Author: tamaracksguideservice

Urgent: I will be suspending my guide operations this week and into the 13th. Water temperatures in the main stem Yakima River between Cle Elum and Roza Dam are hitting 66-70 degrees by the afternoon.

My cut off point for fishing is 65 degree water temp. With the increased heat and water temperatures not being able to cool overnight fish aren’t getting a break. Until the water temps drop back to suitable levels for fishing I will be halting guiding and fishing until the air and water temperatures drop back to levels that are less stressful for trout.

I will start guiding once the temps drop back down. Trips currently on the schedule are still a go. If your trip could be affected by the hot water temps you will receive an email discussing options.

If you do plan on fishing I suggest taking water temps, playing fish on heavy tippet, keep fish wet as much as possible, fish in the morning,and consider ceasing fishing when water temps hit 65 degrees.

The Cooper River is dear to me. I haven’t fished it seriously in a few years. It was a place that I shared with my close friend, guide buddy, and angling partner Casey. Casey passed away a few years back now…a US Marine that was using fly fishing to heal and recover from trauma…sadly he commited suicide.

We had become close, and when we lost him it hit me heavy. I was angry, sad, depressed, and at a loss. Talking to him literally a day before and not having any inclination. We had planned on meeting on Rock Creek Montana the following week. A trip we never got to share. To this day I still miss him. We fished the Cooper together…a lot in the short time we knew each other.

I returned to the Cooper River today. I have been driving along it to Cooper Lake a few times in between the trips of this past run. I could feel it calling me. I could also hear Casey’s deep chuckle of a laugh among the rapids. To this day I still hear it, right near a place he slipped and fell while walking behind me…rolling backwards laughing the entire time as he made sure he didn’t lose any important stuff and decided to just take a quick soak before returning to fishing.

I fished there today…and caught several fish and a few illusive brown trout. I remember his smile catching small hand sized trout among the rapids. Amazed and awed by the beauty of this small wild river tucked up in the highlands. God I miss him. He was one of the only other anglers that could keep up with me and matched my energy level. He just put himself wholly into Trout fishing.

I feel sad…sad is the only word I can muster, when I think about the times we shared, and the times we lost because of his departure. I feel privileged to have known him, fished with him, and shared in the experiences that fly fishing can bring anglers.

The Cooper River is a high mountain stream. It’s source is the Lemah Glacier, fed by way of Lemah Creek, into Pete Lake, into the upper Cooper River, which pools in a large deep lake around 4300ft, Cooper Lake. Not quite alpine. Then the river flows out of Cooper Lake, and begins it’s almost 7 mile journey to the Cle Elum River. The Cooper River below the lake is a torrent of water. With class 3 and 4 rapids every few hundred yards. Cooper Falls is an impressive 60 foot cascading waterfall that descends a solid granite staircase of rock into a large deep pool. There are fallen trees, huge boulders, and crystal clear water that holds 4 species of fish. Native and wild Rainbow and Westslope Cutthroat, wild spawning Brown Trout left over from old stocking habits, and the invasive Brook Trout. Plus Whitefish. I caught 2 of the 4 Trout species today. Brown and Bow. The others eluded me. But they are there.

Dry fly fishing for small creek fish, blue lining up and down the river in search of the precious gems that live, feed, and spawn in such an amazingly beautiful place…it’s what anglers dreams are made of. Hard to get into, but so worth the reward. Fish that only see a few adventurous anglers a season, they eat ferociously, and will happily take traditional dry fly patterns like wulfs, humpys, and trudes.

You feel isolated when fishing the Cooper. Like a bear could pop out at any second…and they do occasionally. I’ve seen all manner of wildlife there, including a rare Pine Marten a few years back. You feel as if you are being watched…but there is no one around you…save for a few trout…and the trees and critters. It’s quiet, well, the sound of the rapids drown out the world. You can barely hear yourself think…which is kind of the point up there.

To escape, to be consumed by river and trout, to get lost in the twists and turns, the current, the flow, the sunlight brightening the river bottom to a teal hue against the hard white granite stone that makes up the river bed. It is a sight let me tell you. Both above and below the water. I have not fished a prettier river, and I’ve fished a lot. Wild trout do not live in ugly places.

The Cooper River is a treasure, filled with gems of Trout. A 3 wt paradise. A place I loved to share with Casey, a place I love to fish solo, a place every angler should see, fish, respect, appreciate, and take care of. There is but a short window to discover and explore the Cooper River, before the snows fly. I invite anglers to experience it…no guide required.

Tamarack.

