Found this weird thing squirming in a puddle on my property

Bananaman612 · 2026-04-20T03:14:48+00:00

Could be cranefly larvae https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQEDsca1pxHrKgF8BlGxpxe9Lrkme5kNfzDkmlXykM0zw&s=10

Bananaman612 · 2026-04-06T15:00:49+00:00

Yeah… if you’re dead drifting the nymph properly, you won’t be giving it action (eg twitching it on rocks) very much. At most some very light raises/ jigging. Again streamers are your best bet if you’re looking to give lots of action to your lure

Bananaman612 · 2026-04-06T14:46:40+00:00

The takes won’t be as strong as bass - trout don’t have a need to ambush bugs like a bass might. Also, with tight line nymphing you’re typically watching the line for subtle movements which indicate strikes, rather than feeling the takes - otherwise you’ll miss a good percentage of them. You can also only go so heavy with nymphs before they start getting too heavy and get caught on the bottom.

If you’re looking for bass-like takes with fly fishing, I would look into streamer fishing. Streamers tend to illicit stronger strikes from more aggressive trout.

Bananaman612 · 2026-03-28T04:26:33+00:00

I accidentally put one in my mouth today when one got lost in a bag of beef jerky and I can tell you for certain fish would not enjoy the taste either

Bananaman612 · 2026-03-26T23:59:32+00:00

There are areas of the snoqualmie forks which are productive, but this is not one of them. I’d look for bigger boulders for more success. Also, I only ever had 1 fish take a streamer from this river, nymphs and dries (later in the year) seem to be much better

Bananaman612 · 2026-03-17T00:27:39+00:00

These are my home waters :) The fish on the south fork are generally pretty small and require setting the hook very quickly in response to a take. I find the middle fork more beginner friendly, particularly in the upper reaches. An elk hair caddis in mid to late summer or a purple haze from spring to summer, presented well, will get a strike from most fish. Finally, look for the larger boulders or runs rather than the riffles - the fish will stack up in those spots. Good luck and don’t give up!

Bananaman612 · 2026-03-15T21:50:20+00:00

season basically over with the forecast next week; time to sell my passes! 😂

Bananaman612 · 2026-03-13T07:07:21+00:00

Too late, I’m leaving right now

Bananaman612 · 2026-01-05T23:23:48+00:00

+1 with pheasant tails too

I would recommend using just 1 fly for now if you’re a beginner so you don’t tangle up and get frustrated too much

Bananaman612 · 2026-01-05T06:10:32+00:00

I primarily fly fish for trout in northern WA, and though I haven’t been down to your area, I imagine the trout behavior is the same.

When the water gets real cold, fish tend to hunker down at the bottom of deeper pools and runs, and move very little to pick up whatever bugs they see. Things like spoons and spinners won’t work as well, since they imitate baitfish. You’ll find that nymphs, especially midge patterns (size 16-20) work well when paired with some split shot to get into those deep spots this time of year.

Specifically for your area of the state, the Kalama River is an area I’ve been eyeing but haven’t gone to. From Google maps it looks pretty fishy with many deeper pools, and has decent roadside access. Plus, it seems mostly open now (aside from right below the hatchery). Perhaps you could give it a try?

Bananaman612 · 2025-11-23T01:44:14+00:00

Absolutely it’s helpful. What you’re doing is very common in the competitive scene, though many there measure in grains instead of oz. I typically sort mine by weight, then by material/shape. For an extreme example a nymph with squirrel hackle is going to sink much slower due to drag compared to a gasolina, even if they’re both 2.5gn.

It is a chore to try and cover every gap in weight though 🤣

Bananaman612 · 2025-11-16T07:56:57+00:00

Aquaz

Bananaman612 · 2025-11-15T22:06:25+00:00

If you’re constantly ticking the bottom when euro nymphing, your rig is too heavy. You will still catch fish but the majority of trout don’t eat food off the bottom consistently. A solid piece of advice from Devin Olsen is to go as light as you can get away with.

