I’ve found a great way to hop from hole to hole, maneuvering around the floaters and having rare solitude. All you need is a bicycle and be in moderately decent shape.
One of many scenic picnic/rest stops along the Trail.
They tell me, “Y’know, you live on the Yakima River, you should fish it!” Thank you, Captain Obvious. Since moving to north Yakima, I am literally 10 minutes from the lower blue-ribbon canyon water that every trout fly-fisher slobbers over. A destination fishery, right out the back door. However, the lower canyon stretch of the Yakima is possibly the busiest 20 miles of river this side of the Madison in Montana. Yes, I know, wonderful wild rainbows up to 24 inches and a few westslope cutthroat up to 20 inches. Problem is, there are boats—drift boats, rafts, pontoons, Crimean rowing scows, you name it—in a conga line occupying every run for the entire canyon plus bankies at every fishable spot. From daylight to full dark daily from March to November. No thanks. I’ve found several other small rivers in the area with the same trout and one fiftieth of the angler crush.
Not that I don’t want to fish what is labeled the finest trout river in Washington State, I just don’t dig the crowds of the canyon. The upper river, however, has fewer fish per mile and holes are further apart, which means fewer anglers. Still busy, but a clever angler can get below or above the floaters and find plenty of water with just enough willing trout to make it worth your while. The “upper canyon” stretch between Cle Elum and Ellensburg is some of the prettiest water you’ll cast into, with around an 80/20 split of wild rainbows and westslope cutthroat. Problem is, most of the river up there is either private land or accessible down reeeeely steep hills along the highway that only Bear Grylls can get to. So, float or do not bother, right? Not exactly…I’ve found a great way to hop from hole to hole, maneuvering around the floaters and having rare solitude. All you need is a bicycle and be in moderately decent shape.
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A mighty fine thing happens to the Yakima River in the fall. The river is regulated by several dams on large reservoirs up near Snoqualmie Pass. From May through early September the river unnaturally roars full bank to supply water to the valley below. All those apples are thirsty. This makes it a boat only fishery, as in fishing from the boat, as there is literally zero gravel bars or shallows a bank angler could fish. I personally do not care for this and avoid the river all summer long, as nymphing the edges while blowing downriver has no appeal to this angler.
Around mid-September, the spigot is shut off, so to speak as irrigation is no longer needed. The river goes from 3 to 4,000 cfs to 1000 or even less. This creates riffles, wider edges, real pools and best of all the gravel bars, hidden under wicked, un-natural flows all summer are now exposed. Trout that only lived tight to the banks in the only slow water available are now free to spread out into riffles and pools. Now we may throw small lures and swing our trout Speys…and bank fish!
Ultralight rods, reels and lines are ideal when paired with Rooster Tail spinners or light twitched jigs for Upper Yakima wild rainbows.
I’m one of the few who really enjoys fishing a river while wading, or just from the bank. If you feel the same, lower flows of fall quiet the river and return the river to its natural flows.
Always on the hunt for access on new water, a thousand thanks to the fine peoples at Google Earth. Here was a bike/horse/hiking path that conveniently follows—closely—the upper Yakima…coincidently exactly where I wanted to fish. Far below the nearest boat launch, away from any road or highway. In other words, more than ideal for the bank angler who desires a bit of first water. Here lies ten miles of river, unsullied by the floater or car angler.
The Iron Horse Trail, a.k.a. the John Wayne Trail, is the remains of a 110-mile railroad de-commissioned in 1979. The “Pioneer Trail” follows the historic Milwaukee road train tracks from Cedar Falls near Seattle to the upper Columbia River, to the town of Tekoa near the Idaho border (which I have zero intention to ever do…). This whole way is actually a state park, Iron Horse State Park. The Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources maintains the trail from Snoqualmie Pass to its end, basically the entire east side.
This same corridor was first a foot path across the Cascades, primarily by Native Americans who used it for hunting, fishing and trading with other tribes. Then settlers, explorers, trappers, they all used the trail. The first homes in eastern Washington were built along this trail. When the Milwaukee Road tracks were laid around the beginning of the 1900s, wherever the railway built a depot, that was always the start of a town. The nation’s fastest electric train used this track in 1947 to set travel speed records between Seattle and Chicago. The tracks were removed in 1980.
Bring a headlamp, the old tunnels get pitch black even during the brightest days.
Now a state park, the trail is immensely popular with cyclists, hikers and a few horseback riders…but few, if any, anglers. Why is easy. You must pedal your butt to the river, and the trail does not come near the river for the first two miles. This cuts out the folks who think fishing should only be done from a comfy boat seat while trolling.
Possibly the coolest part of the ride is going through the old train tunnels. Spooky as hell, but fun! The 1st tunnel is a bit shorter than the 2nd; it stays light enough to ride through without light. But tunnel #2…hooo weee…bring a head lamp as there is a 50-yard stretch of complete blackness and running into a concrete wall coated with 75 years of spider webs is downright freaky.
No stranger to this bike access thing, there are (were?) several quality bike-in fishing opportunities around the North-west. The editor of this mag and I used to pedal up the lower Deschutes and Klickitat rivers during the fall for summer steel-head; some of my best local autumn trips were off road, bike only access. Except for the time my chain broke at the furthest point upriver (thank you, Murphy) on the Deschutes, all were easy rides with zero stress. Each of my rides up the Iron Horse Trail were similar.
Setting Up For Bike Troutin’
While there are no such things as easy projects, putting together gear for a day’s pedal-to-throw-some-metal is relatively simple and quick.
