FLY FISHING -- A full day of field research on Thursday confirmed that trout are alert to skawala stoneflies tumbling along the bottom of the Yakima River.
By about 1 p.m., the rainbows and cutthroats are ready to ambush the scattered adults floating downstream on the surface -- or dry fly patters than simulate the aquatic insects.
David Moershel and I had a productive float with Stefan Woodruff of Ellensburg Angler . We caught numerous rainbows, cutthroats and two whitefish in the Canyon Section of the river south of Ellensburg.
Even when the wind came up in the afternoon -- and our casting was less that pretty -- Woodruff was able to put us in position to catch fish right up to the end when we pulled out at Roza.
Woodruff says the action usually switches over to March Browns by mid-April.
But for now, his Skwalameister Patterns rule!
- Ellensburg Angler, (509) 607-1804, has been running a $199 early-season special for two anglers!
