I’ve lived this trout bum guide life for a minute. My life dictated by the ebb and flow of rivers and the way trout move through the season. The guide grind, the endless road and river miles. The same backroads, same launches, same riffles, it all becomes common to me. Now that the guide season is over I am able to reflect and stop being dictated by rivers.

I am proud of what I have done on the Yakima River.  From the anglers, the teaching, and the fish encountered. I’ve facilitated some amazing moments on the Yakima River with clients. I’ve taught and helped develop some wicked awesome anglers over the years.  And I am excited to continue sharing and facilitating those experiences for anglers in the coming seasons.  Albeit less than I have previously.

I sit here less than 100 yards from one of the most technical fisheries on troudom.  Silver Creek near Sun Valley Idaho. I have chased trout here many times. Caught some, been schooled and humbled by more. But a place that I am familiar with.

A car issue due to shit mechanics now being fixed by better ones has us slightly stranded here. We are waiting for Kristen’s guide rig Harvey to get fixed up. Maybe by the end of the day. Maybe by Monday. It’s all in Flux.  Just like the rivers, my life takes on the shape of a river. I’m past the class rapid parts of my river. But it’s still spicey from time to time. After enough of some big nasty water in your river of life, not much that comes around the bend causes strife…experience and confidence are the tools that get you through.

Silver Creek doesn’t call to me.  The Browns are actively spawning.  I can see 20 plus inch trout on redds just outside the camper. It’s pretty fascinating. But I have no desire to fish them. It’s cold, and they are busy doing fishy things.  I’ll observe and enjoy the ability to see them and have their company without disturbing them. I am trout fished out. And I’ve played and held Silver Creek Browns. No it’s time to let the body rest and let the mind simmer.

Florida is not far away.  We wait in the presence of Moose, migrating fowl, rustling sagebrush, and the soft sounds of Silver Creek quicksilver in the late season glare as the snow creep down the Sawtooth Mountains. Pushing us south.

I am slightly restless. This is a big step, a large investment, and a new world of fly fishing and boatwork that I am novice in. A place I haven’t been in my profession in a while. And I’ve been in guide mode for a long time. Less fishing. So, there is this anxious anticipation to get into it. Being delayed is helping me keep my cool.

I’m getting help from social media followers and fellow guides and anglers with places to fish. I’m starting to tie flies for specific fish. I’m also working, as I write this blog, I’m also trying to book up my 2024 trout season on the Yakima. Strategizing my money for the offseason, running reports for this past year, prepping fly tying, paying for a boat, while also trying to enjoy rest and the slow down. At least I’m not rowing.

The down time is nice. It’s rare I get to enjoy sitting next to my partner drinking coffee and chatting about non fishy things during the season. Both of us guides and anglers we have little else to talk about when we are working. The offseason is for everything but fishing. Even Florida is for us to have fun and be leisure without too much, if any pressure to produce. Just enjoy.

So it’s just chilling and patience at this moment. Things happen at the flow they do. And this bend in the river is wide and slow…but the end is just yonder.

Tamarack

Unknown's avatar

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.

Leave a Reply