tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing

Returning to Fishing

I have been an angler for 20 years now. Started at 18 and haven’t stopped. Fishing has been a determining factor of who I am for my adult life. I turned my passion for fishing, teaching, exploring, wildlife, the outdoors, and guiding into a business. It has been a good business that has given me opportunities my 18 year old self would have never dreamed of having. The past 20 years I have spent a good number of those days fishing. It grew exponentially as I hit my mid 20s. Then it plateaued. I became a guide.

Guiding meant I fished less for myself and helped others fish. I spent the past 10 years doing that. I still would fish. But it was much less than before I was a guide. The busier I got, the less time I fished on my own. I loved it. But burnout is a real thing and I have wanted to fish more and more for myself in the past few seasons. I started taking more trips for myself the past few summers. Hitting rivers I fished when I was younger, and finding new favorite ones. I shared rivers with friends, fellow guides, former clients, and anglers. I met my partner riverside and have travelled and fished all over the country the past few seasons. I moved to Michigan on a new adventure and to seek out new water and opportunities. I will be taking most of the summer off to just fish for myself.

Of course there is an underlying reason for the time off and fishing for myself. In my experience, the best way to learn a new area is to fish it. My lifestyle affords me the ability to be a trout bum and do just that. I get to enjoy fishing for a while. Find what inspires me, what fish species drive me to chase them, where will I find encounters with fish and nature, what areas will make me want to keep them to myself, and which ones will make me want to share? These are things I spent my 20’s answering, exploring all over the western trout fisheries. From Alaska to Colorado, and everything in between that struck my fancy and that I could get to. I found amazing fish, met wonderful people, and got to experience fishing in a way I didn’t know was possible.

Before social media mind you, I am that old now. This was back when digital cameras were a brick and we are all about megapixels. A lot of these adventures were captured on actual film or not at all except in memory. I didn’t have a decent camera the first time I hooked a bulltrout in Canada, there is a tattered picture of a greenback trout from Colorado somewhere, and on a sim card in a storage unit in a box, somewhere in Idaho there is a picture of me holding my lifetime steelhead from the OP when I was 22, right around my birthday. I had adventures, I caught fish, I experienced wilds and rivers, and places all before it meant likes and follows or was part of my business. It was just for me, for the joy of it. It had no influence other than I loved to fish.

I settled on the Yakima 10 years ago. I had opportunity to guide all over but I had a new family at the time and my personal off river life kept me close to where I grew up. I fell in love with the Yakima River. I know every inch of that river these days. I became a very good guide on that river and was fortunate to share that river with hundreds of clients over the years. I have built lasting relationships as a guide with people out west and will always return to chase the trout in the big waters out there.

The East is a different beast. And many have left comments or asked why I came East. As a home grown PNW angler who has fished just about all the good stuff over the past 20 years. I am good. I have experienced it all for what I wanted to fish and see. These days its a little more crowded then before 2010 but I have fished and caught enough trout out west for now. That will surely change with time but for now…I am good. The East has a lot more to offer. A bigger piece of the fishing world. I hit Florida this past winter for a month. It is one of the largest sport fishing destinations in the world. It is massive in terms of fishing. Michigan the the Midwest area are equally as large but more spread out and makes the western side of the countries sport fishing world look very small. Commercial fishing is the big dog out west, as someone who has worked in Alaska and been a sport guide for a while, commercial fishing for consumption is the big player out west. Here in the east its more just the sport fishing. Yes there is harvest, but its mostly for sport with a side of harvest.

I had some confusion with one of my last posts that I compared Michigan to Alaska. Now the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is like Southeast Alaska. Just without mountains. But what really hits me is the local fishing culture. That is what reminds of me of Alaska. Fishing is just older and more engrained in the everyday lives of people in Michigan, much like Alaska. That is the comparison. Here near Detroit everyone owns a boat, most people have fishing gear, and everyone has fished or does fish. Fly fishing is a little less common but the further north your go the more you find it. The west makes fishing out to be a really big deal, and dresses it up in really polished fancy cloths in comparison, takes itself really seriously. And I am from the west and am part of that. The east just doesn’t care as much. Fishing is just something everyone does. Less of a big deal, and with it readily available to everyone just about anywhere even these urban areas, the fishing culture is just very different. I enjoy it because as I just want to enjoy fishing with no pressure…that seems to be the main operating speed out here.

I have been back almost 2 weeks. I have fished more days than not. I have only had one kind of crappy experience, more due to a crummy fly shop encounter than anything else. Some places ain’t all they are made out to be on social media anglers just saying. But besides that, this fishing has been rather good. I can’t complain. A rained out Au Sable River last week sucked but I was able to learn about how finicky that river is and how I don’t want to fish finicky rivers right now….I have had enough of those for a summer. I love bass fishing. It is simple compared to trout fishing a river. I love simple fishing. Bass eat, they like topwater they are easier to track and predict, and when I put effort into catching them…I really catch them. I don’t care about size…I am a trout angler not a bass tournament guy…I care about eats. I want eats. So bass fishing is great…because in 3 hrs of puttering around the lake I can stick 15 to 30 bass when I put effort in. I enjoy that kind of fishing. Move into a zone, hunt the fish out of it, work a grid, depths, angles, lengths, structure, lanes, weed beds, drop offs, ridges, bars, I get to use sonar tools and really pick apart areas. Make my brain work without the pressure of having to produce for anyone or anything. I am just getting to fish the way I like.

For me it is freedom. I have been tied to the Yakima River’s schedule and rhythm for 10 years. Dialed and locked in. My drift boat and I just chunking out miles and working that river. My entire work life has been attached and dictated by the Yakima River. I wasn’t lying when I said I needed a break. Once I got out of Montana on the drive east…I finally felt things stop pulling on me. I love that river anglers…but I need a break.

