Well this past week and the one coming should remind everyone of what living in the PNW is like.  Woke up to snow a couple days ago, average looking gray weather today with 60 degree heavy rain next week.  Ok Mother Nature, just bring it!

Seems as though this winter has gone by really fast which means so has our winter steelhead season.  There are still a couple weeks left depending on where you are headed but as that season wanes the Sound and Yakima will wax if you will.  As weather warms we near the illustrious summer season of fly fishing, the season that keeps shops in business!

Steelhead - Hoh will be closing on the 31st of March this season but the Skagit and Sauk are to remain open until the 15th of April.  Cowlitz is in good shape as well if heading south makes sense to you.  Water will warm considerably with some fresh rain at lower elevations which will make fish more grabby, more willing to move for your fly.  We rarely if ever fish anything heavier than T14 and with the conditions moving in our favor this is even more the case.  Fly color, we leave it up to you, our personal colors would be blue, purple, black, Kingfisher blue or some combo of those.  But if you are into orange, chartreuse, green, then by all means, tie that baby on and swing it!  We have a lot of rain in the forecast for the next week so check your flows, particularly on the freestone rivers of the OP or the Sauk.  Sol Duc nearly always clears up first among those rivers so be prepared to hit that if it is the one in shape.  Also don't be afraid to fish water that is high and maybe not perfect.  Rarely is anything perfect and the fish are still there so...high water, swing closer to shore, slightly slower water, shorter casts. 
EWA Winter Steelhead Collection

Puget Sound - It's official, Chum fry have hit the salt, sometimes in blankets so thick the water looks cloudy.  2 trains of thought here.  One would be to "match the hatch" if you will and use something of similar size and coloration.  The other would be to "stand out in the crowd" and be different than the rest.  We tend to lean in the direction of the second but the first has been known to work as well.  So any chum fry patterns like Chum Baby, Saltwater Muddler or the Hornberg will usually get some attention.  When you see SRC's crashing the surface chasing the fry, don't forget about the Sound Searcher! 
EWA Puget Sound Collection

Yakima River - Yak is in spring mode where flows will change quite a bit based on the weather so make sure you are checking them before you head out.  There is quite a bit of snow up high at the moment too so if on foot be careful where you walk/step and otherwise head towards the canyon.  Skwala and BWO here for the time being until we begin to see water temps rise a bit more.  Even though they are called a March Brown, we usually see them coming up here more prominently in April so have those larger brown mayflies ready for the top and your array of Pheasant Tails in 10's and 12's.  This is our favorite time of year for trout spey.  Find a good stretch and get on the water, cover it well with either smaller streamers or soft hackles representing emerging mayflies.  Please allow the fly to swing to a stop and give it a small bounce or jiggle before just stripping in for the next cast.  You'll be amazed at how often a fish has followed it to the end and is just waiting for the invitation to eat it. 
EWA Trout Spey Selection

Snoqualmie Forks - Forks are open of course however, this time of year, they will be inflated and cold for much of the time until we see snow pack begin to melt off and become a tad more consistent.  That being said, I would say you should still get out there if this is close and the only option you know or are comfortable with.  These trout are hungry you just have to find them so look for the slower water and don't be afraid to toss a Stimulator with a dropper through water that looks look and you feel you can cover with that set up.  Nymph if you must, we would use Lightning Bugs or red Copper John's.  Fish are pretty small so smaller sized hooks will diminish the fatal hook set on smaller trout. 

We realize all to well there is a ton of water in the area to consider so if you have questions about something we don't mention here, call us, come in or message us and ask.  Hope you have a great weekend and we of course look forward to seeing you soon to hear about your adventures out there.

EWA Staff
206-708-7250
shop@emeraldwateranglers.com
@ewaflyshop_seattle or @ewa_women