So I’m stoked. I’ve been looking at the graphs and charts and the weather and forecasts. Ooooo. I’m excited. Let’s get into it because fishing session is fing here anglers. It’s here!!!
So the flows are gonna come up this Sunday Monday. Little uptick. Probably a bump of 800 cfs maybe more. It’s gonna super charge the river with cold water. It’s going to displace fish, it’s also going to bring the flows up over 2500cfs which is runoff levels for early season. Que spawning, skwallas, and the whole ecosystem coming to life.
We have 50 degree days this week, it’s super sunny, snow in the lowlands is damn near gone. The water table is charging, and water is seeping back into the Yakima. It’s like pumping blood into and through the heart. Bugs start moving, birds show up, twitterpated otters, and, of course, fish. Already, fishing has had an uptick over the past 10 days. It only gets better. Plus, the sun sets after 6 now. The fishing window grows each day. Water warms a little bit more each day. But next week….mmmm… it looks like it feels like it’s going to be the start. Just a little bump in cfs is all it takes, and all I want. Already, the flows are where I like them for the spring. 2000 to 2800 is just fine for me. 2300 to 2500 is the sweet spot.
The 24th through the 28th into March is looking mighty juicy…and it’s wide open for guide trips. Wanna swing up that big one, or get first crack at skwalla dry fly eats? Ya…I can feel it the troutasphere. Plus it my birthday next week and I’d like to spend it riverside making money in all honesty.
So if you’re looking for that early season trooty day, that is when conditions look to light up real sweet like. Real comfortable for troot chasing…the 24th through March 1st is looking mighty fine.
That’s my trooty two cents for what I see unfolding with the river over the next 10 to 15 days. See ya riverside. Skwalla Special is $325.
You may hear the word ‘skwalla’ being thrown around the fly shop or river over the next month. You might see anglers get all hot and bothered when the hatch shows up. You might lose your own shit when you see a big troot hoover a big dry like it’s August but it’s Late February early March. It’s the Skwalla Stonefly….and it causes fish, critters, and anglers to lose their minds!
The skwalla is a stonefly. We have a handful of species that hatch on the Yakima. The stonefly is a carnivorous little aquatic insect that lives in the river for up to 4 years before it hatches and becomes an adult for a few days to reproduce. Like all our stoneflies here…they live in the big rocks hunting amd feeding and growing. When late February and March rolls around our first big bug of the season starts waking up.
Stoneflies eat other bugs. And as they get ready to hatch, they are relentless. They feed and slowly migrate towards the banks and shallow areas of the river. This is happening right now. The skwallas are moving into the bank and feeding….getting ready to hatch. This happens because the bugs have reached sexual maturity. Some waiting for 4 years to become an adult and pass on their genetics. Water conditions, air temps, barometric pressure, and time of year all have to overlap in order for these bugs to pop. And every other critter in and around the river knows this.
Birds, small fish, other bugs, and of course troots eat these crunchy morsels. They pack a lot of protein, are easy to eat, and are in abundance for 10 to 20 days while the entire ecosystem of the river wakes up and ushers in spring. The weather has shifted, flows have come up, runoff has started its trickle, water temps are fluctuating, the sun is out, and in a few weeks the green will come back to the river and hillsides. Skwallas bring in the spring season anglers.
Already, fish are chasing the skwallas along the bottom of the river. The majority of the fish we have hooked into have been on stonefly nymph imitations. 2 weeks ago, fish were deeper and near the middle of the river. This week, they are closer to the riverbank. This means fish are following the food. As the water temps hit 42-45 degrees, the rainbow trout get spawny, which makes them get hungry. The w tire population of trout in the river. All 2000 per mile….they all start getting into a frenzy for these bugs. It starts in the lower river and works its way up river over the next 3 to 4 weeks. When the water hits 6 cutties join the party.
Skwallas cycle, because they are nymphs for 2 to 4 years, we have cycles of big hatches and small hatches. Since the 2015 drought, keeping track of when the big hatches come has been difficult. Hot water does a nu.ber in invertebrates. After 8 years since that drought, I think the skwalla hatch is back to normal cycles. This means we get decent hatches every season, and every 2 to 4, we get a massive hatch. The last season was a big hatch, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be here this season in droves. We have had great water conditions for 3 seasons. I expect to have a really good skwalla hatch this year.