The Freedom I feel out here is also because I have the 2 things that I need to really make that possible. My trusty guide rig, and my new boat. My new Hog Island Skiff is finally growing on me. I have had mixed feelings about it since Florida. But being here in Michigan I am glad I have it. It allows me to fish as I please, where I please. With my roof top, rig, and boat I can explore and discover as I see fit. Working out here is the goal and will happen sooner rather than later, but for now I am enjoying the ability to just fish for myself.

I enjoy the quiet of the stillwater and rivers out east. It has a different feel than the waters I have encountered out west. The eastern waters speak playfully, filled with life. The bird songs have a different cacophony than those I recall from my younger days. There is mystery in the east. A myriad of abundant species of fish make for a surprise each encounter. There is less pressure out here for me. I don’t feel the need to perform, no one knows me, I am just fly fishing. When I fish I get to be quiet, just enjoy, be a part of it. I missed this kind of fishing. The summer will be filled with days where I can fish as intense or as aloof as I want. A chance to recharge in a way I haven’t been able to in a long time. A chance to fish.

Tamarack

tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing

A Michigan Summer

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. Back on the homewater, the Yakima River, she is having her regular salmon pulse bringing the river up for the weekend. It will still fish just fine. But as always an inconsistent river. I will not say I miss it. To be honest I do not. I have fished and guided the Yakima heavy for 10 years. It has been my main fishery for 20 years. We both deserve, earned, and need a break.

Michigan is very different. It is humid here. Like Florida in November. I love it. Growing up in the Columbia Basin in Washington I am accustomed to dry heat. Which I loathe. Desert ain’t for me. But this place. Michigan, a deciduous, marsh, swamp, lake, river meandering maze of a state…is quite different and all to appealing. Even in the urban area outside of Detroit that I am currently staying it is a wonderful mix of nature and human development. There is water everywhere. From where I am sitting I am within 20 different bodies of water…all of which have fish, all of which have public access for wading and boats. It’s like Alaska, only thing I can reference this place too. The amount of water, the culture surrounding fishing, boating, and water is thick. The further north you go the more rugged and wild this place gets. It reminds me of Alaska. Even the humidity to a degree. But its much warmer here.

I have trout, bass, pike, and gar fished since I have arrived from my long drive across the country. What a drive too. I did 2200 miles in 2 days. It was nuts. My trusty Toyota Guide Rig made it all the way without a hiccup. Since then we have bummed it up to the Au Sable river. Which is having a weird summer just like most places out west. Rains blew her out so to speak, put fish down, and the water temps here are already on the rise due to low snow and warm temps. Just like out west. Which is a reason I moved east. Here, when it gets warm, there are considerably more options for an angler and a guide.

There are more warm water species here and in abundance than anywhere out west. I have a lake 10 minutes from the house I fished the past 3 days that has at least 6 different species in it. Largemouth, Smallmouth, Bream Species like Bluegill and Sunfish, Pike, and Gar, and probably a muskie or 2. Caught fish each day, some big, with effort could have really good days. That’s just one lake. I hit another a few days ago that was mostly a boating lake but also was full of bass and fished well for the amount of time and effort I put in. Better days than I’ve had out west chasin bass for sure. I haven’t even scratched the surface. Michigan is home to one the most famous small mouth lakes in the world. Lake St. Claire. We share it with Canada. Its an hour from where I am, and is touted as the best smallmouth fishery around. Again just one lake. Michigan is home to some of the best stillwater fishing for multiple species. Between Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, you have one of the largest and most diverse sport fishing regions in the country. Fishing is a very different animal out here compared to anywhere in the PNW and even Montana. Again Alaska is the only place that compares when it comes to fishing culture.

I moved here so that I could have more options and I have lived in the PNW my entire life. A big change was also something I was after. This is a big change. The driving and the urban areas alone here are above and beyond anything out west for my county bumpkin ass coming from a town of less than 2000 people. The fishing is overwhelming. Again what I was after. I have more options than I could get through in a lifetime here. So many places to fish. Not only that, Michigan is central to so many other places to fish. Its easier to travel to places like Wisconsin’s Driftless area, the whitewater of Pennsylvania, Canadian wilderness, I can get to Florida in 2 days skiff in tow and everything in between. It’s mind boggling.

In Washington, in 6 to 8 hrs I could be to some of the best trout fishing in the west. In 6 hrs I have access to literally hundreds of bodies of water. Blue Ribbon Trout streams, famous hatches, small and large mouth bass fishing up the ass, some of the worlds best muskie and pike fishing, carp, crappie, bream, catfish, walleye, there is so much here. This summer is a time to explore.

I find myself really digging the spaces I find myself in. I love to fish, and guiding the same body of water for a decade has taken its toll on my passion for fishing personally. I love guiding, but I started out with a pure love and passion for fishing. And here in Michigan, away from everything familiar, I am finally able to be free in that space again. It has been needed. Guiding is my career, and I am always chasing guide days on the calendar. Already my Fall Season for Trout on the Yakima is almost full. But I need to fish for me. That need to go fishing that my clients hire me for. That feeling has been lost on me over the years. I have been work focused. Which is still enjoyable but not the same as just getting to go fish. And even out west, when I would take time off to go fish, there was always pressure to produce. The west does that. It skews the fishing world and holds angles to this somewhat unattainable standard. Big fish, big casts, big takes, big likes, big profile views, all the right gear, look the part, polished, and porny. That’s just not fishing. And I am the first to admit that I feed into that with what I do for a living. I try and tame it with the live streams and the blogs, but the machine of social media and what commercializing this activity does will always be a facet of this business.

Here in Michigan I get to take a step back from that a little bit. Kind of figure out which way things are going to flow as we transition into something different.

