RE: Yakima report/Canyon closure

[Jim Speaker]

Excellent report.� Too bad the Caddis didn’t do their thing like that when Marc and I were out last weekend.� Glad you had a great trip!   Thanks and –tight lines– Jim   From: owner-waflyfishers@waflyfishers.com [mailto:owner-waflyfishers@waflyfishers.com] On Behalf Of Tim Harris Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 6:32 PM To: waflyfishers@waflyfishers.com Subject: Yakima report/Canyon closure   The Yakima is back into shape after being up and down and back up and back down.  The weather in Ellensburg was a bit unstable today bringing sun, wind, clouds, and rain but the bugs and fish all seemed to be very happy and cooperative all day long.  The w---- was the biggest problem, it was blowing pretty steady at 7-10 knots but the hard upstream gusts made for tough casting with my 4-weight and mending was difficult, the line would blow way upstream and drag the fly.  I’d wait for a lull then get in good casts and ride out the big gusts just waiting.  The weekend weather should stabilize and the sun will be coming out but a word of warning –Canyon Road will be closed on Sunday morning for the marathon so you’ll have to fish elsewhere or later in the day.     I hit about 4-5 stretches of the river from 9-3:15 and was able to find fish at all the places I tried.  I started out nymphing but that only lasted about � hour and 4-5 fish before I saw my first rise under some overhanging grass to the caddis that were flitting about in the shade.  I switched to a #16 X-Caddis and kept to that fly the rest of the day both as a caddis imitation and as a PMD emerger.  Early on the fish were rising close to the bank where there were caddis and I got enough fish before 11:00 that I lost count.   In mid-day things slowed a bit but I still found fish concentrated in a few spots, in one long seam off a big rock I must have risen 15-20 fish, granted most were 8-10” fish but a few were 12-14” in that spot.  At about 1:30 things really turned on for an hour and I got a lot of nice fish during this time including one that went 18” and several 14-16” fish.  These fish were out from the bank in the first foam line and it was easy to stick close to the bank and work my way up a stretch fishing for rising fish.  There was some drizzle and lots of clouds during this time of heavy feeding.  The last � hour of fishing things slowed down but I was still rising fish, I had just lost the ability to hook up.  I had some last second refusals but I think my timing was off and the fish were just not taking with the same enthusiasm as earlier.   I finally just had to stop due to being tired and the rain had gotten a bit heavier.  As I was breaking down though fish began rising everywhere and it looked like another mass hatch was underway, I debated briefly but ended up packing up and starting the long drive home after re-fueling at Starbucks.   Tim