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I fished the Yakima for the first time twelve years ago when I was just learning to fly fish. My brother-in-law and I hired a guide from Kaufmann's for $300 and got skunked -- not one fish between us. So I went back a month later on my own and waded the canyon section. I remember I caught one 10" trout all day (by accident while fighting my way upstream with my line dragging behind me). But I kept hearing stories, so I went back again the next summer and waded the upper canyon section and caught just one 10" trout (this time intentionally) in a side channel. Then I decided I'd do better if I floated it, so I rented a raft for $100 and did the canyon again. Skunked again. Naturally, I grew pretty frustrated with the Yakima and stopped going. Instead, I started honing my skills on the Snoqualmie forks (where I always seemed to catch something, even if only 6") and planning week long trips to places like St. Joe's in Idaha; Deschutes, Oregon; and Rock Creek Montana. These are the first places I really started to catch fish and become truly passionate about flyfishing.
Well, four years ago I started going back to the Yakima and in that time I have not had one bad day. Now I go as often as I can (about twice a month) and on my very worst days, I still average about one fish an hour. On really good days I'll "turn" 50 fish and bring 20+ to the net.
Honestly, I can't really explain what changed. Of course I'm a much better angler now than I was ten years ago, but when I think back on where I was fishing and what I was doing in those day, I should have been catching at least something. Here are a few things that I think may have made the difference.
1. I began fishing the Yakima more in the Spring and Fall, rather than the summer. In my experience, the river fishes much better during those seasons.
2. I began using nymphs and emergers more (only using dries when I see fish feeding very actively).
3. I began choosing my days more selectively, calling off trips if the forecast was too windy, too hot, water too high, etc.
4. I learned how to cast a dry very close (within 2") of the bank during high water conditions.
5. I bought a pontoon boat.
Perhaps I got better, or perhaps the river is just fishing better these days. Maybe its both.
Sorry for the length of this post, but I'd bet money that there are a lot of learners who are experiencing some of the same things as I did early on in the Yakima. Stick with it. Once you really learn how to fish a river (make in your "home river"), it can be very good to you. These days, the Yakima and I are having a bit of a love affair.
db
"If I don't catch them today, I'll catch them another day." Art Flick
Well, four years ago I started going back to the Yakima and in that time I have not had one bad day. Now I go as often as I can (about twice a month) and on my very worst days, I still average about one fish an hour. On really good days I'll "turn" 50 fish and bring 20+ to the net.
Honestly, I can't really explain what changed. Of course I'm a much better angler now than I was ten years ago, but when I think back on where I was fishing and what I was doing in those day, I should have been catching at least something. Here are a few things that I think may have made the difference.
1. I began fishing the Yakima more in the Spring and Fall, rather than the summer. In my experience, the river fishes much better during those seasons.
2. I began using nymphs and emergers more (only using dries when I see fish feeding very actively).
3. I began choosing my days more selectively, calling off trips if the forecast was too windy, too hot, water too high, etc.
4. I learned how to cast a dry very close (within 2") of the bank during high water conditions.
5. I bought a pontoon boat.
Perhaps I got better, or perhaps the river is just fishing better these days. Maybe its both.
Sorry for the length of this post, but I'd bet money that there are a lot of learners who are experiencing some of the same things as I did early on in the Yakima. Stick with it. Once you really learn how to fish a river (make in your "home river"), it can be very good to you. These days, the Yakima and I are having a bit of a love affair.
db
"If I don't catch them today, I'll catch them another day." Art Flick
