Tag: trout-fishing

Anglers, it has been a while since I posted last. I have been busy. I just finished trip number 34 since I started back in March. My partner and I are very fortunate to be this busy with everything that is going on right now. The world is crazy at the moment…again…but thankfully the riverside life for us has been rather ordinary. I will take ordinary. Its these damn unprecedented times I have had enough of.

I am just a trout guide. And a bummy one at that. I run a bare bones kind of operation. There is little flash or pizazz except for my rather awesome demeanor. I run my own shuttles, you bring your own lunch, I tie most of the flies we use and this season even some of the leaders. Shit is getting a little too expensive even for me.

But all that nonsense aside the fishing has been rather good. As far as springs go. Good size of fish, good numbers of fish. Decent hatches, good flows. Weather hasn’t been too bad. Id say a decent spring.

What kind of ushers out the spring is the Salmon Fly and Caddis Hatch. This season the salmon flies are starting a little early. The 75 degree days last week kind of got them moving around. We have seen a few flying and the fish are just now starting to think about them. They are smashing the nymphs and as the hatch progresses and probably peaks around the 7th of May, they are going to start horking down big orange dry flies. It only lasts about 2 weeks if we are lucky. The trout will literally fill up on them, hunker down to digest, and then they switch over to caddis. Usually right when the flows start to come up.

Now I have a full schedule for the Salmon Flies. I think I have May 2nd open and that is it until May 12th. Then we switch over to caddis.

Caddis is some of my favorite on the Yakima. This river is a Caddis river. It is why this place can sustain the population of trout and other fish that it does. Because there are 13 species of caddis down there and all of these fish eat caddis throughout their lives but especially when they are younger. The Lower Canyon of the Yakima River can and does have blizzard caddis hatches. So thick you cannot see the other side of the river bank. A carpet of them on the surface of the river. And big ass trout snorking them into the evening hours.

Its the first time of the season where I will fish until dark and then fish for 30 more minutes. The largest trout in the river, after finally digesting all those salmon flies, and water temps starting to tick up, making them have to eat more…those big trout will wait until dusk, and then gorge themselves on all the caddis. Puking them up, and eating more. Its gross, and its really fun to fish. Nothing like size 12 and 14 dries, slightly skated in the evening and huge fish rolling and smashing them tight to the bank. Its what the lower canyon fishing is all about. Dry flies until dark:30. Awww ya….the slurps. Holy fuck some of the slurps we get during these two hatches anglers. Its awesome.

I have dates open for this caddis bonanza and weather and flows moving forward look exceptional for fishing. I for one am very excited. I thank all of the anglers who have come out this season already. A lot of new faces this year. As always I appreciate my regulars so much and am looking forward to this season. All the new followers, the website traffic, and the trips. Truly means a lot. Entering my 11 Full Time Season of guiding this year has been all I could ask for. Thank you everyone…now…

Let’s go Chase some Trout!

Tamarack

What a time to be alive another unprecedented time for my old millennial ass. I don’t care where you sit on issues or the state of America but things are exhausting and it holds no weight on this post or fishing. The feeling I have is reminiscent of covid. I have been in business for 11 seasons and this shit effects work on lots of levels. From price increases on gear and goods, to fuel, to taxes, the business side has had a lot of struggles post covid. It has been a constant stress. Business aside, the world is loud right now, and demanding attention like a small toddler. I can’t move through any space without it blasting me in the ears and eyes. Which I know is on purpose and a sick game I am tired of playing. The phone is in airplane mode a lot more lately. Sometimes for most of the day.

This isn’t the first time our brains have been wrapped up in things. Making everyday life seem like a slog. It’s hard to even think about unplugging. I tried my best while steelheading the past 2 weeks. A lot of airplane mode, a lot of actively trying to not think about anything but the fishing, people, and places I was in. But I was still checking in, reading up, and of course talking about it in various ways with everyone around. Everything seems to be on everyone’s mind in some way or another. Its noisy. Even on the water.

Its hard. And all I want to do is go fishing. But I also have to eek out a living. Sometimes the whole make a living thing takes its toll. With the current state of things the last thing people are thinking about is fishing, leisure activities, or spending money. I mean I know eggs are 8 bucks still. And I drive for a living and gas kicks guiding in the teeth. Trust me, all the money saved from the last season went really quick when you got to eat and it costs 3 times as much. There is a reason I don’t offer lunches on trips anymore. The heart of guiding is facilitating a stress free, fun, informative, and enriching experience. It doesn’t need the pomp and floof, the wine and dining; at least in my opinion. It only requires rich interactions with wildlife, nature, and the people sharing them. Something all of us need from time to time. A guide isn’t necessary but a good one will make your experience exactly what you need. As a guide the off river side of the gig can make the on river side hard to perform in if you catch my drift. All the things everyday folks feel and stress about so to do trout bums. Its still a career, a job, what every you want to call it and those things can have impact on work performance. I am fortunate in my career, at least I think so, and I want to do the best job I am capable of, so I do think about those things and how it impacts my work.

