Fly of the Week #22- Anything Orange!!

Photo by S. Worley- Recent Yakima Rainbow

Yes, the fly of the week is anything orange.  Big and orange.

As the fall season continues the slow, inevitable slide into winter, fishing is still staying blistering hot on the Yakima.  The river is a gin clear, low and slow, dry fly fishing carnival ride and kaleidoscopic technicolor wonder.    Guide Aron and I were on the river for 7 hours yesterday and calling it epic is not hyperbole.

The recipe for success right now is this:  One good quality drift boat, Two rods- one with a nymph setup and one with a big honking OC- October Caddis.  Forget the size 22 BWO's right now, albeit they fish awesome, but there are so many OC's on the water that Blue Wing Olive feeders will snatch them before they float past.  Mix that with a quality section of river and a guides knowledge and it's an all day dry fly bonanza.   I admit that there is a secret ingredient here... A secret that, if told, would lead to terrible, horrible things.  I like Guide Aron, so I won't divulge his secret here, but Aron has a guide fly that fishes better than about any dang fly out there (Except of course my own pet fly).  My only hint- ORANGE!  Better yet, book a trip and have the best day you'll ever have on the Yakima and actually see the fly yourself.


How was our shop guys trip?  It started with some great nymphing.  Pat's Stones, small Baetis patterns, Bird of Prey Caddis Pupae and pink worms all fished well. Both Aron and I were using New Zealand Wool as indicators, Aron green, me white, and that stuff works really well.  Fishing slow riffles and even slower soft side seams produced fish.   With the river mostly stabilized from a freak, fall blowout of the Teanaway, we had high hopes as the day progressed.  At about one o'clock we switched over to October Caddis as the fish started trying to eat my wool indicator!  After that, nymphing was minimal with a couple of deep runs the only exception.  Fish after fish rose to the OC and when a BWO feeder was encountered, we simply slowed the boat and fed a good drift into the foam.  WHAM!  fish on, or, in my case, way too many over excited early hook sets.  I'm not too prideful to admit that I did have a long streak of overly excited, too soon, sets.  Use my misfortune to your advantage- wait.  Sit on the fly and wait.  Use something like a verbal count or "I like fish", before you set the hook as the takes are molasses sloooow.  So painfully slow.  The fishing shuts down about 4:30 to 5:00pm so don't beat up water after the most productive period is over.   Give your arm a rest and scan the hills for wildlife.  Lots of deer and elk along the river right now and the bucks are starting to get active while they shadow the small groups of doe.

No recipes today, but take these tried and true flies as reference for future tying and solid fishing.

Stimi-Chew Toy, Size 8- ORANGE!

October Caddis Tri Wing- ORANGE!!

PMX- Orange!!!

Orange flies have been selling too fast to list any here.  Feel free to call the shop and see what we have, shipping is fast and affordable at $7.95.  Better, if you can stop by the shop in person, our friendly staff can directly suggest flies and help you get on the hotttest sections of the river.

Get that late fall fix.  

Thanks for reading,
WBFC Pro-Staff,

Joe  

Fly of the Week #21- Para-Trooper BWO

Size 20 Para-Trooper BWO

Flavor of the Week: Matching the hatch on the Yakima River.    If you're lucky enough to be able to get on the Yakima this fall, you will be treated to stellar Blue Winged Olives, Light Cahill and Fall Caddis.  

The BWO hatch has been consistent and robust.  A light drizzle is best, but most days are showing a good hatch and the time is around 1pm on.  A size 20 is about right for most bugs in the area.  Fishing pools below riffles is always a good bet, but don't over look eddies and side channels which can be big producers.  

Recipe:
Para-Trooper BWO Fly

Hook: Sz 20 general Dry Fly Hook
Thread: Olive  8/0
Tail: Two Fibet type fibers
Body:  Olive Dry Fly Dubbing
Legs:  Micro Sized Spandex- Olive
Post: Grey or Silver Widows Web
Hackle: Medium Dun Hackle- Parachute Style

FLY OF THE WEEK	PRICE	ADD TO CART
BWO Para-Trooper Sz 20	$2.50 PER FLY

Thanks for reading,
WBFC Pro-Staff,

Joe  

Fly of the Week #20- Anadramizer, Purple #2

Anadramizer, Purple Sz #2

Klickitat and Grande Ronde- Two huge names in Northwest arid country fishing.  The "Klick" was in great shape, but recently we were pounded by an atmospheric river and it is now blown.  The "Ronde" is starting to get fish and customer reports are telling of good fish numbers and what sounds like the beginning of a good season.

Guide Aron was on the Klick back a couple of weeks ago for one full week.  He had clients into fish every day (Which he said was unusual).  However, it was not easy, at all.  He said the river is as crowded with anglers as ever and the Steelhead numbers are low this year.  He mentioned that slower water was holding fish this year, or at least when he was there.

