November 10, 2019  Shorter Days

Well, there it went, our daylight is gone for another season here in the PNW.  Shorter days mean being focused and planning your fly fishing experiences well.  Fortunately these days the choices are a bit more limited. 

For us, we are focused on 3 species/regions of the PNW for the coming 5 months, some more than others.  Our entire staff is very spey-centric so naturally steelhead season is atop list of species to pursue. 

Cowlitz, Skykomish, Skagit, Sauk, Klickitat, Hoh, Queets, Sol Duc and Bogachiel are some of our favs and are spread far and wide from each other here in western WA so knowing your flows and knowing where you are headed are going to maximize time on the water with rod in hand. 

For the next few months we are guiding most of these rivers until they close or others become a better option in our opinion.  During that time we are also doing full day spey schools and spey casting lessons.  Call the store to book one and get your skills finely tuned for the season.

Puget Sound is also up there as this is really our favorite season to fish/guide the Sound.  Fish are active, sun is low, kelp is gone and fewer people are on the water.  All good/great reasons to be turning your attention here.

Lastly, the Yakima River is always a mid winter option if you are willing to endure the cold and can safely get over the pass.  With water levels being mostly low for the coming few months, we encourage anglers to explore this river on foot as there is ample water to cover over there and no need to cover vast swaths of it in order to find a few fish. 

On any of these topics, please come in, call or email with questions, we just want you to have fun out there so we will do what we can to help that happen.

We have a few events coming up to be aware of:

December 5th - Customer Appreciation/Gift Registry 5pm - 9pm
December 8th - Women’s Gear Up Night 7pm - 9pm
January 25th - EWA Spey Day 10am - 3pm

October 25, 2019  YES!

We just completed our first of many EWA Women’s 2 day/1 night steelhead trips on the Klickitat River and it was a resounding success.  Not because a ton of fish were caught but because new friends were made, new river fished, new skills learned and new stories created. 

The Klick is fishing well at the moment.  As most of you know we are only swinging flies and mostly utilizing two handed rods.  We are one of the very few who ONLY swing flies for these majestic fish and do so for many reasons but mostly because it is what we are crazy sick with passion for and believe it can be infectious. 

Yakima River had a decent bump from the rain last week but is coming back down quickly as are most of the other rivers in the area.  Still some BWO’s coming off during the afternoon mostly and of course other methods are working well too.

Cowlitz River is in great shape at the moment too and while there are a few steelhead around and can surprise you if chasing the sea run cutthroat.  With flows as low as they are, there is some wonderful water to pursue these days down there.

Puget Sound is testing anglers to know their beaches as wind has been coming from all directions lately so knowing which beaches are in the lee of the wind is crucial to a fishable day on the water.  Baitfish, shrimp patterns and surface skating flies are all working well for SRC’s at this time.

Lastly, most of our small streams are open for just another week or so so if you want to get out there better do it though at this point we would simply suggest pointing your attention to the Yakima or Cle Elum Rivers as both are fishing well and low enough to approach from all over.

If we can be of any assistance out there, please let us know so we can get you out there and ready?

October 11, 2019  Swingin’ Baby!

Spent the past couple days swinging flies for trout on the Yakima River and it was nothing short of amazing in many ways.  First, covering water nearly everyone else ignores as they float by with indicators leaves much of the water to only those wielding the shorter long rod.  Secondly, because you cover water as you would while steelheading, you spend more time with you fly in the water fishing and doing so while becoming a better line manager.  As a guide, you watch clients have 100% control over the experience of every fish, teach new casts and watch lines tighten as a trout turns on a soft hackle rising in the water column.  All in, this is as good as this river gets, call or stop in and join us over the next month or so for one of our seasonal favorite guided experiences.

September 16, 2019 All Things Spey

As we enter fall, nearly our entire staff…actually the whole staff begins to get a little stir crazy because some of our favorite watersheds in the area are in perfect shape for swinging flies for either trout or steelhead. 

The Yakima and Cle Elum are down and ready for swinging flies for cutthroat and rainbow trout and if you haven’t handled a trout sized spey rod yet, we really need to help you make that happen.  We currently have staff throwing Winston, Echo, Gloomis, Sage, Thomas and Thomas and Redington trout spey and they are all fabulous!

If would like the thrill of chasing a steelhead but would like a tug or two as well, the Cowlitz is a great place to put yourself in the game because there are steelhead in right now and the sea run cutthroat will also take smaller flies so it is sort of the best of both worlds here for the next month or two. 

Call us and let’s get you in the water with one of these great little sticks, or a big one…or both! 

Happy fall everyone, see you soon,

EWA Staff 206-708-7250

September 13, 2019  Spey Time

These days we are able to employ spey casting in nearly all facets of our fly fishing endeavors but when fall arrives in the PNW, particularly here in the Seattle area, we feel its relevance even more. 

