Quick Report: Back to Naches -H.I. on Fire!!

Some work-days in between, I went back to Naches exactly in a week since last. I wanted to see more large cutthroat if I could.
I was somehow hyper this morning. I went to bed probably 9:30pm the night before. By 3:30am, I couldn't go back to sleep and I felt great so I might as well have woken up and fixed breakfast.

My first stop was in the middle of Yakima city. In the middle of commuting time around 7:00am, I was stepping into my wader, sipping coffee, and get my gears ready. What a privilege!! This section is much broader than above as Naches is getting closer to Yakima River. It's a mix of everything. Steve at Worley Bugger told me that he had caught 22-inch rainbow in this section. As I got closer to the river, I thought nymphs might do well along deep runs and troughs. But my objective was again to fish with streamers.

I did try and tie on all kinds of patterns and colors in my selection of the day, but today all the hook-ups I got was on only Doug's Home Invader (tan & olive).

My first catch of the day, at least to prove that I wasn't skunked, was well, guess what??

Getting larger............

All I got in the morning was Northern Pikeminnow (a.k.a. Squaw Fish). According to my study, Pikeminnow is as native as Westslope, Steelhead, and Salmon in the Columbia Basin. They are known to be very vicious predators but once they get hooked they move less than dolls do.

As I waded into the middle of the river and fished the bank toward the highway, I caught the biggest......OMG. But then again, I kind of simulated myself. This section reminds me of Yellowstone River around Livingston. As you can see, there's man-made rip-raps. And chasing brown trout in Montana, they often swim where we least expect such as back-eddy, little channel, etc. Also, fishing in Montana, I do have to face with Whitefish. In this case, it was Pikeminnows which are less pain than Whitie........

I prepared another gourmet sandwich and salad for lunch and went to the section where I fished a week earlier. I actually didn't want to because I might sound like a guy with less imagination and effort to explore more spots. But due to the fishing regulation for Naches River, this Catch-&-Release (no baits) is the cleanest and the rest of public accesses are filled with..... I don't mention.

But today, it was slow and I felt I may have to face the "trout-skunk". Yet I had found a section where I can ford to the other side!!! I had been looking for this over 3 years!! Then I fished probably the most promising spot from the other side. I finally felt a tug of trout!!

Little but a beautiful cutty who loves to bite on streamer.

I was hoping a bigger tug and got in a few minutes. Not as big as last week, yet it was pushing to 16-inch.

And with much more gorgeous coloring!!!!! Along the gills,

Then the belly.

I could go on but I needed to go to Worley Bugger in Ellensburg before they close at 5pm so I headed back to my truck around 3pm. I again cast some at the promising spots as I went back. I felt a really big tug!! With a huge golden under-side of head and belly leaped, it was gone.................. I thought my leader/tippet connection was poor but it was actually that flies came off, not really snapped off. Just before this I had tangled my Home Invader, trailed with Conehead JJ, with dead branches above me. I got them back but I hadn't inspect hooks or knots because I was leaving the river. I believe it was as big as or potentially bigger than the one from last week. But I couldn't even curse because it was due to my poor judgement.

I actually head back on Thursday. But with this transitional time of the year for weather and season, I may have to be flexible to plan things.....

I just want to see one more huge cutty!!