish with, and I want to spend the next 30-40 years doing it. I never planned to only be a Yakima River guide and spend my career here solely. It is time to expand move on to other waters, and return to the Yak during the time of year when she is at her best.

That time is now. The late season fishing has begun. Today was a tougher fishing day in the upper canyon with the weather, but every day can’t be stellar. We had wind, no bugs, over worked fish from the weekend, and my boat was heavy. Lotta dude in the boat today…but the fishing required extra attention and work. I walked the boat back up runs several times to try new lanes, different flies, and give anglers more chances. Whether we caught no fish or 50 fish I would have done the same things today. Changed flies 12 times, tried different nymph rigs, threw multiple dries, double dries, it was just tougher today, still produced fish, missed some nice ones, but it wasn’t a stellar day and my body ached afterwards, and my brain had been fried by the trout. So I needed to get my shit right after. So I drove to the Cle Elum and didn’t even set camp, just grabbed my gear, still in my waders from the trip since 7 am, and walked up to the first riffle. Fish in 3 casts. I proceeded to lose myself for the next 2 hrs in dry fly fishing for trout with October Caddis and Blue Wing Olive dries.

This evening was especially wonderful as I got into over a dozen trout over the 2 hrs I fished and I landed a 22 inch rainbow after an amazing take and battle. I waited until dusk, just to see if I could get into it with a big trout.

This fish ate 3 casts after I had landed his 15 inch friend in the same spot. I figured…what the hell, they usually hang out together…3rd reach cast across 3 currents, 30-35 feet upstream at roughly 45 degrees. A sweet log jam right next to the deep seam on the river left edge of the run…it’s fucking juicy. There is a soft cushion just ahead of the root ball of the log…a foam line, and a slight drop off into the seam. It’s perfect. The cast isn’t easy, and most anglers I see don’t fish it the way I do. Most go from a down stream angle, unfortunately the fish can see you at that angle.

A more technical cast and method of approach produced an amazing trout today. The fish hammered the fly, I initially thought it was a cutty, but then it turned down river and took line, about 20 feet, then turned back upriver and held deep trying to break me off in the rocks. I could feel the line hit gravel. I started to turn the fish back and forth trying to disorient the fish and get it to rise up in the water column so I could have the advantage. A technique learned from Molly Semenick. The fish came up in the water column…then jumped and I got to see the creature! A huge male with a deep pink stripe flashing in the setting sun reflecting on the river surface. I was mesmerized and hooted very loudly as the trout ran back up the run and tried to get upriver. I back peddled out of the thigh deep current and turned the trout down river. It took the hint and screamed down river jumping once as it went by me. I had slack for a moment and thought I had lost; but the fish came into the slow water below me and I took the opening and closed the gap on the fish. When I went to net it spooked and pulled line almost straightening it in my hand and I grunted loudly at the power. I countered by pulling the trout back into the fast water and rocking the rod tip back and forth to tucker the beast out. I succeeded. The trout yielded and I was able to embrace this gorgeous 22 inch rainbow. A huge male, with a magenta band down the center, deep dark spots with leopard markings near the tail but perfect round circles near the snout. The trout weighed close to 4lbs, and filled the net completely. I was overjoyed with the encounter. I quickly removed the beat up October caddis dry from the nose plate, a perfect hook set for once. I released the fish almost as quickly as I had netted it. No photo required. That was my fish. We shared that moment. Just me, the river, and the trout. I felt blessed, if there is such a thing. To bare witness and battle such an animal and to be humbled by the fight against angler that it put forth. A worthy adversary we made for each other. I tipped my hat, lit up a J and walked back to the truck.

For a moment…all was right with the world and there was nothing but river…angler…and trout.

Tamarack

I have the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th open this coming week! The fishing is really good, the weather is cooler, it’s raining, bugs are hatching, fish are eating…just get here. Book a trip, wade trips are also good to go now too!

Come enjoy the flare season fishing this autumn with my beardy face and chase some trout.

Tamarack

I’m swinging in my hammock riverside. The big bend on the upper canyon, below the first big canyon wall…the big eddy…you know the spot. I can just make out the canyon walls across the river facing towards the north. The constellation Cassiopeia has glided up the sky between the two adjacent cliff edges splitting the night sky perfectly from this spot for someone to watch the stars. It’s why I set my hammock up so far from where I make camp for the clients. This is my spot…my little secret…my treat to myself when I sleep riverside here.

My clients slumber over yonder. An older couple but young in life. Almost retired, active, older kids with kids younger than mine. Very fun, have travelled the world, and fished it. Incredibly polite, energetic, understanding, and very complimentary. My hospitality has been nothing but commented on. I’ve been told multiple times today weather changing flies, running lines and laps with a fully loaded boat, talking constantly about my passion, and getting incredibly excited with fish, that I’m doing a great job. To the point where I was like you guys aren’t messing with me. And no. With clients that have fished with as many guides and as many places, I have been nothing but thankful and humbled by today. With a river that tested my patience slightly, and a tired body, I have had an amazing work day.

Dinner was short, and I had planned on fishing with them as the sun set. But they retired as it got dark, with Dave giving the river a quick glance and mumbling to himself before deciding against it…I giggled…out loud and cleaned up camp quietly and secured the boat for the evening. Casting a few times to a few small fish I had watched sip emergers while making French dips. As the sun set and the light grew almost too faint to see a fly…I heard an immense rise as I walked to my hammock. It made me stop…ponder if I could get to it quietly and if I did hook it, if I could contain myself in the moment…I know myself too well and could not. So I listened quietly as he slurped two more times…loudly…to the point where I swear I heard someone in the tent yonder shuffle with the same intention I had just concluded against. A slight tinge of hope that I would see someone stumble forth headlamp on looking for a fly rod and a caddis to skate. Hmmm…the late season makes me greedy for trout. It’s bad.

The river slips, slurps, slides, and sloshes in the background, the foreground a song of crickets and other insects. I can hear deer on the hill, and owls hooting and screeching to each other across the canyon. There’s a slight breeze, light like a breath, warm but a bite from time to time when it shifts and wafts off the river. It’s just warm enough that wool cloths a puffy, hat, socks, and a wool blanket are enough. It’s probably the last night for it. I’ll enjoy it. It’s also one of the last days out of waders so that fucking sucks, but at least fall season is wicked.

Breakfast will be amaze balls in the am. Pancakes and jam, eggs, bacon…OMF I could eat. I’m hoping to land some larger fish, but what’s new. We had some really nice fish today but didn’t get a lot of completions. But what’s new. Still wicked fun. I just got back from Montana and missed so many fish I don’t really wanna talk about it. Terry is gonna shit when he finds out.

Fishing is really picking up and the upper river is gorgeous right now. Got the 7th open. I’m gonna watch the stars a bit more before nodding off. Damn caddis are flying all over my face with this iPad light. Little shits. Damn fish out there slurping them with the bats. Little shits.

Tamarack.

Open dates first part of September 11th, 13th-15th.

Craneflies, streamers, mayflies, caddis…oh my! The late season on the Yakima is upon us. Who wants to chase some trout!?