I’m unlike most younger men…I like things slow. Everything, driving, fishing, making food, sex, tying flies, enjoying a smoke or a coffee…I’m never in a hurry. I didn’t used to be. College, family, my previous business, my previous work…it always seemed like I was chasing another paycheck, another appointment, another school function, pay this bill, pay that bill, can’t afford that, can afford this, run over here and do this, over there and do that. Just a never ending spiral of running around chasing my tail it seemed.

I was always hurried to the water, trail, or slope. Get there fast so you get as much time as possible, one more cast in, one more run, another 3 Miles in. Get away from all the noise, the bills, the kids…the people. Unplug, disconnect, and sync up with the outdoors. I never felt like I had enough time to enjoy all of it before. The past 4 years have been quite the opposite.

I only chase one thing now…fish. Typically Trout, but the angler in me needs more. I’ve got other water, other fish, and new experiences on the brain. Knowing this has made me really appreciate the homewater and the entire watershed from sources to confluences and down river. I’m observing it all…I’m a very visual person. Things that stimulate the eyes and make the mind ponder and wonder are something that still take my breath away, make my heart flutter, the adrenaline I am so addicted to course into my body.

Things like: a Trout eating a dry fly. A mountain and glacier shining faintly but intently in the alpenglow above the lake. The whitewater of a class 4 rapid, the bubbles and chaos of water underneath while snorkeling, the smooth worn rock that the river slides through, the trees…oh the trees…to this day I lose myself in watching them sway against the night sky…that lime green hue that comes just after sunset…the first faint stars glistening against the deep purple…moonless night. These things enrich and fulfill me in a way that I cannot explain. I can only introduce others to…and hopefully they feel something similar.

I was reminded of this yesterday during a river float. Two friends and clients were planning a birthday float. I wasn’t busy…so I invited them to fish with me. The fishing was spectacular. And the company couldn’t have been better. Plus a few bottles of bitchin’ wine as a thank you is also nice. Thanks Darby. Seriously. Darby Wine…

But at one point we were all fishing separately…and Jordan hooked up on a beautiful big cutthroat. I helped net, videoed the release and snapped a few photos as I tend to do. I was very stoked for him, a big trout on a birthday float is hard to beat. As I was walking back, I turned back to say something cheeky, and noticed Jordan just standing…kinda spacing off…at first I didn’t get it…my super stoke level and all…but he said…”I’m just trying to be present.”

When he said that honestly…my heart skipped a beat…that’s the kinda thing…as a guide…but moreover, just as an angler and outdoorsmen…you want to share with people. That moment…that fish, that ascent, that wicked run…when it all hits you…you’re not sure what it is…but it’s something. You can feel it, your body, your mind, the place you are in, the things you see, smell, hear, taste, all the stimulus, the sensations, that overwhelming sense that something is connecting you…to something.

Like I said…hard to explain. Clients and friends, anglers and fellow guides… all share that common connection. Some feel it more deeply than others, maybe because of their life history, or maybe they’ve experienced trauma, or depression, or maybe they just need to feel something other than the spiral. No matter how, who, what, or why…doesn’t matter…that connection is sacred… it deserves reverence…respect. Never doubt or underestimate it, never judge those who feel it deeply…like myself. Yes I get excited, very loud, but if you knew me before the age of 25-28 you wouldn’t believe it’s the same person both in appearance and in personality.

I stopped caring what others thought about how I am when I feel that connection. A lot of the time I meet people that don’t know how to feel or react. I’ve been asked if it’s okay to get into it, more times than I can count! Yes! Hoot and holler, curse and swear, have fun, or be quiet and focus, be intense…but be something. Feel something.

This constant connection makes me slow. Makes me patient. Whether it’s being low holed by experienced guides out here, having rookie ones blow through water, old ladies making snarky comments about my beard, asshats making jokes about the way I live and the way I guide, or all the other shit…I’m just to chill to give a shit anymore. There’s so much more going on in the world right around all that stuff I tend to get distracted and forget about it. Keeps the negative out of your life a lot more. Makes you happier as a person. Haters gonna hate so to speak.

I’ve been camping since June now. I’ve been all over the place. Seen all sorts of things, people, and stuff. The couple having a conversation with me mid shower, the kids that grabbed my extra snorkels and picked up trash at the Cooper Hole the other day, the younger gal walking around the French Cabin Creek camping area…picking up everyone’s trash. The 60 plus campers celebrating Phillips Birthday up until 2 am for 3 nights, the people just yonder watching a movie on a big projector in the middle of the campground with a bunch of kids, the parties, the families, the RV’ers, fellow RTT’ers, the mellow, the chill, the crazy and loud. All of them out here…connecting in some way. I feel like everyone else is missing out. Like they are racing around and just need to take the exit and get out of it for a bit. Facilitate that connection somehow.