If you like to nymph for Steelhead and want a good fly that gets down and deep fast.  Give the Anadramizer a try and pray for chrome!


Recipe:
Anadramizer - Purple #2
Hook: #2  Short Shank Steelhead
Bead: 4.6mm Brass Bead- Tungsten or Brass depending on water type
Thread: Black 6/0 or 3/0
Tail: Brown Spandex
Body: Purple Flashabou- large or Saltwater
Rib: Purple UTC Ultra-Wire
Thorax: Micro UV Polar Chenille - UV Purple
Wingcase: Black Scud back or Thin Skin
Legs: Barred Round Rubber
To finish: Use Loon Fly Finish, Thick, on wingcase feather and thread.  Done!

FLY OF THE WEEK	PRICE	ADD TO CART
Anadramizer-Purple Sz 2	$3.25 PER FLY

Thanks for reading,

WBFC Pro-Staff,

Joe

Fly of the Week #19- Sticky Sculpin

I've been busy booking a lot of trips, so this post might be a bit light on content.  The Yakima river and Klickitat River are both fishing really well.  We just had guide Aron down on the Klick for 5 days and among the many steelhead brought to net, they also caught trout and a 16 pound King Salmon.  According to him, it was awesome.

OK, let's get down to the fly.  We have a tube fly that will fish great as the river fish start to get greedy for calories.  The fish are quite ravenous at the moment, and the sculpin is a good fish food to imitate.

 Photo by Amber Manfree.

As a kid I caught a lot of these in the local river, behind my house, and they are quite common in most systems.  Big trout, including Steelhead, love to eat a tasty treat like a sculpin- just imagine calories galore!

These tube flies are really nice to fish and swing thru or across drop offs, out of riffles and fast water, or into log jams.   Fish this fly with a good sink tip and be prepared for a jolting strike while using at least 3x or heavier tippet/leader.

Recipe:

Sticky Sculpin Tube Fly
Hook: Sz 6 Straight Eye- tube fly style
Thread: Black  6/0
Tube: Pro Tube and Hook Keeper
Tail: Barred Rabbit Strip
Body-  back to front:
 a few strands Fine Tinsel then Barred Marabou
Collar: Orange Dyed Guinea
Fins: Small Hungarian Partridge
Head and over collar: Spun Olive Deer Hair
Note: This fly has a top and bottom and make sure to trim the deer hair flat on the "bottom".  The picture was the best I could find.   The actual fly looks similar, but not as "bushy".  

FLY OF THE WEEK	PRICE	ADD TO CART
Sticky Sculpin Olive Tube	$3.50 PER FLY

Thanks for reading,
WBFC Pro-Staff,
Joe

Fly of the Week #18- Mighty May Baetis

Mighty May Baetis Sz 18

"Good to Great", that is my reply when customers walk in and ask about fishing on the Yakima River right now.  Fall is in full swing, it was 36 this morning, and the fish are devouring the last of the big bugs before the winter fast.   Well, fast is not correct, it's more like winter diet plan for trouts.

Why small?  We have previously covered the big stuff, the big three- Summer Stones (Done), Fall Caddis (NOW) and Crane Flies (Now, but fading).  These big guys all fish well after about 12 or so in the afternoon, but what about prior to noon?  Nymphing becomes essential.   Couple that with the fact that fall Baetis are hatching in the canyon, other sections too, and you will start to piece the game plan together.

Start the morning at 10, have a good breakfast.  Fish a Stone and a Mighty May up until 12 or 1pm, then switch to big, skated flies like we covered in earlier posts.  The "in-tune" angler will start picking up fish quickly.  The river system is great for wading.  An angler can also add a dropper to the big flies, but that is totally up for debate.

One note on the fish- I had a series of about 10 missed strikes the other day and I was having trouble figuring out why!  I changed hooks, delayed strikes, etc.  Nothing worked.  Then, in frustration, I decided to just let the fly sit after the rise and count.   One, two, three...POW- the fish would come back and clobber the fly.  I don't see that all that often but it was the way of the day.


Recipe:

Mighty May Baetis
Hook: #14-20 Emerger- like the Dai-Riki #125
Bead: 3/32″ Black Bead
Thread: Black Veevus 10/0
Tail: Pheasant Tail
Body: Thread
Rib: small green Holo Tinsel by UTC
Thorax: Peacock Ice Dub, but I have also seen Black Ice dub.
Wingcase: Mottled Hen Feather
Legs: Natural India Hen Back
To finish: Use Loon Fly Finish, Thick, on wingcase feather and thread.  Done!

FLY OF THE WEEK	PRICE	ADD TO CART
Mighty May Baetis Sz18	$2.50 PER FLY

Thanks for reading,
WBFC Pro-Staff,
Joe

Fly of the Week #17- Bird Of Prey October Caddis

This week we selected a hot fly in anticipation of that fall wonder- the October Caddis hatch.  It's truly amazing to see these insects explode off the water; something that must be seen to appreciate.