A standard issue Upper Yakima River westslope cutthroat.
First and foremost is a larger tired bike that can handle small gravel/fine dirt. Thin tires on a 10-speed designed for speed on pavement won’t cut it here. Low gear is your constant companion. There is no getting anywhere full speed on the Trail. Take your time, pedal slow, enjoy the cosmic funk that is the scenery of the upper canyon and have some energy left over for wading/casting.
A day pack (like Junior wears to class, or used to before this virus thing) is ideal for day trips up the Yakima. Drinks, energy snacks, extra tackle, anything you may need is on your back. Storing rods for bike travel is personal preference. My partner likes to break them down and put them in rod tubes sticking out of the pack. I prefer to strap them to the bar twixt my legs.
For rods, reels and lines, dance with the girl you brought. Your favorite trout rod/reel/line will likely work just keen. I need a rod that will twitch small dark 1/8th oz. jigs, cast far 1/6th ounce petit spoons and 1/8th ounce spinners like Rooster Tails. My starting line-up is a 7’, 6” G Loomis 901-2 two piece rod paired with a Shimano Stradic 1000, filled with 10-pound “Moon-shine” (bright yellow) V2 Slick Power Pro with a 7 foot top-shot (uni-knotted to Power pro) of 8-pound Maxima Ultragreen or 10-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon. Up-per Yakima River trout don’t seem to be too leader/line shy, but with the constant unlimited clarity of the water I believe you garnish more strikes with invisible fluorocarbon.
Jigs and spoons are compact little weights that cast well on their own, if I need some more distance/depth from my spinners a small split shot (or two) 18 inches above the lure is money.
Signs along the Trail tell you how far you have to pedal back...
If you want to fly fish, either swing a streamer (there is a LOT of riffly/juicy swinging water up there) or bobber fish with a single hander and an indicator. Ninety-eight percent of all fly anglers who poke the Yakima from top to bottom fish a bobber off a single-handed fly rod. Fine if you are a newcomer to the sport. I personally would rather press my privates onto a nuclear-powered belt sander than fish that way. I know, right angle nymphing is the most effective, blah blah…and requires the least skill. Swing all day…you bet. I’ve spent a few day trips riding the Iron Horse Trail with my 11 foot, 11” four-weight G. Loomis IMX-PRO trout spey. A 275gr. In Touch Rio line with four feet of T-6 sink tip, 4-foot leader tapered to 10-pound fluorocarbon. Fly patterns are not too critical when swinging. Olive and black are your friends. If you did no more than deploy standard issue 3” bunny leaches…hang on. The grab on a tight line from an 18-inch wild rainbow is steelheading in miniature, and it rocks!!
While I primarily do exclusive day trips, there are dozens of surprisingly quaint camping spots along the Yakima River—adjacent, a nine iron and short hikes from the bike trail. If you are thinking of spending the night, well, your backpack just got a wee heavier. Overnighters are best spent with a partner who can share Sherpa duties up the bike trail. How far you want to ride is up to you; the Trail follows the Yakima River upstream for almost 30 miles with fishing opportunities the whole way. There is no limit to your time here, stay, camp and fish as long as you wish.
The Yakima River is open year-round. Single, barbless hooks (up to 3 points), no scents or bait, total catch and release for all species.
The nice folks who initially built the rail bed made sure the entire thing was relatively flat, both up and down river. This makes for an easier ride, not dealing with any hills to speak of. As you ride along, the river peek-a-boos through trees and shrub, much of it is down a steep embankment to access or when you see a prime run, chances are you are on the wrong side of the river. However, there are plenty of spots to stop and fish. It’s up to you to find them, most are obvious, and the best part is every single nugget of water holds trout.
You are never far from another sweet run along the Trail.
And know this…you are not going to hook trout like a tuna fisherman on commission. Expect one, perhaps two good fish from each long run or pool. There are just not as many trout in the upper river as there is in the more popular lower canyon. Less holding water and a shorter supply of food is the probable cause. However, the ones that do call the upper canyon home are ab-solute creatures of nature’s perfection. Half a dozen trout over 15” make up the typical day, with a handful of smaller. Wild fish that strike screaming for vengeance, leap like they are being shocked and damned worth the sore crotch that will be your constant companion days after your ride.
Tip from a fellow cyclist I met on the trail, after I whined about my sore little bottom…Vaseline is your best friend.
How To Get There
Take I-90 past Cle Elum from the west and just past Ellensburg from the east to Thorp. You cannot miss the Thorp Exit; there is a huge three-story white fruit stand adjacent to the freeway. Take Thorp Hwy for an eighth of a mile and turn left on Thorp Depot (dirt) Road a short way to Thorp tailhead. You will need a Discover Pass to park there. Be sure to stop at that fruit stand and take home (or some with you on the trip) some of the best fruit grown anywhere. You are, after all, at ground zero for fresh summer fruit.
The light at the end of these tunnels are not oncoming trains but portals to blue ribbon trout water.
The weather during the best water conditions of the year (mid-September through early November) ranges from chilly mornings to genuinely hot days to “goldilocks” weather all day. I prefer a bit of chill, as it seems to jazz the fish into biting and pedaling mile after mile in 80 plus degree heat…well, the polish is off the apple fast when it’s hot on the pure enjoyment factor. By November 10th or so, it gets pretty cold in the upper canyon. Now is when this area is just yours and yours alone, and the best news if you get a weather window the trout will be snapping.
Now…if I could just get that one song by Queen out of my head as I pant and wheeze up the trail…
SMOKED DOLLY - TIFFANY HAUGEN