Guiding here is not far off. But I will enjoy taking some time of from guiding. I have put a lot of time into guiding and there are other things in fishing that I am good at. A lot of that has taken a back seat to guiding over the years so I am looking forward to tying, producing content that isn’t in line with what our industry wants, give anglers something real. Me exploring the east through trial and error is pretty real. Out here, I am going back to basics. Tying my own leaders and flies, using less expensive gear, because it doesn’t really matter. Fly fishing along with everything else in the world is getting expensive and I refuse to let something like money keep me from enjoying fly fishing. When I entered this gig it was like that. It catered to the rich and wealthy. Fuck that, fish don’t care, and I see the trend of pricing out the regular fly angler happening again in fly fishing. It has never had to be that way. That’s something I want to show out here. Because I am a broke ass trout bum guide. I live this life for real. And you don’t need all that fancy shit to get it done.

I haven’t even started to scratch the surface of fishing out here. I am looking forward to it. And I will be guiding out here before too long. I already have been to places here that I want to share in a professional capacity. I want to test my guiding and fishing skillset with clients. I want to meet new clients and people, learn the things that connect them to the water and fly fishing, or maybe introduce them to it in their own backyard. It is why I guide. Not for clout, or money, or to be famous on social media. But to share spaces with others and let them experience nature, water, and fish in a unique way with a fly and rod in their hand. There isn’t anything that is quite like it.

Michigan is a good place for me to do that. I have accomplished that on the Yakima, it takes care of itself and I will continue to work the west. But I get to explore the east and share that experience with all my followers, clients and new people. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I am looking forward to exploring and discovering through fly fishing here in Michigan. The summer is just getting started. Lets go.

Tamarack

tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing

The last little bit.

The Off Season is ending. It has been a mellow one. I have been hibernating here in Michigan patiently waiting for the Guide Season to come. March is only a few weeks away. Plane ticket is bought, guide trip schedule is almost full. The next few weeks are for preparing mentally and physically for the work. I get to tie flies for guiding, finish up the last few things like insurance, tippet and leader orders, and prepping clients for the new additions to the guiding program this year. 

The winter or off season is always a bit stressful for those of us that live the guide life. We hope we have enough money to make it to the next season. We pay what bills we can, we hope we don’t hurt ourselves in the first few weeks of the season. The realities of guide season come with their own set of stress inducing things. Over the past decade I have grown very accustomed to this ebb and flow of patience finances, and mental stability. This life is not easy, especially when you live it real, no sponsors, no Instagram fame paying out dollars, at the end of the day its a service gig, with manual labor attached. And I love it. I work outside, use my body, get to share my work with others who appreciate the time and expertise I have garnered over my tenure as a guide. This gig isn’t for everyone. But it is definitely for me. 

This year is a big one in a lot of ways. I am adding new waters and states to my summer guide program. I am slowly working on a winter time fishery. I am changing my guiding program up. I am adding soft goods like hats and stickers. I am adding a motorized boat to the guide program and new fish species to chase. I am also squaring up my business. By the summer my business should be debt free. That has been the small business struggle and the bane of my existence since covid. I can see that light at the end of the tunnel and that is pretty awesome. It is necessary as I venture into new and bigger business things here in Michigan with my partner.

I have owned a few businesses in my adult life. They are always a bit of a struggle and need a lot of love and passion to survive. With the current state of things in the world, running a small business is a real bitch. In all honesty we get screwed over. So finally being able to see true light at the end of the tunnel and be able to move into a new and bigger phase of business is exciting despite everything going on. I have worked very hard and I am finally close to the business side of things working they way they are supposed to. 

That is due to all of my clients. I cannot thank you enough. This season had booked up so fast, you anglers keep me going. You inspire my passion and make me fall in love with fly fishing all over again every time I get to experience it with you. I am forever grateful anglers.

The next few weeks are always the hardest. Not being able to just head out and fish the weeks leading up to the guiding is a new thing for me. Not worried, just bummed I am not taking the boat out every other day as I get into March. I have a week before I start work when I arrive at the end of February and that should be enough time to knock the dust off and work out the kinks. 

There are only 13 days left open for the Spring. And one Clinic with 6 spots open on March 30th. That is it. I still have fall dates open but I am focused on the spring as we get close to it. Clients that are already on the calendar will be hearing from me a week to 3 days before your trip for our pre trip program that helps you prep for your guide trip. We also have journals for each client that will be used for workshopping and developing advanced skillsets. I am really looking forward to it. As my clients and anglers have improved over the season so have I as a guide. 

Thank you to everyone, the follows, the likes, the blog reads, and the trips. I am so excited to get back to it anglers. Only a few more weeks!

Tamarack

tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Yakima River

Halfway….just about.

We are roughly 8 weeks or so into the off season.  Or the midpoint. In 8 weeks I will start to get a lot more fishy.  The boat comes back out regularly. I am riverside 4 plus days a week, plugging back in, and getting prepped for the guide season. 

This off season has been shit.  However, I will say lockdowns and quarantine have made cabin fever easy to bare. Broke as hell but honestly that’s not new being a troutbum and all. My previous blog post made it out like I was at this shit alone and I am not. I’ve have someone through it all, its private not a secret. But I have been good off river life wise, all things considered. Not seeing my kids has been the shittiest part.

I got a lot of comments and messages after that cranky blog. It was more venting the frustration and exhaustion. And instead of unload it on others who have their own trials and struggles right now….just throw it up and let the internet eat it. The biggest frustrations are work related. And there ain’t shit to be done until the new season at this point. Just stuck until the thaw.

Its the halfway point and usually I would feel this cabin fever riddled drive to be out. But 2020 sucked most of that out. I sleep. A lot. 10 to 12 hours some days. Hibernating like most other off seasons. But its quieter during the pandemic. And the exhaustion has taken its toll. And you can sleep through things that otherwise cause stress that cannot be fixed until the world gets right. So much outta my hands at this point. Sleep now work later. Or something like that.

While overlords argue about 600 bucks and cake, I just wanna make sure that I keep the internet on so I don’t have to sit with only books and flies until March. At this point the only thing that seems to fix shit is ourselves. So I get to wait until I can fix it the only way I know how…with trout and a boat. Thankfully we are in this together and there is help there. Its not all bad…its just sucks in general.