It gets harder and harder to just enjoy things when your mind can’t unplug. As a guide a skill I honed early on was helping facilitate that unplug. One of the reasons I am so loud, so boisterous, and so willing to share information and teach is because its a quick and efficient way to get people out of their head and into the fishing. And it doesn’t have to be fishing its just what I do for others. Myself I play video games to unplug, even from fishing. Some people rock climb, ski, hunt, build legos, knit, what have you. I got really good at helping people find that space for themselves through fishing.

Also its fun. We could all use a little fun right now. That’s all we are doing in my boat, is playing outside. At the end of the day just having a few hours of enjoyment, with less cares, something for your brain and body to chew on, and having fun is something we all need to seek out and hold on to.

I know its rough out there for a lot of us. Myself included. Only days away from my season starting and coming out of the offseason I am eager but also apprehensive to start. A lot of things are up in the air and there is a plethora of things happening. All of it has some impact. I tell myself, as I have said for seasons, the fish don’t care about anything other than fishy things. The money, the politics, the people fishing for them, no cares, just existence. A trout gives zero fucks. The more trout like I can be the better I feel. At the end of the day…at least we can go fishing.

Tamarack

I haven’t been on the Olympic Peninsula since 2020. A common theme with the OP and my fishing excursions over the past 20 years. I spent a lot of time bumming around in my early 20s. Caught some amazing fish, learned a lot, and then just kind of lost the bug. You get “Your” lifetime fish and some anglers chase more and some kinda go…okay what’s next. I was the latter. A long time ago now. The year my eldest daughter was born. So…2008, she was born September 2007, and on Feb 20th 2008 I landed my big steelhead. I have a picture of it somewhere. I had a clunky old digital camera that had a timer. Set it up after tailing the fish and snapped a photo. I didn’t even print the photo for another season. Had it framed for a while. Its probably in a box in a storage unit in Idaho. Seems like an age ago. Kind of was.

After that I didn’t steelhead on the OP again until 2010 when I worked for one of the fly shops and got invited. I would chase steel on the Met and Wenatchee, they were close to where I lived. They closed down a few years later and I stopped steelheading altogether. From 2012 to 2018 I didn’t even really think about them. I was in my trout time. I was learning and guiding by 2015 so I didn’t have time. In 2018 I hit the OP again after trying the Grande Ronde and Snake in Idaho and wanted something I was familiar with. Friends and I started venturing out and I encountered a few here and there but rare. 2020 I put serious effort into several trips, landed 3 so was happy. Then Covid, work, and here I am again in 2025 giving it another go in February.

For the next 12 days we chase steel. We reconned areas today. The rain and snows are here. Maybe a bump in flows, a high tide, and they should come through. The water is so low. 1000cfs. We have the boat but we are gonna hit it on foot for now. Patience they don’t have a lot of space right now.

The OP is gorgeous. It is this murky, damp, foggy, charmful place. It reminds me of Upper Peninsula Michigan in so many ways. We walked the the mouth of the Hoh today. Touched the Pacific. In a few weeks we will touch the Atlantic as we grab our house from Florida and head back to Washington for our season starting. Steelheading is our vacation before our very busy season.

I could live out here. Its warm in the winter compared to the other side. There is saltwater with sea run trout and steelhead and spey casting. I like the quiet of it all out here. Cle Elum is getting busy and loud. I miss the woods.

The OP has a special place in most PNW anglers hearts. These short little coastal rivers are true hallowed grounds in the angling world. These fish that run here are special and unlike any others I have every encountered. Truly special. Kristen has never met one, so there is some drive for her to meet one. I am hopeful, things are favorable as the week progresses. And I wouldn’t mind meeting one myself. I am a much different angler these days, wiser, more appreciative, less intense, and I am also indifferent to seeing one. One less encounter with a human means more chance at survival for the fish at the end of the day. And I have met these fish before.

But to be here for a first encounter with Kristen is something I am looking forward to. The OP in February seems like a proper place for a couple of trout bums to be.

See ya riverside anglers.

Tamarack