All the driving around and camping, putting the boat in and out, walking and snorkeling the rivers…I do notice a lot of people in a hurry. To get to that spot, get to that campground, be first up the mountain, first to the next Trout filled spot. I get passed a lot, honked at…even flipped off by the occasional person…(they typically have a large jacked up truck with a certain bumper sticker on the back). I ain’t in a hurry…they are. I always hope that someone stuck behind me on one of these roads actually looks out the window and enjoys the drive a bit. I mean damn…you’ll be in traffic soon enough. And you can be first to the run…Trout will be there tomorrow and the next day…and there is another spot just yonder. I can chill and watch the birds and the trees for a spell…what’s 15 more minutes.

I even have to remind clients to look around, enjoy the birds, the trees, that big ass owl over there, the swallows picking bugs out of the air, the eagle swooping in, the otter along the bank…that fish…eating your fly! As a guide I’m constantly trying to improve on that, and remind myself and clients…it’s not just about the fishing.

Even now…the campground is quiet…dead quiet and it’s 10 pm. Earliest it’s been quiet all week. Thankfully I can’t hear the airplanes leaving Sea Tac in the Teanaway. Just the occasional fire helicopter or plane. I assume because of the large pillar of smoke to the south I saw when I drove down from the highlands this evening. I hear a car door every so often.

But the chatter, chirping, clicking, and buzzing of insects among the trees drowns it out. There is a good breeze…10-15 mph I would say and it’s still warm…65-70 degrees. I can hear the tops of the trees creak as they bend and sway in the wind. That low soft hush they make as they whisper amongst themselves. I have the lights out…so it’s dark…save for the glow of this screen. If I look up and let my eyes adjust the stars are bright…I can make out the band of the Milky Way, and Cassiopeia is winking at me through the branches. The trees are black against the deep dark blue sky…silhouetted behemoths, towering over me.

I enjoy the quiet. And the solitude. I’m not lonely, quite the contrary. I miss my family, and I’ll see them soon. And they will join me in my adventures in the times to come. But this whole endeavor, this constant connection, being here, in it all, enjoying it, seeing it, smelling it, tasting it, listening and hearing it…it’s been a goal of mine for some time now. I’m loud, and excited, talk a lot, and am with people most of the day for work. So the time solo is cherished and selfishly indulged upon. I get offers to fish with others or hang out…I typically don’t respond…I find it’s easier than saying…”I’d rather fish on my own.” It’s not that I don’t like people…it’s just…well…I’m not much of a people person. Guiding and fishing are two different things. And there are plenty of days I just don’t wish to be bothered while I’m connecting. I don’t like interference…and when I’m guiding I’m the one trying to plug people in so it’s different.

This is the time of year I work…and I play…hard. I don’t sit still except at camp. And even then it’s excruciating to be bored so I’m always finding something to do. Seeing all these people, and seeing the race they run…reminds me to slow down some more…take it all in…there are no rules about how long or how deeply you can connect to things out here.

Tamarack

I always encourage new anglers to come experience the Yakima River in the summer. Because of the uniqueness of the our tailwater and the heavy flows our fish are much easier to target for new anglers. They are all up against the bank. Unlike the spring and especially the fall when they go back to their normal trouty selves.

I had two brand new anglers. Recommended by another client. We spent almost 9 hrs riverside on a full day today and both clients got the the full on Tamarack Trout experience. And I have to say, typically new anglers last about 5-6 hrs before they are fished out. These two were absolute troopers and when I started fishing then more intensely for the last 2 hrs they were dropping flies and running lanes and drifts like two anglers who’ve been fishing for years.

All that hard work teaching and learning really pays off at the end of the day. It makes the clients feel exhausted but also like they’ve really put some serious rivertime and fishing in. Which they have. We are talking hundreds and hundreds of casts both dry and nymph. As a guide there is nothing better than getting newbies groovy with their fishing to where we get into that sweet rhythm as clients and guide. Mmmm juicy.

The way I teach is in stages. We learn the basics, static line casting, drifts, fly placement. Then we go over hook sets and playing fish. Then I add false casting, gauging distance and managing slack. Then we teach mending. Then we nymph. We go over how to drift nymphs, double rigs, adjusting depth, and mending…lots of mending. Then we eat. We chill, we chat, we discuss. Then we go back to dries. We add the reach cast, we add the roll cast, the steeple cast, and if we have time…and I feel anglers are ready. We introduce streamers…stripping, swinging, and bobber dogging.

Throughout all this I also give ample time for anglers to fish, get frustrated, get tangled, coach, teach more, get hands on, fine tune, and net some troots.

