Any Naches area I-Fishers?

BigFishFever · 02-27-2004, 08:08 AM

Hey all...just checking to see if there are any fellow Naches/Yakima area I-Fishers on board here..

With all of this Salmon/Sturgeon/Steelhead talk, it makes me long for the days of the "Lazy" fishing for
trout, bass, and high mountain lakes of Central Washington.

Growing up, I spent countless hours fishin' the Naches, American and Bumping Rivers, with the occasional
trip up the canyon, for some C&R fly fishing. And when I wasnt on the river I was at Bumping puttering up
the lake to the Snag and rockslide to chum for silvers.

This cold weather, always reminds me of fishing the bridge in Naches for whitefish, and seeing up stacked
up in the hole there.

So how about it, any fellow board members from that area, that can help me out, and bring back the small
town feeling with some memories/stories/fishing reports (not going to be fishing, just wishin), to
a guy that is stuck in the big city!

rola76 · 02-27-2004, 08:16 AM

One Yakimanian right here!! I absolutely love fishing the Yakima, Naches, and Tieton...great trout and whitefish rivers

Corkie Monster · 02-27-2004, 08:28 AM

I spend my summers out in Cle Elum, Have'nt had a chance to fish these areas yet, but hopefully someday.

CM

SCStinger · 02-27-2004, 09:16 AM

Lived in Yakima over 20 years.Fished about everwhere you can think of. Clear lake,Rimrock.Bumping lake.Green lake above Tampico.Selah gravel pits and the Wenas.My favorite place was Moses Lake and the the pot holes resevoirs.Fished all the places you mentioned plus every little mud puddle that held water.Been back to the pot holes and Mardon several times in the past few years,great fun.

Bob Barthlow · 02-27-2004, 09:31 AM

Born and raised in the Yakima valley.
I have lived in Selah scense '69 except, for two years in Southeast Alaska(Homer).
I've fished all those places you spoke of, but it's been a while.
Something we are looking forward to this year is another big spring chinook run on the Yakima river, season should open around May 1st.

BigFishFever · 02-27-2004, 09:42 AM

Thanks guys...its good to see the Valley is represented here...

Cle Elum, did a bit of fishin up in that area, not to much action there but some great hucleberry'in and a AWESOME bakery in Roslyn..

Luckylee...yes I spent many many days down at the potholes...went back to there this last summer with my dad, and I forgot how hot it can get...burned the crud outta my arms/legs...swore the place off for good...

Rapid Robert...we were basically neighbors...I grew up right over the hill by Suntides Golf Course...If you ever came into Suntides Market in the 1990-1994 range you probably ran into me..

BigFishFever · 02-27-2004, 12:14 PM

SKP

You say you drift fished the Naches? Wow that is the first time I had heard that...in all my years down there...I never say more than a tube on that river...It changed quite a bit, with the floods of 96 it put out a TON more good fishing holes along hwy 12. Girlfriend named Connie huh...I knew a couple of Connie's up that direction..do you remember the last name?

GBS...if you only knew how many times I heard that one

and btw, I broke that reel in...worked great..no keepers on that pole/reel as of yet though!

rola76 · 02-27-2004, 12:29 PM

You probably could squeeze in a driftboat somewhere on the bottom stretch of the Naches where it dumps into the Yakima...it's possible if you can find a "man-made" launch.

BigFishFever · 02-27-2004, 12:33 PM

Now that I think about it, you probably could...I always had the self imposed boundary that the Naches ended at the twin bridges...I know thats not accurate..but that is what I have always followed....so ya, you could probably do that lower section...

Gotta love growin' up there...good people and lots of good outdoor activities to be had..
Now if the job economy would turn around, maybe I would move back...I just dont want to work in the stinkin orchards again!

SKP · 02-27-2004, 03:56 PM

When I say drift fishing, I mean like drift fishing for steelhead, throwing upstream, and letting your offering drift downstream, and bam, fish on. I was never in a "drift boat". I lost count one day how many trout I caught and released on the Yakima in the canyon that day, but I would say 40-50.

I did not fish the Naches much, just a couple of times. I don't remember catching a fish in the Naches, but I remember my friend catching a huge steelhead in the Naches, but his dad made him release it, since I think steelhead fishing was not allowed that time of year or something like that.

We also fished a backwater of the Columbia downstream of Vantage on the east side of the Columbia for huge trout. We used red and white Daredevils. My friend caught the biggest, about 12 pounds. Also fished Wenas Lake, but never caught one there.

This was back in the late 70's and early to mid 80's.

SKP

SKP · 02-27-2004, 11:20 PM

I live in Salem, Oregon now, but graduated from High School in Selah.

