Hello all, finally got this website back up and running.
Couple of things:
Early Season Reservations are now being taken. Get in on the Skwalla Spring Special.
Skwalla Spring Special:
$275.00 for one or two anglers.
Includes Hot Soup.
Yes…we do overnightsI will also be offering overnight trips. With the new take out below Greenbridge in the Upper River, I am going to offer 2 day 1 night floats for 2. Summer and Fall only. The trip includes 2 full days of fishing, 4 meals, plus snacks, flies, leader, tippet, and gear. I also give the option of sleeping in tents or in hammocks. Bring your own sleeping bag and pad. The floats will be 20 plus miles, through either the Upper River Canyon or the Lower River Canyon. Sleep under the stars, fish into the late evening, wake up early and be on river before everyone else, book two boats and have a party riverside!
Overnight Trips Start at: $750/ 2 anglers.
I will be able to offer multi boat trips this year. If you have a group that wants to float I have partnered with some awesome guides this season.
I sell flies all season long as well so if you fancy having some guide flies for yourself don’t hesitate to order.
Eating Hand Tied FliesThe Season is almost here, and the trout are starting to wake up. I have gone out the last few days getting a feel for the river. Skwalla are starting to wake up, fish are fat and have wintered well, we have lots of snow so water should not be near as big an issue as it was last season. We may see Hoot Owl again but not until very late in the season and for a much shorter duration if at all.
I am also a TU Endorsed Guide and Business again this season and I am working heavily in the Teanaway River this season. To learn more about the local Yakima River Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited and our conservation efforts don’t hesitate to ask!
I look forward to meeting new clients and fishing with old ones this season. Its going to be a great season, with lots of water, hungry trout, and some epic hatches. Get on the calendar quick, I will fill up this season! Thank you to everyone that supported me last season and thank you in advance for allowing me to share this awesome sport with you!
The Hog and some snow
The offseason is halfway over. Within the next 6 weeks the river will start to wake up a little. Sculpin and Whitefish will begin moving about the system in preparation for spawning. Larger trout will start to seek out protein rich food in preparation of their spring spawn. Skwalla Stoneflies in the LC will start to move around and prepare for the annual early spring late winter hatch. The wary trout angler stirs with anticipation for the spring that is now within view from the icy snowy mountain of winter.
This winter has turned out to be a snowy one. Right now there is well over 15 inches of hard compacted snow on the ground with 2 inches of fluff from yesterday. The mountains are full, and the sub freezing temps have settled in. The upper river is asleep, with ice along its snowy edges. More water flowing now then this past October. A healthy sign that the mountains have water again.
If the winter trend continues we shall have a better season in many ways than this past one. Hatches may come off properly, insects that lay dormant during the drought will hatch, the fish that made it through the rough season will gorge, grow fat, and spawn. The river will rebound, as it tends to do. The one thing that climate change does is exacerbate the normal weather cycles making light now years worse, and big snow or cold years worse. We had a rough drought year and now the winter seems to have returned us to a somewhat normal state for now. The last drought had the same rebound trend albeit far less of an issue than this past one. I am looking forward to more water, healthier and more robust wild trout to come, and lots of happy anglers in my drift boat this year.
With the offseason hitting its halfway mark its time to start thinking about trout again. Flies will be tied with more enthusiasm, leaders tied, rods fixed, renewed insurance and permit, and researching new patterns, tactics, techniques, methods, and ways of fly fishing and teaching the art and craft that makes this sport so unique.
I like to give trout a break from my constant berating of flies into their world during the winter. The winter gives me a chance to spend time at home. It also makes the anticipation of the season and the first taught line with a large trout aggressively fighting against angler that much sweeter. Trout have had time to become comfortable in the river, they forget the angler for a time, and when trout and angler meet again as the river thaws, they meet each other with renewed vigor and respect for one another. At least that’s what happens for me when I return to the river after the winter.
I look forward to the season. Lots of things are happening, I am already seeing that I will be quite busy, and I look forward to meeting new people riverside. I long for days of introducing people to wild trout, with a net, a release, and a handshake. Till the season starts my fellow anglers…till the season starts.