At the end of the day I aim to have my anglers able to be confident in their new abilities that they could go out on their own and have success and feel like a fly angler…because they are. There is nothing better than hearing from a client after a trip about a successful solo day and knowing I helped them achieve that. I invite clients back for the fall to learn more about angles, wading, more advanced stuff, and entomology. I see most anglers again the same season. After the past few years I have developed really amazing relationships with clients and every trip I see anglers improve, be more successful, land more Trout, and become really good fly anglers.

Today was my kinda day. High energy, lots of laughs, lots of fish, happy, tuckered out clients, and a well worked guide. Nothing like feeling the day in your arms, back, neck, voice, and your brain. A filling bank account and calendar is also a plus.

Summer time fishing is in full swing. Come learn fly fishing, or if you already know how to sling…come enjoy the trout, river, and company. Tis good!

Tamarack

I can feel Red Mountain towering over me…even this evening. If you drive up to Lake Cle Elum, Red Mountain is the large open faced peak at the head of the lake. I walked out of the campground so that I could see it in the Alpenglow as the sunset. It’s red rocks a burnt fuchsia before dimming to dark purple, the light fading.

The campground is rowdy. Phillip is having a birthday party. There are about 60 people having a good time in the woods tonight. Luckily they are far enough off I can only hear voices and chatter. They’ll simmer down before long.

I’ve reached the summit of Red Mountain more times than I can recall. It is still, one of my favorite hikes. Even after the rock slide took out the amazing spring and meadow that filled with wildflowers every summer. Like something out of a fantasy novel. Enchanted.

My lantern sizzles against the low thump of music in the distance. At least the RVs are quiet now. Older folks and people with enough money to afford a house on wheels typically have some sort of bedtime. 20 year olds do not. The moon is full, and it is shining brightly. Illuminating the trees and faint clouds over head. A beautiful sight lost on the youth over yonder.

The summit of Red Mountain is a scree filled scramble 300 feet up. A small single chunk of granite reaches just higher than all the other pillars around it. Enough room for one maybe two people to sit atop. It’s a smaller peak only 5600 feet or so, however the trail is 5.6 Miles ascending 3800 feet, the majority in the last 2 Miles. It’s not easy, and the trail is a goat path that zigs and zags along the hard overgrown rock. I’ve been turned around a time or two when the trail is thick in the summer. There is still a small spring fed creek that twists its way through the brush…a mere 12 inches wide or less as it flows down swiftly.

The planes fly overhead, breaking the somewhat quiet night, even the birthday party is settling as it comes up on midnight. I hear a young lady cackle or squeal, and a dude say something dudish, with the occasional beer can opening in between. I set camp closer to the road, the next closest camper is 50 yards away and silent. I tend to keep to myself, thanking the occasional complement to the boat, beard, or RTT. I enjoyed a long hot shower and a good beard brush, my neck and legs are chill as the late hour brings the cooler temperatures.

I camped atop Red Mountain one cold late September evening. Resting in my hammock between two scraggly trees a few hundred feet below the summit. The stars are quite brilliant atop that mountain. The night was colder than I expected but was prepared for. The wind blew as well, it rocked me between the trees. I ate a chicken and rice mountain house meal before I laid down. I rested awake for quite some time as the wind and trees conversed with the mountaintops.

It’s simmering here down below the summit along the river. The stars aren’t as bright as that evening atop Red Mountain. I can see them faintly in the bright moon glow. Cassiopeia, my favorite constellation, peaking through the trees over my left shoulder. I can see the south eastern ridge of Red Mountain. A long steep ridge line that would require climbing gear to ascend, and would lead you to the lesser peak of the mountain. There is a breeze through the trees that cools my skin and makes the hair on my neck and legs bristle. I wonder if the wind and trees are talking to the mountaintops this evening…or are they commenting on how loud young people are to each other?

Tamarack

I like the quiet when I’m at camp, especially after a good day riverside. Even though today wasn’t a typical trip for me. The only time it’s quiet is wicked early in the morning. Plus RV’s are never quiet, I’ve come to find over the past few weeks. Another reason I’m glad I didn’t do the whole RV thing.

I came into the homewater last night, late. All the campgrounds that were close were full and rowdy. So I found a nice little spot along the road. Popped open the tent, and had myself a sleep. Woke up with the sun, ate breakfast, showered, folded up the tent, and went and did my trip today.

It was super hot, 92 after 10:30. Bristol was closed this morning due to railway work so we had to call an audible and do state to green. Wicked long float but it worked out because the flows are ripping and it’s a little tougher to slow the hog down in the summer. Fish are on hoppers and flashy nymphs underneath. All tucked up along the bank or super deep in the bottom. We had fish every hour today. Slow hours but fish every hour. My clients only fish a few times every few years so there was some guide work at the beginning. But by the afternoon and into the heat things went pretty good. Landed a bunch, missed more, the four really big trout all ate dries before 10 am. And we missed ‘em all. They are usually what hit at the start of the trip, wake ya up a bit, and typically anglers aren’t ready…no matter how many times I warn them.

