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Tom Bolender's fly fishing report for July 2

• Published July 02, 2009

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Rivers – This week has been excellent for trout fishing. Stoneflies are out, and the fish are chowing down. The Deschutes, Nisqually and Tilton are all good choices if you want to catch trout in the 12- to 18-inch range. Fishing smaller creeks such as Waddle are good choices if you want to catch lots of fish that don’t have much size to them. Big yellow Stimulators are going to work on the bigger rivers, and a Parachute Adams is your best bet on the creeks. If you aren’t getting fish on the surface, then try a Bead Head Pheasant Tail Nymph or a Hare’s Ear, and you’ll soon start catching fish. For those willing to make the drive, the Yakima River also has been good during the past week. Big stonefly nymphs tossed right up to the bank have been catching some of the big wild rainbow hogs we hear about every year. One angler reported catching the largest fish he’d ever caught, 24 inches. That’s a pig.

Lakes – The morning and evening midge hatches have slowed a little, but the anglers fishing the bottom with leeches and dragon fly patterns still are picking up some nice fish. A few anglers have been driving down to Merrill Lake in hopes of being part of the evening hex hatch but have yet to see them come off. Instead, they fished Hex nymphs, and one angler hooked into a what he estimated to be a 20-inch brown trout. He almost had it in when a bald eagle swooped out of the trees and took it right off the end of his line. It must be the same eagle that’s been there for years now.

Saltwater – Just like last week, the fish are in deeper water most of the day. The best fishing can be had first thing in the morning and just after dark – unless you want to fish in the dark, which isn’t a bad idea. Often, if the tide is high enough in the evening, a mud flat can be a great spot this time of year. Pile worms might come out for a swim around the full moon, which is next Tuesday. The cutthroat go nuts for them. Be aware that the pile worm is hard to imitate. If you come up with a good pattern, you’ll be in fish-catching heaven. One angler reported seeing some good-size resident coho in Hammersley Inlet but didn’t have an opportunity to hook any.

Tom Bolender is a longtime fly fishing enthusiast from Rochester who runs Fishy Business Guide Service. He can be reached at 360-280-5770 or FishyBusinessOly@comcast.net.