In this video, Simon and Nick venture up into the mountains to fish a small freestone stream. Hot weather and wildfires have them searching out cold, shaded tributaries for small native trout. This helps give the trout in the warmer portions of our rivers a much needed break this time of year. The stream they fish is packed with beautiful wild Rainbows and Coastal Cutthroat Trout willing to cooperate and come up for dry flies. What these fish lack in size, they make up for in their beautiful markings. Exploring small creeks like these give you respect for the water and the wild fish that inhabit them. A day of tromping your way through a small stream will give you a reminder of the many things fly fishing is all about. Simon and Nick work through some small stream tactics that they’ve learned over the years that serve them on smaller waters and will help you on yours. This is the time of year to bring out your lighter weight rods and explore that small creek you’ve been meaning to check out. You’ll be surprised what you may run into, and if you pay attention close, you’ll always learn something new spending your day exploring a small creek.
This fly was developed initially by the famed fly tier Charlie Craven and is now tied commercially by Umpqua. Whether you are on a small spring creek, high alpine lake, small freestone stream, or near the brushy banks of a large river, the Fat Angie is a fly that will not disappoint. The fly comes in two distinct sizes “standard” and “big“. This is one of those flies that is truly irresistible to trout; I’ve caught countless trout in many states on this fly and even have caught a rogue largemouth on it. This article will cover the fly’s design, why we like it in the shop, and how we like to fish it.
The brushy banks of the spring creeks in the Driftless Area are a match made in heaven for the Fat Angie.
One of the most important aspects of this fly lies in the hook it is tied on. The fly is built on a curved hook, this allows the rear end of the fly to sit in the water. This is suggestive of a natural insect struggling to stay afloat. Dropping the rear of a fly into the water can be especially helpful when fooling fish in spring creeks or high lakes. These fish have more time to inspect your offering before deciding whether or not they want to eat it. The body of this fly is made up of dubbing and foam and is tied slim in its profile. This stands in stark contrast to its large synthetic wing which it gets the bulk of its buoyancy from. Below that big wing the abdomen of the fly will sit naturally in the film, and the rubber legs will highlight the fact that this insect is indeed struggling on the surface. A few wraps of hackle towards the head help provide additional buoyancy; it is clipped on the bottom to help the fly ride lower. The Big Fat Angie has a second wing making it an awesome dry for summer dry-dropper setups.
Smaller tributaries of the Cascades are a great place right now to take your Fat Angies on a test drive and find cooler water during the summer.
Although this fly is an attractor at heart, I consider this fly more of a terrestrial pattern. It could be a cricket, an ant, a beetle, or a young grasshopper. Last year around the small spring creeks of the Driftless area in the Midwest, there were loads of tan young grasshoppers. When I was visiting, the Cinnamon Fat Angie in a 14 was perfect, and it was one of my favorite single searching flies there. The large wing is also plenty buoyant to allow you to run a small nymph below this fly. On smaller streams in the summer, a large portion of trout’s diets consist of land based “terrestrial” insects. When fishing the upper stretches of the Werner Basin for the Werner Basin Redband Trout, this fly was irresistible to those fish whose favorite snacks are stray ants, beetles, crickets, and small hoppers that end up in the creek. On streams like these is where the Fat Angie really excels. It also can replace virtually any attractor style fly as long as fish are looking up.
These Werner Basin Redband Trout couldn’t get enough of the Fat Angie.
When fishing this fly on a spring creek, I will cast it towards the brushy bank with the seam on it. Ideally, I will have the fly land along the bank, or just in the grass. One small strip will have the Fat Angie falling off streamside foliage just like a real insect. Below is a picture of a brown trout that was fooled by a #14 Purple Fat Angie in just that fashion. On high lakes, look for logs or other structure that insects might fall off of into the lake. When using this fly to search on small freestone streams, I like to present it with a small splash in likely holding water. This again will drive the point home that the insect accidentally fell into the water. The Fat Angie with its large wing does a great job of making a natural looking wake when it falls. Tiny strips too can mimic the insect attempting to fly off the surface as the Angie’s large wing pushes small ripples of water. When searching larger rivers where fish are keyed in on top, try tagging a small Fat Angie behind a large attractor fly, this will help you keep track of it. Also searching with a Big Fat Angie and a nymph dropped below is a great way to search on the surface and underwater simultaneously.