Three of those fish were called too. Fly drifts into the perfect spot, I let the client know something is about to happen, I see the fish, say set right when the client needs too…swing and a miss. I also got really excited and my clients weren’t as into it as I was. So we chilled out, I fished the clients hard at a few spots, but it turned into a more relaxed day, with a few moments of intense fishing, with more leisure fishing in between. Fish were cooperative though so it worked out awesomely.

There are trips that turn into those kind of days, even though as a guide, I know if we would have fished a little harder, could have been a big number day. But even after explaining that and coercing my clients into it at a few spots…we caught some fish, had a nice chill day, and left some fish for the other anglers. I get a lot of trips like that when I work for outfitters or I get new clients. I come with a warning label. And I tell people it’s totally okay to tell me to be quiet and let you fish, and it does happen every once and a while. I try and make sure I break up the day with periods of chill quiet fishing time.

But I do get stoked, I’m younger, full of lots of energy, former adrenaline junkie, and I’m full of juicy trouty information that I like to share, I get loud, I talk to fish, my boat, and myself a lot. I tend to curse, and I row all over the river doing it. I’m not the guide for everyone, but at the end of the day, clients are happy with a smile, handshake, and a fat wad of 20’s handed over in gratitude isn’t bad either. Everyone had a damn good time fishing…isn’t that what it’s all about?

It’s all about what the client wants…with a few greedy moments for a guide who likes to catch fish and see clients enjoy it. You did book a fishing trip after all. I sometimes don’t get to make as much noise as normal, or talk to fish as much, but for me, it reminds me that there are lots of ways to enjoy the river. And I go for super quiet chill days too. Especially in the fall. And sometimes that’s what a client is looking for.

There are lots of ways to kick it riverside. The floaters and tubers, rafters and beer drinkers, serious anglers, competing guides, chill river peeps, and all the other people who enjoy river time, are out here enjoying the outdoors, most people are respectful and friendly, and we all share that common enjoyment of being on a river. I see all these people and it’s just cool. It shows you how much people really do need to spend time outdoors in nature in some shape or form. It’s primal, part of us…there is that something that happens when you are out here…in it. Especially as much as me.

It’s not always about catching fish.

But after the trip, and a long hot day. I needed to get all that stopped up energy out…and cool off. I also wanted to get a campsite because shit is crazy busy up here. So I headed up into the Cle Elum Watershed above the lake and snorkeled the Cle Elum for an hour. Hit the shoot a few times, chilled out in the rapid, hung out with some fish, confused a few onlookers, and just swam and enjoyed the current.

I’ll fish in the morning. Maybe up high. Need to catch some trout.

Tamarack

I’ve been camping in the Teanaway while I’m here guiding. I’m only in the campground in the evening and early morning. I’ve left before 8 am every day. The Roof Top Tent gets a lot of looks and get people walking up to the rig and boat asking questions. It’s all good. I planned it that way. Never know where you might find a client or just another interested angler or outdoorsy person. Part of this switch was to live a little more like that. Just gonna soak in everything. Granted I’m hanging out in familiar territory, but it’s a good trial run before I start venturing out further and further in search of new fish.

Today is an off day. The rig needs maintenance and I might have the trailer bearings checked just because, and I need a new phone. I’m hoping to be done with errands here before 1 pm and I think I might venture into the Cle Elum drainage to camp this evening. Might be too rowdy for me up there though. The Teanaway, once you drive up in there 12 miles or so, gets really quiet. Even with the handful of RVs last night in 29 Pines and surrounded by other campers..with kids…it was super chill. Even fished a bit. Water temp is 60 degrees at 8pm by the way.

I did have a funny camp experience last week when I stayed a night in the LC at Big Pines. I had set up my tent and it had just gotten dark. I figured I’d shower because I had fished for like 12 hrs that day and was pretty gnarly. So I put up my shower blind, stripped down to nothing but beard, and took a hot ass shower there under my tent. While I’m about halfway through my shower this lady comes up and says really loud, “So your tent is like a transformer?” Her accent was pretty think, European. I later learned they were here on holiday for the summer touring around the PNW.

But I’m naked, and showering, and she’s just starting up a conversation. She could clearly see I was showering. I was like…well…this is happening… so as not to be rude, and being super chill, “Yep, opens right up and folds back down…don’t have to sleep on the ground.” I was rinsing my beard.