It’s been a while. The guide season was busy, the end of it wasn’t that great, mostly due to the drought. But that’s not what this blog is about.
The offseason is different for everyone. Some guides hit up steelhead or salmon, some head south, others go and do something non fishing related, others just take the time off.
I took time off. My wonderful lady is working to keep her sanity, being at home all guide season with three kids is a full time gig. Now its my turn. I didn’t get to see my kids as much as I would like this summer, I was busy doing the other Dad stuff…working. But now I get to be home. I plan to head down south for a month or two to guide and keep my sanity nest winter, so this offseason I get to be at home with the kids and do Dad Stuff.
I have an almost 2 year old that takes up most hours of most of my days. A little minion of energy, she never shuts up when she’s awake, never sits still, and gets into everything. The plus side is she sleeps hard and let dad stay up late and sleep in late. This is my third toddler and turning 30 this February along with my more laid back attitude, has made me a wiser and more capable dad, ask my lady. I spend most of the day picking up toys and socks, she likes socks. Changing diapers and the dreaded potty training. Lots of Sesame Street and Octonauts, kissing boos, and handing out milk and bananas. Its Dad Stuff, and its awesome when all you do is spend time on the river away from it. I only get glimpses of those moments when I’m focused on the river and trout. My older kids are doing the school stuff, almost ready for holiday break. Which will hopefully be spent skiing and snowshoeing in the mountains with them, playing video games, watching the new star wars after a marathon of the first 6, and just being a family during the winter. Shut in, warm, enjoying the time on the couch and in the snow before the craziness of chasing trout, running shuttles, tying flies, and all that fun guide stuff.
The guide life envelops my entire family. Many of my clients meet my lady and kids when they pick us up for shuttles. This is our family business. Some day one of my kids may have a driftboat of their own, running trips like dad. They get to see me do what I love everyday. They look forward to guide season as much as I do. My lady is already looking forward to the guide season. The money is better, and the drought made our winter surplus not as cushy. Part of the reason I will be headed south next winter. Plus, getting a job that pays decent in a little mountain town in this country is getting harder and harder. The higher income level of a guide paired with the simple and small lifestyle my family and I adhere to makes living quite perfect for us. We have the same humps to get over like every other family, but the lifestyle we live makes stress levels much lower. Many know that my family and I have been through some heavy crap. Life just knocks ya down some times. River blows out. We pulled ourselves back up and are getting back to our own normal lives one oar stoke at a time. I get to spend all winter contemplating how far we have come, and how to prepare for next trout season.
Well, I will sometime in January, right now I am enjoying watching Netflix, playing with kids, and avoiding household chores like laundry and dishes. I have a pretty sweet gig when it is guide season. My life is filled with lots of energy. Fly fishing is quite an experience. But every day can become the same in the pursuit of trout. Good guides know how to avoid burnout, I take time at home to remember that my toddler saying a new word every day is also quite an experience. Its all about the moments. The trick is to make sure that life is filled with more positive ones than negative. Something my family and I have worked very hard at, through fly fishing and living a more trout bummy lifestyle.
We will get back to some actual fishing stuff here in the next week. Streamer season is right around the corner.
It’s the offseason! I’ll be back for guiding come Febraury for late winter and early spring trout chasing with spring specials, new waters to fish, and good times all around.
Enjoy the winter season with your loved ones, play in the snow if you can, this trouty dude will be back in the rowers chair soon enough…ready to show clients a wicked awesome time riverside.
Thanks and I’ll see everyone when the river thaws.
Tamarack
It’s the offseason which means it’s tying season. I tie 80% of the flies I use for trips and I also sell select patterns every off season. Fill your box with flies you can’t get in a shop and that aren’t tied overseas by people who haven’t even fished for trout.
I will add more photos and prices of flies as they become available.
Articulated Foxtail Sculpin Size 6
$6.50 per fly. (Plus tax)
This articulated chunk of meat is a big streamer meant for big trout. The head is tied with Arctic Fox Tail hair hence the name. With 4 big saddle feathers and the articulated tail this fly has a lot of action with just the right amount of flash to entice big takes and chases. The fly is weighted but is most effective on a sink tip. Swing or strip, this fly is a big tasty piece of awesome for the larger trouts that like to eat food that swims. Get yours before early spring when streamer fishing can be at its best!
