PPS Destinations Report 

Klickitat River, Canyon River Ranch, Washington, USA

Date:        October 30th and 31st, 2009

 Reported by Drs. Richard Rotter and Rick Todd, Washington, USA

On October 30 and 31st two of us PPS members and 4 members of the Bellingham Fly Fishing Club joined Joe Rotter (no relation that I own up to) and the folks at Red's Fly Shop for a couple days on the Klickitat chasing steelhead.  The river is a tributary of the Columbia in south central Washington and is scenic and relatively tame.  This year, the run has been touted as one of the best in recent memory.  The river is rocky and when colored, not an easy float.  We stayed at Red's tent cabins near Goldendale on the river after a picturesque drive down the canyon.  After meeting the guides and cook around a welcoming campfire, we shared stories and a few glasses then rested for the next two days of fishing.  In the morning after a hearty camp breakfast we broke up into 2 drift boats and a raft.  The river wasn't clear, but was fishable and we decided to take the guides recommendation of a nymph set up.  A  floating line with a strike indicator and a weighted stone fly or egg sucking leech followed by an egg pattern with a bare hook just beyond.  Some times a lead weight was added.  This contraption was floated thru the runs that were "walking speed" as per the guides.  Without their help, it would have been impossible to find the proper holes as the river was dark enough to make sight fishing impossible.  I sharp strike much like a casting stroke was necessary to hook a fish when the indicator dove.  I'm sure a few were missed by not being aggressive enough.  I hooked 3 and landed one, pretty much the norm for the group on day one.  The last was a 12-15 lb'er and a beauty.  The end of the day came and we settled in for a nice steak dinner and some fine wines were shared.  It was warmer Friday night and unfortunately rains came as well and the river was darker yet on Saturday.  One of the group landed two nice steelhead while the rest settled for smaller trout and the occasional whitefish.  The river color certainly effected the fishing.  The second day was shorter and we left the river around 3.  The group decided to spend the night at the Canyon River Ranch,  Red's lodge on the Yakima river about 2 hours from the take out.  The lodge is stunning and would make a nice PPS venue. 

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