The Creekside
Anniversary Party Report
That's right, your favorite fly shop
is turning 14 years old, or 2 in dog years. To
celebrate and to thank all of you for the years
of support we are giving something
back. Starting this Saturday, May 10th we
are offering you, the customer, a 20% store
credit on any purchase. You may use the
credit at anytime and it does not expire. Our anniversary
party will be a week long! That's right, like spring
break in Daytona Beach,
except minus all the scantily clad women and
beach volleyball.
The party will culminate on Saturday,
May 17th at the Issaquah shop with a
barbeque, a raffle (which you may enter at anytime
that
week)
and
plenty
of other shenanigans I'm sure. There's no need
to RSVP just show up, eat a hot dog and hang
out. Food will be around noon and raffle winners
will
be announced that afternoon. You do not need
to be present to win. We just have to be able
to read the handwriting on your raffle ticket.
Trust me (I know that's a stretch), you will
want to enter the raffle we have some really
cool stuff to give away. Rods, reels, flylines,
sunglasses, a date with Giselle Bundchen and
plenty more.
Other Happenings: Row,row,
row your boat. Outcast Demo Day will
be 10am Saturday June 14 @ Rattlesnake
Lake in
North Bend. Jon Covich the Outcast factory rep.
will be on hand to answer questions and whatnot.
So if you've been thinking about checking out a
new boat/tube or your first boat/tube then come
on up. This is a FREE event so
feel free to come up and hang out and fish a little
too.
Our next free spey session will be
on at 10am Sunday May 18th at
the bridge in Fall City on the Snoqualmie. Craig
Uher
will
preside and have gear for you to oogle and fondle.
Please call the Issaquah shop for more details.
We have an Intro to Fly Tying class
coming up May 19th, 22nd & 23rd all 7-9pm at the
Issaquah shop. Cost is $80 and all tools and materials
are included.
So what about the fishing you say?
Yakima: As I sit
here and contemplate the social advantages and
consequences of growing a sweet handle bar moustache
I can't
help
but compare
my
dilema
to
the Yakima. The river can't seem to make up it's
mind lately. Waffling?
We're not happy with uncertainty like this. We've
already got the war and gas prices and the economy
to worry
about. We shouldn't need to worry about fishing
right? If I were to write a letter to the Yakima
it would
start something like this, "Dear Yakima, Please
just give us a shot. The caddis are coming and
we really like to fish that hatch so what do ya
say? Will you drop in for a week or so?" At
the moment the canyon is pretty much outta shape.
The
Teanaway
and Wilson
creek
are
dumping
in lots
of color and that color is mostly brown. The forecast
looks a bit cooler in the mountains so hopefully
we will have a couple of feet of visibility in
the canyon by the end of the weekend. Two feet
is plenty of vis. for the canyon and if it drops
into decent shape the Mother's Day Caddis hatch
should blow up! They've been trying to pop.
We've seen a few buzzing around but the river just
needs to mellow out a little bit and we will have
some of those blizzard hatches that happen every
year. If you've never experienced an epic caddis
hatch you're missing out but this could
be your opportunity. When the magic happens you
get thousands of fish slurping, chomping on the
surface for hours at a time. You will have caddis
crawling into your ears, nose and down your waders.
You will find dead caddis in your pockets days
later. You will not believe how many fish there
are in the Yakima until you see this hatch. Sometimes
it's sillier than Alec Baldwin running for office.
So that said, keep an eye on the weather and water
flows
(which
you
can
access
through
our
website)
and if the flows drop and weather cools a bit to
shore up snowmelt you need to get in the car and
step on it. The upper river has seen some rollercoaster
flow over the last week too. Some of which is dam
induced. They have lots of caddis up there too
and on the whole it should remain clearer and a
little lower
than
the
Ellensburg
area. If
you want to hit it where it's in shape for sure
stay above the Cle Elum river confluence and you'll
be ok. Try Golf Course Road or Easton.
As for bugs this is a great time
of year because there are tons of different things
hatching. We already mentioned caddis of course.
If you've skimmed down to here read the previous
paragraph
and you'll
understand. Salmonflies are popping here and there.
Green drakes will pop on the upper river but only
in specific conditions of which I am unaware so
just make sure you have a few green drakes in your
box. There are a few march browns left and BWOs
are always a neccessity to have. Bottom line for
the next couple weeks is watch the weather and
water flows and carry way too many flies with you
because you never know what you'll find.
Steelhead: Opening
day is less than a month away. If you're lonely
you might want to crash Jenna Bush's wedding. Or
you could check out the Cowlitz. It's open all
year and they get some very early returning hatchery
fish.
Lakes: Lake are
still the highlight of Washington fishing right
now. The reports from Lenice and Nunnally are still
pretty much all positive and there are plenty of
other lakes putting out fish too. Dry Falls, Quincy,
Dusty, Lenore, Beda, Homestead, what about Omak?
You make the call, I don't think you can really
go wrong. The callibaetis nymphs are really becoming
important as are damsel nymphs. Casting into reed
stands and cattails and stripping out can be deadly
with these types of flies. We haven't heard of
many good callibaetis hatches yet but it's just
a matter
of time. Chironomids and buggers are both still
great plays. I don't think those fish ever get
tired of that stuff there just happens to be more
on the menu later in the year which jsut makes
it more interesting anyway.
Westside action is good too. Rattlesnake
is still super low with plenty of stumps exposed
butfishing well most of the time. The fly of choice
up there is an olive or black hale bopp leech.
We have tons so come in and stock up. Pass is fishing
pretty well too with the cooler, cloudier days
prevailing. If you go up there don't forget to
take some big streamers. They like meat up there
ususally. Or giant chironomids, like over an inch
long. Seriously.
Saltwater: I think
I'm more excited about beach fishing right now
than the new Indiana Jones film. Considering I'm
a kid of the 80's that that likes action films
and gloified archeology that says a lot. The beaches
are a great way to spend the day in
a pretty
place
in relative solitude catching fish. The South Sound
is fishing pretty well right now for cutts and
silvers. Standard baitfish patterns apply. Olives,
browns, blues, maroon all with a white belly.
If you tie try something with grizzly hackle tips
through the fly to imitate the parr
marks of junvenille salmon. Turn them into cannibals.
Pretty much anything zipping through the water
will take
fish though. They want to eat and sometimes
don't care what it looks like. The North Sound
is getting hot too and like I've said before, (unless
you're new to the fishing report) it only gets
better from here on out. Same patterns go for up
North too. Beach of the week is Penrose Point State
Park on the Key Peninsula. Penrose has a couple
of points and plenty of fishy habitat. I was
there this week actually and saw hundreds of giant
dungeness crabs. It was crazy. They were everywhere
and I was glad to be wearing wading boots. If you
go bring a stripping basket so your flyline won't
get chopped in half by eager pinchers.