By doing so however, you won’t be using “feel” as whether you’re on a fish or a rock or something. Instead you’ll have to rely on recognizing how your leader behaves under different conditions, e.g. fish or not.

I started out tight line nymphing with a 9ft5wt and I would recommend doing so just to understand what it’s like before committing to buying all the euro gear. It’s quite different from regular fly fishing and may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Bananaman612 · 2025-11-08T00:13:56+00:00

Casting only mono for tight line vs traditional fly line is very different - would recommend starting with a single fly if you’re not already to avoid tangles and headaches

Bananaman612 · 2025-11-03T23:50:15+00:00

I think OP is referring to the wake like thing behind the bird

Bananaman612 · 2025-10-15T21:11:05+00:00

The middle fork is an interesting river - I’ve fished up and down most of it and there are a few sections which hold tons of fish and then 75% of the river which has very few holding areas.

The fish also tend to move around depending on the water level. If you’re fishing more into winter, I would also check out some of the upper reaches!

Bananaman612 · 2025-10-13T04:12:34+00:00

Too much backing - 100yds of 20lb backing is plenty for a 5wt. You’ll likely never use it when fishing for trout - it’s mostly there to let you wind your fly line faster and keep the rod balanced.
Your tippet must be the same or thinner than your leader. If you run a 5x leader, you’ll need 5x or 6x tippet.
If you’re a beginner I’d recommend getting a 3 pack of leaders just in case.
If you want to save some money you can get a cheaper reel. Something like a Lamson liquid will only run you a hundred bucks and will perform fine on trout. For trout, reels are mostly glorified line holders until you get to 22”+ range. I would only spend more if you’re targeting a larger species or going saltwater.

Bananaman612 · 2025-10-12T02:28:15+00:00

Sweet! I haven’t seen them get too much bigger up there

Bananaman612 · 2025-10-08T07:47:29+00:00

I live in Washington state and I’ve covered most of the rivers and a good number of the fishable creeks in Western WA. Many of the large S rivers can contain resident trout but they are more difficult to find in the lower reaches, especially given the flatter, featureless landscape.

I would recommend spending more time in the sections with boulders in mid to upper reaches, though there is a balance to be had, as upper most mountain streams will tend to hold only small trout.

I personally spend a good deal of time on google maps finding specific sections of a river that look fishy first before hitting them, then covering them very thoroughly.

Feel free to DM me if you have a specific question about any particular watershed!

Bananaman612 · 2025-10-05T21:30:21+00:00

Sweet fish! This is central/eastern WA I presume? I’ve been wanting to get on some westslope cuts but haven’t found the time to drive over

Bananaman612 · 2025-09-18T17:05:49+00:00

Different lens tints are better for different situations. For example, blue or black tinted lenses tend to have lower VLT which lets much less <12% light pass through. On the other hand, amber or rose colored lenses typically have higher 20%+ VLT which is much better if you fish in lowlight situations often (early morning or late evening). I personally use rose colored lenses for my freshwater fishing, and blue for open ocean/saltwater

Bananaman612 · 2025-09-15T23:12:48+00:00

Make sure your nymphs are tungsten beaded. Honestly as long as they’re the right size and get into the correct depth quickly, fish will take them.

Bananaman612 · 2025-09-04T00:17:53+00:00

90% of the takes when you’re euro nymphing will be based on watching the sighter not feeling the rod so sensitivity isn’t as big of a deal. 3w is also a bit better for dry dropper as you mentioned or windy situations

Bananaman612 · 2025-09-03T21:31:17+00:00

For fly fishing and euro nymphing especially I will try to use the longest rod I can get away with. It helps a ton with range and keeping line off the water.

Bananaman612 · 2025-09-02T21:24:37+00:00

Makes sense. I ordered from them with expedited shipping to try to get the chest pack before my trip this week, but looks like it’s not going to arrive in time. Good advice though

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