This brown was holding in an undercut bank and rose to a purple Fat Angie being ticked along the grassy bank.
This fly has been a big hit in past years and already this summer in the shop. For me personally this fly smashed last month all around Northern California on the Upper Sacramento and Mccloud. I’ve fished this fly locally on our home waters the Willamette and Mckenzie, and this fly has served me well up in Washington and on spring creeks in Wisconsin. Long story short, I always have a few in my box! We have a wide variety of Fat Angies to choose from, and know you can find one to fit your needs. Our Standard Fat Angies are size 14 and come in purple, black, and cinnamon. The Big Fat Angies are size #8 and come in black and purple. Swing by the shop and check them out, or shop online for them here.
Check out this new podcast featuring stories from hunters and anglers about paranormal encounters in the wild, called The Campfire’s Edge, cohosted by blog-contributor Matt Stansberry and Sarah Rose.
The first four episodes are live now, including an interview w/ Captain Nate Stansberry about his death-defying experiences fishing the Oregon Coast.
The show asks: What happens when people paying close attention to nature encounter the anomalous? How does a paranormal or spiritual experience change a person’s relationship with the landscape? And if there are entities or forces interacting with us in the wild, who are they and what can we hunters and anglers teach us about them?
Chris will be joining an episode soon to talk about bigfoot, so stay tuned!
Warming rivers; wildfires; aging infrastructure; supply cost increases; conflicts with wild fish conservation and recovery. Just a few of the reasons it’s time for the state of Oregon and the public to take a good hard look at the future of Oregon’s hatchery system.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) held a kickoff meeting on June 27th to begin the public engagement process for a comprehensive assessment of the state’s hatchery system. This effort aims to evaluate the state’s hatchery operations, considering factors like economics, climate vulnerability, and impacts on the conservation and recovery of wild fish populations.
The initiative is focused on a key portion of Oregon’s hatchery system–the 14 facilities owned by the state. These hatcheries raise a variety of salmon and steelhead as well as resident trout and have long played a role in fisheries management, particularly in Oregon’s coastal watersheds.
Yet these facilities are facing a diversity of issues that make it difficult for the agency to continue status quo operations over the coming decades. (Read more about how this initiative got started in our previous update). Understanding that there are strongly held perspectives surrounding hatcheries, the department has hired a third-party facilitator to lead a public engagement process.
The June kickoff meeting highlighted the diverse needs of stakeholders. Some advocated for continued hatchery investment and modernization, while others emphasized the importance of prioritizing wild fish conservation and habitat restoration efforts.
Open Dialogue, Diverse Viewpoints: Charting a New Course for Oregon’s Fisheries
Some may view the debate over hatcheries as an intractable “war” with entrenched positions. While finding a workable solution that departs from the status quo may be challenging, it’s not impossible.
I urge all of us to come to the table, be willing to listen openly to the information presented in the analyses, and engage in good faith with the diversity of viewpoints represented. At the end of the day, I’m hopeful that we may be able to help the agency chart a path forward that balances the diverse needs of stakeholders while supporting the long-term health and resilience of Oregon’s native, wild fish populations.
What’s Next? How You Can Be Involved.
The good news is ODFW is creating space to hear from the public and interested stakeholders throughout this process. Here’s how you, as a supporter of wild fish and healthy rivers, can make your voice heard:
ODFW will hold a series of public meetings and webinars throughout the summer. The next phase will include three webinars presenting the findings of the third-party assessments. Visit ODFW’s website for more details and to register. Meetings will also be live-streamed and available as a recording on the ODFW YouTube Channel.
First Webinar – Looking Ahead: Assessing Future Need for Hatcheries Date & Time: Thursday, August 1, 12pm-1pmODFW will lay groundwork for the review with a summary of ongoing and projected environmental changes (e.g., temperature, flow) that are affecting fish populations and hatchery operations in Oregon.
