Yakima River Trout
Patterns
Mayfly nymphs, emergers, and dry-fly imitations are a must; Morris Emergers, Compara-duns, Sparkle Duns, Quigley Cripples, parachute duns, and traditional drys all work for imitating Baetis, March Browns, and Pale Morning Duns. Standard mayfly nymphs also serve: Pheasant Tails, Gold-ribbed Hare’s Ears, and Skip Nymphs.
For caddis, you can use a small, dark Elk-hair Caddis (X-caddis for the American grannom), and go larger with a tan or olive body for the green rockworm and Hydropsyche. For caddis emergers, try soft-hackles or the Partridge Caddis Emerger. For giant October Caddis (#6-8) use a Brickback Caddis for pupae, and the Woolly Wing for adults. There is an ever-changing handful of October Caddis pupal imitations. But an orange-body Mikulak Sedge or Stimulator also works well for matching the adults.
The Skwala hatch gets most of the early local fanfare. New imitations of hair and foam keep pushing last year’s models out of the fly-shop bins, so no fly patterns are firmly established for the hatch.
Still, you can go with one of the current hot designs or play it safe with a brown-bodied Mikulak, Stimulator, or Woolly Wing. These same drys double for the Salmonfly and Golden Stonefly hatches, and most adult caddis imitations produce for top-water winter and Yellow Sally stoneflies.
A Griffith’s Gnat is always a safe choice for midge hatches, unless you prefer parachute patterns or emergers such as the WD-40. For late-summer grasshoppers, try a Dave’s Hopper or Henry’s Fork Hopper.
When drys fail, try nymphs. All the standard patterns will do: Gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear, Troth Pheasant Tail, or my Anatomical series for mayflies [See “Anatomical Nymphs” in the May 2007 issue. The Editor.]; the Killer Caddis, Pettis’ Pulsating Caddis Pupa, Deschutes Cased Caddis, or any caddis larva and pupa imitations; Montana Stone, Bird’s Stonefly, or something newer like the Befus Wired Stone or a Mercer Poxyback pattern; and try a Copper John, Prince Nymph, or Gabriel’s Trumpet [See “Gabriel’s Trumpet” in the February 2007 issue. The Editor.] when an attractor nymph is right.
I’ve had good action on my Skip’s Sculpin fished deep on a full-sinking line. Any sculpin imitation—a Muddler Minnow or Whitlock Sculpin—would do as well.
All trout streams contain juvenile trout, and larger fish relish them. Small trout imitations such as the Morris Minnow, Clouser Minnow, or Kelly Galloup’s T&A Rainbow also work.
Guides, Gear, and Lodging
If you want to stay near the upper river there are motels and B&Bs in Cle Elum. Just above the canyon, Ellensburg abuts Interstate 5 with plenty of lodging. Below the canyon, the city of Yakima offers everything a fly fisher needs. While the Yakima River runs through long stretches of farms, canyons, and thin populations, there are enough towns and hamlets along it to make food and lodging easily accessible.
There are campsites at Crystal Springs (below the Keechelus Dam), at Cle Elum, and near the Big Horn boat access on Canyon Road below Ellensburg.
Fly shops and guides are also easy to find. All three towns mentioned have fly shops with guide services, flies, maps, and information.
Five- and 6-weight rods are standard on the Yakima. They have enough punch to throw #6 Stimulators during the October Caddis hatch, as well as the precision to deliver tiny Baetis drys to selective bank sippers. Weight-forward lines, 7- to 9-foot leaders, and tippets tapered down to 3X and 4X for streamers and nymphs and 5X and 6X for drys will get you into trout. Consider heavier tippets through the canyon, where the water is colored.
Heading north from Yakima, Canyon Road parallels the river. There are seven boat launches between Roza Dam and Ellensburg through the canyon stretch. Around Ellensburg and upstream a few miles, through the farmlands stretch, there is boat access along Washington 10 at Thorp Diversion Dam, Thorp Bridge, Teanaway River, and at East Cle Elum. Interstate 90 follows the upper Yakima between Cle Elum and Crystal Springs. There are boat launches at East Nelson and Lake Easton in the upper reaches.
Shuttles are available from local fly shops along the prime Yakima trout stretches. For more information on area amenities, contact the Yakima Chamber of Commerce (yakima.org) at (509) 248-2021; or the Ellensburg chamber (ellens burg-chamber.com) at (509) 925-3137.
The Yakima River can offer great variety in even a single day’s fishing. You begin by working nymphs alongside and through rippled points of current, next to drop-offs, or against cutbanks. In the afternoon, perhaps, you splat great fluffy October Caddis imitations wherever a fish might rise to them. Then there are those long runs where trout show quietly all around to sip Baetis or Flavinea mayfly duns, the fish sometimes feeding so hard they seem to disregard you altogether. What more could a fly fisher want?
Skip Morris is the author of ten books on fly fishing and tying. His latest is Morris on Tying Flies (Frank Amato Publications, 2006).
Area Fly Shops
• The Evening Hatch Fly Shop
Ellensburg
(866) 482-4480, (509) 962-5959
theeveninghatch.com
• Gary’s Fly Shoppe, Inc.
Yakima
(509) 457-3474
garysflyshoppe.com
• R&R Tackle & Fly Shop
Sunnyside
(509) 837-2332
• Red’s Fly Shop
Ellensburg
(509) 929-1802
redsflyshop.com
• Worley-Bugger Fly Co.
Ellensburg
(888) 950-3474
worleybuggerflyco.com
• Yakima River Fly Shop
Cle Elum
(509) 674-2144
tightlinesangling.com
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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