River Flow: 924 cfs (low, best wading of the year)
Water Temp: High 50's - topping about 60 today.
Trending: Flow is stabilizing. Should be done dropping.
Water Clarity: 4' at Red's. Clear.
Hatches Upcoming and Current:
- Summer Stoneflies (tan belly, dark back #6-#10) - Almost done.
- Baetis Nymphs
- Zebra Midge
- Crane Fly Dries and Larvae
- October Caddis Pupae
- #10 - #6 Stonefly Nymphs (stoneflies live 2-4 years, so any color/size is typically good)
-
Sculpin and Various Streamers #6 - #8
-
Caddis (a few at night - mix of Octobers starting)
It's wading time. Combine a float trip (or guided trip) with a request to wade a few riffles or rock piles throughout the day. Much of the year the Yakima is simply too high for effective wading so now is the time! Wear good wading boots and neoprene wading socks, and a staff isn't a terrible idea. It's not trecherous wading, but it can be a bit slick on the larger boulders.
These past few nights of cool temps has the fish thinking winter is coming and the feeding will be on like Donkey Kong here in no time. We are still finding fish in the riffles especially choppy sections with whitewater covering the fish. They love the protection this provides and you'll want to get down in the bottom half of the column. It's a perfect time to surgically work over a small piece of water, and if you bought a Tight-Line or Euro style setup these past couple of years, now is when you'll see this technique become an extreme advantage. The low water has the trout huddled tight and it can take a perfect presentation to dig 'em out of the buckets.
For optimal dry fly fishing, you'll need shade. Especially for the big leggy critters like Summer Stoneflies. These are a nocturnal insect and the trout prey most heavily on them at dusk. Still no October Caddis hatching yet but they'll show up any day now with cooling weather. That is a fun hatch! In the afternoon as the light angle gets low, that's when the ol' Crane Fly Skate and Twitch action gets very good.
Trout spey action just picked up these past couple days. Our guides and instructors in our Trout Spey Fishalongs are consistently catching fish. Not big yet, but very, very soon :-). Size 8 Sculpzillas and the like producing consistent grabs.
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