It’s the offseason. I’ll be tying, hanging out with my kids being a dad, and working on a new short film project titled “Craft”. This is a little short I made dinking around today. Look for a full length episode as part of a 4 Part Feature on the “Craft” of fly fishing around Thanksgiving.
The Short Film “Craft” will touch on the loss of art in fly fishing in today’s world, but focus on where art and craft are very much alive with a particular lonely, solitary angler and the people he meets and those that share in the craft of this fine angling method and sport. The first episode due to show up around Thanksgiving titled “Craft…A Fly”.
This isn’t for money or anything like that. This is a project that has been eating at me artistically for years and I’ve finally got the drive and ability to start. The entire film will be shot with an IPhone 6S+ and GoPro and edited with mobile app video editing software. I’ll even have some behind the scene stuff on Facebook. Hell you might even find yourself in the film!
Once it’s completed sometime next Fall I hope to submit it to some film festivals and put it in the web for people to enjoy and learn more about fly fishing. There will be conservation undertones but this film is about the art that goes into so many facets of fly fishing and the pursuit of honing those skills. A focus on the art form that is lost in mass produced flies, super fast rods, the ever so popular hero shot, and the general mass marketing, popular culture that is now engrained in the sport of fly fishing.
Swing by the Facebook for more updates as we move through the offseason.
Hey everyone, I’ve got some fall clinics up on the calendar. You can RSVP to them via Facebook or sign up via an inquiry form here on the website.
Fall Fly Tying Clinic:
September 12th 1pm-4pm
$45.00 one person
Bring your own vise and tools
I’ll supply the materials.
We will be tying fall specific patterns including. The cranefly, October Caddis, shortwing stone, and BWO.
Autumn Walk and Wade Clinic:
October 18th 9am-1pm
$80.00 per person
Bring your own waders and gear. I’ll have rods for use if needed.
Learn to walk and wade during the fall in the upper Yakima river. We will learn access areas, flies, water reading, wading techniques, and all sorts of fun trouty stuff.
You can also visit the Trip Inquiry page here on the site and book your spot via email. 6 people max per clinic. These are fall special prices so get in on some good times for a little cheaper.
Tamarack
Well, its smokey from the fires here in Cle Elum. Its to a point where I have to be inside. Not the place I like to be really. I fished the river yesterday for the first time in several days. The water temps have just been too high for me to feel comfortable stressing trout out anymore than they already are. Fishing was slow. Not horrible for the day, super windy, lower flows, no hatches as we are moving into fall. The drought is causing a lot of problems but so far the trout have been holding out just fine. Fish that have been caught are healthy, fat, and full of energy with an exception here and there. The fish are eating nocturnally just as they did last September when the water temps hit 65 degrees. It just came earlier and has been going on longer. As the flip flop on the river approaches and the water levels drop as irrigation gets shut off, the river will need a close eye. If the air temps continue their downward trend we should be just find. If not then the warm temps could get worse. Everything is pointing to a closer to normal fall with night time lows dropping next week. Next year is another story and another blog post. Let us focus on the positive for this season.
Misty Mornings
The Fall is my favorite time of year on the Yakima. The colors change, the temps cool, the floaters go back to school, less anglers, less pressure, major hatches, and hangry trout. This river is a tailwater, meaning it flows below dams and therefore its flow is controlled. However, once the flows drop and we hit the fall, the Yakima shows her true colors. Its as if there are no dams on the river during this time of year. Flows are what they would natrually be or closer to it. The river is a trout anglers paradise in Autumn. The runs, and riffles, pockets, and seams all come out of hiding from the high flows of summer and the trout spread out and act like trout again. No longer are they pushed up against the bank chowing down on terrestrials. Fishing is easy in the summer in my opinion. The trout and river do all the work for you.
