Month: April 2022

There is that one stonefly in all of Riverdom that anglers have in the back of their minds as we transition out of spring and into summer. The Salmon Fly.

Talked about all across the west as June approaches. Here on the Yakima we get ours a little earlier. Due to our tailwater, and how our weather is here they tend to show up weeks before other rivers. The Salmon Fly is the biggest and the baddest stonefly in the river. They are ravenous, huge, and are the perfect food source after a long spring with runoff and spawning making trout hungry.

The salmon fly can live in the water column and substrate of the river for up to 4 years before it emergers as an adult. They eat everything. From algae when they are young, to vegetation, and also other bugs. Man do stoneflies love to munch on caddis!  Throughout their lives they can grow up to 4 inches long. They can withstand intense pressure under rocks and substrate, they can swim, and they can even chow on small fish if they are so inclined.

As water temps warm, the season changes, and the air temps rise, salmonflies begin thier river bank migration to hatch. They like water temps closer to 50 degrees, air temps over 60 and bright sunny days. Stoneflies, unlike caddis and mayflies do not hatch out of the water. They are bank amd vegetation hatchers.  As the spring runoff moves through the river salmon fly nymphs begin to migrate en mass towards the bank.  This is typically a nocturnal migration, happening early in the morning pre dawn and dawn.  Much like their skwalla counterparts from March; they crawl and feed their way towards to shore and bank line. They emerge out of the water onto the grass, woody debris, and rocks. 

There they drum their bodies and vibrate themselves out of their exoskeleton shuck wings first. They flap and pull themselves out of the nymphal shuck like a caterpillar into a butterfly, and emerge as an adult with 4 powerful big wings and one thing on their mind…procreation.

The females are larger and more abundant than the males. After the hatch. Males amd females drum and beat thier wings to find each other. This typically happens within a few feet of the bank as we are putting our boats in the morning. By the afternoon mating has usually been completed and male salmonflies die in the trees or grass, or are eaten by just about any critter that can get them. Birds, muskrat, fish, otter, frogs, you name it it will probably eat a salmonfly. Rich in protein and lots of calories they are a major food source for western River ecosystems.

After mating is finished, females stick around and develop an egg sac filled with more stonefly larvae for the next generation. The culmination of her existence of 4 seasons as a nymph just for a few hours of life as an adult to pass on genetics to the next generation.  It’s amazing. Truly. If you can’t see that I invite you to come bare witness to the Salmon Fly Hatch.

As the air temps peak, around 3pm.  The Salmon flies take flight. Better fliers than other stoneflies, but big and easy to spot, they launch from the banks and trees and flutter to the river surface to lay eggs. This is when trout key in on them for surface eats. An opportunistic eat, like a grasshopper, trout lie in wait along the banks and edges of the river waiting for these big insects to finish thier business.  And trout will see to it that salmonflies meet a swift and violent end.

Trout are ravenous this time of year. Many are post spawn and hungry.  Water temps have crept up so trout metabolism is higher meaning they need to eat more calories. Salmon Flies meet that need and then some. The takes on Salmon Fly dries are explosive. More so than skwallas due to warmer water temps.  Trout are turbo charged and have no problem chasing down amd crushing the absolute fuck out of big orange and black bugs. Many times trout take multiple swipes at these bugs because they are so large and hard to eat.  They need to be chewed and broken apart to swallow…unless your a really big trout with a toilet bowl for a mouth.

Its aggressive. It’s sexy, and it’s something that we see get really good every few seasons. Like other stoneflies, hatches are cyclical, like cicadas.  Every 3 or 4 season the hatch is ridiculously big. We are due up for that this season and the river is telling me it’s gonna happen. Already seeing mass amounts of nymphs along the banks and already adults flying around.  It’s early. Which means it’s probably gonna be big.

Salmonflies are just amazing to see let alone fish. They are massive! The size of a hummingbird. You can have some of the most explosive and violent dry fly takes during this hatch. But the nymphing can also be fantastic when they are on those migrating bugs under water prior to that hatch. It’s been 3 years since we’ve had a massive hatch of salmonflies and all us river peeps are patiently waiting for it turn on over the next 10 days.

Fishing has been pretty stellar in terms of spring fishing. I’ve had my hard days but as water temps get closer to 50 it only gets more consistent and that’s what really makes trout fishing good. Consistency.

