Fished the walla walla on friday. Man is it low. I fished all morning and no fish until I was about to leave and then I hooked up and lost my first steelhead of the season. Go figure! Looked like a good fish too. It jumped about 2 feet out of the water, looked right at me, and spit my darn spinner back at me. Maybe next weekend one will stick.

Dev88T

Where on the walla walla where you fishing?

I was fishing of of byrnes rd. I tried in the am up by lowden, but didnt see much and the water is considerably lower. Does any body here fish jigs on any of these small river with success??

Dev88T

I tried jigs above Lowden one time, but the water was just too shallow and fast. Since that time, I've seen people fish a bobber and jig just like a fly nymph with a strike indicator, so I guess it could be done. I'm a little more used to fishing a jig where it drifts vertically, and the upper river is not well suited for this. The lower river (below Touchet) should lend itself to this, but I've never tried it. Good job getting a hook-up. 'Tis better to have loved and lost... (you know the rest). I think it holds true for fishing too.

Had a good afternoon on Walla Walla near 9 mile hill yesterday, hooked into a nice steelie, fought for some 15 minutes, then broke off, cleared water 3 times, pretty exciting, on my 6 wt. fly rod. Got the fever now, went back at daylight this morning, nothing, but beat the dickens out of about 1.5 miles of river, some nice water along with the slow moving areas. Just a nice day or two on the river, can't beat that. A bad day of fishing is better the a good day at work. Rower2

What kind of pattern were you using? What kind of line? Is a Sink tip needed based on the water conditions?

I went out sunday afternoon to the cummins bridge stretch, but didnt catch anything Either there is not a lot of fish in or I need to learn how to fish. Was using spinners again. Talked to a couple guys that had caught and released wild fish drift fishing.

Dev88T

Where is cummins bridge? I thought that cummins bridge was on the tucannon.

If you follow byrnes road to Bverly rd (Heading SE off of hwy12) and hang a right it is at the dead end which is the entrance to the wind farm roads.

Mags,

Cummins Bridge Road is near the Walla Walla River. Cummings Bridge is on the Tucannon River and is near Marengo.

Hope that helped.

glock wrote:

What kind of pattern were you using? What kind of line? Is a Sink tip needed based on the water conditions?

Glock,

I have spent most of my last 20 yrs. fishing the Deschutes, bouncing bright colored flys on the bottom with strike indicators. Trying some of those same tacts on the WW, but with little luck.

This fish hit a 4" articulated black leach and a worm, talk about straying from the fly fishing culture with my 6 wt. fly rod.

First 5 casts floated through the riffle and hole, added split shot head, it hit the bottom a couple times and he took it. That magic has not found a hit in the last 2 weeks since that fateful morning.

Sink tip line is my next tact. Rower2

Quote::

talk about straying from the fly fishing culture

I won't tell. My brother, who is primarily a gear fisherman but likes to fish a fly when the conditions are favorable, syas that at some point, he just gives up on the fly gear and throws a small clear or cork casting bobber and jig. He says it's just too much labor trying to cast the heavy set-up you're talking about. But I commend you on sticking to the tools of the trade (at least above the main line).

The Walla Walla seems like a decent place to catch one on the fly. At least it's been clear lately (albeit darn-near dry).

Good luck, Fellas!

Thanks Rower2,

I'll be fishing the Touchet River in a month or so with my fly rods. I actually fished it last year with my 6 wt and really enjoyed the challenge. However, I don't care much for using the sink tip on the 6 wt. I also have a 9 wt rod.

I haven't been on the Walla Walla with a fly rod. Actually, I haven't had much success using a float and jig on the Walla Walla either.

I only had success using a tiger striped wiggle wart on the Walla Walla.

Glock,

I found a little green and orange tiger-stripe wiggle-wart on the WW one day while fishing; I assumed it was for smallmouth, but you say you use these for steelhead? What is the rig? do you fish them with a weight and drift them or do you simply cast and retireve?

E-mann,

Try to look for a spot where you can stand directly above the head of a hole or a location where the river is running swift enought so that the wiggle wart can be "fed" into the hole and held there with not much work. It tends to be difficult fishing this way when the flow is as slow as it is now.

The wiggle wart tends to have side to side and diving action. Certain plugs will dive to certain depths depending on what plug you have.

Wiggle warts also need to be tuned. To tune your wiggle wart, quickly pull it through the water and see what happens. It should run straight and dive straight. If it leans to the left, bend the eye to the right.