Second Webinar – Looking Ahead: Hatchery Economics and Fish Stock Trends Date & Time: Thursday, August 8, 12pm-1pmThis webinar will cover two topics. First, ODFW will summarize results of a third-party economic analysis of Oregon’s state-owned hatcheries. The analysis includes a description of current operating costs and economic benefits of hatchery production. ODFW will also summarize findings from an assessment of the likely impact of climate change on the future viability of hatchery programs. ODFW rears and releases many different species/stocks—some of which will likely do better in future than others.
Third Webinar – Looking Ahead: Infrastructure Challenges and Opportunities Date & Time: Thursday, August 15, 12pm-1pmThis third webinar summarizes the results of a third-party assessment of the climate vulnerability of each facility, the costs and benefits of infrastructure investments in each state-owned hatchery facility, and whether an alternative to the current model could improve the system’s sustainability.
Attend the ODFW Hatchery Assessment Public Meeting #2 Date & Time: Wednesday, August 28th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Location: ODFWs Commission Room (4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, OR 97302)
The meeting will also be accessible remotely via this link.
Share your perspective: ODFW will establish a dedicated platform for public comment. We will share this information as soon as it becomes available, allowing you to directly express your concerns and recommendations for a future that prioritizes healthy wild fish populations.
By actively participating in this process, we can ensure the ODFW’s Hatchery Resilience Initiative leads to a future that safeguards Oregon’s native fish and the ecosystems they depend on.
Let’s work together to ensure a sustainable future for Oregon’s iconic fisheries!
With the new school year comes the return of one of the Watershed Council’s most treasured programs: Salmon Watch. During the months of September and November, students from across Lane County participate in the Salmon Watch Program to witness the magic of the salmon life cycle. Volunteers lead four stream-side learning stations on the topics of water quality, riparian ecology, salmon biology, and macroinvertebrates. It is an experience that has a lasting positive impact on students and their relationship with the natural world.
If you are someone who has a love for the environment and would like to help to grow that passion in the next generation, please join us for a Salmon Watch volunteer training session!
New volunteers are required to attend one or both training sessions before signing up to support trips. Training sessions will be held on the following dates:
If you would like to volunteer at Salmon Watch, but cannot attend either training, please reach out to the Salmon Watch Coordinator at Dassy@middleforkwillamette.org
For more information and summaries of each of the stations: click here
What: A chance to win your dream wooden dory in the name of wild fish for just $100! Only 250 tickets will be sold, so don’t miss your chance!
The Prize: 17’ Ray’s River Dory Rogue Drift Boat – personally built by the founder of Ray’s River Dories, C. Ray Heater! Includes: Boat cover, trailer, and three spruce oars with tip guards. Condition: Lightly used
When: Tickets are on sale now through 5pm on Saturday, August 17th, 2024. The lucky winner* will be pulled in-person at our 6th Annual Homewaters Roundup in Bend, OR on Saturday, August 17th!
That’s right, a Ray’s River Dories Rogue wooden drift boat, complete with a trailer, cover, and a set of oars could be yours! This is your best (and most economical) shot to win your very own wooden drift boat for only $100! Act fast – with only 250 tickets available, now is the time to get your raffle ticket today and make your dory fishing dreams a reality! The lucky winner will be pulled in person at our 6th Annual Homewaters Roundup in Bend, OR on Saturday, August 17th! *Need not be present to win.
For those in the Central Oregon area wishing to attend on August 17th, Homewaters Roundup in-person tickets are FREE, but registration is requested, so RSVP todayif you haven’t already! Join us for a lovely evening of fellowship, festivities, live music, food, beverages, and other exciting raffle prizes, benefitting Oregon’s native fish and wild rivers. You don’t need to be present at the Roundup to win the Dream Dory Raffle, but we’d sure love to see you there!