May hits and flows, temps, and bugs all settle into a normal rhythm. Sure the flows get high but fish are accustomed to the flows and water here. They will play the game if you will.

May is just starting to fill up. The river gets busy the closer we get to Memorial Day. Weekends fill up quick amd weekdays are sought after. Those anglers that want a shot at big stonefly dry eats take note. After Mother’s Day shit gets real. Those that missed the skwallas can find redemption in salmonflies.

I head to Colorado until the 5th. When I get back, we are hitting it hard. With 40 guide days already in the books we are chasing 200 guide days this season. Help this trout bummy guide hit that goal and come out for a trip this season. It’s good, you’ll learn something, and get to be face to face with some of the best and baddest wild trout around.

The Yakima River is one of the last true gem fisheries of Washington State. Most of our riverside fisheries are in turmoil due to commercial use, nets, bad management, lack of listening to science, the list is long. And while Kittitas County has its own slew of issues that pertain to the Yakima River, it is still on the right course for fisheries management. Yes we have access problems, and county officials that have thier head in the same about conservation amd usage issues, but our fishery isn’t on the decline like just about every other waterway. People coming out to experience and enjoy the river is still the best and most effective way to make sure it lasts and gets better.

Having epic slamonfly hatches is a testament to how good things are here. These bugs need a pristine ecosystem to hatch. We have that. All the work that’s been done on conservation and water management, salmon recovery, it’s all paying off by keeping the Yakima River as one of the best fisheries in the whole state, if not the best.

Come out for a trip anglers. See what it’s all about, and maybe stick a nice one on a big salmon fly dry this May.

See ya riverside anglers,

Tamarack

Well anglers….the spring fishing is just about over. In terms of trout and for my bummy ass, spring fishing ends when caddis show up. Gone are the days of wicked cold water temps, the waders get hung up and the chacos come out, and fishing altogether changes.

We’ve been running the slow water, the riffle tailouts, the back Eddie’s.  Nymphing a good chunk of the day and crossing fingers for headhunting rising trout. It’s been a good spring for trouting. Since the skwallas started back in March the dry fly fishing has been fairly consistent by spring fishing standards. When skwallas wrapped up the mayflies came and the fish switched over and the past 2 weeks have been excellent for the spring. Even in the crap weather, yes we were dealt some tougher days. But still had good opportunity all around.

It’s been crazy busy for me. I’ve never done more than 24 trips between February and May. 38 so far seems like a staggering number compared to previous springs. Whoo!!  Just chasing trips this year. And my clients have been good to me. Especially coming out of covid. I cannot thank everyone enough for coming out for trips.

It feels good tonhave hard work pay off over the seasons. The groove is much easier to find these days and it shows while on the water. Just plugged in and vibing with the Yakima. Juicy.

As we roll into May the river changes. She already is. With the salmon pulse this week and irrigation operations starting up the river is now getting a good dose of water from the reservoirs. She’s gonna be high now…for a while. Not summer time high but 3000 cfs and maybe more as we move things the next few weeks.

Fish will finish spawning. I timed my trip to Colorado for boat makeover with runoff and to let the fish finish their business. When I return we should be days away from thr Mother’s Day Caddis Hatch, or American Grannom Caddis. It’s amazing to witness and even better to fish and be a part of. Fish everywhere, dry flies, skating dries, swung soft hackles, so many ways to trick trout with Caddis during the hatch. We fish into the dusk hour as trout slurp in the dark. It’s really fun.

Another thing happens in mid May on the Yakima. We get Salmon Flies. The biggest and baddest of the stoneflies. We are due up for a decent hatch this season. It’s been a few years. We get ours when the air trmps start getting into the 60s and 70s. Usually mid to late May. Just big dry flies and ravenous post spawn trout wanting to munch. It can be really fun to watch amazing smashing takes on big dries during the salmon fly hatch. Much like skwallas but bigger, and with warmer water temps, hungrier trout, the takes are a little more robust!

So May is what’s coming. Lots of dry fly fishing, swinging picks up more trout due to warmer water temps and post spawn trout. That 50 degree water temp turns trout into missles. They hammer shit, and hold in faster water. It’s rad. Side channels fill up, fish move around more, wildlife really comes out, the trees green up, things really come alive in May. Come on out for a trip.

