Over the past several years I have grown accustomed to the changing of the seasons. Those changes may be a bit more dramatic then they used to be but I still feel the shift from winter to fall. Its there, even if there is less and less of winter each season it seems. The winter finally comes to a close and the spring comes in.

This year it is early and mild. It means we will have a really good spring. I am not worried about snow pack, or conditions come late July. We have options so that if the trout fishing on rivers becomes difficult due to conditions we can do other things. I expect a hot summer come late July and August which is par for the course. I have always focused more heavily on the fringe season for trout fishing.

The fishing has already been good the past few weeks. Good movement on streamers, better movement on warmer days. We are seeing Skwallas start to show up and the BWO hatch is also percolating. Over the next 10 days I expect to see the bugs and fish start doing the things. Flows look good and with water levels I think we will have pretty consistent flows with minimal runoff and salmon pulses this season. It is going to be a great spring weather wise as well. Cooler and wetter means less wind and more rain so overcast days.

After passing through so many winter to springs with trout on the brain I am very ready for this season. 2025 was a fucken year fosho, and 2026 is coming hot with the same kind of bullshit. I know I don’t have to elaborate. Shit is weird and yes business was and has been effected negatively. Hoping this year is better on that front. But this offseason, was rough. It was a noisy world and the offseason was anything but chill. I fished for sea runs a lot, logged a good chunk of hours in the skiff, got familiar with the sound. I didn’t steelhead, and didn’t miss much on that front. Everything got a little more expensive, and we scrapped through better than we thought but it was still tight and stressful. Getting back to work is something I have been looking forward to for a few weeks now.

Kristen and I both just miss the river. Miss the pace, the timing, the familiarity, the ease. The Yakima is the homewater. It is my backyard in a way. Big one. Been playing in and around it since I was a kid. Part of being over here in Gig Harbor this winter was to help make sure that we missed the Yak. The Yakima is different this season too. Which is always exciting. In the 20 years I have fished the Yak I have seen major changes in her from runnoff and high water. Recon floats last week showed that the upper river above the Teanaway had some big changes. 40 to 60 percent different in areas compared to last year. New gravel bars, logs moved, new shelves and drop offs, all sorts of things have changed. I also see a few more changes headed our way with trees ready to fall in this spring and things warm up. It is going to be a fun year with areas of the river getting a bit of an update.

Its nice when the river gets a little freshen up before the season. The spring guide calendar is pretty full. Kristen and I are in fill in mode now. Trying to book the last few days through May. We have a summer of lake and potentially sea run cutty fishing, as well as schools and clinic and boat rowing lessons this summer. A heavier emphasis and skill building and education during the summer months when anglers have time to learn and then apply things to their personal summer time adventures. It also allows us to have a few of our own summer adventures this year.

The Spring is here again. I am ready for it. I think a lot of us are ready for it. The ability to just check out for a while. Throw the phone in airplane mode and just fish, learn, enjoy the river and the company of fellow anglers.

We move back to Easton tomorrow. Be riverside in prep mode by Saturday. Trip dates are up for grabs.

See ya riverside anglers.

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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