Photo by Brian Henning

Fly developer John Anderson had his thinking cap on tight when he brainstormed  the Bird of Prey Caddis.  It's a stellar fly, simple, but effective.  As someone who responds well to flies tied with minimal fuss and steps, I can whip out a lot of flies during a tying session without going bonkers or having to drink 6 cups of coffee.  It also helps that October Caddis are huge and that speeds things up too.

What is a Bird of Prey supposed to be?  I've seen the fly described as a fussy caddis larva, or a slimmed down pupa.  You can go ahead and  take your pick and fish the fly according to your preference.  Me, I will swing it, or drop it under a big, juicy foam October Caddis.  I like to think of it as a pupa.


Recipe:
Hook: Dai-Riki #135   (size 8-10)
Head: Gold Bead
Thread: 8/0 Uni-Thread (colored to match the body)
Tail: clump of natural Hungarian partridge fibers
Rib: pearl Flashabou accent
Body: rabbit or beaver dubbing (usually light orange, tan, olive, brown, or green)
Hackle: natural Hungarian partridge
Thorax: peacock herl

FLY OF THE WEEK	PRICE	ADD TO CART
Bird Of Prey Sz8	$2.50 PER FLY
Bird Of Prey Sz10	$2.50 PER FLY

Thanks for reading,
WBFC Pro-Staff,
Joe

Fly of the Week #16- Crane Fly- The Hidden Hatch

Copyright © 2007 Gayle and Jeanell Strickland

I can hear it now- "Crane Fly... You mean that wacky giant mosquito thingy that flies out of my yard and gets stuck in my screen door?"  Yes, and no.  That ungainly and seriously leggy bug we know as a "Mosquito Eater" or "Daddy Long Legs",( They do not eat mosquitos and we also call a type of spider Daddy Long Legs too, confusing I know) is actually a member of the Order Diptera, AKA Flies.  From my research, the Crane Fly family is comprised of 14,000 species and is considered the largest single group, or family, of flies in the world.  The Crane Fly we are almost entirely concerned with, unless your fishing above Cle Elum where some yards come in contact with the river, is the aquatic Crane Fly.  I am not sure of the taxonomic specifics, but calling it the ACF or just Crane Fly is OK around here.



The ACF is really a strange insect in a lot of ways.

The first oddity is that the larva can be huge and not many anglers use them, which is a shame as the fly is simple to tie.  Second oddity, the observant angler  will see the larva along shore, as they migrate OUT of the water to pupate in the loose shore soils.  A larva, fished similar to a Pat's Stone, is good year round, as they are ubundant and fish see them often.  That patter is extremely simple and I will include it as a supplemental fly in the recipes below.   The pupa is sometimes available when freak storms swell the river and high water washes the pupa into the river system, but not really something to tie or even worry about.  Keep throwing those Chubbies, in Orange, until the fish really start responding to the swin/skate of the fly, something all Yakima River anglers should be doing at the end of the drift.  When the fish really start keying in on skating- tie on a Crane Fly pattern and hold on!  The last oddity, when metemphosis is complete, the almost comical adult Crane Fly is nearing death.  Like many of our aquatic insects, adulthood is short and frenzied.  Short in lifespan and frenzied in mating.  After mating, they die.

Why is this a "hidden" hatch, well I write that in part because of the aforementioned multi-habitat life cycle, like bank side pupation, as well as the fact that the Crane Fly hatch is so dang unknown!  Who talks about this stuff?  How many book authors wax poetic on the value of an ugly, massive and clumsy trout delicacy such as the Crane Fly?  Few, if any... of course, except WBFC!  Don't get it wrong, the ACF is the fly to fish in fall.

Recipes!  

Bugger Crane by Steve Worley

Recipe
Hook: Dai-Riki #300 size 10-12
Thread: Color to match body- 6/0 Preferably
Body: Olive dubbing
Ext. Body: Olive foam cylinder
Hackle:Dun
Wing: Dun rooster hackle
2nd Wing: Grey Poly
Fore body: Olive foam, cut to make head
Legs: Hen hackle shafts, knotted

ACF by Joe Schliesman

Recipe
Hook:  Curved Caddis type-  size 10-12
Thread: Color to match body- 10/0 veevus Preferably ( I use Chartreuse)
Ext. Body: Tan foam cylinder
Wing: Silver Widows web and one strand gold Krystal flash per wing
Body Dubbing:  Lightly dubbed Arizona Simi Seal #41- Cranefly Tan
Hackle:White rooster, oversized for skatting
Over body: Tan 2mm foam, cut to make head
Legs: old 10lb tippet form last year, knotted

FLY OF THE WEEK

PRICE

ADD TO CART

Bugger Crane Sz10

$2.50 PER FLY

Thanks for reading,

WBFC Pro-Staff,

 Joe