Her boyfriend walks up and says, “I like your boat…we’ve seen a lot of them…what kind of boat is it?” Thicker accent, and again…could clearly see that I was preoccupied with washing parts.

I decided to just join the conversation and wrapped a towel around me and stepped out from my shower blind. “It’s a drift boat, used for fishing for trout on the river. I guide here while I camp.” And we talked for a bit, got into the things I do, the things they do. Again, I’m still in my towel and they totally just walked up and started talking to me while I was showering. Which they also commented on and asked about. They were here touring around the states enjoying the outdoors. They’d been to a few national parks, saw the Sequoias, had been to Neah Bay and Crater Lake! They were driving through the canyon headed down through Yakima and into Oregon before heading further south. They were digging the canyon and desert landscapes and were thinking of seeing the Grand Canyon too. People my age, work in IT of all things! Taking a big vacation camping and enjoying the outdoors. Even I was a bit envious.

They left after a bit, said goodnight, and I replied in earnest back. Was a little weird, but just kinda happened. Camp Life…peoples, and things, and stuff happening when you’re living outta your rig and boat on the guide life.

Tamarack.

The time is upon us. We have had over a week of over 85 degrees and this week it’s gonna be in the 90’s. This means that fish are gonna eat in the AM and in the PM and hunker down during the heat of the day. It’s also when the river is filled with tubers and rafters in the afternoon…a good time to do the same because fishing is typically slow with all that sunshine, heat, and butts floating over troots heads.

It’s the time of the year where we float wicked early. Like 5 am. And get off river before the heat. Then come back and fish the evening. Water temps have been good in the mainstem river and with the heavy flows for summer irrigation water temps should be good this summer. I’ve fished early AM in the upper and it’s been slow to start but with the week of warmer temps the water temps have settled in the high 50’s low 60’s which means it gets rowdy out there. Throwing big bugs with 3X tippet and fighting fish hard in the heavy current. It’s fast, it’s silly, and it’s wicked awesome and fun. Beat the sun to the river, catch a few big fish before 10 am. Or come for an evening and fish until dark and get big slurps from big durps of trout that are gorging themselves.

With the heat comes hoppers, Yellow Sallies, big terrestrials like ants and beetles, and streamer fishing can be really fun. The nymphing in the morning can be stellar on smaller sparkly stuff both really deep and super shallow, and the good ‘ol dry dropper rig becomes a great producer.

When it comes to a double fly rig in the summer…I’ve got two methods I use more than any other. A shorter dry dropper with a big dry like a purple chubby, and a smaller size 14-16 lightning bug or something similar, about 16-24 inches below. Not 4 feet, the longer the tippet between the dry and the nymph…the more lag time between eat and set. And when the water is at 3800 cfs…you want zero lag in your sets because you’ll just miss fish. Tighten up that dropper rig, and cast for shorter more accurate drifts and you’ll have more success. Remember to use a nice heavy nymph, with a bead head of tungsten or similar to help drop the dropper fast in the heavier current.

The other double fly rig I use a lot of in the summer is the double dry. It’s by far my favorite of course…because it’s two dries! A larger attractor pattern like a purple chub or a madam x hair wing, with a smaller caddis or mayfly pattern 16-24 inches out the back. This is a great technique when fish are tight to the bank and you can’t land a nymph tight. Throw two dries, grab the fishes attention with the big fly, and then watch them take the smaller dry. It’s an easier meal, and if you cast and present right the smaller fly is within a few inches of the bank while the larger fly is 12 to 16 inches away from the bank. The fish sees the larger fly, decides to eat, then sees the smaller fly when they peel off the bank, and typically give a quick grab on the little fly since it’s closer and easier to eat. Boom…fish on.

These methods work great early am and late pm in the summer. Fishing in the middle of the day will get too hot for lots of action. However there is this sweet window when fish cram big stuff before it’s so hot the just go down for the day. Hopper Time. This is when the heat has warmed the day up to 80 plus…right now it’s by like 10 am. Which is great because it’s the last 1-2 hours of your float if you started at 5 am. The heat gets the grasshoppers active and awake. They start flying around, feeding, doing all that hopper stuff that they do. Then you get a nice breeze…which is like every day on the Yak, or they venture to close to the overhanging grass and fall into the river, or they just hop a little too far from the bank…and they become fish food. Hoppers are a big crunchy, leggy, meal, that’s juicy when you bite into it…like a trout Twinkie wrapped in bacon. There are trout that risk their lives…literally…to get a few of these tasty treats before they get spotted by birds…or anglers.