They like Crane Flies
The fall however… gives the trout the advantage. The angler that has honed their technical casting, presentation skills, and water reading will be in nirvana. I have spent more days on the river in the fall than any other season. While many anglers are off prepping or chasing steel, I go out and have 30 and 60 fish days on the Yakima…typically with the river to myself. Big number days are not always what I am after, in fact I am never after them anymore, but the trout are eager and I would be lying my ass off if I didn’t enjoy tricking trout after trout with elegant and technical casts, finding them in the trickiest currents and pockets. Getting those hangry trout to come out of the quintessential trouty spots this river has to offer. The fall time is the right time for the trout angler.
My mind is filled with all the riffles, pockets, runs, and seams that await me as the fall colors appear, the Tamaracks change, the rains come to the mountians and the first signs of snow appear in late October. I am hoping the snow appears that early this year. There is nothing quite like waking up at 7:00 am instead of 4:00 am to go fishing, especially for an entire day and not 5 hours only. The river here in the fall can produce all day long if you know your hatches and water. The Hoot Owl will lift once the river sees 60-64 temps consistently across the entire watershed. About 3 weeks it would seem.
A brisk morning, mist clinging to the river. Warm fleece under my waders, a heavy flannel to keep the chill away. My beard reveling in the weather. My blue coffee cup and hot tea waking me up with its bold scent and tinge of honey. My boat sitting behind me in cold water, instead of fishing from it I am only using it to get to the best wading areas. A blue wing olive flutters by. A campfire riverside during lunch, fishing October Caddis into the evening. Off river and at home in time for dinner. It’s perfection for this angler. Slabs of Cutt
I have had my most memorable days with trout in the autumn. The trout are most cooperative in my opinion. They feel the winter approaching, and what every wild animal does in the fall is prep for it. Trout are no different. The long cold winter is coming and trout pack on fat and chow on protein to get through it. That usually is in the form of several species of bugs and salmon eggs. A typical fall trouting expedition involves switching from dry fly rigs and nymph sticks througout the day. Certain pods of fish key in to crane flies dancing on the surface of the slack water laying eggs. Others eat october caddis pupas crawling along the bottom pre hatch. A riffle holds a handful of cutthroat eating Mahogany mayflies, while the large sneaky rainbows try and hide their noses while they sip BWO’s in the back eddies. Silly Rainbows….I see you…and I’ve got a size 18 BWO Emerger you can chew on.
The other fantastic thing about the fall is how the fish play. 5x tippet and long leaders, stiff short nymph lines and high sticking pocket water. Fish get into a rythym each day. They pod up, eat, move about, and cycle through the day like its routine. Unlike the constant choas that summer seems to bring. Fast flows, fighting for spots and food, its why the summer is so much fun for anglers. It makes trout easy to find, and easy to trick as they are less picky. They just want food. The fall changes pace and the trout follow. When you trick a 20 inch Rainbow that was quietly sipping mayflies in the soft water…they tend to get cranky about it. With the softer flows they have a lot more river to play in and will run and dance like a trout should. Grabbing a glass rod ups the fun factor as playing fish on glass…at least for me…is the utmost experience in angling for trout…the feel and response from a glass rod with a large trout on the end is quite amazing. There isn’t much that is more satisfying for the trout angler, than tricking a persnicikety trout, having the trout almost outplay you, and successfully landing and releasing a worthy opponent. The trout are my quarry and I am a fly angler.
There is a gnarly old Wild Westslop Cutthroat pushing 20 inches tucked behind a rock below a salmon redd, or a run, waiting for the right fly to pass by. There is a particular rock garden above Bristol on the Upper Yakima that has held some of the largest cutthroat this river has to offer. We won’t talk about the super secret spots where I caught my largest cutthroat to date. The picture above of a friend in the same secret hole can attest to the size of some of these trout that come out of hiding in the fall. 22 inches of cutthroat is impressive by any rivers standards but for the Yakima its freaking glorious.
I invite you to take a trip with me this fall. Every guide has a favorite season, every angler has a time of year when they just slay trout…the fall is mine…and I’ve been doing it for 10 seasons now. I haven’t missed fishing a fall season on this river. The experience of fishing in the fall on the Yakima is by far the best in my opinion. Come and enjoy it, the summer was hard so lets get back to fishing in the fall. Hope to see you riverside this autumn.
