Alright, for all of you fair weather anglers out there who like to fish dry flies in t-shirts, your time has arrived! This past Saturday, WDFW opened up nearly all small streams, lakes and otherwise seasonally closed fisheries for anglers to enjoy. One thing we want to put out there, we already see water flows on many streams and rivers at what we would see in late June. This is due to a low snow pack and what this means is by July and certainly August, we might see early closures due to low/waarm water levels so get out and fish now!
Cedar River - We haven't been able to talk about the Cedar for 9 months and it is already fishable! Flows are around 500-600cfs already so much of it is wadeable and we have already had some good activity on the surface. Caddis and Stimulators with some small droppers like Lightning Bugs or Copper John's should work great. Stripping streamers against the high banks with structure or log jams are going to move some bigger fish and there have been a few chasing the big rainbows with a mouse pattern in the evening or at night. Just saying, they will partake if you are there for the party!
Mountain Streams/Snoqualmie Forks - MF is at about 1500cfs which is still a bit high but the SF is approachable and fishing well with swung soft hackles and skating some Caddis. Some of the smaller mountain streams are already fishable but most are still in transition. North facing drainages will be slower to come into shape but it will likely come sooner than later so keep checking in on them. As soon as you can stand near them and fish, big dry fly in the soft water behind boulders will bring fish up, promise!
EWA Trout Fly Selection
Summer Steelhead - It is probably a bit early but the early arriving summer fish will likely already be in the Puget Sound rivers as well as other southern ones like the Cowlitz. More of a pulse coming in a few weeks but with the impending low water and warm temps, they will get in fast if they are here already so get out there. If you picked up spey casting this winter, this is the time to pick up a Scandi like head and get out there with some smaller flies and maybe even do some skating on certain watersheds. We realize the norm is go deep and stay big until later but, we do have experience with fish coming to the top of the water column this early so why not?
Yakima River - For spring, this is our favorite season over here. Weather is considerably more predictable and there are numerous hatches taking place. This also means coming with a box ready for almost anything. PMD's (blonde colored mayfly, mid sized) March Brown's (brown colored mayfly, mid sized) in the upper river on colder morning maybe still, big stonefly imitations and of course Caddis. This really is Caddis season so keep an eye out along the grass banks for noses poking up and have both adult Caddis and emerging Caddis patterns at the ready. Swing some flies too.
We all to often see the videos of "how to nymph" talk about the dead drift of the bobber and the picking up when it comes tight at the end of the drift. Well, by picking up there you are missing one very realistic presentation of your fly which is the rise in the water column towards shore of nearly all insects born in water as they move from nymph to adult stage. Don't want to catch more fish? Don't worry about it then, pick up at the end of the dead drift!
This is why we spend so much time spey casting smaller spey rods and swinging small flies on this river. There is so much aquatic life here and there are nearly always fish feeding on that stage of bugs lives and this is as good a way to represent it as there is. 3 and 4wt trout spey rods are such a great size for the Yak and give you a whole new look at this river as well as making you a better fly angler in so many ways. Casting, reading water, down stream presentation and other critical skills to being successful.
EWA Trout Spey Fly Selection
Warmwater - It's time! Bass are on and all about the fly right now on many lakes in the area. Small watercraft are going to greatly assist with access but there are ways to do it without and places to rent boats if desired. An SUP on many of the small lakes around town not only keep you close to home but also give you space to fish from everyone else. Topwater is always preferred for bass but there will still be considerable success by tossing streamers at them. Carp will also test your fly fishing skills from presentation to fish playing because they pull HARD! Fickle and spooky at times, a stealthy approach is often necessary and on lakes like Greenlake, have something to represent cotton on the waters surface...because they will eat on top!
June 29-30 Blane Chocklett Muskie School - 4 spots open
EWA Warmwater Fly Selection
Puget Sound - Maybe the only time you will ever see us list Puget Sound last on our report, we are just excited everything else is back or nearly so. Sound is fishing well too right now. Beaches from north to south having their moments with lots of cutthroat on them and like the Yak, there are a lot of food choices for them so your box should be a good representation of what might be out there. Everything from Euphausiid to small and large baitfish with some shrimp tossed in for good measure depending on where you fish regularly.
EWA Puget Sound Fly Selection
EWA Puget Sound Starter Package
New to the area and curious about the Sound? Awesome! Your 5-6wt rod with a floating line is a great start and a half dozen flies with 2x or so leader/tippet to 7-8ft is all you need to get out there and be in the game! Get out there first and then come in with your questions, we will happily help you straighten them out.
Alright, that does it, come in, call, email or DM us on social media for more info. We are happy to provide it to you.
Have a fabulous weekend everyone, see you soon!
