I got out for a few hours yesterday and today on the Rush. The water has completely cleared from last week’s runoff. The fishing was slower than I expected, but I caught around 15-20 each day. I imagine it was better a couple days ago when there was more of a stain, but I was out of town for work. I fished a combination of hare’s ears, pheasant tails, and zebra midges, but an unweighted size 16 pheasant tail was the most productive, with plenty taking the black size 18 zebra midge as well. I also fished streamers for the last hour of my outing yesterday and was able to land two.
As I was leaving yesterday around 4:00, there were also a fair amount of fish rising to what I believe were BWO emergers. There were clearing BWOs in the air, but the fish were sipping just under the surface, often not even making a splash. However, in my brief attempt to fish an emerger under a dry, I couldn’t get one to eat. You win some; you lose some.
These next couple weeks should offer some of the best fly fishing of the year. It’s also the time when the accesses get the most crowded. If your favorite bridge already has a few cars on it, don’t hesitate to fish another spot. There’s plenty of great water in Pierce County and the surrounding area — you just might find a hidden gem of your own!
