It feels like it’s been ages. But it’s only been a month of summer.

I haven’t fished the Yak in about 4 weeks. I’ve been on the Joe and dealing with the aftermath of that truck reducing deer encounter.

I drove 800 miles the last two days. From home in Rupert Idaho to the Joe then the Yak. A much needed short trip to see the family. It had been 70 days or so since I had seen or held my wife and children. There was some emotion when we picked up my son from school. We couldn’t see him in the cafeteria and after everyone looking for him I just yelled his name MARSHALL! With a big dad voice. He jumped up, sitting literally right in front of us, realized he had really just heard his dad call his name, ran to me and nearly knocked me over. He was in tears immediately, as was his mother and teacher. Its was a pretty awesome reaction. My son gets pretty emotional, has battled some demons similar to his dad, and was very worried after the accident. So going home was a much needed trip for all of us. I walked my 5 year old home from Kindergarten for two days, something I look forward to doing more when the season is over. I also got my eldest her first phone so she can text and call me when she needs to and to satiate her teenage need and want for one.

My wife and I had a date night, chilled, detoxed, reflected on the season and the accident, and made plans and ran logistics on the rest of the season and the bounce back from the cost of the accident. A quick visit. But I was anxious to get back to it after being laid up for 2 weeks ish. My lady could tell, not happy but happy to see me leave.

New rig is sweet. Upgrade from the last. Drove the last 800 plus miles like a dream. It’s a pretty drive up through Idaho on 95 through the Salmon River and Hells Canyon area. I really enjoyed seeing all the rafts on my way through. My father in law recommended the route instead of through Mcall, he does know me pretty well these days. Kind of drive I needed after not really wanting to drive since rolling.

Grabbed the boat in the evening, slept in Spokane, and left and hit the Yak around 3 ish. Grabbed oars, and new Sawyer Stickers, and headed up river.

Damn I missed the Yak. And shes starting to look like her normal self again.

I couldn’t help it. I had other things I needed to do. But the trout bum in me said fuck it and go fish. So I did.

I walked up the Cle Elum from the old bridge below Tumble Creek. I missed all but 1. Like I said, haven’t fished the yak in a bit. The Joe is easy sauce comparatively. And that’s all I’ve fished recently. Yakima fish are wicked fast. And in the lower flows…they haven’t slowed down at all. Woo. Little slow on the set anglers. Little slow. So we will be fixing that this week.

The Yak in the Fall is my favorite time to fish and guide. I’ve got a decent number of guide days up and more coming. I plan on fishing every day guiding or myself from now until the end of Fishtober.

The colors are changing, the weather is cooling. The rains are here, the mayflies are hatching. There are craneflies and caddis about. The fish are happy to be through the summer. Aggressive to strike a dry and streamer…when presented well multiple times of course…but aggressive all the same.

I missed the challenge of the Yakima Trout. Well conditioned to the angler these wild trout. Unforgiving. Unwilling. But worth the frustration and tribulation. Rewarding to say the least. And beautiful as ever. These trout…to this day…after 13 years, hundreds of days, hundreds of trips over the past 5, thousands of fish…they still get me.

I’m am happy and honestly…relieved to be back on the homewater. This river and I have history. Summer break is over…its almost Fishtober. Tis the Season anglers….tis the fucken fishtober season.

See ya riverside.

Tamarack