4th Day at Yakima - Best Burger in Town!?

Yesterday was the 4th visit to Yakima around Ellensburg. It was slow, actually nothing happennded. What's called "skunked". I hate to use this term, because I hate skunks, but I do in order to admit my failure and to reflect for the future.

I really think the weather was the main cause. It's been playing on us recently. Until about my last report, Feb 15th, it had been mostly dry and warm, which excited us for Skwala hatch. But since then we are having rain shower mostly during the night or early in the morning. Freezing temperature until sunrise, then it turns up to 50s in the afternoon. This put down and extended Skwala hatch for sure.

First I almost all forgot my camera. This actually could be a good sign of good fishing day!? I noticed in 15 minutes on the way and I thought it would be good enough to get to the river around 10:00am, not before really, so I made a U-turn and grabbed my camera. Then I got to the Canyon section around 10:00am as I planned.

I parked and started at the spots where the Sun hit through the canyon. For those reason above and my own little experience before, I rigged up nymphs. But unexpectely, midges were hatching!! Skittering and clustering just along the banks. I was barely able to shoot this pic with a moving target mode.

But then there was no surface activity. I knew I chose spots with deeper runs for nymphs. If I had expected hatches, I could move on to spots where I could think for more suitable for dryfly fishing or swiging soft-hackles for the surface film. But now it was already 10:00am. I'd rather keep going with as I rigged. Along with my favorite stonefly nymph patterns as used before, this time I trailed a Shop Vac,

and a $3 Dip.

I used size 18. I think both of them represent broard imitation of nymphs and larvas, right now for midge larva and baetis nymphs.



I didn't have any action or even snags in the Canyon during the morning. I drove up to a town of Ellensburg, dropped by Worley Bugger for some materials, and according to them, water temperature rose since yesterday which would be good for Skwala hatch.

For the lunch to keep me going in the afternoon, I tried a burger stand.




I have no againsts on franchise fast-food burgers but those stuffs don't interest me recently. This is a 1/3 pounder! Fries are tossed with garlick parmesan cheese!


I tried a section around KOA above the town and then Ringer access just below the town. I trusted my flies and water-reading along with great concentration. Nothing happenned. I ended up finishing the day by busting my leader at the tree branch and lost two flies.......

Well, it was hard to admit that I was "skunked" but I enjoyed that my mind was really "ON" like during my big trips to Montana.

I could get out to fishing once a week this month and I will be able to do so in March also. So 4 days in and 4 days more to go. What did I learn during 4 days in and what should I do for next 4 days? Flies, spots, tactics, insect hatches, etc...... This is exactly what's going on in my mind during the trips. This time it's just not consecutive, say, 6 days or 8 days of traveling.

Off the top of my head, what I would most likely to do is.....

At least I am find good places to eat every time I drive up there!! I'll find more.