The skwalla hatches on the bank not in the river. It crawls out and then takes several minutes to metamorphosis into an adult. Like a caterpillar. It pops out of its old shuck or skin with a new set of 4 wings and one thing on the brain…reproduction. after hatching into an adult the next 36 hrs are spent finding a mate. Females mate and hang out for the day making an eggsac to oviposit back into the river. The males, once finished, die shortly after. Feeding mostly birds and small critters along the grass and bank of the river. After a few hrs or a whole day, the females return to the river to lay eggs.
Skwallas aren’t graceful and can’t fly worth a damn. The females flutter or crawl back to the river , wiggle, and flop around to release eggs. These eggs, smaller than a pin head, are wicked dense and sink to the bottom of the river. They slowly work their way into the substrate, like a plinko machine. They rest there and hatch into a little nymph and start the process over again.
When these females come back to lay eggs, that’s when shit gets silly. Skwallas are easy to see, which means they are easy to eat. They sitter and flop around, making noise and racket, which makes fish crush them. Fish are hungry getting ready for spawning, battling spring flows, and the general ravenous nature of critters after the winter hibernation. We are so close. Already fishbare feeding on midges up on the surface. When a larger, more filling meal presents itself…oh man troot are gonna lose their little brains.
We are just waiting for bugs now. The water and fish are ready. Now, with all these sunnier warmer days here…the adult skwallas are almost here. This week? Maybe next….we are in it now, and it’s a fun place to be because when it happens and you’re out on the river….its something pretty special. You have to experience it to really understand it. But trout get stupid for these bugs. It just kicks off the season so nice.
Right now, it looks like this weekend, but probably the following and the first week of March for skwallas. No matter what, the next 2 to 4 weeks are going to be when shit turns on. I’ve been doing this a while…my trooty senses are tingling.
Right now here’s what dates are open that are going to fall during the skwalla hatch in my professional opinion. As we get into March the upper river will be the focus but until then we are working the lower river.
Open days during skwallas:
Feb 24-28th
March 1st-4th
March 6th-10th
Last week it will be thick:
Mach 14th-17th, and March 20th.
After that, it will shift to BWOS and March Browns. Skwallas are short and sweet. And there are still a good number of dates open during what should be the peak of the hatch. Later dates in March will be focused on the upper river, so book accordingly if you’d rather fish the upper river.
$325 for 2 anglers is my Skwalla Special rate. I also have a clinic on Feb 19th that has 2 spots still open to learn how to fish this hatch and other spring techniques.
So reserve a day during the skwalla hatch and come chase fish on big dry flies in the spring! No one has hooked a trout on the dry yet….you wanna be the first!?
The 2022 season has started! It’s been a good start, too. No skunky days. And we usually have a few at the start! Fish are awake; they are moving, and they are feeding.
I’ve seen risers every time I’ve been riverside. Haven’t got any love yet and only tried a few times. Fucken emerging midges. I hate that game. Here in 15 days, they are gonna smack big skwalla dries. I can wait.
The nymphing has been great. I even had a client euro nymph, and we worked it with the boat and touched a handful. They are podded up with larger fish, starting to break away and find feeding lines and holding water. Getting territorial. Which means they are prepping for the spawn. The water temps warm up quickly as the sun gets on the river. Already, I’ve seen 1 and 2-degree rises 3 feet down in areas, which doesn’t seem like a lot…but it is. 41 degrees is warm enough for spawning for both our species, but cutties tend to spawn later and higher up, so there isn’t as much overlap as you might think. With water temps in the upper between 34 and 38 and the lower just a tad warmer, we aren’t far off from spawning troots, which means they gotta eat.
As these fish get ready to spawn, keep in mind that these are wild animals. Be nice; these big fish are going to make more fish, and they need care. Revive them, take time with them, and keep them wet as much as possible. They’ve had 2 years of less pressure during the spawning window. The river is better for it. As someone who has fished it since 04…its better. Less pressure during the spawn hadls made a world of difference since the 2020 season.
Watch where you walk. Especially in the side channel water. Watch them anchor drops and be cautious. We live in a state where fish are declining in a lot of places. We have something special and precious here. There’s a lot of pressure on the Yakima. We all just need to be respectful to each other and, most importantly…the fish.
