There is just no better time than right now to get out on the small streams and rivers in our area. I went out the other night and fished the Icicle from about 6:30 to 8:30 and it was perfect. I tried a new stretch of water and found it loaded with rainbow and cutthroat of about 11 inches. That’s a wall hanger for the Icicle. The wading is easy now and while it was 98 in Leavenworth when I headed out, it was much cooler on the river and just wearing a pair of shorts and wading shoes is possible now. The upper Entiat River is in perfect shape for the same kind of experience and there are several streams that feed into the Methow River that also offer excellent fishing for small trout this time of year. Check the regulations and you’ll see that several of these will be closing soon, so better get at it. I find that patterns like a Parachute Adams, regular Adams, a Renegade or a Royal Coachman or Royal Coachman Trude to be irresistible to these small trout. By far the best time to fish these small waters is in the late afternoon and evening, so they are great way to beat the heat. The number of fish you’ll catch and release is astounding.