Below I have listed a few locales for those of you that want to escape for the weekend but don't want any of your neighbors joining you in places that generally get overwhelmed.
If you want to avoid bumper boat guiding, drunken rafters, intense firearm shooting displays of unprecedented inaccuracy, and/or just people in general this fourth and enjoy some fishing. Here are some recommended places that could be devoid of all of the above and more.
Place #1: Your own house. Yep I said it. Probably the best place to avoid all of the above, unless of course you live on one of the rivers, lakes, streams that these people frequent. Then renting a hotel in downtown Seattle or driving to Timbuktu may be the best choice. At least in Seattle you can witness the hoopla at Gas Works Park...
Place #2: The Upper Yakima River between Lake Easton and Lake Keechelus. You will not find a whole lot of people and the mosquitoes may be quite voracious and the size of a small transport plane, but hey the fishing will be good. You can camp in the woods off the Stampede Pass or Cabin Creek exits and find access points along the river from either one. The fish hardly get fished and will most likely attack your Olive Elk Hair Caddis with the ferocity of a rabid squirrel. Speaking of rabid squirrels...
Place #3: The North and Middle Forks of the Snoqualmie Rivers. With all the people preparing for a mass exodus over the mountains to whip the Eastside rivers into a frenzy with their fantastic displays of "old woman swatting flies with a broomstick" casting method, the best place to stay and fish may be on this side of the mountains, in your own backyard. With the smell of napalm (ok maybe it was woodsmoke) filling the I-90 Corridor this morning, the more hidden parts of the river may be a better choice. Try getting up to the Taylor River Rd. on the Middle Fork and finding a nice place to fish with smaller stimulators or caddis's.
Place #4: With Everyone focusing on the Cowlitz for Steelhead this weekend you could try the South and North Forks of the Toutle River. Just remember all tributaries to the two rivers are closed waters, but the rivers themselves are open game, check the regs as I am lazy and will not post them here. There should be plenty of places to camp and/or stay and that smoking mountain in the background should be fine, don't pay it any mind. Use some sink tip fly-line and some moal/egg sucking leeches for the summer run steelies. Keep your Rainier or Schmidts locked up though, that damn Sasquatch is a crafty little bugger.
Place #5: Anyplace you have to hike, horseback ride, pack in more than a mile. High alpine lakes, rivers and streams are a good place to escape the legalized explosive devices that are going to be tossed everywhere and the generalized stereotypical drunken debauchery performed in droves this weekend. Best hikes with young children, include Pete Lake, Hyas Lake, and some of the small lakes up by Winthrop. Hikes for adults without children, are Waptus Lake, Rachel Lake, The Ramparts, Escondido Lake and Lake Ann. All of these are within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area just out of Cle Elum. There will be more mosquitoes the size of transport planes in these areas, so remember to bring heavy duty insect repellent. Also, just because the can says Bear Repellent it does not mean you spray it on yourself or others.
Places to avoid this weekend: Any large river that can hold boaters, rafters, moving flotillas, etc. The Yakima River in both the upper and lower canyon areas as they will be filled with drunken rafters and the aforementioned bumper boat guiding vessels. Any popular campground you can think of, for example, Salmon La Sac, Fish Lake, Cooper Lake, Beverly on the Teanaway, 29 Pines, and so on and so forth. Also, anywhere near my house, is a bad idea. Just kidding, but no seriously.
Have a fun, safe, and good fishing weekend. And remember to avoid rabid squirrels and beer stealing sasquatches.
-RB
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