In this video, Simon works his way through a beautiful stream on a hot day. He primarily uses a Dry-Dropper setup to search and work his way through some beautiful water. This video marks the beginning of more “on the water” content coming from our Youtube channel @caddisflyshop. This will highlight local waters and fisheries beyond. They will focus on skills and helpful tips for beginners and experienced anglers alike. Stay tuned for more on the water fishing videos from us! Feel free to give us feedback on the video and let us know what you’d like us to cover next! All of the gear and more can be found on our website, caddisflyshop.com.
Right now is a great time to get out on a float or get out on a guided float trip.
Fishing locally has been great despite our recent heat wave. We’ve made it through this heat wave without any wildfires here in the valley and without our local trout water getting too terribly hot. Water temperature is still a factor to be aware of as summer progresses. Prolonged elevated temperatures, especially warmer nights can have negative impacts on trout health. As conscious anglers, we should be aware of this and do everything in our power to mitigate harm to the fish.
Trout behavior can change drastically with temperature swings, but it is very predictable. During these hot days, fish will be pushed up higher in the rivers and creeks. In each run, fish will be pushed towards the head of the pool where there is a higher concentration of dissolved oxygen. There also is more surface turbulence towards the head of a pool which provides cover from predators because they cant see in the water. Once water temperatures reach 65 you should start being extra careful when trout fishing. Use heavier tippet and bring fish in quickly, keep them in the water, and release them as quick as possible. As a rule I like to move upstream and find colder water when the water is 65 and up. This is also a great time of year to hit the high lakes, or smaller streams with lots of shade, as they stay cooler. This time of year you should be carrying a thermometer to gauge water temps. I especially like the Fishpond Riverkeeper Digital Thermometer; I clip it to my net and check the temperature by pushing my net deep underwater. The Hareline Stream Thermometer also makes a good option. Warmwater fishing for bass and panfish also makes a great option as they are more heat tolerant. The coast is also an option; Surfperch fishing is great this time of year off the beach, or rockfish and lingcod off the jetty.
Fish will hold in the heads of pools where there is more oxygen.
Lately we have been seeing hatches of Golden Stoneflies, Yellow Sallies, and assorted Caddis in the afternoons. There is a relatively reliable hatch of Pale Morning and evening Duns every morning and evening. As things warm up even more lately terrestrials play a big role in trout’s diets. Crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, ants, and other land based insects become increasingly important to our local trout. This is even more important on smaller streams with brushy banks.
Fishing spring creeks is a great way to beat the heat and get in on some great terrestrial fishing.
The most effective, versatile, and straightforward way to fish right now is with a dry-dropper setup. For those of you that do not know, this is a setup which uses a buoyant dry fly too suspend a nymph subsurface. It makes for a great way to search water because you cover the surface and subsurface simultaneously. Often the dry fly has to be bigger and tied with buoyant materials to be able to suspend a nymph below. The larger insects present that you would be mimicking with your large dry would be a Golden Stonefly or a larger grasshopper. Other “attractor” style dries that just look “buggy” are great options too. Try these for your dry fly portion of your rig in sizes 6-12: Fools Gold Golden Stoneflies, Willy’s Ant, or a Double Stack Chubby Chernobyl Fly. The nymphs that we like to run below our dries are slim bodied jig nymphs in sizes #12-16 this time of year. Choose the fly size/weight that best matches the depth of the water you are fishing, and proportionately matches how buoyant your fly is. Here are some shop favorites for your dropper nymph: Jigged Duracell, Jigged Frenchie, or a Tungsten Jig PMD.
Fish are looking up, especially in the upper river where there’s more shade.
For fishing a single dry fly, the most reliable hatch that you will come across is the PMD/PED hatch. This is the summer hatch where you can consistently cast at rising fish. If the hatch is happening in the morning or evening try some of these: Tactical Light Cahill Parachute, Quigley’s Film Critic PMD, or a Rusty Spinner. If you are seeing lots of larger fluttering golden colored insects, they are likely gold stones and we would recommend fishing one of the following: Burkus Bearback Rider Golden Stone, Morrish Fluttering Stone, or a yellow/gold colored Chubby Chernobyl. During the mid day lull searching with a small yellow sally can be effective; here are some shop favorites: Silvey’s Yellow Sally or Front End Loader. Searching in the afternoon with a small caddis can be effective, especially into dusk. Feel free to tag one of these behind a larger golden stonefly or fish it solo: X2 Caddis, Peacock Caddis, or an Olsen’s Foam Front End Loader. Lastly, general attractors sized #10-16 will bring fish to surface in the morning and late afternoon, here are some great attractors that are must haves in your box: Carlson’s Purple Haze, Elk Hair Caddis Tan, or an Adams Heavy Hackle Parachute.