My beloved Yakima River is on the precipice. Water temps are not cooling below 65 degrees in some sections of the river. Water temps are topping out at 72 and above in the lower end. We have another set of hot days in the forecast with air temps reaching 102. The river flow is scheduled to drop by over 500 cfs in the next 7-10 days. If you are not already participating in voluntary #hootowl fishing I encourage everyone to start.
As a TU Guide and a Conservation minded angler I will stop fishing once water temps hit 65 degrees. I will continue to guide the Upper Yakima River while conditions still allow. We are getting reports of dead fish throughout the whole system. Another TU Guide and myself will be floating the river to confirm dead fish and collect data this week in multiple areas of the river. We want to have facts and data, not sales pitches and false reports.
Please use a stream thermometer when fishing and follow good warm water fishing techniques. Stop fishing at 65-68 degree water temps. If we want to be able to continue fishing the Yakima River for years to come we need to take care of her and the trout now. If we don’t…It will be too little too late and these wild trout may not be here in the end. http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?UMTW1
Mount Stuart towers in the distance. Her peak barren of the normal snowcap she wears during the start of August. North Fork Teanaway road straightens out in front of me as I drive towards one of favorite mountain peaks in the world. From her foothills the headwaters of the Teanaway river begins. It flows a torrent of whitewater through granite stones cut deep by her chilling and slicing embrace. Her sound can typically be heard throughout the entire basin if you listen intently on a quiet day in the woods. The waterfalls that seem to fall from the very sky fill the river with some of the most pristine water in the world. The animals that inhabit the Teanaway Rivershed are the epitome of Pacific Northwest Wildlife. With Black Bear, Cougar, Wolf, Wolverine, Samsquanch, Mountain Goats, with hundreds of bird species, deer, elk, skunk, hare, flying squirrel, red fox, and so many more the forest surrounding the river is teeming with life. The river holds some of the most pure species of wild trout in the western states. With Wild Rainbow, Westlope Cutthroat, Steelhead, and Bulltrout, the river system is the last bastion for many species including Wild Steelhead and Bulltrout.
The Source
As I see the headwaters of the river before me my heart is heavy. She is but a trickle coming down the granite mountainside. The pool under the waterfall is waist deep and is full of small soon to be starving trout. As I look at the dried up waterfalls that feed the upper most reaches of the North Fork of the Teanaway I am filled with fear. This river has never seen such a drought. This wild place is on the precipice.
Data Collection
I make my way further down river. Checking the water temps the entire time. I am finding normal water temps for this time of year in the upper end of the river however; the flows are a fraction of what they ought to be. When well over 100 cfs is typically coming down this small river in the summer we have less than 30 cfs. I find trout in pools, surprisingly healthy with full bellies. A perfect 10-inch cutthroat decided to say hello and I was reminded of what the term wild really means. These fish, despite the odds, are surviving. By the end of the summer there may only be a handful of breeding fish left to carry on the species. Those trout that they spawn…will be ever stronger. The trout…are doing what they do…being wild and surviving. Life does find a way.
I make my way farther down river. The temps are warming. Feeder creeks and small tributaries such as Jungle Creek, Stafford Creek, Bean Creek, Beverly Creek, are trickles or dried up completely meaning there is no cold influx of water as the river makes its way to the valley below the mountains. I say goodbye to Mt. Stuart and the surrounding behemoths of granite that the Teanaway cuts away at with every spring and summer run off. The granite stones get a respite from her torrent this year.
Rock Dams
I stop at the famous sandstone swimming holes near 29 Pines Campground to check the water temp. I find a rock dam blocking flow and chuck rocks onto the bank. The river seems to breath a sigh of relief and I count 3 small fingerling fish make their way up river as if waiting for me to open the door. I find two more small rock dams and break them down wishing a sign about how illegal they are in ESA listed streams were present. A TU project for later. I come to the sandstone chute just past the Teanaway Outpost under the bridge. There is 10 cfs going by. I can literally see 10 milk jugs go by a second…its unfathomable. The place smells of dead fish. The water temp is 70 degrees. I find nothing…not even an aquatic insect. It is devoid of life. I leave quickly not wishing to spend any more time in the tomb.
