Winter fishing update
Yakima River:
While chilly east of the Cascades, the Yakima River still provides opportunity to catch quality fish this time of year. Though, the upcoming highlight will be the Skwala Stonefly hatch, which will starting sometime in February. The onset is determined by water temperatures, generally when we see daytime temperatures consistently reaching 42 degrees F. With the onset of the emergence of these adult insects, the trout will begin to inhabit varied habitat from their winter time lies as well. Stoneflies generally emerge in faster water, around shelves and stark drop-offs. Due to this fish will inhabit shallower water often times right on the shelf or just downstream of it, the most shallow being 2' roughly! Don't overlook this habitat in the coming month! We will start to see BWO's becoming more prevalent as well, so keep an eye out for small sailboats (mayflies wing structure makes them look like small sailboats) floating downstream. The one thing to keep in mind moving into February is river flows, once the rain returns we should see the Yakima begin to fluctuate, depending on snow levels. Make sure its not flooded and that you have your stonefly nymphs and San-Juan worms, and go chase some hungry trout!
For nymphing, Stoneflies #6-10, San-Juan Worms, BWO nymphs #16-18 and midges #16-20 should be your considerations. For when adults bugs start to show, Bullethead Skwalas, JD Hummer Skwala, Rainbow Brite, and Rio's Skwala will all suffice for surface Skwala's. If BWO's are about, Purple Haze and Parachute Adam's #16-18, Sparkle Flag BWO #16-18, and Parachute Quill body BWO #16-18 should entice some surface feeders. If streamers are on the menu, Sculpin patterns are always a good food source for trout, but baitfish flies can also entice some larger trout for a bigger meal!
Steelhead:
With January becoming a thing of the past, the proactive anglers will begin to shift focus to anadromous winter fish that return for their annual spawning. From the glacial fed Olympic Peninsula rivers to the rugged North Cascades, the scenery while steelhead fishing alone is enough to entice the average person, let alone the prospects of catching a wild fish. These fish truly don't live in ugly places!
This Winter/Spring we will have accessibility to numerous rivers on the Washington coast, as well as the recently announced fishery on the Skagit and Sauk Rivers! Fish forecasts are looking up, comparative to years past, with many systems exceeding escapement goals in order to open. With a number of additional streams open this year compared to years prior, this will allow for increased access to more rivers and provide greater solitude when you are out on the water. With an assortment of two-handed rods, steelhead flies, Skagit heads and running lines we have all the necessities to get you out chasing Steelhead!
Additionally, there is still time left to fish the Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Wallace and Stillaguamish for hatchery steelhead! While numbers aren't crazy, there are still fish to be caught in these systems.
To view regulations for the Coast and Skagit/Sauk, links are below
Coastal Rivers regulations: https://wdfw.wa.gov/newsroom/news-release/wdfw-announces-2024-25-coastal-steelhead-regulations
Skagit/Sauk Regulations: https://wdfw.wa.gov/newsroom/news-release/steelhead-fishery-open-feb-1-skagit-and-sauk-rivers
Puget Sound:
Lately, the cool and calm weather has allowed for great conditions for fishing the Puget Sound waters for cutthroat! So long as we maintain the benign weather the opportunity to find cutthroat roaming the beaches will persist. Wind and rain can lead to challenging fishing conditions, so keep an eye on the weather and go after our cutthroat companions! In the Puget Sound, fly selection isn't the most pertinent variable to consider as the fish have a number of food sources. The key finding the fish, which will entail ensuring you are fishing on a moving tide in general, fishing rips and currents, and identifying structure the trout will inhabit! Some fly patterns to consider will be Clouser minnows, Seth's Sand Eel's, shrimp flies, and flat-wing style baitfish. Soon enough we will see the outmigration of Chum Fry to the Puget Sound, lending to a feeding frenzy of Cutthroat eating these tasty baby salmon! Keep prepared for late February into early March for their voyage from their natal streams.
