"On a scale of 1 to 2"

Flytimes Skwala Nymph

hook: TMC 200R, #8-#10
tails: light brown super floss
body: light brown sparkle yarn
legs: light brown super floss
thorax: olive gray Arizona Scud Blend

Ken: On a scale of 1 to 2, 1 being the worst and 2 being the best, how would you rate the fishing today Wally?
Me: 1
That was the rating system that Ken came up with during our Saturday afternoon float. Its a system that accurately reflects the binary mood of the Yakima River in early spring. The fish are either on or off.
In fact, now that I think about it, it's not early spring on the Yak, it's winter. Saturday night was the first night in weeks that the temperature did not dive below the freezing mark on thee olde thermometer. Snow still covered the northern slopes of the surrounding hills and river banks.
Sunday wasn't much better though I did see exactly one adult skwala. Clouds settled in just above the canyon rim. The light was low and gray and a very slight breeze blew downstream. It seemed like baetis weather but there were only a few midges.
Snap was in the boat with me for the afternoon. We took turns rowing, the other casting adult skwalas into all the likely lies. In a normal year (whatever that is) it might have been too early for skwalas, or it might have been exquisite timing, fishing the hatch just when the trouts were turning on to the big bugs. As it was we were way too early. Winter still lives in the Yakima River Canyon.