Finally, we get our longer days back!  This is such a great kick-off to spring getting some later in the day sun and this weekend is no exception.  Temps reaching for the 70's for a couple days before returning to more normal temps has brought up a couple of great questions from people.  Is this enough to wake up the carp in Greenlake and other shallow lakes in the area?  GREAT question...go check it out, it just might have but maybe not, only one way to find out for sure!

Puget Sound - Literally full of salmon fry right now which means the SRC's (Sea Run Cutthroat) will be hyper focused on baitfish patterns particularly near river and stream mouths where salmon have spawned.  That said, don't feel as though if you aren't at one of them that the fish won't be there because the fry spread out rather quickly once they hit the Sound, we are just seeing fry still in the smaller streams.  Still very little kelp in the Sound so floating lines without baskets are still a great way to fish and the most versatile if you are hoping to fish a surface fly.  For those of us on the west side of the Cascades, this is our year around home water and there is no better time than now to get to know it well.  SRC fly selection

Steelhead - About a month left more or less on the winter season and thus far the fishing has mostly been very good...nice PNW specimens of wild steelhead on all the open namesakes...Skagit, Sauk, Hoh, Bogachiel and Sol Duc so go get your feet wet and hopefully your hands too.  If you haven't spey cast before, we can't stress enough how much fun it is to cover water with a swung fly and spey casting is the most efficient way to present it.  If it is intimidating, we understand so come take a class and then those thousands of videos/opinions will make more sense and help you week out those that are more fray than informative.  Steelhead fly selection

Yakima River - The Yakima is entering its prime spring season with all the hatches on the horizon.  Skwala's and blue winged olives now with March/April browns on their way here soon.  PMD's and caddis won't be far behind.  Almost time to hang up the skis and dust off the fly rods for the season though we hope you never put the rods away, we should be fishing all year.  As warmer temps arrive, this is going to melt snow and either raise water flows and/or put some color in the water from tributaries like the Teanaway, Taneum or Wilson Creeks so be aware of that.  Note that above we have what we feel are pretty safe guidelines for what flows for walk and wade are as well as floating the the Yakima.  Should you have questions, please call us before heading out, we want you to have fun and also be safe.  This is also a fabulous time to be swinging flies on the Yak as the water temps warm the rainbow and cutthroat trout will move more to flies and this is of course a great way to imitate an emerging insect mentioned above.  We recommend 4wt trout spey rods as they will handle sinking Poly Leaders and larger streamers better as well as deal with wind which is nearly always present on the east side.  Trout Spey fly selection

Lakes - We are on the cusp of bass and other warm water species waking from their winter slumber.  Shallower lakes will be warming sooner so expect those to be fishing first so if you have a couple hours, find one close by and go check it out.  Doubtful anything will be looking up yet but certainly use a sink tip and get some streamers down a bit deeper and see if anyone is being protective yet.  Bass fly selection

Ok, there it is, a day late but early enough get out there today or tomorrow and take advantage of what is available.  As we always say, "We are here to be your resource for knowing when, where and why to go fly fishing.  We are here to help you succeed and enjoy your time on the water."

Call, stop in, facetime, text, DM or whatever, we look forward to talking with you soon,

EWA Staff