I come to the valley filled with farmlands. Mt. Stuarts’ gaze hidden back behind the hills and trees. I feel that if the mountain were a mere 2000 feet taller and everyone could see the summit from anywhere in the valley…the state of the Teanaway would be much different. The Sentinel of the Teanaway River has been tricked and the river that it has born has suffered. The farms are still watering their fields. A recent stop on all irrigation came to the valley in an effort to save water. The few fields I see getting water must be on wells or finishing up their last orders. As I look at the river below Red Bridge Road I am appalled. Stagnant pools filled with Dart and Pike Minnow, algae, and 70 degree water. There is no flow; the riverbed is drying up in places, if the heat of summer continues I believe the lower Teanaway will dry up completely.
The Lower Teanaway
The Yakima River and Teanaway River Confluence is a stagnant pool of warming water. Typically during this time of year, the trout in the Yakima River receive a shot of cool water for thermal refuge from her sister the Teanaway. Steelhead would have spawned there this spring, as well as trout. Salmon would normally return but they will not have the chance this year. The fish that got trapped in the lower Teanaway have all but perished, those that were able to escape are in the low flow and small cool pools of the upper river farther into the mountains. As the Yakima River water temps increase the wild trout will receive no respite from the Teanaway as they normally would. The Steelhead, Rainbow, and Cutthroat that were spawned this spring are trapped in the headwaters and may not survive the summer and winter to continue the life cycle next season…if the snows come.
The Bulltrout are all but gone now. They have no refuge and have died or hopefully…pushed into the Yakima River and will return to spawn this fall. I have seen a few of those unicorns in the Yakima this season…giving me hope. Visiting the Teanaway today gave me hope. I was reminded of the resilience of nature and wild animals despite the odds and our encroachment. The drought is only one factor in the reason behind the demise of the Teanaway River. The mountains that hold her, the forest that surrounds her, the farmlands that she gives life too…all will suffer as she dries up. The entire valley feels thirsty. A strong rain for days or a wickedly blizzardly winter is needed. But our help is also needed.
If more is not done to preserve and protect the Teanaway River not only will the entire Teanaway Valley and surrounding Forest suffer, the Yakima River below will suffer. As it is a true freestone headwaters to the Yakima River, if it suffers, everything downstream suffers. Headwaters do Matter. More conservation is needed, more efficient irrigation practices, rigorous data collection on the trout required, and some intense habitat restoration is a must if we ever want to see the Teanaway River in her former glory.
Zi-Fi’s 1st Cutty
Some of my fondest memories of angling are on the Teanaway River. I found an ancient and gnarly Wild Westlope Cutthroat in a deep pool. The old trout was so gargantuan it still dwarfs some of the largest cutthroat I have caught out of the Yakima River. My eldest daughter was introduced to her first trout on the Teanaway. My youngest daughter was introduced to her first trout this year before the drought sunk in on the Teanaway. I have a memory of playing in the sandstone swimming holes one summer when I was very young, collecting cased caddis as they crawled along the rocks at my feet. I met my first Bulltrout on the Teanaway River. A story I haven’t shared with anyone to this day save for Tim Irish. That Bulltrout will haunt me for the rest of my life, especially now knowing that it’s genetics and offspring have not survived the 6 years it has been since we met.
Will I ever meet another Bulltrout in the Teanaway River? Will my grand kids meet any trout in the Teanaway River? Will the community forest that hugs the riverbanks become a desolate dried up place that no one cares about anymore? Will Wild Steelhead ever return? Will the wild trout have a place to reproduce and carry on their life cycle? The fact that I am asking myself, and others, these questions leaves me with hope. Hope that it will return, hope that it will be rescued, hope…because the Teanaway River…is a life force; born from granite mountains and winter snows, cut deep into the hard stone, life teeming within and all around her, Mount Stuart standing guard, and people enjoying all that she bares while keeping a caring eye on her.
Tamarack's Guide Service 