Skwallas are on the menu. Now, the hatch may not be as stupid good as it was last season, but they are coming. Fish are already eating them underneath as they migrate towards the bank. In 2 weeks, we should be fining skwallas along the bank staging to hatch. Awww ya. Nymphing. Swinging soft hackles. And, of course, dry fly fishing are all effective ways to break down the skwalla hatch. Those bugs get active around 10 and usually are on the surface later in the day around 3. Fish feed into the evening on them. It’s quite glorious. I think we are 15 days out. Maybe a little more. At least for the lower river. The upper river is going to be a little different this season with all that snow and more to come before the thaw.
McTwitchy Skwalla Dry Fly
The last week of Feb first week of March is probably going to be the window again this year. It’s not a finely tuned science. A lot of things have to line up for it to happen but with forecasts and what the river is telling me. Yeah….same time frame as last season. Get it anglers.
We also have a lot of salmon fry and smolt in the system. As well as sculpins. As the flows jump up to 2000 and 2500 here in the next 10 days, those smaller fish are gonna be a big source of food, too. They get displaced in the heavier flows as runoff starts to trickle out of the mountain. Over the last few years, especially since the sockeye got reintroduced, the salmon is a big food source for pre and post spawn trout.
Swinging meat for troot anglers. I’ve been hunting on my personal time, for that one big trout on the swing. I got a taste of it yesterday while fishing with Kearstyn. I got schooled by a big troot after it whacked the fuck out my sparkle minnow, bent the shit out of my 4wt, then came at me like a jet engine was in its ass and rolled off before I could get good tension…damn! I was pretty bummed. Girlfriend even noted how obviously upset with myself I was. I’ve been hunting since November. I just got to keep at it. Just like my clients. I put myself through the same things I put them through.
Fishing has been good. It’s slow to start, but fish are more inclined to eat later into the day, riding the temperature fluctuation of the river. As the sun sets later and later, the fish will eat into dusk more and more until after caddis in May. Then, the early morning games start up.
The best window right now is 1 to 4pm. With fish eating up to 5 pm. That will be 6 pm in 10 days. Then it’s springtime fishing, baby. Awww ya. It’s all coming together out there, and the river is talking, and the fish are giving up her secrets. Here we go, anglers!
I’ve got 3 weekends left open in March. The 5th and 6th, which falls right during skwalla poppin’. And the 20th. Which may be too late, but bwos, maybe even March Browns will be going by then. There are lots of weekdays open over the next 3 months…until there isn’t. There are days open in February, too! Those of you who want to swing or euro nymph the next 3 weeks are looking really good. Skwalla Special is running, and I think I’ve got one of the better rates for it this season.
Days in the rest of the season are getting picked up every week. As far out as July and August. Which is new for me. I am a lot more busy than expected in terms of how far out things are booking. Already got dates during salmon flies, caddis, Goldens, Teanaway river wade trips, and there is a clinic on February 19th that is open.
Lower river cutty!
Come on out for a date of fishing. They are booking up. Hope to see you all riverside this season in some form.
It’s February, and that means the stoneflies are on the move. I’ve been out a few days over the past 10 days, and fish have been eating Pat’s Stones. When there are only a few food sources available, and the majority of the trout take the same fly. It tells you a few things. But there are questions you’ve gotta ask yourself.
When hooking fish in the early season as we wait for the skwallas, the fish and the river will tell us when things are going to start. The first question I ask myself is, what depth are the fish taking the fly? Then I ask how far out from the bank are we finding most of the fish? The answer to those two questions gives anglers their baseline for when spring comes in terms of the trout season.
Currently, I am finding fish at 4 to 6 feet deep. Closer to the middle of the river as opposed to the bank. Fish taking Pat’s stones at that depth and distance tells me skwallas are starting to migrate towards the bank from their feeding areas and colonies under the large boulders and in the deeper water along the substrate. Fish are starting to move and follow this food source. With only midges, sculpins, cased caddis, and stoneflies. Fish are going for the big, easy to eat, and more abundant food source. Which is the stonefly nymph right now. And will be for the next several weeks.
This means that skwallas will be hatching soon. Over the next 2 weeks, the majority of the skwalla nymphs will work slowly towards the bank. Feeding on anything they can as they prepare for adulthood and hatch along the banks and in the grasses along the rivers edge. They like 50 degree days. Skwallas don’t fly very much and mostly crawl and skitter along the bank and in the soft water and edges of the river. Trout lie in wait along the bank ready to chase down and hoover these big bugs. Trout metabolism is on the rise as all these trooty things begin aligning. The hatch, the water temps, air temps, and fish all coming together to signify spring and get anglers into their waders and chasing trout.
