The Golden Stone is my favorite big bug hatch on western trout rivers. Unlike the Salmon Fly which is a dark and orange behemoth of a bug, the Golden is dainty for its large size. Just a little smaller than a Salmon Fly. It’s a bright yellow and gold bug with lace like wings.

A ferocious carnivore nymph that eats other micro invertebrates for up to 4 years in the river bottom and substrate before hatching in the early summer. They like it hot, typically over 75, here on the Yak that puts their hatch after the salmon flies around the first week or two of June and into July. It’s one of the longer upper river stone hatches. Its early this year due to drought conditions so taking advantage of it while it gets started is a good idea.

The fish start to key in on those big juicy crunchy golden bugs when they start to return to the river to oviposit. Usually later in the afternoon. Then you’ll see big yellow bugs coming out of the trees and falling onto the river to lay eggs. This is what gets the troots attention. After a few days of those big bugs hitting the river. Its game on for trout. Especially cutties. They love the big yellow bugs up here.

The golden stone hatch is one of the only hatches where it will turn 20-40 trout on dries when it’s good. They just eat em all day long. Ita glorious, amazeballs, hell sometimes dare I say….epic. What is better than hucking big dries at boulders, seams, overhangs, and undercuts all day and turning trout on them!? You know the answer.

I’ve got days open during the hatch. Which is just getting started. Come get some big bug action on the upper Yak this early summer.

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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