Shade is your friend, hug that far bank that’s where fish will hold.
Terrestrial insects are what you want to be throwing if you’re on smaller rivers and creeks or fishing near a brushy bank. These would be grasshoppers, ants, crickets, beetles, etc. We recently wrote an article on terrestrials and listed our top 5 here. Feel free to run a small nymph below any of the more buoyant ones as well.
Areas with more foliage will help reduce water temps and provide habitat for terrestrials this time of year.
Midday when its sunny and hot dry fly fishing can turn off. The heat can be exhausting for fish to exert energy to surface and the bright sun makes them vulnerable to predators. You certainly can fish your dry dropper rig throughout the day, but indicator and euro nymphing can be especially effective when fish wont surface to eat. Pairing a larger stonefly nymph with something smaller is generally effective. Here are some great options for your larger fly: Sili Leg Stone Fly, Mega Prince, or a Tunghead 20 Incher. Here are some choices for smaller flies: Jig Fullback Napoleon, Jigged Perdigon, or Improved Jigged 20 Incher.
Cool mornings are a great way to get in on some great dry fly fishing with hatches of PMDs
As things get real warm here turning towards warmwater fishing may help ease stress on our local trout fisheries. Fern Ridge, the Coast Fork Willamette, South Umpqua, John Day, and other ponds are great local options. Fish poppers and mice on the surface in the morning and evening for explosive surface action, here are some great sellers that we have in the shop: Surface Seducer Patriot Popper, Surface Seducer Double Barrel Foam Popper, or a Morrish’s Mouse For streamers, we like the following: Clouser Deep Minnow, Sculpzilla, or a Meat Sweats.
Cold, clear, and deep water is what trout like when it is hot out.
The word is out that it is a great steelhead year locally. People are consistently picking up fish on the Mckenzie, the Willamette, and the Santiam drainage. MF Willamette remains high with more consistent success coming out of the Willamette in town, McKenzie and Santiam drainage. A few positive reports have come out of the North Umpqua, but preliminary counts are not encouraging across Winchester as of this update. Now is when the lower Deschutes should have a few around. Swinging is effective for summers throughout the day. All techniques are effective mornings and evenings. Flashier, larger flies with heavier tips is the program as the sun hits the water. Here are some must haves for swinging: Coo Coo for Cocoa Puff’s, Hoh Bo Spey, or a Moal Leech. People are also picking them up on larger flashier nymphs like: Steelhead Lightning Bug, Rogue Steel Stone, or a Double Bead Epoxyback Peacock.
There are loads of steelhead in the river right now, get out while its good and swing some up!
If you need anything swing by the shop and chat with us, we are happy to help. We can also help you over the phone give us a call. Have fun out there, now is a great time to work higher up and explore new water that is colder!
Summer is in full swing and that means trout have terrestrials on the mind. This term refers to land based insects such as: ants, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, cicadas, bees, etc. On small streams with lots of streamside brush and vegetation, this is even more important. Often terrestrials will pick up as the day warms up, terrestrial insects will need to “warm up and wake up” before coming active enough to end up in the water. Windy days are your friend, especially on spring creeks with grassy banks. The wind will blow insects into the water and fish will be holding along the banks sipping bugs as they fall in. On high lakes during the summer fish key in on small terrestrials near logs and the bank as well. Many of these are “Attractor” style patterns meaning they might not imitate one insect, but rather are suggestive of many.
