The occasions where I can depart or return during daylight hours sometimes allow me a great opportunity to scout the local rivers, at least in terms of overall flow and color. On the way back from Chicago, this week, the Naches River, as it flows between Naches and Yakima, was clearly quite high and had many overrun banks that could be seen from my puddle-jumper. Upon making the closer approach, the turboprop usually makes a wide swing to the East, then lines up on the runway heading roughly WNW, as the winds in the valley are fairly consistent.
Today, the Yakima River, as it passes town, was high, brown, and not overly enticing at all. Steve, the owner at Worley Bugger Fly Shop, in Ellensburg, once told me that wading the Yakima was rough, once it went above 1800 cfs, in that area. Earlier today, it was over 6000 cfs.
Welcome to the melting season…