Yakima Canyon to Ellensburg

Today, I fished around Yakima River around lower canyon toward Ellensburg. I basically wanted to visit Worley Bugger to buy some tying materials. I knew it would be a couple of hours of fishing in the morning because I work tomorrow. My main fly was one of my regulars, Rubber Leg as a stonefly nymph at this time of the year. But nothing happened......


At Worley Bugger, Tim told me that Caddis hatch has been very strong recently. Indeed I saw several little trout (8-inch class) were jumping out of the water. Also Tim told me that bigger trout would be feeding early and late.....making sense........... as in Madison all through the evenings of July and August.

If I had known these, I would have trailed X-Caddis and Nick's Soft-hackle, fishing as dry down-stream with reach-cast and then swing them subsurface.

I tied X-Caddis with Zelon shuck and special deer hair directly from Blue Ribbon Flies.


And a soft-hackle tied by Mr. Nick. This simple yet thoughtful design can out-fish famous LaFontaine's patterns, period.

I will be using these flies anyway in June somewhere in Yellowstone National Park.

Back through the Canyon, I stopped by Umtanum camping area and cooked my lunch. Another left-over got heated up on the propane stove. Today, I didn't forget matches so everything went smooth and the dish was a bit better than last week at Rocky Ford. Here, I was just waiting till the food would be ready...........

Back to my tying bench with new materials, I have just tied a Circus Peanut in olive & black, freshest from my vise. Besides gentle and calm fishing with dry-flies and wet-flies in each size, I do also like stripping big streamers like this. To me, it is a versatility that fly-fishing demands. Also that means, I have saved $5.......

Next week, I might try to fish Yakima in the evening for caddis hatch. But I really have to plan it carefully because it will be a long drive at night to my home.

I think I'd rather go back to Rocky Ford as I did last week. Catching some big triploids and then cook some lunch. Better or worse, I know the routine there.