I’m back May 5th after Kearstyn and I get back from CO. With a handful of days already scheduled the pickings for dates are prime still. Caddis start that 2nd week fosho, and Salmonflies probably after the 15th. It’s looking like a good summer anglers. Lots of water and still tons of snow to melt. Come out and enjoy the fishing this season. It’s already need pretty Decent!

See ya riverside anglers.

Tamarack

It’s April. It’s not my favorite month but has its sweet spots. The month brings wetter, gloomy weather that weeds out the weak. Fish spawn this month and into May. Water tempsmget closer to 50 degrees every day of the month. Trout eat more and more every day. Salmon smolt begin their seaward migration. The riverbanks come alive with spring green, there’s bud, cotton woods begin to sing in the rain and wind as the leaves grow. Birds and baby otters, little ducklings and gosling, frequent the river, life begins anew in April.

But the beauty of all that has its downside. The river is usually an unpredictable torrent of spring runoff, dam purges, and algae soup kicked up from the dams opening. We are a tailwater after all. Below the Teanaway River the Yakima can get angry in April. The snow locked valley begins to thaw and the largest Freestone tributary of the Yakima can rise upwards of 8000cfs when melt begins. This storm coming through this week helps greatly and our snow pack is in the 70s in April amd we want it in the 80 percentile. All that damn sunshine in March was nice but not so nice.

Being a tailwater the flows are somewhat controlled even when the Teanaway starts spewing. The flood plain restoration and work that’s been done in the headwaters of the Teanaway watershed over thr past decade is starting to show results with more normal spring runoff episodes. Above the Teanaway from thr Cle Elum River confluence to Lake Easton the river sees a few minor high water events until a salmon pulse is ordered or a purge needs to happen due to the reservoirs being at capacity. Salmon pulses mimic spring runoff and push smolt to the Columbia so that baby salmon can grow up to be food and fertilizer.

A lot of trout spawning occurs from the Teanaway confluence up to Lake Easton dam. I’ve chosen to fish less up river during the spawn which leaves me at the mercy of the Teanaway and purges but I, as well as others, have seen a vast improvement in quality of fish as well as quality since the 2020 closure during the spawn. Leave big fish alone during the spawn and they stuck around in the fall.

The hatches change this month as well. We transition out of the Skwalla Hatch which usually last into the 2nd week. Maybe longer. March Browns have ready started to percolate and will become the dominate food source for the rest of the month for most trout. Streamer fishing also ramps up due to water fluctuations, smolt getting pushed around, baby sculpin that have gotten fun sized since hatching, and big trout spawning like to eat meat. Caddis will also start to become a regular food source as flows tick up and down and warmer days and evenings settle in. Trout will begin feeding into the late hours of the evening as we get closer to May. Waiting to feed on caddis hatches at dusk. Also salmon fly stonrflies begin migrating for hatching in May as well. Nocturnal this also lends to thr evening feed with trout. We are due up for a big salmon fly hatch this season.

As we get into the month I watch the weather, flow, and wind charts like a hawk. Several times a day sometimes. The river and weather change a lot in April. We get new logs and jams like the new one below KOA or the blockage below state. Trout are moving and shaking a lot. Constantly and inconsistently changing and adapting to conditions. It’s can be a tougher month to fish but a very rewarding one with the colored trout, big trout, and really great dry fly fishing on the good days.

The river is up and a little blown, but is going to settle within a few days. Hopefully the higher elevations got that good 8 to 10 inches of snow they were calling for because we need it badly. I’m back on the river Thursday, river cooperating of course. I’ve got a good chunk of days coming up after this storm amd little water surge. No dam releases yet, Teanaway taking care of things for now. They’ve started priming irrigation but that really doesn’t start until May. April 15th they will start to open things up more irrigation wise.

We’ve got a few weekends open, 10th thru the 14th during this sweet little window coming up. And already taking trips for caddis in May. Full Days and Half Days are now open. $450 and $375. We also do walk and wades $275 in the upper river and lower Cle Elum. I leave for Colorado at the end of the month so get your trips in before I leave for a minute to get the boat fixed up. When booking in April we really look at the weather and forecasts when getting dates locked down so give me a call or email and get on the calendar!

See ya riverside anglers.

Tamarack