The midpoint of the offseason is usually a harder hurdle. Just not this season. I am in a hell of a hurry to get back to it in 2021. With a recovery plan in place for my business from the first trip to the last of next season. I don’t have a lot of faith in a national or even state economic recovery plan as this will be my third economic event in my life. Many of us are gonna have to get creative with making up the deficit of 2020. If trying to get relief during this shitshow is any indication….ya…its gonna be by our own bootstraps and on a community and local level. So getting the mind around what that might look like is essential moving forward.

The trout and the rowing take care of themselves at this point in my guiding. The nuts and bolts of the operation…troot and people….that shit is locked and I’ve worked very hard to get there. This pandemic changes how the business side looks. And with the surge in social media and its necessity for success in the 21st century business model driving a lot of what makes or breaks you…2021 is going to be a busy year to say the least.

So ya, I’ll sleep through a lot of the offseason. Because I can. Normally my body needs it but I think my mind needs it more this year. I’ll share time with the few people I can. I will prep for the offseason, and hold out like the rest of us. Still living day to day and week to week, still worried, but ready to move forward.

So ya, chill out. We all allowed to get mad bruh. Vent, sleep, try and see the good shit…watch Mandolarian…holy fuck! I mean we are all friggin’ stuck and its not like the headlines are making us feel any less stuck. So ya. Get ready for 2021…see if we can do a little better….(shy unenthusiastic yay, from the crowd). Fingers crossed. Let the countdown to trout begin.

Tamarack

tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Yakima River

A Testament to A Good Angling Partner

 

A good fishing partner is something that can be monumental in an anglers life.  When I first started chasin trout I was selfish in my endeavors.  In my early years of angling I spent all my time solo.  Discovering and exploring every blue line and running water way I could find from valley to mountain peak.  I searched out the sources of my beloved rivers, hiked miles and miles, bushwhacked and cut trail to forgotten and unnamed streams and creeks.  Nothing but a box of flies, a cheap fly rod, and an insatiable hunger for all things trout and wild.

It wasn’t until I had fished myself silly and I got a little older that my solo time on rivers and with trout became a lonely adventure.  I had kids at home that were too young to chase trout with me, being very young with kids left little room for friends, especially when I spent all my free time fishing.  I recall even back then when I was in college and working the 9-5 to pay for shit that the few people I did know through angling were always too busy to keep up with my appetite for rivers and trout.  A good angling partner is not easy to find.  There is always someone ready to go fish…but just taking someone for a float or hiking into secret waters isn’t what I was looking for.  Yes I wanted another angler, with fresh eyes, different instincts, someone who matched or exceeded my own technical and physical skills to chase trout.  But damnit…I needed a friend and a person that had passion and respect for rivers that was in line with mine.

I’ve mentored anglers, fished with people and friends, but interests change, life takes people away from the river.  I’ve shown my secrets to some…only to have it bite me in the ass later.  Nothing worse than showing an angler a treasured spot that is still secret or ‘locals only’ and to find them guiding in it or talking too much about it at the local shop and causing it to lose it’s luster.  I still keep a lot of places close to the chest.  Areas that I still only visit solo…some places I haven’t seen in years over fear that they will be discovered by others and parts of me are still not ready to let them go.  Not many of those places are left for me…but a few.

My pursuit of a good angling partner came about as I began guiding more.  Meeting new people everyday, many of them lifelong angling partners, some married couples that have fished for decades, college friends that chased trout together in between classes, river side acquaintances that turned into life long trout aficionados.  I wanted that.  The chemistry angling partners have is a unique and interesting connection, as different and as varied as the people that frequent my driftboat.  It wasn’t until I had been fishing for almost 10 years that I found a fellow angler that shared in my interests, skill, and passion, for these wild aquatic animals and the places they frequent.

I shared a brief time with Casey, we fished almost everyday I wasn’t guiding.  Exploring the high reaches and rapids of the mountain rivers, floating the big water tricking trout, discovering more about each other both as anglers and people every time we ventured out.  Tying sessions at the house, dinners with the family, always talking trout and life.  That connection to the person formed over the catching and releasing of trout.  Learning about another person, where they come from, their perspective on life, where their passion is rooted, the desire to chase trout and why it is so fervent in them.  Those intricate things that tie a person to a river, and to the others that are woven into the riffles and runs are the part of angling that is lost when fly fishing is a job; and something that I was very grateful to have found with Casey.

I lost my angling partner to suicide.  A veteran, and man who suffered from intense PTSD, angling and sharing the river with me was his cure, his coping mechanism, the thing that allowed him to lose himself in the waters and disconnect him from the events in his life that brought sorrow and pain.  I miss him everyday.  I still have not visited a particular section of river in the mountains since his passing because of fear I will disrupt his memory.   Every now and then I hear his boisterous cackle of a laugh over the sound of our favorite riffle “Drake Alley” on the Upper Yakima and I catch myself looking behind me every time I float by.  Like the large wild trout that makes your heart sink when it frees itself from your fly and severs that connection, I still feel that phantom tug in my arm.  Haunting…but I feel privileged to have been introduced and spent however short amount of time with Casey riverside.  It changed me, had a profound effect on me and left me with questions, doubt, anger, sorrow, and a new sense of loneliness and longing that I had never felt before.

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I spent some time solo fishing again…wishing I was sharing these fish and places with another.  I threw myself into angling and tying throughout the off season.  The void left by losing Casey filled me with emotions and loss that I had never felt before.  A lot is shared riverside between two people.  Something that is hard to explain to those that haven’t shared a river with others.  He was my brother, uncle to my kids, someone I talked to everyday.  And not being able to share life on and off river with him was and is super shitty.  As the season after his passing approached I focused all my attention on honing my skills further as a guide and angler.  I worked constantly, spent every free minute I had wrapped up in trout and rivers.  My work doubled that season, and I was fortunate to meet a fellow angler through my work that sought me out as their angling partner.

