We ran down to the Klickitat for a couple days, the water was really high but fishable when we got there, but the first night a little rainstorm rolled through and got all the feeder creeks dumping mud, leaving us with maybe a foot of visability. We gave it a shot anyways and all we had to show for it was one fish hooked for all of a couple headshakes and gone. It wasn't all a waste, it was good to be back on this awesome river and we checked out the different channels, the trees that have been washed out or relocated, and it's a fun river to row at 3500 cfs. We woke day 2 to find the river in the same shape as the day previous, so we packed up and headed back to Eburg. The Yakima was beyond gone, and the only fishable water around was a Yak tributary around Cle Elum(take a stab at that one), so we dumped our boat in and floated the bottom end and out into the Yak, and found plenty of willing cutties and bows, including a couple really nice ones around the 17-18" mark(pictured below). It was a fun float, and was nice to make a decent day of fishing out of nothing.
Now for the better report, we went down a few days ago to our favorite Grays Harbor area river in search of some early summer fish. A few guys have been fishing it, but certainly not even close to the pressure this river gets in the winter. Reports were a fish being caught here and there. The cool thing about this river is it is damn controlled, so it was clear(really clear for that matter) and nice and low. They dump about a quarter to half of the average flow of the winter time in the summer and fall, the lowest I've fished it in winter was 1300 cfs with the average being about 2000, and on this day the river would be at 500. It was pretty neat to see the little winter slots and traveling water that were completely out of water, and with the water being so clear we were able to spot all kinds of cool structure within the deeper pools and runs that will definately come in handy in the winter seasons to come.As we had predicted on the way down, the fish were either holed up in the bigger tanks, nosed up in riffles and broken water, or tucked up in hard traveling water that provided some cover, though we did roll over one in a glass tailout of pea gravel with no structure or cover in 2 feet of water in the middle of a bright sunny day(wtf was he/she thinking?). Also, longer casts out front and away from the boat with the bobber rigs is also important in these conditions. We found some fish though, got a few to the net and a few got away prematurely. They were all chrome as can be and fought really well, most jumping a few times and peeling off some great runs that their wild bretheren would be proud of, though we did land one wild one. Due to the nature of this river at these flows and the length of float required, we bobber fish mostly. There are a few nice pieces of swing water in the float, but hucking bobbers is a great way to cover all the little slots and buckets under the trees that these fish hold in. Couple shots below.
If something like above interests you, come down and talk to me or give me a call at the shop. I'd be happy to share some info with you or take you fishing down there, it's a really fun way to spend a nice summer day and will only improve as the summer moves along. On a good note, the Yakima is now back in shape and rockin' and rollin' at typical summertime flows. The catching has been pretty good the last few days, think Golden Stones, lots o' caddis, and PMD's and Drakes on the right days. Get after it, the fish haven't seen much in the way of flies the last month or so so you can get to pounding on 'em pretty good.I'll be holed up in the shop for the next several days, so there won't be any reports from me. It's up to you guys to go make a report and then come tell me so I can fish vicariously through you! Anyways, until next time and thanks for reading as always.
-JW
1 comment:
Hey Brett good report, I like your forus.
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