Our top 5 terrestrial patterns have battled it out against other patterns on the water and came out on top. These were chosen with versatility and buoyancy in mind. All of these flies work great locally, but also are proven winners on trout streams across the country. All of these options make great dries to run a small dropper below. As much as we love Chubby Chernobyls in the shop, they did not make the list as they’re often bigger, and a smaller fly will imitate a terrestrial more effectively. Smaller Chubbies size 12-14 work great along with plenty of other flies in the store or on our site that didn’t make the absolute top 5.
The Dry humper is an awesome delicate terrestrial pattern. They come in several sizes and colors but we like sizes 12 and 14. The bottom hackle is clipped to help it ride low for a more realistic presentation. A large wing keeps it visible from a distance.
Craven’s Fat Angie is a shop favorite and is a true attractor terrestrial pattern. It could be an ant, cricket, beetle, or a small hopper. They come in two sizes, standard and big. The big is especially buoyant for larger droppers. The smaller size sacrifices some buoyancy for a more realistic look. The abdomen is dropped subsurface on a curved hook driving the point home that this is a struggling insect. This makes it great for high lakes and spring creeks where fish have longer to look at your fly. I’ve fished this on spring creeks in a few states and it is big brown approved.
The Moorish Hopper is a legendary hopper pattern that is one of the most popular ones out there. Lots of legs mean lots of movement which drive fish nuts. A hot spot on the back makes it easy to see. On spring creeks try small strips to mimic a hopper “kicking” its way to the bank.
The Henneberry hopper was new in the shop last year and did really well. It is the most realistic fly of the list and makes a great option on water with picky fish. The legs are reinforced with tubing to keep them sticking out while the fly is on the water. It rides low and has a super realistic pattern on it for enticing the pickiest of fish especially on spring fed creeks.
Rio’s Blade Runner Hopper is a favorite of mine. I first encountered this fly in the Driftless area in the Midwest and fished it on the spring creeks there. It effectively mimics smaller hoppers making it a great early season hopper. This is the one I’d be fishing right now on a small creek. The hopper’s rear legs are foam. This helps the fly remain more buoyant and offers a realistic touch.
Have fun out there, feel free to swing by the shop or give us a call with any questions.
A slim profile is essential when mimicking a Yellow Sally effectively
Yellow Sallies are often an overlooked summer staple in Western Trout’s Diets. What they lack in size they make up for in abundance. Often Yellow Sallies make a more subtle option in pressured waters when people gravitate to throwing Gold Stones, Green Drakes, or other more popular insects/attractor flies. Yellow Sallies are a small stonefly and are the middle child in terms of size with their relatives; they are smaller than Gold Stones and larger than Winter Stones. They are active mid afternoon when things can be slow, so they make a great searching pattern. In this video, Simon ties a high-floating Yellow Sally variant. This fly is tied to float high in the turbulent water if our local rivers in the Willamette valley. Heavily hackled, this fly is sure to get some looks. It excels being tossed in at the head of a pool where fish stack up in the summer in search of food and water with a higher oxygen content. Because this fly is tied slightly larger, it is made for quicker water where fish have less time to critique your tying skills. If you happen to be fishing more tailouts, slower water, or even a spring creek, consider sizing this fly down to a 14 or even 16. Colors can be adjusted to brighter or more drab yellow or even lime for the elusive Lime Sally hatch. If you tie some up tor have fish photos from tying this one up tag us on instagram. If you’ve had an amazing day fishing Sallies, share your story in the comments below.
In this video, Simon ties a Green Drake emerger for the pickiest of trout. Whether you’re fishing the Green Drake hatch locally up on the Mckenzie, on the mighty Metolius, or out east on a limestone spring creek in Pennsylvania, this fly is one that you want. It is specifically tied to mimic an emerging Green Drake. The rear of the fly is tied with ostrich, a material chosen with water absorption in mind. This will drop the rear of the fly into the water mimicking a nymphal shuck. This is exactly what fish are looking for subsurface when they are being choosy. The front of the fly is heavily hackled, has 3mm Hi Float Foam, as well as Widow’s Web for maximum buoyancy. This fly will ride high and stay visible when fish are feeding on Drakes in the riffles of the Mckenzie and Metolius. It also will fish well in a tailout or spring creek, riding low looking very realistic for situations where fish have longer to examine your fly. This pattern can be adopted for just about any mayfly and sizes and colors can be substituted. In fact, it was originally developed for the Black Drake hatch on the Williamson river. It was a proven winner there, so it only made sense to tie up a Green Drake variant. Whip some up and get out there!
