Billy Pate

For those who know of the legendary angler Billy Pate you'll be saddend to know he passed away. He had been in a nursing home of late suffering from Alzheimers. Billy Pate was a famous and pioneering saltwater angler who held numerous world records. This is certainly a huge loss to the fishing world and he will not soon be forgotten.-BW

Squidro

So the next wave of steelhead flies is here. Synthetics are becoming more and more popular in all aspects of fly tying not only for the many color combos, but for their durability and versatility. Check out the video of Scott Howell's new fly, which is a rubber legged knock off of his Signature Intruder. The purists may roll their eyes, but I think it's a neat idea. Cheaper, more durable, quicker to tie, and flat out fishy. Anyhow, check out the video below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6mh9i7l3rw

-JW

Happy Easter Update

Sorry for the lack of updates the last two weeks, I found myself having a slight lack of motivation paired with some computer issues, hence no reports. I've also misplaced my camera cord, therefore no pictures on this report either. Once I find it I'll post a pile of 'em. On the last report, I left off saying I was headed to the Missouri for a couple days with young Ricky. We did exactly that, and were able to spend 3 days fishing, encountering wind, rain, snow, hail, sun, and all of the above. Typical spring Montana weather I suppose. The fishing was very good, as it usually is on the Mo. You can pretty much catch 'em at will under the bobber, and the streamer fishing was decent for us as well. Typical tailwater stuff; sowbugs, czech nymphs, midges, bwo's, and some other flashy pink stuff got it done for us. We dedicated the majority of our time to streamer fishing, and dredging the bottom slowly on a type 6 tip yielded some good results, 10-15 eats a day. Top dog was the Skiddish Smolt, followed by the JJ special, Electric Sculpin, Urchin, small Home Invaders, and of course Sculpzilla. Big props to the guys and gals at Headhunters Fly Shop, they have a great little shop and will give you the straight scoop with what's going on. For any Missouri river needs, definately give those guys a call, they will go out of their way to help make your trip a success.

Now back to reality, the Yakima is very high but is fishing quite well. If you know the river well, you will get 'em(no suprise that this category is mostly guides). Many have given it a go over the last week and have found it tough. No doubt it is tough, the river is very big. Wade fishing is pretty tough right now, even on the upper river. Your typical spots will have a ridiculous amount of water going through them. Think outside the box, pick your spots wisely, and focus on finding the softer water with direct current flow. You can eliminate 85 percent of the water right now. Let the water tell you where to fish, and focus your efforts there. Think about exploring some side channels, too. The bugs haven't changed much, stones and worms have been the most productive. Other bugs of note are King Prince #14, Holo Prince #14, Psycho Prince(purple) #14, Anato May #12, Lightning Bug #14 and #18, Rockworms #14, CJ(chartreuse) #14, CJ(red) #16, and a few other I am probably forgetting. Streamers have been hit and miss. There are March Browns, BWO's, Skwala's, and a few caddis on the river.

Also a head's up for those of you who float the river, there is a major blockage right above the weir a mile or so above Irene Rinehart Park. It is not passable, and the portage is very tough and a little dangerous. We would not recommend floating this stretch. The take out at East Cle Elum is also very tough right now. Unless you are a very experienced on the oars, I would hold off until the flows drop a little.

On a high note, lakes around the state seem to be fishing quite well. Pass, Lone, Rattlesnake, Alice, Beaver, Lenice, Lenore, Dry Falls, Nunally, Merry, and the list goes on an on. The fishing has been consistently good all around. Chironomids lead the way, followed by trolling buggers and leeches. Damsels, Dragons, and Calibaetis are next on the menu.

We have had some very good reports from Puget Sound as well for Sea Run Cutts and Resident Coho. Brett has had a couple good mornings at some beaches right in Seattle, however good reports have come in from beaches all around the sound.

Chris just wound down his season on the OP. All in all, it sounds like it was a little wetter than usual, but the fish numbers were excellent. He got fish everyday, and had some great days thrown in the mix. It sounded like the swinging was pretty good this year as well, probably due to the higher than normal flows on the rivers. He's now back to guiding over here on the Yak, Puget Sound, lakes, among other places.

Happy Easter to you and your families from all of us here at Creekside! Thanks for reading,
-JW