Pyramid Creek, WA

My buddy and I wanted to go shoot some guns so we headed up to the national forest land off the 410 out of Enumclaw. What we were told is to go up FR-70 and there would be plenty of places to shoot. We also packed our rods along in case we saw anywhere good to fish.Checking the regulations we were not to fish the Green River below the lakes but we could fish many of it's tributaries, one of which was relatively close to where we went shooting. The creek is very small and we didn't expect much except for maybe some small fish. That was exactly what we caught. An abundance of small fish. It was fun and the weather was great. The growth along with the small creek presented some challenging cast as well.

Summary:
Location: Pyramid Creek, tributary to Greenwater River off of FR 70 off Highway 410.
Time: 3pm - 5pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line
Tackle:  14 tan/brown elk hair caddis, 16 parachute adams, & 12 stone-stimulator
Fish:20+
Species: Rainbow & Cutts
Biggest Fish: 10"
Smallest Fish: 3"
Rating: 7/10

Cedar River, WA

A friend approached me, via email and text, asking if I would want to spend a day working with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. What they are about, "dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings." Personally as this blog suggest, I love to share my joy of fly fishing with others and if you're going to give me the opportunity to give back to the men and women who have given so much for me through what I love most, you really didn't have to ask. Needless to say I was honored and excited to spend a day on the water with some veterans and service members. What I didn't know is the life changing experience it was going to be. Below pictured with me is Randle, a veteran, with a son that served as well. I have never spent a long time teaching or fishing with a stranger before but I can tell you I enjoyed fishing with Randle more than most people I have fished with in my life. He had great stories to tell, had a great sense of humor, and loved to be on the water. The stories he told me touched my heart and I would love to share them except that I want to keep his personal and private matters that.

Anyways back to the fishing part! We had two residents of the area let us use their property. The first one where we BBQ'd had a few great holes. Unfortunately Randle and I got the short end of the stick maybe or just bad luck but we didn't catch anything. What this did lead to however was getting invited to the second property and probably the best fishing hole on the river. This is also where I was taught that although it seams like a 12" fish on this river is a lunker, you haven't caught squat unless its over 20". The gentleman who owned this property tells me the biggest he has caught was 24" and when some marine biologist swam through the spotted several of that size in the hole next to his house. He showed me a home tied 3" olive sculpin he likes to fish with.I gave it a try and had no luck. However, fishing a koffman stone and a copper john dropper I did land an "alright" fish. Randle happen to catch a fish as well.

I also learned that because much of the river bank is private the best way to fish the river is by pontoon or raft. That you fish a hole, float 50 yds down the river, get out, and fish the next, so on and so on. Overall it was a great day and a priceless one to spend with the great men and women who have protected my freedom.

Summary:
Location: Cedar River out of Maple Valley .
Time: 11am - 4pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line, 5 wt w/ sinking tip
Tackle: 8 black stone nymph, 18 olive prince,14 sparkle elk hair caddis, 14 tan elk hair caddis, 12 parachute adams, size 1 olive sculpin
Species: Rainbows
Biggest Fish: 13"
Smallest Fish: 13"
Rating: 8/10

Cedar River, WA

One of my co-workers really wanted me to take him fly fishing and I knew about this river near our work in Federal Way. I also knew that I was going to be working with Project Healing Waters that weekend and thought this would be a good opportunity to go scout the river and see what would work and what would not. We starter at the park next to Highway 18 where the river flows under the trail and then under the highway. There were lots of people playing at the park so we waited our way up river. Upstream we found some nice holds behind rocks and a few deep cuts. Fishing each of them we were able to land a few fish but nothing of real size.
Still interested in exploring the river we got in the truck and headed up to Landsburg where I had heard of some more fishing opportunity. I felt that we were in the right spot because there were others getting off the water and still some showing up to go out. We ventured a good half mile down the trail to what seemed like a good couple holes. After hammering the first hole for sometime, having no success, we were just about to work down river, when another fisherman graciously walked through the bottom of our hole and into the one we were eying. Figuring not to make too much of a stink we instead packed up and headed out for the day. Word to the wise, be courteous when fishing around others. Ask if you are going to fish close and give as much space as you can. Heck let them fish it and come back to the hole when they are gone.

Summary:
Location: Cedar River out of Maple Valley and Landsburg.
Time: 3pm - 8pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line, 5 wt w/ sinking tip
Tackle: 8 black stone nymph, 18 olive prince,14 sparkle elk hair caddis, 14 tan elk hair caddis, 12 parachute adams; would try pmd's, ped's, orange stones, and later in the year more nymphs.
Fish: 8
Species: Rainbows
Biggest Fish: 8"
Smallest Fish: 5"
Rating: 7/10

Yakima River (Canyon near Ellensburg), WA

So this has became an annual float trip for my buddy Jon, his Mom, and I down the Canyon of the Yakima River. This year was exceptionally fun because Jon's Mom took the time to get us not only a raft but also a tent at Red's Fly Shop and Lodge right on the river. This year we floated from Ringer to Red's. A good float that takes about 3/4 of a day stopping to fish and swim along the way. The down side was that we didn't catch any fish and I got a little hear exhaustion. There was a good stone hatch out and something I learned was that different from central Oregon, the Yakima River has a nocturnal or evening hatch of stone flies. The float was fun and the accommodations were top notch. Overall it was a great trip. I'm looking forward to next year!


