The End of the Season

It is Fishtober anglers. The end of the season is upon us. I begin my last 21 trips for 2023 on the Yakima River here in Washington. My homewater. The water I learned on. Where I cut my teeth, became an excellent angler, and became a good guide. I have fished this river since the winter of 2004. I have put more days on this water than most in 19 years. I have guided full time since 2015. I’ve done over 1000 guide trips on this watershed. I’ve floated the Yakima to the sum of 15,000 to 20,000 river miles now. I’ve caught thousands of fish. It has been one of the great joys of my adult life to be able to fish and live with the Yakima River.

I have taught thousands of people how to fly fish. I have worked with over 50 clients for 8 years, losing count of how many days we’ve fished together over the seasons. My regular client roster is massive now. Few…hundred. I turn away trips and have a waitlist. I’ve worked very hard over the past decade to make this dream of being a fly fishing guide a reality. My passion for my work, my business, and my clients is of the utmost degree. I am proud of what I and my anglers have done here on the Yakima.

I have spent hundreds of hours on conservation on this watershed. My literal blood and tears poured into these fish and the places they live. I am proud of the work I’ve done to give back to the river, the community of outdoorsy people, and my angling community.

I love all my clients. You have all supported me, been there to help me when I needed it, and we’ve shared countless hours enjoying, learning about, and chasing these wild trout here on the Yakima. I can not thank you enough for supporting your local trout bum guide all these years. You have made this beardy dudes dreams come true.

That being said, anglers. I am tired. I know every inch of this river system by memory. Photographic memory anglers. It’s seared into my brain mush. I know the lines at each flow increment, I know how the river is going to move my boat hundreds of yards ahead. It is almost autopilot these days. I know each and every crevice a fish can be in at any time of the season, and I’m pretty sure I can get them to eat most of the time. It’s been a constant flow of the Yakima for years.

I’m just a poorer kid from rural eastern Washington. I graduated high school with 75 kids. The biggest city I had ever seen was Seattle until I was well into my 20s. I started traveling trout bum style when I could back then. I went to all the famous Montana rivers, caught fish all over Montana, went to Alaska, went to BC, went to Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, I’ve fished damn near all I can and could. I’ve been on another 10,000 river miles all over the west. I’ve floated lakes and caught anything that would eat a fly. I’ve explored and fished all I really care to have fished out here these days. I have my favorites. I’ve made revisits, and I’ve encountered some of the most amazing and mesmerizing experiences of my life during it all.

But I want more. And I’ve tasted more. And my drive for adventure, adrenaline, and new discoveries is all but at a rolling boil now. I can’t sit still anymore. I haven’t had a summer off in 10 years. I haven’t fished out of my comfort zone or skill set in many seasons. I want to chase fish for me. I want to have my heart thump, my blood run, and my angling put to the test. I want something foreign and fresh, something I can’t read and don’t understand. I want to figure it out all for myself with my skills, a flyrod, and my noggin. I want to explore.

I am doing that for myself moving forward. I am changing things up. For me, for my clients and for the Yakima. I’ve put a lot of pressure on this river over the years. It’s time it had a little less from me. My clients are also mostly, at a plateau for this watershed. We are mostly at a level where we can figure it out, learn and practice advanced and mastery level skills, and chase trophies on this river. Awesome. We did good anglers. Nows the time to step it up.

While I get to fish on my own in the summer, I encourage my clients to do more of the same. Go fish for yourself. Fish with other anglers, build up the community, push for the changes and things you want from your fisheries. Explore and discover with the skills I have bequeathed to you all and chase trout. I am not always necessary for fish to be enjoyed.

There is so much more out there for anglers to enjoy with a fly and rod. And I am also an angler…not just a guide. I want to fish too. And I haven’t got to do that much these days and it’s starting to wear on me.

So I head south to Florida anglers. With some help from my friends at Hog Island Boatworks, I am fishing south and working towards a winter guiding program somewhere in the southern saltwater for 2024. I get to explore and chase new things now. I am excited and I wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of my clients.

Don’t worry you all get to come along. I can’t wait to share the new adventures. And will be seeing lots of my Yakima clients in new places before too long. I am also working on a summer program for Michigan fisheries for 2024! There’s so much more coming anglers!

Now. Back to the Yak. There’s been concern about what that looks like next year. Don’t worry. I will be right back here on the Yakima for Skwalla Holla 2024. March and April. I am already getting dates lined up for anglers next season here on the Yak. We have trophies to chase! I’ll have limited dates but I’ll be running 75 to 100 guide days in 2024 on the Yakima from March 1st to May 15. And From Sept 1st to October 25th.

What about updates and that Tamarack!? I will be doing those when I’m here and also wherever else I am! Social media, and that gets a bit of an overhaul this winter. With new content and new stuff. More merchandise like flies, stickers, shirts also are coming, as well as destination trips to places like Alaska, Florida Keys, Michigan, and Idaho!

Don’t be too bummed anglers. It’s time for me to change it up. New stuff for me and new experiences for clients! And new clients, different people, new things to teach and learn!

And my summers back. I have three wonderful children I want to spend more time with before they are all adults. I have 2 teenagers and a tween. Who have summers off too. With a winter program and a full fringe season on the Yak I can share time and experiences with those three baby troots of mine.

I also am coming up on 40. I am in need of time for me. Also for my partner. Guide life takes a lot out of you. Spending time chasing experiences and life goals with her is important and a priority.

Things grow and change, just like river conditions and seasons. I am no different. I have worked towards this goal, and I am finally close. Thank you anglers. Truly from my heart thank you.

I’ll be back.

I’m not leaving.

I’m just going fishing.

See ya on the saltwater anglers.

Tamarack