Three New Streams, Almost Four...

It is getting harder to find streams where I haven't yet caught trout in areas that I normally pass through, but I was able to make a little bit of a diversion on the way to help with the hikes at Girls Camp this year and explore the Ahtanum watershed west of Yakima. It's been on my radar for a while, just finally making it out that way. And it is a good way west from Yakima.

Driving west from Tampico along the beautiful North Fork Ahtanum Creek with very little unposted access, I made it to the Ahtanum State Forest where both the North and Middle Forks are accessible from gravel roads that follow them. First stop was the North Fork, which appeared to still be running a bit high from the unusually heavy snows last winter, but still a small and easily wadeable stream. Starting with an EHC dry and small prince dropper, I quickly lost the dropper as the dry was all that was needed on this stream. First hole, my leader loop fell off the fly line. Quick repairs, and immediate fish by dropping the fly into the hole below.

Beautiful cutthroat

Started upstream, and found plenty of fish to keep me happy. The stream drops quite fast where I was, and most fish were found in the larger holes, though some in pocket water. All cutthroat, none of great size, but all beautiful; maybe a dozen to hand and twice that many missed. Often I could watch the slow rise up to the fly, and several times I made use of the strip set to keep from tossing the smallish fish into the brush along the bank when setting the hook. A very nice hour or so spent at this pretty little stream.

Another nice N Fork cutt

But there was still the Middle Fork to visit before continuing on to camp. I first stopped not too far above the split from the North Fork, and after spooking several approaching the stream, I found this beautiful rainbow/cutt hybrid, the largest fish of the day.

Biggest of the day from the Middle Fork

A few more smallish fish, but then lots of white water upstream as this fork was also dropping very quickly on its way down the mountain. I decided to try several miles farther upstream, above a section closed to fishing to protect bull trout, and found a few more fish in the now much smaller stream, but also lots more mosquitoes. So after a couple more to hand, it was off to camp for a few days.

Fun to fish dries!

One stop along the way back was the Ahtanum Mission, one of the earliest missions in Washington, established in 1852. In addition to a little history, I was hoping to find access to the main Ahtanum Creek from the Mission park, but barbed wire and No Trespassing signs blocked the way to the stream I could hear flowing through the nearby brush. Two new streams brought my total to 135 streams in Washington where I have caught trout.

A stop for a little history

On my way back from camp on Friday, I took another little detour to try to check Wenas Creek and the North Fork of Wenas Creek off my list. I started up the road heading to N Fork Wenas Creek, but found it to have been filled with basalt rubble (probably replaced a rutted mudhole, but after 1/4 mile driving on large, sharp rocks reminiscent of a railroad grade but rougher, and no end in sight ahead as far as I could see, I decided to turn around before I tore open a tire. Back to a public access, that might get me to the North Fork just above where it was joined by the South Fork. Access was not going to be easy. Through tall grass just screaming rattlesnake, then into a steep sided wash that ended up being blocked by a fallen tree. Just enough room to marine-crawl under the tree and continue down the wash.

First barrier, with just enough room to crawl under

I came to an abandoned channel full of water, but was turned back when it became deep, sucking mud overgrown with brush. Out of the channel, through another grassy meadow, to a wall of alder lining the creek.

Alder thicket after I had made my path through

Carefully bending down trunks to open a path, I finally found myself on the edge of a very tiny stream. Starting with a renegade, I dropped the fly into a couple likely holes with deep water, and found saw no movement at all. At the third hole, I dropped the fly into the little stream of fast water and immediately had a hit. Returning the fly to the same location, and a gentle hook set brought this little guy to hand.

Yes, that is the whole stream in the background; twenty minutes of bushwacking for three minutes of fishing and one baby fish. But it is totally worth it!

Twenty minutes or so to bushwack the last thirty yards to the stream, but I got my fish. I was hoping this would be the North Fork, but GPS data on my camera when I returned home showed my location to be 100 yards or so downstream of where the forks join. I don't think upstream was very accessible from where I dropped in, so I'll have to return someday and brave the rough road.

Next stop was a public access further downstream, where I found the stream still tiny, but with some very large, deep holes, and a few smallish fish. Several to hand in 20 minutes or so, then time to turn for home.

Further down, the holes were bigger, the fish weren't!

Three new streams, now giving me a total of 136 streams. Hoping I won't wait so long to pick up a few more.