Summary:
Location: Yakima River out of Ellensburg.
Time: 10am - 8pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line, 5 wt w/ sinking tip
Tackle: 8 brown/olive/tan Pat's Stone, 8 red/purple/tan Chernobyl, 14 sparkle elk hair caddis, 14 tan elk hair caddis, 12 parachute adams, 10 San Juan worm, 18 purple zebra midge, & various other nymphs.
Fish:0
Species: Rainbow Trout & White Fish
Biggest Fish:N/A
Smallest Fish: N/A
Rating: 7/10

 The Crew

 Park and Cast

 Float and Cast

 Base Camp

Canyon Creek, Southwest Washington

After a successful weekend earlier this summer, I figured this to be a good place to take my buddy who just moved here from Virginia. We headed out on a Friday and camped the weekend in the campground. This happen to be the weekend after the 4th so it was pretty busy. The campground fee was activated but only $5/day. Since this river is planted you can also catch a hatchery fish and keep it for breakfast/dinner.

Early in the day we fished the section of river below the Canyon Creek campground. There are two bridges below the campground and they both hold good water. A man was with his kids in one hole, so we dredged are way down the rest of the river. We both managed to land a few fish but none with any real size. The last time I had fished this a man spoke of good water above the camp ground and the guy at the bridge confirmed it was worth the walk. This section is much better before the 4th but after all the planted fish are caught or drift down river, this stretch can become difficult and slow.

We returned to camp and began fishing up river. We fished every ripple we could up to what was to be a huge hole. I managed to land several nicer fish and Jonny did as well. The rocks are slippery but the fishing was worth the journey. There is a lot of river to fish and if you enjoy quantity over size this is great water. Once, and a while you do catch a bigger fish and get to smile about it. Sure as the stories I heard, the hole was there. The water drops twice creating two big deep holes that held a lot of fish. They are a little hard to fish with the fly, whether it be mending the line or making room to cast, but it is a good spot to fish and one I will return too.

Also see this blog for more.

Summary:
Location: Canyon Creek, located 30 miles east of I-5 from Woodland near Chelatchie, WA
Time: 10am to 9pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line, 5 wt w/ sinking tip
Tackle: 8 black stone nymph, 16 psycho prince,14 sparkle elk hair caddis,12 parachute adams, 12 Mosquito, 14 Olive Elk Hair Caddis, 10 Orange Stimulator
Fish: 20+
Species: Rainbow
Biggest Fish: 13"
Smallest Fish: 4"
Rating: 8/10

 Nice Rainbow

 Casting around a rock to a small pool

 Typical size above the campground

 York and Luna admiring the pool

Metolius River, OR (Upper near Camp Sherman)

So I was sitting at work on Thursday, looking at my calendar, and noticed my Mom was going to be on the Metolius River this weekend. Figuring as good as time as any and an excellent excuse to make the 5+ hour drive from Federal Way. I headed out for a weekend on the greatest river in the world. This is not an opinion but a fact.

Check my other blogs to read more, but as for this trip, it was as almost as good as it gets. I say almost simply because of the Thunder Storm that caused me to abandon fishing to run back an button up the camp I was too lazy to straighten up before I went fishing. This resulted in multiple things of mine getting drenched but could hardly put a damper on my weekend.

On the upper stretch of the river, I consider the upper to be from the gorge to the head, there is a lot of good water and great holes to fish. The best way to experience this river is to park at blue hole and walk the river all day until you get to the gorge. If you want to cut corners, than pretty much every pull off or camp ground indicates a good place to fish. As I mentioned in previous blogs this river was once stocked on this stretch but is no longer. The river picked up and was really strong about 5 years ago, but now has tapered off and can at times be both difficult and frustrating. Fish aren't were you think and white fish are plentiful.

This trip however would be opposite to those experienced by many. After the second thunder storm and the skies finally opened up the river started popping. I had caught several white fish by this point but no trout. Until I walked into one of my most productive holes, tied on a fly I have looked at over and over, and landed five fish (three trout, two white) in ten cast. One of these fish was a rare German Brown. A fish I have caught in few other rivers before. The German brown has the same side speckles as a brown but has the silver belly similar to a rainbow trout.

You can fish this river with almost any set up and people will tell you a hundred different ways to be successful. I tell you this, listen to what they say, and then do what makes sense to you. I use floating and sinking line without an indicator to nymph, floating line with an indicator to nymph, and floating line to fish dry. My lines are green, grey, black, or orange, and it has made little to know difference. The only thing I have found makes the most difference is using as much leader as I possibly can. This river is fly-fishing only and catch and release, they have seen it all, so what they haven't seen or can't see will make a difference.


Read this for more info.

Summary:
Location: Metolius River, Camp Sherman, OR, located about 100 miles (2 hrs) east of Salem, and 20 min from Sisters, OR
Time: 9am - 7pm
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line, 5 wt w/ sinking tip
Tackle: 8 black stone nymph, 18 rainbow warrior, 18 zebra midge, 18 copper john hybrid, 10 Clark Stone, 10 Rogue Stone, 8 black and brown Pat's Stone, 16 lighting bug, 18 rainbow warrior
Fish:8
Species: White Fish, German Brown, Rainbow, Red-Band Rainbow
Biggest Fish: 17"
Smallest Fish: 11"
Rating: 9.5/10 (It rained, stereotypical, but it still rained, else 10)

 Below Blue Hole

 German Brown

 Red-band

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