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I went back to this fishery on Sunday 3/17/2024 to see if I could find any fish in locations where there was better substrate for any fish that might be responding to their spawning instinctual urges. I even found this small inlet creek: This small creek is too small for spawning, but it...

This central WA lake has to be one of the most scenic fly fishing venues, especially when the water is calm like this. Since the March 1st opener, the reports I've received for this lake have been mostly dismal, maybe due to the cold water temperatures and lack of any hatches? With the...

I'm no fisheries biologist, but I believe it is the same in WA as well.

Here's what that 23 incher looked like after getting time-out in the smoker (before removing the skin, pin bones and fat line): Very tasty, if I say so myself! The fat content in these fish is amazingly high, which makes them taste really great. I don't know for sure if these big fish are...

Good thinking... I thought the same thing, but could not detect any temperature difference with my fish finder between the deep water and shallow water, both being at 42 degrees. Also, if the fish were seeking warmer water, it seems that all the fish would seek the warmer water, but I am...

You could be right, especially if those rainbows were diploids, but I believe these rainbows are triploids, as all the ones I've cleaned have no eggs or milt sacs, have their adipose fin clipped, and theoretically would not be spawning. For wild rainbows, I could definitely see your point, but...

After spending a week down in California, I was chomping on the bit to get back out fishing. Decided to go back to central WA on Friday 3/8/2024 to try for those husky rainbows again. I was the only one fishing this area, but maybe for a good reason, as in the first 2.5 hours I didn't even...

Here's some of that 21 incher after I smoked the meat, and then I removed the skin, the dark stuff (fat line or bloodline) along the lateral line and the pin bones: Definitely one of the best-tasting trout I've retained in WA; very high fat content, nice salmon color and good flavor. Going...

The 18 incher had a half dozen very tiny midge pupa way down deep in the stomach, but otherwise it had not been eating anything. The 21 incher had nothing at all in the stomach. A month ago I had also retained some fish and they also had nothing in their stomachs. Of course, it is winter and...

I have a small handheld scale for weighing trout, which I think is fairly accurate. For larger salmon, I have a digital scale, but I don't think it is all that accurate. The two fish I landed were retained, so that's how I was able to weigh them, so it wasn't just guessing. The 18 inchers...

I don't really know, although I also thought it was a cutt-bow hybrid due to that orange slash under the chin, but all the other appearances are typical rainbow.

Headed over the pass on Thursday to see what I could find over in central WA. Lots of fog along the drive, but from what stillwater I could see, most of the ice is now gone. Here's a photo of Dry Falls from the Interpretive Center (but that is not where I fished!): Looks like Dry Falls will...

I fished the lake on Thursday afternoon and yes, the water clarity is quite poor with only 12 to 18 inches of visibility. The water temperature was 46 degrees. There were a half dozen fishermen out there, however, but I don't know how any of them did, as I didn't talk to anyone. I found the...

Right... I did stop by Pass Lake, but since it was iced over I didn't fish it; I went to another lake in the Smokey Point area and fished there for a few hours as it was mostly ice-free.

Great information! I totally agree that fly selection is over-rated. I contend that getting the depth right and the retrieve style right is way more important than what fly pattern is being used.