The takes on hoppers are typically aggressive, and explosive. Remember it’s a big big so it’s gotta be killed and chewed on…so fish typically Hoover them hard. It’s awesome and in the heavy flows of summer it’s wicked fast. The last hour or your early morning day or the first hour or two of your afternoon evening float is hopper time. Just chuck them into the fishy looking stuff, if you’re not getting love try a smaller size and change up the colors. I like pink and yellow bodied ones but they get picky and like all sorts of colors. Red’s, purple, tan, orange, yellow, chartreuse, magenta, I mean get rowdy with the colors. Shit can get silly.

When it’s slow…try a streamer…strip it, bobber dog it, swing it…get meat in front of their faces with a sink tip that’s short but fast sinking. Like a 7ft 5ips, and go to town on a few big trout. Especially effective after you’ve caught a few on dries in the evening but can’t see anymore because it’s 9:15 and my crazy ass is still out there. Strip streamers to the take out and thank me later. Fish hunt at night…especially big ones…and right after all the other fish are done eating smaller bugs…a few of those beastly trout come out to eat the smaller fish that came out for caddis…appease them with baitfish patterns that are dark. It’s fun and a good way to end the day.

So there ya go…summer time in a nutshell. I’m back on the homewater Thursday through the weekend and into next week. I’ve got openings too. The summer time is wicked fun and fast fishing here on the Yakima…I highly recommend it. Book a trip and see for yourself.

Tamarack

The fishing on the Yakima is pretty good right now. Since the flows have come up and the weather has warmed it finally feels like summer time fishing is in full swing. The upper river from South to Bristol is wicked high right now and the take out at State is pretty gnarly. The upper upper river near Easton, bullfrog, ensign, and three bridges is low, a little warmer, and has some big ol troots hanging around. I’ve been walking wading a lot in between trips and after trips up here. I even fished the bottom end of the LC last night and it got a little silly from 7:30pm to when we couldn’t really see anymore. Big eats on dries all around early am and late evening in the LC. The upper river has been really productive with nymphs in the morning but after 11:30-1pm depending on how cold it got the night before…I’ve been chucking hoppers, ants, and terrestrial style patterns tight to overhangs, the bank, on the seams, over boulder gardens, cutties love to smack things.

With the season finally picking up a lot of my inquiries lately have been for multiple boat floats. Like 3 and 5 boats. So I’ve been passing on a lot of them and referring them to outfitters that can handle that many boats. I ‘m just one guide, I’ll bring on another guide for a double but 3 boats is kinda my limit…that’s a lot of pressure and it’s harder to guide the way I do in a large group. As I’ve gotten older I have become less inclined to guide large groups. It’s not really my thang, and in the summer there’s a really awesome window for big fish early in the morning and late in the evening…big groups don’t typically float at 4 am as the light wakes the river up…or until 9:45 pm when you literally can’t see anymore.

In the summer I’m the kinda guide who likes to guide during those times. Two anglers and a guide…breaking down the water, targeting slurpy risers and prime dry fly lines. Because it’s the summer time on the Yakima…the flows are jacked, the water temp is in the mid and upper 50’s…fish are hungry and will eat. And big fish are smart about when they eat…fish smarter…not harder. Big trout on the Yakima wake up wicked early and eat the last nights stoneflies and caddis as they wake up with the warmth of the sun and oviposit . Just hang out riverside as the sun rises…you’ll see it. It takes a little longer to happen in the upper because it still gets down into the 40’s at night. But that is happening less and less each day into August.

They also are more inclined to eat as that surface water temp, or top third of the water column starts it’s upward warming trend. Fishing this window where the water temp is rising slowly in the morning…the Trout’s metabolism follows and they get this need to eat. Those survival instincts kick in and they gorge before the sunlight gets to intense that they are exposed to predators. The bugs also react to the warming temperatures and this gives the trout ample food sources in the morning. As the air temps rise the stoneflies and caddis that hatched the previous night will return to the river after the evenings mating, to oviposit eggs…que slurpy durpy trout. They need good presentations and you can’t flog the water…they are still big and smart…so they still need accuracy and good drifts. Typically they are don’t by 8-9 am and go down for the day…they return in the evening.

The evening summer time fishing is just like the mornings….only in reverse. And yes…trout can see in the dark…and they don’t like things to slap the river…no matter how dark it is…if they were brown trout I’d be saying something different but these Yakima Trout are super wary…and things that slap are typically attached to anglers that pull and fight back. In my experience…the trout here like it basically perfect when it comes to dry flies. As the light fades and shadows are cast it makes fish more inclined to eat…they are less exposed to predators and again, the air temperature and water temperature settle in to sweet spot for about 2 hrs every night before it gets to dark for anglers to effectively fish…they still eat…and big trout can be very nocturnal…especially for baitfish…but easy to slurp big bugs or caddis on the surface when you have less risk of getting eaten isn’t a bad option for a trout. Just wait until summer stones…I’ve camped on this river and chucked big dries in the absolute dark, blindly casting…and I’ve hooked fish…they can see it…you just can’t. That water temp settles back into the prime spot of mid to upper 50’s air temps drop to where caddis and evening duns hatch, and boom…you’ve got that window again. I typically fish dries until I can’t see anymore. Then anchor, grab the streamer rods…and strip them off the bank for the last half mile or so…cuz it’s fun, you can’t see, and you might meet a really big ass trout.