As many who follow me on social media or have seen me on a guide’s day off recently riverside, Ross and I fish a lot together.  And while you never replace the people you lose, somehow the universe puts people in your life that just need to be there.  I must have done something good in my previous life, or have stacked up karma points, because I have been fortunate to have people in my life that share a passion for trout and rivers.  Sometimes the river presents an opportunity at another large wild trout.  Finding another angler, or having an angler find you, that rivals your passion and need to explore and seek out trout is the golden ticket.

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Being able to look at a run or riffle and pick it apart and have a counterpart do the same and arrive at completely different approaches both equally successful in their ability to trick wild trout is one thing.  But to be able to share in that often unspoken deep connection to nature, wild animals, and people is something else entirely.  Its that one thing that I think a lot of anglers who I take on trips are searching for but don’t know it.  Its something I see from time to time with life long angling partners when they reserve a day with me.  I have moved past the need to catch every fish, the want to catch the biggest fish, or the desire to be the best.  For me its about that connection to everything that is happening above and below the surface of the river.  To try and understand and decipher how its all connected and how I as an angler can be a part of it.  Ross shares that passion.  And while many of the things that pop up on social media are the weird, funny, and sometimes stupid moments that can fill a day on the river.  The days that you don’t see, the days I write about, the days that are discussed over dinner, the ones that are never even talked about…those are the ones that matter, that make up a life on the river.  For every dancing video, hoot and hollering trout encounter, every photo posted to keep butts in driftboat seats so I can pay the bills; there is a silent morning watching the river over coffee, enjoying the peace of the wild and the pleasure of another anglers company.

While its referred to as a bromance, and Ross is my Biden.  Its more than that.  A brother, a friend, a person that shares in my passion for trout and life.  A good angler requires a constant honing and fine tuning of the skills.  Being able to share in the chasing of trout with another equally but differently skilled angler is a key component of that in my mind, a fortunate byproduct of a good angling partner…because it’s not really about the trout at the end of the day is it?  Outside of angling people make connections with each other that last their lifetimes.  The connections that are made with people through shared passions are the ones that stick.  The ones that change your life, enrich it, fill it with the things that make us human.  All those intricate things that make up what it means to human.  Watching Ross and his lovely wife married in the woods, Thanksgiving dinner, my children excited to see them when they come to fish or hang out, the things that happen off river that make up the juicy parts of life and friendship.  They mimic the juicy parts of a day of fishing.  As I find myself getting older, watching my children grow, and spending more time riverside than I ever have, I chase the off river life as much as I chase the riverside one.

A testament to a good angling partner indeed.  When your entire life revolves around trout its nice to have another person knee deep in the run with you from time to time.  Not because they paid to be there, not because they want to know all your secrets, not even to learn from each other, but because damnit…fishing with them is bitchin’.  When the hatch is over, the river is quiet, and the boat is parked back in the driveway, and you still can’t pull yourself away from the conversation or the people you’re surrounded by…you know you found a good angling partner.

I hope to see ya riverside.

Tamarack.

tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Uncategorized, Yakima River

River Update 4/22/16

SALMON FLIES!!!

  
The Salmon Flies are starting to appear. A good 25 minute hatch today with a fair amount of bugs. Fish are still uncooperative and are not looking up as much as we would like to see but things are still settling down for irrigation and run off. 

We’ve also got March Browns and some Caddis. 

Fish are starting to feed on a schedule, keying in on hatches and hanging out in all the good water. Flows in the upper are still wonky but sections are fishable. 

  
The Teanaway is still making a mess and the flows are forecasted to be high for the next 7 to 10 days. That being said, as this runoff settles, fish should be more cooperative. 

We have lower temps, cloud cover, and light rain for the next 10 days. This should help get the river back into shape and make fish less hesitant to surface feed. 

  
We’ve got high winds and thunderstorms in the forecast for the weekend. But starting Monday things should be prime for some fishing.

I’ve got availability on the schedule. Give me a call and let’s go sling some big bugs for trout!

Hope to see you on the river soon!
Tamarack

tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, Teanaway River, Trout Unlimited, Yakima River

Skwalla McTwitchy aka The Bacon-Nater

There aren’t many patterns of mine that I would say work better than just about any other for a particular hatch or insect. 

But Skwalla McTwitchy aka The Bacon-Nater when not tied for a specific bug, is one of those patterns.  The recipe is at the end. 

Skwalla McTwitchy aka The Bacon-Nater

This pattern is based on a simple Stimi based dry tied Parachute Style. But the poly yarn underwing holds floatant very well, the moose hair wing floats as good as foam without the non natural look of foam. 

The hi via parachute is over hackled for more floatation as well. The body can be tied in just about any color or dubbin type you can think of. I like full ice dub bodies for summer time in multiple colors, and I like hares ear ice dub blends when I’m going for more specific colors to match a hatch. I also tie them with no flash or ice dub for when conditions and trout call for subtle flies. 

The legs are whatever strips of rubber you have lying around. I tie the body like I would a Pats Stone.  The legs are the important part. This pattern is for stoneflies and grasshoppers. But mainly stoneflies. Stoneflies are active on the water surface. 
They skitter and dance, crawl and flutter about the river. Salmon flies like big chinook helicopters beating the air so loud against their heavy bodies you can hear them coming before they get stuck in your beard. Skwallas slow and sleepy as they battle against the cold air, or Golden’s that flutter and cause commotion on the surface as they hatch in the current like a mayfly instead of along the rocks like their cousins. This pattern is all about action. Just like the natural. 

The body and legs of the fly ride low in the meniscus, even in faster or heavier current when floatant is added.  I twitch this fly like crazy, fish that are keyed in on stoneflies are looking for bugs that move, and the strikes during this type of feeding can be intense and violent. It’s wicked fun. These legs that ride low in the water give the desired twitchy effect of a natural stonefly that is doing its thing. Sometimes they fall in and are tryi to get back to shores, other times a female is laying eggs on the surface. No matter what these bugs have action. So does this fly, even with subtle twitches.