Looking at the forecast. The flow predictions, snow pack levels, current water temps, and what I’ve seen so far riverside. Skwallas are about 3 maybe 4 weeks out. End of February we will see our first skwallas hatching on the Yakima. Last year’s hatch was bonkers. Just fing bonkers.
Trout wanna eat skwallas. They are delicious, don’t taste like caddis, and as a trouts body wakes up with the water temp, they gotta put something bigger and more abundant in the tank. Big spring flows are coming, the spawn, and as trout wake up, so do predators, so eating stoneflies is a must. And fuck do trout eat skwallas. Hammer them, both as a nymph and a dry. They crush that shit hard. Like real hoooaaard!
Over the next 3 weeks anglers who like to euro style nymph or slay big fish nymphing..it is the time. Those big swing eats on the trout spey….yep, it’s here. And by the end of February, trout will be on the bank slurping those big skwalla morsels off the surface.
I invite those of you who want to get better at trout spey and euro nymphing to come out. Or those of you who are skilled and want some opportunity to get into some fish with a guide, ya…the next 3 weeks are where it’s at. And those of you waiting for that bitchin’ dry fly game…by the end of February anglers. Skwalla Holla!
February has openings. March is filling up. Get after it anglers. Skwalla special is running through March. See ya riverside.
Tis the new year. And I normally don’t fish in January. In the past 8 years, I can count on my fingers how many times I’ve fished the Yak in January. Over the past 18 years, even in my 20s, I didn’t go out much in the winter until around my birthday in February. I would chase steel back then, but those days are few and far. I don’t particularly care for fishing in the cold. It’s hard on the body, its cold, fish are sleepy, it’s cold. Places are hard to get to as well…and its cold.
After 2020 kicking my ass and still kinda smacking me around…and with shit not seeming to get that much better lately…I just can’t be inside anymore…get me. I need fish. They make life better. So does the river. It heals without really doing anything other than being there.
It has been rough for the past 2 years, mostly cooped up save for fishing and work. I got out a little but…did travel, but then didn’t. And mostly hunkered down this whole off season, it’s just time. I don’t care if it’s cold. It is cold, though.
I went on foot a few times and had a few tugs. But the interest wasn’t there on my end. The deep cold set in got into the teens, and then it dumped a butt ton of snow. Ugh. It wasn’t until I started to feel the weather turn, birds show up, the sun rising earlier each day. As an outdoorsy person, you get a feel or sense of things changing or shifting. That’s when my trooty senses start tingling. About a week ago. I could feel it start.
So Kirstyn and I dug out the boat, cleaned it up, warmed it up, and took it out fishing. She still floats, but she’s getting old. She might get retired this season. But the hog still has a lot of miles in her, just not guide miles. The last 7 seasons of heavy work have taken its toll.
Floating the canyon in the winter is very pretty. But damnit it’s cold. Lol. The fish are podded up in deep, slow water. A few more are moving up and around each day. Getting ready. The spawn isn’t far off, and it has been a long frigid winter. Trout have to eat, and every tenth of a degree, the water warms a little more activity begins. Like the snow trickling as it melts at first, but as things change and move, it begins to gush, flood, and rage. Trout are no different.
Each day I’m on the water, I witness things come to life after lying dormant all winter. As most of us have done the past two winter. Tis a thing to be able to watch the planet wake up. To see an ecosystem change and come to life. The bugs move and hatch, the fish respond. The river flows ebb higher and sink lower and cause the river to blush. Trout spawn, life begins again. I watch the critters come out, otters playing and feasting, Salmon smolt beginning the next phase of their journey. The Elk move through the river and around the banks, deer (murderous creatures) are fing everywhere. The swallows return, the herons hunt, the beavers and bears around the banks in mornings. It’s amazing. Truly. To be able to see it, be a part of it, and share it with others for a living is something I cherish.
Fish were awake while we floated yesterday. I missed too many to admit. Like 7. But landed one of the prettier fish I’ve seen. I haven’t touched or seen a trout in months. Was nice to say hello again. Got some nice photos of me fishing for once. Thanks to the girlfriend. It’s been a while since I’ve caught the first fish of the season in the boat. Or to share it with someone other than a client. Just a day of fishing before works starts with my partner. Not too bad.
