Annual Yak' Float

Though I really wasn't planning on it, somehow floating the Yak has made it's way into an annual adventure of mine. This year wasn't any different.
I procured a couple fishing partners, both bold enough to fair the sometimes inclement weather, to have a three day float weekend a couple weeks ago. As it turned out the weather was plenty nice and it held off raining or snowing all three days.

Flows were lowest I've ever floated the lower canyon in; making for a nice leisurely float in what is normally a blitz creek fishing event.



Wasn't super cold but your fingers definitely felt stiff!


A few fish in the boat both running nymph rigs and fishing dries in the arvo. Water temps were still a bit cold for too much Skwala action to take place but some BWO and midges took their place on the top of the water.

BigHorns bouncing around the hills.


Overall, it's always a great time taking friends on 45 miles of floating!
We're very blessed!

 

[Buzzy]

Nice report and welcome to the forum!

 

[ThomasM]

Do you mind posting your logisitics - how you broke up the trip? I'm assuming you camped along the way or did you do three floats and shuttles overnighting elsewhere?

I'm looking for a few 'easy' overnighters for family that aren't avid anglers.

 

[Bob]

Do you mind posting your logisitics - how you broke up the trip? I'm assuming you camped along the way or did you do three floats and shuttles overnighting elsewhere?

I'm looking for a few 'easy' overnighters for family that aren't avid anglers.

Not at all. I tend to stay in Ellensburg and put in on Ringer road. Reds fly shop (or one of the others will shuttle your vehicle down the lower canyon if you want. Most, if not all, State campsites and the Federal ones have takeouts. You could put in at any of those too! Floats go fast even if you float from Ringer to Roza. Right now floats are slow so could be pretty long right now but when they open the dam up a bit it you can float 20 miles in 6 hours. Would be fun floating from Ringer and camping one night at a site though!

 

[ThomasM]

Not at all. I tend to stay in Ellensburg and put in on Ringer road. Reds fly shop (or one of the others will shuttle your vehicle down the lower canyon if you want. Most, if not all, State campsites and the Federal ones have takeouts. You could put in at any of those too! Floats go fast even if you float from Ringer to Roza. Right now floats are slow so could be pretty long right now but when they open the dam up a bit it you can float 20 miles in 6 hours. Would be fun floating from Ringer and camping one night at a site though!

Thanks for the follow-up. I'm very familiar with the stretch from Irene to Roza.

I think I misunderstood your post. When you mentioned 3 days, I thought you did three sequential floats - started upstream at KOA or somewhere and floated 3 days w/o repeating anything, hence the question about camping by the river.

Honestly, at this point in my life, I'd probably prefer multiple shuttles and a real bed.

 

[Cabezon]

At these flows and if you do some extensive wading at midday to fish your through the noon to 2ish BWO hatch, floating from Ringer to Umtanum or Lmuma and then Umtanum / Lmuma to Big Pines would provide two days of floating over new water.
Steve