ATTENTION FLY ANGLERS - Highway 2 closed at Beckler Rd. due to fire!
We thought for a short minute we were safe from the wild fire smoke but alas, here it comes! If you were up this AM, the blood red sun was a tell tale sign of the impending smoke about to blow into the central Puget Sound area. With this in mind, here are our weekly suggestions...
Yakima River - As of this morning the flows are at 1825cfs so we are in that space where wade anglers are regaining a lot of real estate for foot access and float anglers are able to make short or long floats depending on how they want to fish. this is really a great time for the Yakima, from now until late November fall hatches are going to be fantastic with a mix of caddis in the evenings, stoneflies during the day, blue winged olives early, especially up high near Cle Elum and some PMD's mixed in as well. Now is when you really do need to have a well stocked library of flies to be as nimble on the water as possible. We guide both on foot as well as from the boat so give us a shout.
Puget Sound - This has been the most consistent fishing we have seen on the Sound from late spring, through summer and into fall. It has been absolutely amazing. Yes, you can still miss some fish here and there but by and large, we have seen them on every trip we have done this year. Fly assortment has been a mix of large and small baitfish patterns and some surface flies. Here is an assortment we like to have on hand that represents what we have been fishing/guiding out there.
Puget Sound Baitfish Assortment
Kelp is diminishing a bit as well and the light is getting lower in the sky so we have been seeing more fish active through the day into evening so fish when you can fish, even if for only an hour or two.
Cascade Creeks and Snoqualmie Forks - We haven't seen rain in a long time, not enough to do anything to the water flows so they are way down as they typically are this time of year. However, we have seen some pretty cool evenings and this will drop water temps on the small streams over night making fish a bit lethargic in the early AM. We would suggest a more casual start and then fish dry flies the rest of the day, the only way these streams should be fished in our opinion. Caddis, rubber legged stimulators, Parachute Adam's, Humpy or Wulff patterns will produce so get out while you can, these will be closed at end of October and will likely be cold enough they won't fish well after mid October so we have about a month left. Most likely.
Summer Steelhead - Cool water and lower sun...this is a fab time to be chasing elusive summer chrome. Scandi heads on 6-7wt spey rods, a lovely, sparsely dressed fly on a traditional hook and a long leader and...oh my, you had us at low and cool! Not a ton of fish around so keep expectations to enjoying your time on the water with the two hander, covering your favorite runs on the Sky, Stilly or even the Snoqualmie. Questions on all of this, definitely call us, more than happy to share some of ours and help you get your equipment dialed in.
Tuna - Depending on weather, you still have a shot at them on the fly for another month or so. Haven't done this before, ooof, you need to. Hopefully by next year we have a trip set up again and can help you get out and bend that 12wt you bought for a tarpon trip a few years ago.
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Have a great weekend everyone, be safe and enjoy your time on the water!
EWA Staff | 206-708-7250
