winter fish on the yakima

[Afraiman]

attempting do make it over the pass this weekend to the dry side to float down the Yakima with a buddy fly fishing and with any luck jump shoot some ducks off some on the public land side.
I've fished summer there but never winter; any tips or fly suggestions?
i was told the river was running fairly high at the end of last week.

[Henrydog]

https://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/rtgraph.html?list=umtw%20q&daily=umtw%20qd

You might want to check the weather.  The canyon may not get much weather but you might play hell getting over the hill

[jackelope]

Google up some fishing reports for water conditions. It's been raining over there the last couple days so the river might be dirty, but it should be clearing up with dropping temps. Usually this time of year it's a nymph and streamer show. Stonefly nymphs and woolly buggers is what I would start with.

@flyguide  any recent reports?

[7mmfan]

It's been high, but is dropping. If you can stay above the Teanaway confluence, clarity is probably ok even today. Fish a small brown stone fly nymph, san juan worm, and streamers. Even a wooly bugger fished deep can be good right now.

With the cold temps on the horizon it will come in fast, but be cold fishing. The fish will pod up on soft inside corners and deeper runs, if you find one, there are more there.

[95powersmoker]

Worley-bugger Fly Co just posted a video on their FB page of the current river conditions. Didn't look that bad from Irene Rinehart Park.

[Karl Blanchard]

Not a fly guy but just went over the Harrison bridge in selah and she is a bit high and pretty colored up.  Definitely fishable though

[AL WORRELLS KID]

There used to always be a nice School of Fat Whitefish hanging out in the pool on the Tieton River. (They gave us Kid's something to do after spending the day with our Parents.... chasing Bucks and Bulls up on Bethel Ridge.)
We would just plop our line down under the small log bridge (behind the Restaurant at Trout Lodge) along Hwy 12 above Naches, WA.
They were always plump full of eggs this time of year and they would sure smoke up real nice.
(If we didn't want to worry about eating the bones, we just "Pressure Canned them" after smoking and the bones just melt in your mouth.)

Too bad the Tieton River isn't open in the cold month's anymore, perhaps you can still find a few out on the Yakima River. 

 When it comes to catching a limit of Mountain Whitefish you want two things, 1. Fish when the river is crystal clear and 2. Always have a fresh maggot hooked onto your size #14 Fly.  (Of coarse when it gets really cold, you will want to keep them alive and warm, inside your bottom lip!) 
Doug

[7mmfan]

Yum. The maggots that is, not the whitefish. Never was a fan.

[jdb]

There's always nice School of Fat Whitefish hanging out in the pool on the Tieton River.
Just plop your line under the small log bridge behind the Restaurant at Trout Lodge (along Hwy 12 above Naches, WA.)
You'll find them plump full of eggs this time of year and they should smoke up real nice. (If you don't want to worry about eating the bones,
 you can "Pressure Can them" after smoking and the bones will melt in your mouth.)

 When it comes to catching a limit of Mountain Whitefish you want two things, 1. Fish when the river is crystal clear and 2. Always have a fresh maggot hooked onto your size #14 Fly.  (Of coarse when it gets really cold, you will want to keep them alive and warm, inside your bottom lip!) 
Doug

i don’t think the tieton open for whitefish anymore

[AL WORRELLS KID]

jbd, Your right,.......and that is a crying shame. Well at least they can't take away our memories, of days gone by. 
Doug

[OutHouse]

Check the regs it might be whitefish gear only this time of year but you can still hook up with Rainbows. A few years ago some friends and I went up the Canyon for whitefish and a warden stopped when we were getting our stuff out of the truck. He told us that on the whitefish gear we would be catching trout as well and just to put them back. We ended up catching some trout and a few huge carp but no whitefish.

[7mmfan]

It's selective gear rules except for the whitefish specific regulations allowing use of bait I believe, and you definitely have to let all trout go. Like OutHouse said, double check the regs.

[jdb]

jbd, Your right,.......and that is a crying shame. Well at least they can't take away our memories, of days gone by. 
Doug

what river is this?