Fishing Report:
06/19/2025

From the watery desk of Kyle Branch:
Every day the water in the main stem of the Yakima has been climbing up. It is now at levels where would be extremely cautious wading. For better wading opportunities you can check out water above the confluence and the surrounding tributaries. If you are in a boat keep in mind that you are going to be moving a lot faster than before. Keep your head up and be looking downstream.

To find new tributaries I have a 3 step method:
• Get on Google earth and/or OnXmaps and look at the Terrain imaging first. Locate a named creek. Another option would be to start at the Yakima and work backwards.
• Check the satellite images. If you see good vegetation or lots of water probably a safe bet that there is water in there during the early summer.
• Grab your 2 wt -3wt fly rod and drive out there. You might not find anything or you might find something really cool.

The Yakima has been fishing. We are seeing more numbers of fish but the average size has been slowly decreasing. If you want to target those larger fish, you need to put in the time on the water or get on the water at the right time. Come into the fly shop and let us help you out!

We have been mainly fishing dry-dropper setups giving our guests the most opportunity at catching fish. Fishing a larger dry with a dropper nymph about 18-24 inches below the dry has been the most effective.

With the higher water, we will be looking more towards the bank as the fish move towards the softer edges. Just like last week, don't be afraid to fish those shallower riffles that tie into those bigger pools. During hatches the fish will move into those shallow riffles to feed.

The bugs:
• Golden stones
• Green drakes
• PMDs
• Yellow sally
• Grass hoppers are on their way! Might need another week or two up here before the fish start keying in on them.

The flies:
• Size 8 - 12 Chubby Chernobyl in purple, royal, and golden
• Size 8 - 10 Water walker
• Size 10 Green Drake Wulff
• Size 8 Emma Stone in golden
• Size 14 - 16 Elk Hair Caddis
• Size 12 - 16 Parachute Adams in purple haze, grey, and yellow
• Size 8 TJ Hooker
• Size 8 - 10 Pat Stone
• Size 12 - 16 Pheasant Tail
• Size 12 - 16 Spanish Bullet
• Size 6 Dolly Llama
• Size 4 - 8 Scupzilla

Storytime: Beaver buffoonery,
I was out fishing solo this Father's Day and having a pretty good fishing as I moved down the river. After the first few holes, the fish stopped rising. Not exactly sure what was going on, I figured maybe they just weren't active in this stretch—until I saw him.

A very large beaver was swimming right up through the hole, carrying a rather large branch. Annoyed, I moved down to the next hole. A few moments after arriving, I saw a beaver again— also swimming with a branch in its mouth.

What the heck?

I turned around, and BAM—there was the first beaver swimming behind me without the branch. Two beavers! They had cut down a tree and were now ferrying branches from it up the river.

I decided to head back upstream and try to return to where the fishing had been better. As I walked, I couldn’t resist casting into a few pools along the way. Unfortunately, I managed to wrap my leader and fly around a small overhanging branch.

As I gently worked to unwind it, one of the beavers popped up and started swimming toward my fly. His nose touched the leader, and it must have pulled it under, because as he dove, the line snapped. My fly was now drifting downstream.

Of course, that was the only fly I had in that pattern—and the fish knew it. No more rises. On the walk back to the car, I contemplated how to become a beaver trapper.