I'd say if there is any time of year to get in the truck and haul over to the Yakima this is it. Fishing well on top and gorgeous weather....October should cool down and bring out more baetis and some really fun fishing. Not to mention, the cooler weather gets rid of most tubers as well as some fisherman. Solace and good fishing on the Yakima does exist and it happens in the spring and fall Monday through Friday. Now is the time if you can get nice drifts and hit your spots on the bank.

For more localized trout hunters the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie is still fishing well but it is not quite what it was a few weeks ago. There are certainly nice fish to be had but the key is finding them. These guys are still pretty mad on Elk-hairs and Stimulators on top and honestly nymphing produces more suckers than you want to deal with. Cover water well, but swiftly and don't play around too much with flies; just get killer drifts in the BEST water. Basically, the MFS needs a little rain and we should have a few more weeks of nice fishing on the rocky Middle Fork. And watch out for the road closure about 5 miles up Middle Fork Road if you haven't seen it yet. It should be closed until December in order to repair the Taylor River bridge.

A note on Oakley, since they have gotten some press here: the Polarized Amber lens should be included in every Northwest fishermans boat bag or fly box. Perfect for low or medium light....and how often are you going to be fishing in the early morning, late evening or on cloudy days over the next nine months? Yeah, I'd pick up two pairs if I were you.