With flows at low fall levels, swinging flies on the Yakima and Cowlitz for rainbow and cutthroat trout are terrific options and for those seeking slightly larger interactions, steelhead on many of the rivers around here is beginning to uptick.  Skykomish, Klickitat, Cowlitz, Hoh and Queets would all be great options to consider. 

Low and clear water will demand longer leaders, possibly smaller flies and while your winter Skagit heads will work just fine with a floating tip, why not pick up and enjoy casting a Rage or Scandi head with a longer front taper.  These heads will turn over flies with delicate precision and elegance, showing off those casting skills so well.

Questions on anything spey, call 206-708-7250, we are here for you!

August 22, 2019 - Fall Rising

Here we are coming to the end of August and yet, the mornings and evening already feel as though fall is upon us.  We don’t actually have a problem with that what so ever and here is partly why.

First, nearly every fishery in the state is predictable, approachable, beautiful, bountiful and fishable at this time of the year. 

As of now, Pink salmon are all over the place paving the way for Coho salmon to begin arriving on our local beaches.  If you have never attached yourself to a Coho on a 6wt in the saltwater, well, it is about as good a tug of war as you can have here in WA.  These should be going on until mid to late October if we are lucky so come in, ask questions and get out there!

By mid September of the Yakima will be back down to fall and early winter flows meaning walk and wade anglers will have plenty of water to safely step into and water temps will begin to cool, igniting all the fall hatches we love so much.  BWO and October Caddis are on the menu!

All of this being said, for us, it really means we get to really focus on spey casting, both for trout and steelhead.  NOW would be a great time to begin your sojourn into taking a steelhead on a skated fly and for those wanting to begin their steelhead pursuit, now is a fabulous time to pick up that new two hander and get our free spey class we offer with it.  Learn the basic casts and discuss other equipment and approach with one of our professional guide/instructor staff and get these skills honed for winter!

Creeks have some time left as well.  Water is crazy low and later starts to the day will be a thoughtful way to ensure you are seeing trout come to the surface for your fly.  Caddis, Stimulators, Parachute Adams, Humpy’s and Wulff patterns are all great options as these trout know their time to take in calories is now before winter water temps put the hatches to bed for the season.

As always, we are here to ensure your success so please come in, call or email with any questions you might have.  Thanks for reading, now go fish!

206-708-7250
shop@emeraldwateranglers.com

August 19, 2019 - It All Comes Together…or Pretty Close!

Unsure if our mild summer has made it feel like summer is already over of if the cool evenings are just being welcomed because they are here.  Either way, fall is the most predictable time of the year to fish around here so there is literally no reason to NOT be on the water, some water, somewhere fly fishing right now.  Let’s be brief…

Puget Sound - Pinks and Coho - YES
Creeks - Dry Flies All Day - YES
Summer Steelhead - YES, there are a few around!
Yakima - Hoppers and Caddis - YES
Carp/Bass/Pike - YUP

Come by, call or whatever, just let us help you got out there, be successful and have fun!

August 4, 2019 - Early Rises

This time of year, no matter which fishery in Washington you are hoping to engage with, an early start is going to almost always arch the experience in your favor.

Most won’t get up when daylight begins much less before that to be on the water when the sun rises which is somewhere around 6am currently.  All the creeks, the Sound and Yakima and any of the steelhead rivers are going to provide a slight benefit to those who take advantage of day emerging from night. 

Fish are less inhibited during dark hours and it takes them a little bit of time to gain weariness again in any clear water situation.  On the Sound, if you can coincide early AM with a strong outgoing tide more of the kelp will make the Pink Pursuit a little less frustrating. 

Early AM on the creeks will see some small hatches of PMD’s that will quickly move into caddis so have a selection of those on hand for any streams you are headed towards and finally our steelhead rivers have some fish in them but water is very low and VERY clear.  Long leaders, Scandi, Rage or Long Belly lines will present more gently and try smaller flies as well.

In the end, remember you are on the water, have fun with it and enjoy your time out there.  Call is with questions, we are here 7 days a week to help you find success.

July 31, 2019  Klickitat Steelhead Time!

We are fired up about the coming of the Klick season for wild steelhead.  This river is a beautiful fishery in the shadow of Mt. Adams in south central WA and home to some beautiful fish. 

We are offering both day and over night camp trips this season beginning in September and running through November.  As always we are employing spey rods for this trip, 7-8wt two handers with Rage, Scandi or Scout heads work fine and your fly of choice of course. 

If you have been aching for a river camping trip close to home ache no more.  Camp prepared food is maybe finer than any restaurant could hope to compete with and our staff is quite skilled in this arena as well. 

This season will book up quickly so please reach out soon to secure your days on the water with us.  Questions, more info or to book, please call or email:

EWA Store 206-708-7250
shop@emeraldwateranglers.com

Photo Caldwell “Rohr” Rohrbach