So tie some up or order some, and throw some action on those big dry flies when the stones are hatching this season.

Ingredients:

Hopper Hook or long shank Dry fly size 10 or bigger. 

6/0 thread

Rubber legs

Hi Vis Poly Yarn for para post. 

Dubbin of choice

Poly Yarn 

Krystal Flash

Moose Hair

Grizzly or Brown Hackle size matched to hook or one size larger. 

Recipe:

Lay thread base and tie in rubber legs as tails and antenae. 

Tie in your hi vis para post at the 1/3 mark back from the eye. 

Dub the body up toward the para post but leave enough space to tie in wing. 

Tie in 3 strands of Krystal flash V style so 6 strands lay out the back. 

Tie in poly-yarn wing. 

Stack some moose hair and tie in the wing. Trim the hair so that the para post is upright. 

Tie in legs. 

Add Glue then tie in hackle. 

Dub and create a thorax, and rest the thread on the front side of the para post. 

Wrap hackle para style. Heavy. 

Tie down hackle. 

Add small amount of dubbin and create a head.

Whip finish and Boom!
Trout Season Is Coming. 

Tamarack

tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing, Uncategorized, Yakima River

Early Season Fishing Techniques

So you’ve been stuck indoors all winter long patiently waiting for the rivers to thaw and the trouts to wake up.  Now that winter seems to be loosening its grip the waiting is almost unbearable.  Some of the more “hardcore” anglers will venture out and net a few fish after spending 3 to 4 hours trudging through the snow and in the craptastic weather.  Mostly we do it because we can’t torture ourselves by just thinking about tight lines anymore and have to put ourselves through some pretty miserable days just for that one moment with a trout…its not called “hardcore” for nothing I guess.  I just call it being a fly angler and I am fortunate that my entire life these days is basically all about trout.

I love this transition period.  When everyone starts thinking about fishing again.  All the guides and shops start coming out of the woodwork, your old buddies that know you are a guide and have a boat call ya up and ask about how the river is.  I’ve been watching this river for 10 years and after the drought and everything that hit us last year I am more stoked and anxious for this coming 2016 trout season than any other.  The early season is a great time to fish.  There aren’t many other anglers on the river, the bigger fish are easier to catch, there are only a few things that trout will actually eat, and only a few places they will be as the spring slowly approaches.  Knowing how to fish in the early season separates the men from the boys, the ladies from the girls, the hogs from the dinks, if you will…or just means you can’t take it anymore and need to stick some trout. 

 

Riverside
 

Early Season techniques aren’t rocket science, just fishy science.  Trout are still sleepy, and their feeding habits are directly related to the river water temperature.  When water temps start rising above 40 degrees trout metabolism starts up and they require more food to function.  They’ve been in hibernation basically for the winter, podded up with buddies eating only when they absolutely need it.  Now that things are warming up they start needing more food and another thing starts to weigh on the trouts mind…sex.  Spawning to be exact.  Fish need a lot of protein in order to spawn, which means they need food.  Lots of food.  Soon fish will be gorging themselves on stoneflies, baitfish, small mayflies, and midges like crazy.

Flies. So lets talk about flies first, and start with Nymphs:  The good ol’ Pats Stone is a good go too during this time of year.  Its chunky, looks like a lot of bugs, and is slow and easy to eat.  Boom, pattern one…get to tying.  Midges, those damned little bastards that are typically so small you swear the trout is taking a breath and not eating.  Nope, they are eating size 18 and smaller little midge worms so grab those zebra midge patterns in whatever color you want.  I like red and black with a red glass bead and some silver wire.  I have them in blue, purple, orange, white, pink, green, all the colors of the rainbow.  But for reals…tie up some zebra midge patterns and use them as trailers or just by themselves.  BWO’s or the Blue Wing Olive Mayfly has lots of nymphs patterns. I like the WD40, Psycho Baetis, that damned Tungsten Yeagar Hares Ear thing.  All good for nymphing those little mayfly dudes.

 

Red Head Zebra Midge
 
The San Juan Wormy should always be around during the winter and runoff periods as well.  We don’t like to talk about it, but some anglers go straight for the worm because it works, others hold onto it as a last resort when all the other “proper” patterns fail.  I tend to play dirty, I throw what fish are gonna eat.  That kind of settles nymphs for the early season.  Eggs can also be used but that is playing real dirty and I will leave each angler to their own on that one.

For Dries, if you are wicked lucky you might get a trout that has decided to look up.  They are typically eating one of two things during this time of year.  A midge…or a Blue Wing Olive.  If you see a fish surface and don’t see anything on the water to discern what it may be dining on…its a midge.  I have size 18 to 22 little gnat patterns with wings.  They don’t look like much but I catch the occasional eager eating trout on them.  The BWO should be easy to identify, the little olive mayfly is delicate and hatches in droves typically.  Fish pod up and feed actively when a hatch is happening.  The little bugs also congregate in slow water and fish tend to target them there as most trout are just chilling in the deep part of the pool already.  I use biot body emergers for the BWO mostly.  They have a CDC post, with a light shuck, they work really well.  The final dry is the Skwalla Stonefly. Skwallas happen on some western rivers and they are easy to see and trout hit them like they hit most stoneflies…you’ll know when its happening, and this is typically the official start of the spring trout season. I use bullet heads a lot, and some secret patterns that twitch really well.  All size 10.  Oh, and my go to Skwalla pattern is the Purple Chubby…they haven’t seen it since the summer, and they really want to eat it.  

CDC Para BWO
  

Techniques.  Dries are easy, see a fish rise, cast at it, hope for the best.  When fish start moving in to feed actively on dries look for slow seams, back eddies, and slow pools with foam.  Fish look here and they don’t have to expel a bunch of energy fighting current.  Water temps will typically be around 42-45 when BWO happen.  Air temp becomes a factor as well, bugs don’t like to hatch if they can’t dry out their wings.  Sunshine days, or overcast days with air temps above 40 will set the conditions for those little olive morsels in the early season.  For Skwallas, you know the drill, close to the bank, some twitchy action…BOOM!  Ya…like cold weather hopper fishing, paying close attention to areas where there is foliage overhanging the river, rip rap areas, large boulders, and rocky ledges.  Stoneflies like to hang out there.  So do fish.