I lived in Ellensburg for about 5 years, and my parents later moved to Selah after I moved to Salem.

I miss fishing the Yakima River, I had my best trout day drift fishing Pautzke's balls of fire. I fished the Naches a little, but not much. Also, I frequented Fiorito Lake, and Thorpe lakes. Once in a while, I caught a whitefish.

I had a girlfriend named Connie in Naches a long time ago.

I have to admit, fishing is better down here, or catching was worse for me up there. Bummer thing, I was into fishing for trout, and had no idea about the salmon and steelhead runs in the area.

SKP

[ 02-27-2004, 12:24 PM: Message edited by: SKP ]

greenbuttskunk · 02-27-2004, 11:58 PM

oh, I thought I saw the word NACHOS! yum :smile:

Bob Barthlow · 02-28-2004, 06:57 AM

SKP, what year did you graduate from Selah?

SteelieDog · 02-28-2004, 02:07 PM

I was born and raised in the Yakima Valley, a 1988 West Valley graduate. I spent most of my childhood summers up on Bumping Lake. We used to stay at the marina. What great memories. I was even up there when Mt. St. Helens blew her top. I really miss the Bumping area.

Bob Barthlow · 02-28-2004, 06:55 PM

SKP, a small world it is. :smile:
I was in the Selah High School class of 1978, from there went on to YVCC and WSU for a time.

I grew up on Weems Way off Selah Loop, about 15 years ago bought a house about a 1/2 mile from there.
Back in high school I used to hunt Pheasant and Quail in the orchard where my house now sits.

One of the cool things about being a fishing guide in the area you grew up, is taking some of your old teachers and coaches out fishing.

[ 02-28-2004, 10:33 PM: Message edited by: Rapid Robert ]

Dan D · 02-28-2004, 07:26 PM

Well, I grew up in Yakima, graduated from West Valley High School in 1989 and went to CWU.... spent a brief time in Everett/Mukilteo and also Renton, then I ended up back in Yakima. I appreciate this place more the second time around.

I am fortunate to have a good business and three great kids to keep me busy. I just wish I had more time to fish. Oh well, even if I don't get to fish much, I get to be around boats every day.

- Dan Allen

Bob Barthlow · 02-28-2004, 09:31 PM

They Dan hows the sportsman show going, moving some boats?

I only had to work it friday and today, and am heading for the coast and fishing next week.

SKP · 02-28-2004, 11:47 PM

Rapid Robert,

I graduated from a Christian School in Selah, out Selah Loop in 1981, Selah Bible Baptist. The whole school was small, probably less than 100 kids grades K-12.

I have to admit, the two years I went there, it ranks probably in the top of the funnest and best years in my life.

Do you know the Earhart's?

How about you, when did you graduate?

SKP

Curlew · 02-29-2004, 06:08 AM

All,

I am a Yakima native as well. Actually Selah, class of 1995. Now live in West Valley but still work in Selah.

Curlew

BigFishFever · 02-29-2004, 01:11 PM

Steeliedog,

When was the last time you were up at Bumping..we had a trailer at the marina from about 91-95. Knew Jim and Jackie B. extremely well. (dont know if you knew them or not)

The marina is now closed, it was up for sale, then a bunch of other stuff came along that blocked the sale etc. Everything is still there just not maintained anymore.

The only fishing we did on the Columbia was for whitefish at vernita..

Wenas lake, know it very well..caught some good browns out of the lake and a bunch of mud trout...I did see the biggest crawdad I have ever seen in the cove on the far side of Wenas..

Steeliedog if you happen to see this let me know if you knew the owners of the marina, or if you were up there at the same time frame..

SteelieDog · 02-29-2004, 02:37 PM

BigFishFever,
I spent most of my time at Bumping in the late 70's - early 80's. Gary and Donna Clayton owned the marina back then. I used to stay with them during the week, while my dad went back to Yakima for the work week. That was a really great place, and I will always remember it.

niceshot · 02-29-2004, 03:47 PM

Live in West Valley. I heard a rumor that the Yak will have no springers in it and that all guys in the Yakima area should fish the Wind and Drano. :grin:

Dan D · 02-29-2004, 09:15 PM

I had a great time at the show this weekend. I always enjoy getting out and talking to everyone. Well, I wish everyone the best of luck this year on springer fishing. My schedule doesn't look to good for sneaking in much fishing until May.

Maybe I'll get time to hit the Yakima if we get a springer fishery this year. We rigged up a little 16ft Lund jon boat with a 40hp Jet, so we are ready to hit the river. To everyone else, good luck. Please send me your pics when you are successful. I may have to live (and fish) vicariously through you this springer season.