The season is here, anglers. It’s warming up; fish are active time to fish or at least think about it. Its turds and worms, midges, streamers for a little bit, skwallas, and bwos are a few weeks out. Then it’s time to really get going! Calendar is more full than it ever has been this early. Super stoked, and the trips and the busy schedule are much appreciated. It gets tight for a full-time guide in the off-season! Woo…Outta that one, and we float again!
I invite you to come fish this season. It’s pretty awesome, and we could all use a good time. A few handshakes from troots always help the world be a little easier, time move a little differently, and the river equalizes and humbles us all.
We are in the final throws of winter proper. Yes there is still a fuck ton of snow…everywhere amd there still gonna be more to come. But every inch of snow now is just icing on the snowpack cake. We are at 120% of average so bring it. Means big flows and big shouldered trout.
All this water waiting to melt has me wicked stoked. Itching to get out. Cranky being stuck here in the house. The off season can be over now. I’ve sat enough. The body is yearning to work the river. Walk thigh deep against the current. The feel of my arms burning against the flows as I hold the boat in position for a few more casts. Get it. I ain’t getting any younger.
I’m in better shape than I’ve been my whole life. And coming out of this off season I didn’t put on the guide 20 like I usually do. But I do feel my age every now and then. Makes the prep work the next several weeks all the more important. I’m so ready. I feel I’ve been pretty good with the hibernating…but I’m done now. It’s time to come out and get to work.
Its gonna be wading for a minute. Gotta get the boat cleaned out and wait for access points to be drivable. It’s not putting in that’s the issue….its getting that fat water logged hog outta the river over snow and ice….I need a raft. Hmmmm.
It shouldn’t be more than a week or so before the boat gets wet. It’s got 2 feet of snow in it still, so….that’ll take a minute. But the thing about fishing in January and February is that it’s typically only about 4 to 5 hrs anyway, and we don’t need a boat to get into fish. They are still podded up in large groups. Slowly, more and more wake up and start to move, feed, and get ready to spawn.
Right now, the season is shaping up very nicely. We’ve already got over 25 days booked for the whole season. I’ve lost track with the last few days. Which is awesome. We finished with 174 guided days last season, a huge make-up from the 70 whatever we did during covid. Another year like last or better, and we might be outta that hole 2020 dug.
A huge thank you to everyone for last season. Fucken rocked. And another one to everyone that has bought flies this winter and got on the calendar early. It’s saved my ass a few times. Shit is still tight out there for people. It’s not all hunky dorey, but at least there’s troot.
I’ve got lots of days open anglers. Gonna shoot for 200 this season. We shall see. LOL. I’m so looking forward to it. All this water, we’ve got a bunch of fish that are spawning this year which means big fish before and after. We will stay outta the upper river during the spawn this season. Gonna make that a thing now. After the trout getting 10 weeks off during the 2020 spawn and seeing the results…ya we gonna let them do their thing and leave em be. Plenty of trout that aren’t up there doing the nasty we can chase. Our population is already high and a big water and big spawn year is something that doesn’t always happen so it gets the angler and guide in me a little more jazzed about the season.
It’s gonna be one of those seasons that you’re not gonna want to miss. I can feel it and I’ve been doing this a hot minute. I’m back riverside next week anglers! Got one more day to save 15% for early booking. I’ve got anglers booked into the summer! Save some dough and come chase trout this season anglers. You’re invited. Trout said I could!
Guide Trip Dates are filling up! I haven’t booked this out this early ever. It’s awesome. With dates starting to fill in March, April, May, and now June! As of right now there is only the last weekend in March open, and more dates in April and May are getting taken up! Wooo!
If you’re hoping for a weekend date or one of those prime weekdays….sooner rather than later to reserve, as I’m filling up every day.
It’s not going to be one of those years where I’m just open that day or have availability to spare. It’s pretty exciting after 8 years of full time guiding.
I am so looking forward to getting back to work next week anglers! I suggest you start making your plans….because we are hitting it hard this season and we are gonna be busy!
Reserve today and still save. 5 days left to save 15% for early booking. And clients have taken advantage with dates in April and March filling up quickest. Skwalla Holla!
Get on the calendar, and let’s go chase some trout.
You still have 5 days left to save 15% on your final trip balance.