I use long leaders, typically 12 feet, for mayfly and midge dry fly setups, with 5x flouro tippet or 6x mono.  The flouro helps with super spooky fish in gin clear water like we have here in the upper yak.  (SIDE NOTE:  All the damn eagles are making the trouts super smart.  Damn raptors.)  For Skwalla set up, the standard 9 foot leader and 5x or 4x mono gets it done.  I put a lot of action on the fly typically.

I recently started using another technique that is common in New Zealand and other areas for super spooky fish.  I shorten up my leader to 7 feet, and go super light on tippet but use a good 15 inches of it.  Typically flouo in 5x or smaller.  Then I stalk up close to the fish, stay low, and make a short single shot cast, no false casting.  I try and keep as much of the line and leader off the water as possible with a high stick.  This makes it so there is little to no line indent in the water surface and little line shadow.  Now, you may only get a shot or two at the trout, but this technique is for those really spooky fish that you come across.  The ones that take 20 minutes to come back into the lane to feed after you make a shadow when making your first cast at them.  Sneaky trouts.  Its really awesome when it all clicks and you get to meet a really surprised and hangry trout.

Techniques for Nymphs.  Well…go deep and work your way up.  I work water like a steelheader.  I pick my run, or my pool, or my line, and I start breaking it apart one cast at a time; covering every inch of it.  Every INCH!  Get after it.  They are in there somewhere.  I look for that slow to walking speed water, a good place to just hang out and chill.  The trout have basically been doing the equivalent of “Netflix and Chill” all winter long.   Just like me.  So look for water that would represent a chill day on the couch for a trout.  Ya…throw your nymphs through there.  I start deep…clears out all the whitefish, and then I work my way up if I don’t hook up after dredging the bottom.  I’m methodical with my nymph game.  I will work a piece of water at 8 feet, 5 feet, 3 feet of depth, and work each 6-8 inch lane from top to bottom.  Sometimes I just pick one piece of water and only work it for the day.  Those trout can only be in a few places in the river, so find the best “trout couches” and interrupt their Netflix session with a hook in the mouth.

 

The Bugger
 

Streamers!  I use them a lot more now.  I like a nice 4-7 ips 10ft. sink tip and a piece of meat.  I don’t throw little streamers very often.  Maybe a size 6 Bugger or something, but everything else is Kelly Galloup ridiculous big.  Mmmm, big fish eat big “little” fish.  I target the water the same way as nymphing, just swing and strip style.

 

Early Season Bow
 

I don’t use a boat very often during the early season.  It’s a lot of work when you only have about 4 good hours to fish.  Besides, walk and wading all bundled up and in 36-45 degree water shaves fat in preparation for the coming guide season.  It also gives me the chance to get back in touch with the river after the long winter away.  I may only fish a handful of times during the actual winter if at all.  Once the early season arrives its time to get back into trout mode and being able to set foot in the river a few times a week or every day of the week is how I reconnect.

Being able to stand against the current, casting in the snow, my breath clouding in front of me.  My beard and mustache crisp with frost.  The distinctive sound of a bald eagle’s chirp as it sits halfway up the barren cotton wood, head cocked to one side.  That “shink” sound that the line makes as it travels through an iced over guide…an indicator bobs along slowly…it dips gently…tension…head shake…the pulse of a well wintered wild trout against the rod…oh ya…that’s what I need after a long winter.  

So there’s some early season trout chasing pointers from this trout guide.  Over the next three weeks the Yakima River  will start to wake up along with other western rivers. These techniques should help you have more successful days.  Of course, if you have any questions just ask.  And I’ll do a business plug here:

I’m taking early season reservations now.  Skwalla Spring Special: $275.00 for 1 or 2 anglers.  5+ hours of fishing, hot soup, and some trout chasing with my beardy face.

Get out there and chase some trout.  I hope to see ya riverside this season.

 

Tamarack

 

tamaracksguideservice Fly Fishing, Teanaway River, Trout Unlimited, Uncategorized, Yakima River

Teanaway 

 

The Sentinel
 

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

tamaracksguideservice Uncategorized

What is a Trout Worth?

  

Those who I have the pleasure of taking riverside to chase trout with know, my passion for wild fish, especially wild westslope cutthroat trout, runs very deep…to use the cliche’. I am at home, gliding along the currents, down the seams, through the runs, and around the back eddies of my glorious homewater the Yakima River. My oar strokes sharp and firm, my boat responsive, a sweet drift, a fish rising, the sound of a reel zinging, a smiling face, an ecstatic guide, a beautiful trout for all of us to share a moment with, and a quick and wet release…so that tomorrows’ clients have a shot at it and its offsrping.  

I guide because these trout need our attention. In my experience with the outdoors the only way people will ever care about it, protect it, conserve it, is if they are able to enjoy it. It is our first and most ancient form of entertainment and enjoyment. It is our playground, this planet we take for granted is ours, we are in charge. We are responsible for it. For me I take responsibility for the Yakima River and the wild trouts within her. For others it may be mountains, trails, bears, spotted owls, wild steelhead, salmon runs, old growth forests, deserts, lakes, you name it the outdoors has something for everyone to care about and enjoy. Its how we connect with the world we live in. The real world, not the smartphones, and netflix. Not facbook, and the reality TV. We connect with nature, hell there are even studies showing time in the outdoors is healthy for us.

From seeing a bald eagle for the first time, a big horn sheep, a wild trout, or even a lonely kingfisher, there is a myriad of natural things to enjoy and be entertained with when drifting the river. Its not always about the trout. Sometimes for me I just enjoy rowing the river and moving my boat around the seams and currents, playing with the river if you will. And sometimes I find new ways to fish, new angles, things I didn’t notice or quite see before. I have had trips this season that have very little fishing involved. More discussion and education. Others that were intense days of targeting trout and bringing them to net and enjoying every completely F’ing awesome second of it. That moment with that trout…instills something in every angler…if I do my job right. It also instills something in me every time I reach my net into the river. 

