Welcome to the Creekside ‘Since my spot on the space station was taken, I might as well go fishing’ fishing report. We’re supposedly in for some nice weather this weekend and into next week, so the good fishing we’re seeing all over right now should only improve. So if your company is looking for scapegoats to target for layoffs, or you’re an aspiring member of the US contingent of the UN Human Rights Coalition, you’ll have some time on your hands. Use it wisely.

Yakima River is low and clearing and fishing well these past few days since the rainwater’s’ subsided. As you make your way down river, particularly below the Teanaway and Wilson Creek tributaries, increased levels of sediment are being spewn forth, and the Yak's clarity suffers as a result...but the fish still need to eat, and will continue to do so. The farther up river you go, the clearer the water will be. Likewise, the upper river, being more shaded and at slightly higher elevation, not to mention being fed by colder streams and lakes, will still bear the brunt of the lingering March Brown Hatch. Other hatches include ever-increasing blizzards of caddis flies, and some yellow stones (yellow sallies). Suggested Fly Patterns: Western March Brown #12-16, timberline emerger, #12-14, Elk Hair Caddis, some black bodies, others tan, olive, yellow, all from #12-18, X-Caddis, Emergent Sparkle Pupa, caddis larva....fish the life cycle of the caddis as it happens throughout the hatch, beginning around 10am through 'till dark. Fish an adult or late-stage emerger with a pupa or larval imitation as a dropper 10-20" behind the adult. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether the fish are eating full fledged adult bugs or the emergers just beneath the surface...so the 'life cycle dropper' will cover you in either case. Don't be afraid to skate the adult along the surface, either. Often times the egg-laying females will bounce around on the surface of the water, so twitching your fly to imitate caddis excitement can get the fish excited too. Then you'll be excited. For those who cannot contain their excitement we have support groups here in the shop or supplementary garments which will help to conceal the oft embarrassing side-effects. Suffice it to say that if there's a bug orgy going on, you'll want to be part of it...regardless of your outward conservatism or preference. Other patterns not to be caught without on the Yak these days include the usual lineup of nymphs: black, brown, tan stonefly nymphs #6-14, Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ear's, Lightning Bugs, Flash Gun's, beaded or not...all around #12-16. Yellow Stimulators in smaller sizes, or a yellow sally imitation, #10-12. The upper river is where more of the depleting march brown hatch is still happening, and the timberline emerger behind the adult can double your pleasure there just as with the caddis fly emergence. The forecast is great, the fishing is very good. You can listen to the Mariners on the radio on the way over.

Snoqualmie Forks are coming back into shape after the much needed precipitation, and ought to be nice and clear for the weekend…bring your Yakima fly box and you’ll pretty much be covered. You might add a few attractor dries; parachute adams, red humpy, royal wulff…We should start to see some of the caddisflies over on this side soon, but for the moment, I’d stick to the march browns, and the attractor nymphs and dries.

Lake fishing in western WA has been great...Pine, the Beeve, Alice, and I daresay rattlesnake, which has only a thimble full of water in it, (but on the rise) are all putting out fish. Fishing an intermediate or clear intermediate line with a chironamid has been an effective method, while olive and black buggers always work, and the damsel/dragon nymph 'thang ought to happen relatively soon. Suggested Patterns: V-rib Chironomids black, olive, red, #12-18, suspender midges, midge emergers, nymphs (prince, pheasant, hares, etc.) #14-18, Superfly #14-16 in olive or maroon. We haven't heard any first hand reports from Pass lake, but string two or three nice days together and it'll be a Chironomid Festival up there, as it has been in Eastern Washington. As a result, the Eastern Washington Lakes have also been fishing very well, with Lenice and Nunnally continuing to put out some very nice sized fish. Again, the chironomid hatch is prolific...for those not familiar with the tactics for fishing the midge, the most basic thing to remember is that you cannot retrieve the fly too SLOWLY. These bugs can't swim. They just wrythe and wriggle their way through the water column until they are eaten or reach the surface, at which time they emerge. A chironomid breaking through the surface tension of the water is a great undertaking for the bug, and its little butt is hanging out there just primed for the taking (by the fish). The moral is don't overlook the emerger. Summary: the lake fishing has been superb, so If that's your gig, you have no excuse.

Rocky Ford: Many reports of 25++ inch fish being landed on small flies over there. The pressure has been alleviated somewhat with other nearby promising stillwater alternatives available. Flies: Scuds, chironomidae, attractor dries and nymphs, buggers in funny colors or colorless, bullwhips, guns, etc.

Puget Sound: Coho are working the euphasids, but are very scattered. If you can find the fish, you can catch the fish. Words to live by. The beaches in general have been fair to midland in the central sound, while the south undoubtedly is a somewhat better bet. If you're line ain't in the water, you're not fishing.

If I were asked about fly fishing for native browns in Tasmania, I would suggest a similar itinerary to the one I undertook last week...a few days in the midlands fishing the tiny streams, then a few more days in the upland lakes for giant browns and rainbows. I would not necessarily recommend that anyone try the (14 hours to Sydney and additional takeoffs and landings required to get to Hobart, Tasmania, then driving up to the quaint midland waters) trip during the onset of fall weather in that region. You could definitely tell that when there are bugs the fishing is potentially awesome. Virtually no other anglers, small, crystal clear meandering stream with many good sized native browns...but in late April, it's basically the equivalent of late November here...which is not the height of hatches. The following couple of days at London Lakes Lodge (www.londonlakes.com.au), however, were outstanding, despite somewhat slow fishing. The guides, food, accommodations, food, landscape, food, wallabies hopping all over the place…were all five star, and the surrounding interconnected lakes are teeming with both giant stocked and naturally reproducing browns and rainbows. We didn't exactly slay fish, but we missed the prolific beetle hatch by only a week or two, and you could just tell that when the stars were in alignment, the fishing was nuts. Two thumbs up.

Hugh Pastoriza
Creekside Angling Company
1180 NW Gilman Blvd. Ste. C-5
Issaquah, WA 98027
p.425.392.3800
f.425.557.8928
www.creeksideangling.com

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