I’ve got my early booking special running, reserve any day in the 2022 season, and save 15% on your final balance. The spring is filling up and I’ve already got dates booking for summer.
The Trout Spey and Skwalla Special is also available through March at $325.00 for 2 anglers.
I’m trying to fill up the calendar for the season! We can only fish so many days in the spring with flows and weather, so get your dates!
Really looking forward to this season. We have lots of snow pack, a bunch of fish that have had a 3 month break, and 200 plus days of riverside awesomeness headed our way.
Come chase trout this season anglers. Book early and save, and help your local trout bum guide out as we come outta the off season
Well, the big snows are here! We have a few inches of freshies out there and more coming. The pass has been closed since last night and looks to be closed for the rest of the day. Our snowpack is over 100%, and January has just started! I can smell the trootiness in the air anglers. I can smeeelllll it!
The holidays are over. I hunkered down with my girlfriend, and we celebrated with my kids. Drove down to Idaho and back twice in the past 10 days. The heater went out in the car, so that was fun, and it took 2 hrs to get over the Blue Mountains coming back due to craptastic conditions. But the guide rig handled it just fine. Got home safe just before this shitshow of a storm rolled up and shut the inlands down again. Wooo. Shenanigans.
Now, it’s time to get ready for the season. These snows may seem like they ain’t fishy, but the extended forecast for this month calls for some super winter fishy days. Any day I see sunshine and 30 degrees, it’s fishy. Snow, don’t matter to troots. We wade a lot in January. Only have about 4 hrs of fishy time anyway. By the end of the month, we will get more hrs, and by February, we are rolling.
I have never guided this early, but what the hell? Most of us out here are still in recovery mode, and my only solution to what the past 2 years have caused is to be more aggressive and work harder. Coming into 2022 just feels like the energy has to come up. Gotta compensate for the past 2 seasons. 2020 just did a number on me. 2021 was amazing and busy. Summer got wonky with smoke and heat, and July and August can always be busier. But the fall came in heavy. But I’m still hungry. I still want more. More days, more trout, more handshakes, and damp 20s. That drive is heavier in my mind this season. Clamoring and climbing out of the shit show of 2020 still.
I’ve only got maybe 5 to 8 days available in January. I don’t want too many days and have weather sour things up too much. February is wide open, which is odd? Skwallas start in Febs, and things will start to thaw by the 10th to 15th. Then, we are in early spring fishing conditions. Turds and worms, skwalla dries, and big sparkly streamers. March has dates booked, as does April. I’m 8 years into guiding. 2020 almost knocked me out of the game. 2021 made me realize I could overcome it. 2022 is kind of a make it or break it kind of year for me.
There are days when it’s hard to find the motivation. Shit is still tough, and the offseason always has its own set of challenges. I just want to get back to work.
I’ve got 2 months of tying left before I shut that down for clients and only tie for guiding. So get your orders in asap. I can only take on so much, and it’s a first come, first served kind of deal.
There are only 12 days left to get that 15% off discount. You can reserve a trip for any date in the 2022 season and get 15% off your final balance. The quicker my calendar fills up, the better. I want to be busy AF. 4 to 7 trips a week, 10 to 20 trips in a row before a break…ya…all season long…bring it. I want and need it.
The fish are going to be waking up after this bitch ass cold leaves. These single digit, below 20 days of frigid, Hoth like hellscapes are about done. 30 degrees and sunshine with snow here, and there is on its way. The ice will come off the river, and the fish will be on the hunt for food as they slowly wake up and prepare for spawning over the next 2 months.
There is a shit ton of fish in the river anglers. We are about at capacity for fishy river dwellers. And we had a lot of those 12 to 14-inch fish last season that aren’t so dinky anymore. Like a lot of juvenile fish that are just coming into their trooty selves this spring. I expect a lot of new spawners this spring which means a lot of troots looking to eat the next 2 months. Awwww ya. Stoke is high anglers. Tis high.
So book a trip, order some flies, and make plans for this summer, or fall with fish in them. I’m running overnight trips again. We have bass we can chase, the Yakima, of course, and I have 2 lakes I will be adding to the roster this season. Once they open in the spring. So, there are plenty of options.
The Trout Spey/Skwalla Special is running into March. $325 for 2 anglers. 5 hrs with a quick, hot lunch. Chasing the big boys. Book it before the 15th and really save. Or lock in those prime dares now. Remember, once we get to Mother’s Day, the river is consistent, and I book up quickly once things really get rolling.