In this video, Simon ties a robust cicada patterns just in time for the legendary Brood XIX and XIII cicada hatch of 2024. These are two overlapping hatches of 13 & 17 year periodical cicadas that won’t happen again in our lifetimes. So many insects hatch during these events that fish, birds, and other creatures gorge themselves on cicadas. If you’re lucky enough to live in a region where this is happening, you need to get in on it. Cicadas are large insects that are clumsy fliers. If you’ve ever been hit by one flying you know they are big bugs that have to make a big splash when they hit the water. This fly is tied with 6mm foam to push water as it hits the surface and bring up the largest fish. Tied on a robust Ahrex hook, this fly is safe for the biggest fish crushing cicadas. Tie some up and share your photos with us!
Note: We misspoke in the video about which batch of cicadas are hatching this summer. The 2024 hatch contains Brood XIX and Brood XIII not Brood X (2021).
We’re celebrating the re-opening of the Finn Rock Landing on the McKenzie River. One of the more popular launches for local whitewater opportunities, the Finn Rock Landing serves thousands of visitors annually.
The improved landing designs were created based on community feedback gathered in 2017 in partnership with Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architects. This spring, Delta Sand and Gravel Company completed upgrades including adding defined parking spaces, pedestrian safety routes, places to gather out of traffic, and installing bird-friendly lighting. “The most exciting part of this project is the incorporation of Universal Design principles,” observed Zane Wheeler with the City of Eugene. “Every summer, through our Adaptive Recreation Program, we bring dozens of people who use mobility aids such as wheelchairs to the river to take advantage of our special rafting equipment. Having accessible infrastructure, including ADA parking and ramps, is an important step forward in creating a more equitable outdoor experience.”
The landing project, which cost around $850,000, was funded with a combination of grants from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s Recreational Trails Program, Lane County Parks bond measure, and private donations. Access continues to be free of charge, and McKenzie River Trust looks to community members to help in its stewardship. We know that people and land need each other. At Finn Rock Reach, we’re relying on visitors not to leave garbage and to help pick it up when they see it. The landing is open year-round from dawn to dusk for people to launch non-motorized watercraft and access the McKenzie River for fun and fishing.
The gate on Gold Lake road which leads to Gold Lake is now open. For all of you anglers who are looking for a closer stillwater option than going all of the way up the Cascade Lakes highway, Gold Lake is a wonderful stillwater option. At about an hour and fifteen minutes from Eugene, it is a closer option than going to East, Paulina, Diamond, Crane, Lava, Elk, Hosmer, or even further to the lakes way out East.
It is a smaller lake making it a great float tube friendly lake. You can drive right up so there is no need to hike in with your tube. It also has a ramp for launching a boat. Gold lake has some spectacular brook trout fishing, and there are some sizeable rainbow trout as well.
Make sure to bring some Chironomids, Balanched Leeches, Pine Squirrel Leeches, Buggers, Ants, and other small dries. Fishing floating line for dries, or an indicator setup work great. An intermediate line works great for fishing small nymphs, damsels, scuds, and streamers in the shallows. A sink 3-5 line works for dredging deeper with streamers.
Father’s day is right around the corner and we are happy to help you find a great gift for your dad this Father’s day. We know shopping for Fathers Day can be difficult, especially if your father is a flyfisherman and you are not. We made it easy with this complete list of all our favorite gear. All of the things we put below are gifts we mentioned in the videos, and more importantly gifts we’d love to receive ourselves. Below are several gift idea videos and we will link the products below. Swing by the shop for a hand picking the perfect gift. If you’re out of state, give the shop a call and we are happy to assist you.
