Yakima River, WA

Saturday Evening:
Thinking about how the weather wasn't going to be stellar if I returned to Montesano and the fact that I was halfway there I decided I would head over to the Yakima to fish a little and maybe try to take hwy 12 home and fish the Tieton and the Naches river. I got to Cle Elum and first stopped at the Hanson Ponds and tried to fish the river there where I have had luck before from the bank. No such luck this time. I got back in my truck and moved to my trusted spot at the mouth of Teanaway River. Here I had a few bites, had a little guy chase my nymph getting ready for a role cast, and finally hooked way looked like a nice 15-16" rainbow-cutthroat. When I went to net the fish I bumped it and the little frenzy popped the hook so I couldn't get a picture. Proceeded down to Big Pine where I camped for the night.
Sunday:
Having not seen my buddy Dustin at The Evening Hatch in a long time I thought it would good to drop in and see how he was doing. (I don't plug for many places often but this shop knows it's river and I would recommend getting a guided trip from them, well worth it, just read on) Talking with him for a while he called a buddy who was going out and said if I would man the sticks for a little I could float the river. I didn't hesitate. We put in the boat at Ringer and began our float. Maybe a half a river mile down I hooked into the first fish and landed a nice 15" rainbow. Matt the other guy in the boat hooked two more and I too one more. Tyler got off the sticks just past Big Horn and hooked a nice 17" rainbow and a few other fish. Dustin got on the water at Umptanum and I jumped in his boat. For the first time in forever we got to fish one hole we usually don't get to due to it's typical inaccessibility of obstructing swimmers and landed probably six fish alone there. Allison called it a night on fishing and I went from sitting in the back of the boat to the front. In the next twenty minutes I hooked 5 fish. If it didn't look sizable I tried to shake it of so that I could cast again. I probably officially landed 8 fish and could have landed more if they were not "small", but lost just as many. It was a killer day and a hell of way to end the Spring.

Summary:
Location: Yakima River, near Cle Elum and Ellensburg, WA.
Time: 6-8pm Sat. & 1:30pm-9:30pm Sun
Rod: 5 wt w/ floating line
Tackle: 6 pat's stone brown and/or black with a 10 pat's stone brown and/or black dropper or silver bead-copper john (red killer) dropper, chartreuse and green streamer, & 8 tan body/black back Chernobyl
Fish: 20+
Species: Rainbow, Squaw, & White
Biggest Fish: 17"
Smallest Fish:10"
Rating: 10/10

 Wanted a go at the sticks