I’ll be riverside this weekend as things warm up, and the snow settles. I’m sure we will have more snowfall, but at this point, it’s just water for the summer in my mind. Fish gotta eat, and they start in January. I’m done sitting around. I have only hit the river twice since the 1st week of November. It’s time to chase troot. Who’s coming?
The snows are rolling in. The snowpack is above 90% and we are just now coming into the month of January.
January ushers in the harder cold, and starts the countdown to the thaw. Here on the Yakima the late winter hits hard but leaves quickly in terms of fishing. The weather may still be frigid but remember troots are cold blooded cold water critters.
Water temps also start to perk up in the lower river. The days start getting longer every day, minute by minute, every morning now. Before we know it we will have enough sunlight beaming down on the water to warm it up enough for fish to move about. The Lower Canyon of the Yakima River is a marvel of an ecosystem. As the longer days and more intense sun rays start hitting the river it warms the surface, the canyon is a basalt corridor that retains heat. Couple that with the thermal properties of H2O and you have perfect late winter fishing conditions.
The water temps have sat below 40 degrees for the better part of 8 weeks now. Fish have been in hibernation mode eating when its warmer for typically only an hour to 3 a day. As January comes the larger fish have burned through most of their supply for the winter. All those October Caddis and BWOs only keep you full so long. So they start to want to eat. Despite the Hoth like conditions above, fish below are lethargically looking for food.
40 degrees is the magic number. As the sun heats the basalt and the river. The LC turns into a refrigerator and holds its water temp. We get a few hours of solid sunlight no matter how cold the air temp is…and the water will warm and fish will munch. Science Bitches! I’ve fished the LC when it’s 25 degrees outside and the surface water temp is 38 to 40. That’s fishy in January and February. And every day it’s gets a little better, a little warmer, fish get just slightly more active. Every day. Its fun to be out there and watch the whole place wake up. Plus you meet some big ass fish.
The largest trout gotta eat. And they wake up first. As the water hits 40 we have another amazing thing happen. The sculpin start to get spawny and the whitefish are finishing up their spawn. As the trout start to wake up they have these two readily available and very rich food sources to partake of. Remember trout start spawning around 50 degree water and westslope around 48. Trout that wake-up around 40 degree water temps are typically sexually mature adults that need to prepare themselves for spawning in March and April. Rainbow trout can be 2 to 4 years old and westlopes are typically 3 to 5 years old when they are ready to spawn. These are big trout anglers. Some of the biggest and baddest the Yakima has to offer. Our trophies. As a professional guide, I can tell you these fish are easier to conquer during the early season. The angler has the advantage in January and February. The water is lower and colder so fish are slower and easier to play. They can move and pull like tanks, but they aren’t turbo charged like they are above 48 degree water temps. They also don’t have 3000 to 4000 cfs of river to kick our asses in.
We swing for these trout. We nymph too especially in February as the Skwallas start migrating. Every once in a while a BWO or a Midge hatch will give you a shot at some of the first dry fly sips of the season. But the big ones…they eat meat. Sculpins, eggs, and smaller fish are the main course. A few big pieces of meat and a trout is good for a little bit while it moves about the system preparing for spawning. This is the time to chase those fish. As later in the season I won’t be fishing up river during the spawn to allow the trout time to take care of business. So now is the time to chase with spey and meat streamers for big chonkers that wanna get busy. They only spawn once a year so it’s kind of a big deal for them. And they spend the next two and a half months preparing for this monumental milestone in their trooty lives.
It’s already starting looking at the forecast. Don’t let the cold fool you. It’s all about the sun. And as this cold snap finishes off, I see some pretty awesome conditions headed our way. Already trips are on the calendar for January. Anglers ready to test their skill against these wild animals are invited to come take their shot.
I will be running Trout Spey Specials for the next 2 months. Trout Spey Specific techniques as well as nymphing and Euro-nymphing fishing. $325 for 1 or 3 angles. A 4 to 5 hr trips learning and chasing the big boys. The chonkers….the troutasaurus troots. It’s time anglers. Skwalla specials start in late February and run through March. And if you reserve a day before January 15th I’ll knock 15% off your final balance! The 2022 trout season is coming. Let’s chase some trout anglers.
Tamarack's Guide Service 