If you find yourself on the river when the sun is high and it’s wicked hot…it’s hopper time. I’ve had some really nice takes on terrestrials and hoppers during the heat of the day. It’s good for a few fish typically, and nymphing flashy stuff works too. I also will swing and strip streamers during the heat and sun. Water temps are still sub 65 but I’m playing fish hard and fast on big tippet. Trying to keep them healthy for the next anglers and for the rest of the summer. Using proper gear and tackle in the heavier flows is also just the respectful thing to do for the fish…17 plus inch trout need a big stick to be properly fought and landed with minimal impact to the fish. Plus a bigger stick gives the angler the advantage in the heavy flows where the trout will school you if you have an underweighted gear.

The summer has lots of dates open for fishing. I’ve got some of the best prices on the river for guide services. No shop, no employees, no lights to keep on, just my boat and I…rambling down the Yakima River chasin trout, tricking fish, and showing clients and anglers a good time. Come book a trip this summer with me and get in on some summer time fly fishing on the Yakima!

Tamarack.

First off…F’ing people don’t know how to read! There are literally burn ban signs everywhere. And what is burning all over the campgrounds in the Teanaway? Damn campfires of course. It even says no campfires in established pits. NO FIRES. Oh my shit. It’s bad enough we have lightning starting wildfires we don’t need fratadas that can’t read doing it too. There was a fire in Salmon La Sac….yesterday! From people who left it smoldering while illegally cutting trails…so can’t expect much rule following from people engaging in illegal activity already…but come on campers…srsly.

Anyway…sorry. I just walked the campground to see how full it was and if it was gonna get rowdy…the West Fork Campground up here in the Teanaway is a shit show. One of my favorite stretches of river but that campground fills with people who treat it like their college dorm room, or their moms house during a holiday stay…just fucking wrecked dude. So I won’t be staying there anymore this summer. I’ll return in the fall when it gets cold and weeds out the weak.

I’m in 29 Pines tonight. It’s further back and for a Friday its pretty scarce on the west end. I’ve got no neighbors and found a spot where I can hear the river from the tent. I’m also tucked back along the trees and can use the boat and rig as a block from people. Plus I need a shower…today was hot. So the privacy is nice.

I’ll fish in the morning before my trip in the afternoon. Now I’m enjoying some music, the sound of the river, and the light of my small backpacking lantern I’ve taken with me everywhere for years. It’s been my light on cold nights in the snow, bivy whacking on the side of mountains, hanging down over my hammock while reading Muir up at some small lake I forget the name of now. It’s lit river camps, tiny houses, nighttime fireside chats, and every night I’ve seen outside of four walls.

It’s a rugged little lantern. It’s smaller than my fist, the butane tank threaded to it is bigger than the actual lantern. It has a weathered metal cable that has a hook I’ve bent back and forth too many times. But it still hangs. The igniter still works after all these years and clicks in the rain, snow, wind, and everything in between. The globe is metal mesh…it casts a distinct checkered shadow. A glass globe would have broke years ago, the mesh is dented and it’s slightly lopsided from thousands of miles being stuffed into backpacks, boat bags, moving boxes, bins, and everything else I’ve used to haul my shit around. It’ll run for days on a small tank. It can light up the camp, or be just enough to read without struggling. It will ward off the fear of the dark, light up the night and keep critters wary, and it continues to be one of my favorite pieces of gear I own…a simple backpacking lantern.

I hear it click on and start up with that ‘whoosh‘ and hiss as it bursts to life blinding me, still to this day, every time I light it. It floods me with memories as it floods the night with light. I remember all the nights I’ve shared with others, the solo nights with just it’s light and the sound of the wild to keep me company. I can recall it all when I turn on my lantern. It makes me smile every time I click it on…it means I’m somewhere away from it all. Somewhere that isn’t where everyone else is. I’m in a place that needs just a faint light, where there are no plug ins, no roads sometimes, a place that no matter what…I know I want to be in. Even in the darkest of times, when I’ve been lost or lonely…it brings light and happiness with it.

A simple lantern…giving me a little joy. Sounds silly…but then again…it’s my lantern.

Good night anglers. I hope you have a little light in your life that brings you happiness.

Tamarack.