Fishing - Tr. New Place

Went over to the new place in SE Washington. Trip runs about 275 miles
with lots of tempting places to divert me from my goal. Went over
Cayuse then Chinook pass, and then down the American River drainage,
successfully resisting the temptations of the Naches and Bumping
Rivers until a looming bend in the Tieton River and series of holes at
dusk grabbed control of the van, pulled it over and forced me to get
out and at least look at it. Defeated, successfully diverted and
fishless I decamped at a Yakima motel mostly frequented by transient
construction workers, migrants, and , in the words of MC, Roffian
Scumbags.

Morning. Up and out, moving, do not be tempted to track back, up the
Yakima Canyon, but there, almost out of town, on the right is
"Hernandez Tamales." The real thing, gift of the Mexicans, corn,
chilies, TOeMALACE! Not open till 9? Well I got to eat and a sucker
for the opportunity to practice my Spanish with a couple of co-elderly
gents, I waited. Dos puercos y dos bif, gracias. Chile verde sauce?
Bueno.

Moving again. Driving down the lower Yak. Grapes, hops, fruit, corn,
cattle, goats, and does everybody need a horse, Toppanish, the Rez,
Sunnyside, Granger, Prosser. Farm action everywhere. Between harvests
now, but wait for the apples and grapes. Where will the pickers come
from this year?

Tri Cities, and the Columbia makes a hard left. A bit of freeway, some
bridge hopping, is Pasco actually US territory(?), over the Snake and
I'm turning for the last 50 miles stretch. First its a bit of grapes,
spuds, hybrid poplar and corn but then it starts. WHEAT. Wheeeetit.
There is something about combines raising a cloud of chaff on a
Palouse hillside that just makes me feel real good. THE harvest is in
full blast. Combines everywhere. Grain moving all night. Elevators
filling. Million bushel piles out in the open. Barges on the Snake. I
read. . . Test weights on what looked like a good crop in the field
are coming in a little on the light side. Prices good. Cafe talk is of
new trucks, tractors, combines. Wind turbines. Are all the hogs on the
road headed for Sturgis?

I car camp on the place for 5 days. And fished. More exploration. Lots
of mostly small Cutts. 2-3 Rainbows 10-14 in each or the larger holes,
and a few hogs, at least hogs for me. The Rainbows here seem to have a
lot of fight in them. My technique for larger fish is basic. I buy
into the idea that big fish would like to subsist on big things to
kill and eat. Second, the first 1-2 presentations at most, are most
likely to draw the bigger fish. Third the big guys like the best
feeding spots with cover, which I have found to be right where the
fastest/mostest water is entering the pool over a shelf of rock or
debris. So that's where I put a chunk of fake protein, like a big
awkward streamer with a white belly that glints, or a Crayfish, or my
favorite, a mouse fly. My knee wobbler for the week took my hair
mouse by one leg and hung on while he dove under a half submerged log,
turned and neatly arranged the line for his breaking off pleasure. He
appeared to be a Brown, maybe 16-18 inches, but fat around the middle.
Hoggish. I could see him doing all this thru the water, but then he
ripped off the mouse's leg, and I could see that he wasn't anywhere
near being hooked; he had just been pulling on that leg until it came
off.

Lots of other stuff going on . Second cutting of alfalfa. Small bales
this time. Easier for the horse trade I am told. Worked on 3
paintings. The wheat keeps changing color every hour or so. More pink,
no, more sienna. on and on. Last couple of days just painting,
reading, fishing sitting alone, eating out of cans and enjoying it.
Almost couldn't come back home this time. Landscape in the Palouse
this time of year me encanta. Anybody wanting more info on this
incredible area of the West can find lots of great pix on the net.

Dave Snedeker