[Brian]

There was an article this spring in the Seattle PI regarding fish counts. It stated that in 2001 there was an average of 1,020 trout 8" or larger per river mile. The highest number of fish per mile was an area near Ellensberg, with 1,317 fish. The largest fish surveyed in 2001 was 19.2". The largest fish ever surveyed on the Yak by the WDW was 22.5" according to the article.
There are lots of rivers in other states with higher counts, but the Yak is as good as it gets locally. I now there are larger fish in the Yak then 22.5", I just think there are not to many of them. I've fished it for a number of years, and my largest bow has been just a tad over 20"
I hope this helps.
Brian

 

[Brian]

gdm43,

Hatchery -vs- brood stock. A very interesting question. The state says the fish are wild because they come from Yakima River brood stock. I say they are hatchery, because they are manipulated by the hatchery. Back in the late 70's and early 80's, the river closed to trout fishing on Oct 31st. I have and still do most of my fishing on the Yak above Ellensberg. Back then, it was rare to see many salmon in the upper river. All of a sudden, a new hatchery goes on line and huge amounts (21,000 several years ago) of chinook show up. What changed, the hatchery of course.

I wrote the state regarding these fish. They wrote back assuring me they were wild fish. If they are wild, why do you need a hatchery? It is all semantics. Wild brood stock that they turn into hatchery fish. They place the fish in ponds rather then concrete raceways. This is to mimic a natural setting. Those little ponds next to the freeway near Easton had 250,000 smolts in them several years ago. They closed them to fishing to protect the "wild" smolts until they were released. So the wild smolts walked from the hatchery, across I-90 and got into the ponds. Just kidding to make my point, but those sure don't sound like real wild fish, do they?

One last thing. I stopped by the hatchery soon after it opened with my father in law after a day of fishing the Yak. We were walking around when a fella asked us what we were doing. I told him I wanted to tour the hatchery. He identified himself as a member of the Yakama nation, told us the hatchery was not open to the public and asked us to leave. We left, but thought it curious as to why it wasn't open to the public. Heck, we all probably helped pay for it, so whats to hide.
Has anyone else experienced this or actually visited the hatchery?

Just my 2 cents worth on the salmon in the Yak. If you have other thoughts about the salmon, please share them with the board.
Brian

 

[Brian]

Steeli,
The upper Yak has quite a few westslope cutts. They are a beautiful fish.
Brian

 

[Brian]

Yakima,
My father in law has caught several browns over the past 25 years below Roza dam. A buddy of mine caught one near Easton. Probably escaped from the ponds up their during the floods a few years back. I think there are some browns in the system, just not many of them.
Other then bows and cutts, I've caught two small brookies out of the upper river.
Brian