- Dan

BigFishFever · 03-01-2004, 05:02 AM

Ya that Marina will always hold a special place for me.

We spent many many hours chasing those little Koke's in that lake, and trout off the shore line at the campsites..Mothers day was always the greatest trout fishin' off the bank...always managed to catch quite a few nice fish off that shore.

When you stayed there did they put you up in the main house? or in the camp shack along the road by the upper camp sites?
Did the jets do there fly throughs while you were there?
I remember all of us sitting around the fire, and hear the distant whine of the A-6's and occassional F-16's coming through, we would all run out to the shore line to watch them fly through and do there practice bombing runs on the dam...I was kneeboarding (man that water was cold) and my Mom was in the boat, and started pointing up...and here comes an A6, it rolled over and was so close to the ground, I could see the pilot waving at me...he went directly overhead of me which was WAY cool, but then got extremely loud real quick...needless to say I crashed pretty hard.
Its great to know that somebody else has some great memories from a beautiful place!

rola76 · 03-01-2004, 07:16 AM

What's up Dan? Sorry I missed you at the Show...we had company from Seattle.

I'll be in soon to get a new fuel filter, so we'll bs then.

Beerbelly · 03-01-2004, 07:28 AM

Born in Yakima , My mother and oldest daughter live in Naches. Daughter works in the Selah school dist. I fished the Naches many times my

daughter lives on the river.

NAUTI-NOTIONS · 03-01-2004, 08:00 AM

there's alot of us sagebrush dewelling foe.

BigFishFever · 03-01-2004, 08:05 AM

I really wish there was 3 more sagebrush dwelling folks...(wife baby and me).

I really miss the smell of Sage in the spring...

BeerBelly....what area of the river does she live on? I got a lot of friends that live up there, and know quite a few that are on the river above Naches...and a couple below..

Works at Selah....she wouldnt be married to a tall hunting fanatic would she?

Beerbelly · 03-01-2004, 08:23 AM

Big F F She lives about a mile as the crow flys from Eschbaugh park , and her husband doesn't hunt, and he's not tall, but wireie. He works at a cement block place in Yakima, and raises apples and alphalfa. Last name "Duyck".

SteelieDog · 03-01-2004, 08:32 AM

When I stayed there we had a travel trailer in the upper camp area, I'd stay in the main house during the week. Those nights around that camp fire were really fun. Did you ever fish for rainbows up by the stop sign where Deep Creek comes in to the lake? We used to get some dandy rainbows up there. Those jets are pretty cool. They really come in low!

BigFishFever · 03-01-2004, 09:36 AM

Beer Belly...nope unfortunately not the person I am thinking of...but I have probably been by that place many times..I spent quite a bit of time moving pipes on that side of the river.

I loved living in the Valley there, lotta good people...but I dont miss the manual labor..Apples in the fall, hay/alfafla in the summer (along with the pipes) cherries in the spring, and then pruning in the winter..ugh...

Steelie...yup I have fished the stop sign several times..actually the last time I was up there we couldnt find the sign anymore, but it is a good spot! (also good to snorkel in the summer...can find lots of cool stuff over there.

Did you ever go up to Root Lake and Miner's ridge area? I will have to dig through my pics and see if I can find the pic of Ranier from up there..Absolutely gorgeous!
When was the last time you were up there?

SteelieDog · 03-01-2004, 04:36 PM

The last time I was In the Bumping area was in 92. I was actually at Root Lake. The view from up there at Miner's Ridge is awesome.

BigFishFever · 03-02-2004, 05:41 AM

Ya Miner's Ridge is a pretty impressive view..

First time I went into Root, we didnt know about the cut back trail, and headed straight off the hill from the lookout point...holy cow is that steep..bad thing is that we came back up that way too.

My Dad and I had a pretty funny experience at Root...we had gotten up there at the crack of dawn and started fishin..and were just killing those trout in that lake...doing some C&R cuz we were catching so many fish, when all of a sudden, we "feel" something, and turn around, and here are about 8 young boys (13-15 yo) behind us watching us...
Well we started talking to em, and found they were from the Boys Ranch in the Nile..Turned out they were on a trial run of there survival hike..We ended up talking to them, and there counselors for a while..These kids kindly asked if they could have a few of the fish that we were catching, well needless to say we ended up feeding them several of the fish..kinda a funny experience!
I hope to get back up to Bumping/Miners ridge this summer...I took my wife up there in the winter when we were dating, and couldnt get past the dam on Bumping...there was 6 feet of snow.

Well thanks for chatting, I do enjoy the memories!