We are at a crossroads with our river. The drought is killing fish, and damaging the ecosystems that we hold so dearly, at a record pace. Sturgeon and Salmon are dying in the mighty Columbia, tributaries are boiling or drying up. Fish are dying…a lot more will die. The Yakima River is one of the only rivers in the west surviving the drought. The trout that we cherish and enjoy angling for, are our responsibility. We trick them with flies, we release them, we continue to invade their natural world, we owe them the coutesy of taking every effort to care for them as if they were our children. Our river is barely hanging on and our fish are on the line people. We must treat our trout with the utmost respect this season. From the 6 inch dinker to the 24 inch hogzilla. Keep these trout wet.  

Is a fish worth a photo? Because that photo may be its tombstone. It may be the last time anyone ever sees that fish. Think about that this season. I am heart broken that I witnessed the death of a prime Yakima River specimen in the Lower Canyon last night. Even doing everything right the fish was over stressed before we even accidently hooked him. Watching a wild trout go belly up and knowing that I was the cause even though I did everything right in that situation was detrimental for me. In 10 years I have had now…4 bad releases on trout. One dinosaur that did not survive the fight in the company of two seasoned guides that did everything they could to revive the trout. Two to deep hooks, and one…to warm water, over angling pressure, and one last drift of the fly. It happens, its part of the gig. You learn, you educate, and you move on and become a better angler.  

These wild trout are precious to us. They are precious to me, and my family. I make my living off of them. I want to continue to do that for years to come, so that one day I can float with my grandchildren down this river and net cutthroat and rainbow trout and share moments with them all. I make my living off of them so that I can continue to protect and care for them.  

Without the trips I take people on and get paid for, I would be unable to continue donating what seems like every minute of my time to them. When my boat pulls into my driveway after rowing 8 hours, I come in, talk about trout with my lady and children, even my dog. I tie flies for the next round, I think about how to better dress a fly to produce more fish in the net for clients. I think about hatches, and compare them to previous years, the weather, the flows, the temps, the stress I am putting on them. Did I just float that section? Yes, so I should swtich it up. Give fish a break. All of that and more run through my mind when I get off river. Somehow in between it all I find time to be a dad and husband, play video games with my son, hang out with my toddler, and listen to my eldest tell stories and watch nerdy movies with. Plus I fish on my own…a lot. Without my clients I would be unable to attend clean ups, take samples of algae, snorkel the river to check on fish, hike into the headwaters and take water temps, remove rock dams, save dying fish, educate other anglers and guides, introduce people to new places, attend meetings about conservation, count fish, the list goes on and on….

I love every damn minute of it people. EVERY MINUTE. I love my life and the type of lifestyle being a guide graces me with. My family does too. My minions look forward to doing shuttles with me in the upper river. They ask me about my fish. They noticed I was upset about a bad trip I had yesterday and we discussed warm water, fish handling, and why these trout need our care. They are 6 and 8 years old, people. They get it. They comprehend it. They appreciate what I do for a living and undesrtand that without proper care and protection they may not be able to fish like dad in the future.  

I have received a lot of heartwarming praise the past few days. I have been called a headwaters hero by people I respect and admire as anglers and people. I have fought for these trout this year and it has brought me heartache and grief, and absolute happiness. The efforts of a few can influence many, and diligence and determination win out. I have the patience of a seasoned fly angler and to date, nothing deters me when it comes to my trouts.  

I applaud the individuals that are making the effort to protect and conserve this watershed. I have to praise Joe Rotter and Red’s Fly Shop for their proactive approach to these warm water drought conditions with a voluntary Hoot Owl for their guide service in the Lower Canyon. This type of action is the management we as guides and stewards for the Yakima River and her Trout can be a part of as a community of anglers. No matter if you work for an outfitter, shop, are an independent, we all can agree that protecting this watershed should always be part of our job. We are doing the right thing with our river and I encourage all anglers that visit the Yakima River to care for our trout and use good angling and fish handling techniques. Voluntarily engage in the Hoot Owl hours and do not fish the Lower Canyon after 2 pm until water temps and conditions change. Take a guide and fish with them and learn about the river and what is going on. Fish for the trout, for the love of all that is holy fish for the trout! A guide like myself, will make sure that when we fish, I am giving not only you, but also the trout, the best experience I possibly can.  

I will continue to run trips on the Yakima River to chase these trout as long as conditions allow. Most floats that are scheuled will be in the early morning until the fall. We do not fish water that is 65 degrees and up in my boat. 68 or 70 may be the cutoff for others and that is within the scientific ranges to be safe. Professionally and personally, 65 is my limit.  

I also ask anglers to be open to other angling ideas. Bass fishing or other species of fish on the fly can be incredibly fun and challenging. I will be offering $375.00 Guided Bass Trips for the remainder of the season. I’m pretty good at tricking some of those greasy bucket and small mouths. Carp and trout lakes too. Even some musky hanging around the basin that we could go for.  

I also call on the Dept. of Agriculture, and especially the Forest Service, to begin considering opening guiding via special use permits to lakes and rivers in the National Forest Service Land for next year. To relieve pressure on our Yakima River and to bring more people to our natural places to recreate, spend money, and conserve, we need professional guides like myself, to facilitate those moments of inspiration and wonder that we all search for when we answer the call of the outdoors.

Thank you to all that have contaced me and thanked me, to those that inspire me, to every single one of my clients this season. Every one has learned about the conditions we are facing and the work we are doing as a fly fishing community here to protect our river. Thank you for taking trips with me and allowing me to continue doing what I do here. I look forward to fishing with many more this season and for many seasons after.

For the love of the trouts,
Tamarack