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Body- Montana Fly Company UV Spicy Squirrel Dubbing: Dark/Natural Purple, Uni Silver Soft Wire: Medium

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McKenzie River Restoration Projects

Posted on June 15, 2026 by Caddisfly

From OPB: By Karen Richards (KLCC)

McKenzie River floodplain projects use heavy machinery and thousands of logs to improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat and help buffer wildfires.

You may think of a river as a winding band of deep water, hemmed in on both sides by tall, rocky banks.

But Eli Tome, the Director of Conservation for McKenzie River Trust, would like to change that perception.

“Part of our work is hopefully showing the community that when somebody says ‘a river,’ that you think of a connected wetland complex,” said Tome. “Really, it’s the whole system, connected to its banks, and thriving little ecosystems that are off to the side, with beaver damming it up.”

McKenzie River Trust, along with the Eugene Water & Electric Board, the McKenzie Watershed Council, and the National Forest Service, has been incrementally converting hundreds of acres of land near the McKenzie River into a wider floodplain.

They’re restoring the area for several reasons: To improve water quality, create better habitat, and build a buffer in case of flooding. Over the past few wildfire seasons, these areas have also proven to serve as fire breaks and places of refuge.

Tome said all of these benefits may help serve a changing climate.

“If we have less snowpack in the mountains, what we can do is we can restore these valley bottoms, and then that creates a wetland that is helping store water later into the year,” Tome said. “These projects are a reservoir, it’s a reservoir that will be upkept by beaver instead of being upkept by engineers and bulldozers and dump trucks and cement.”

McKenzie River tributaries used to extend across wide valleys before people built roads and industries. Several of those waterways, which now flow swiftly in narrow channels, are being restored. The McKenzie itself will continue to be accessible for recreation, and the hope is that fishing and water quality will improve.

Quartz Creek is a 120-acre site that was restored last summer. It’s now a greening expanse of meandering water, with shallow pools and young willows amid a crisscross of intentionally buried logs.

Tome said the project attempts to mimic a natural disturbance, like a flood or a landslide, to help the water find new paths.

Susan Fricke, the Water Resources Supervisor at EWEB, said Quartz Creek was one of the most problematic feeders of Eugene’s drinking water, sending chocolate-colored, sediment-filled water into the McKenzie. This shallower, wider creek now catches sand and sediment, and serves as a filter.

“We do have roads here, we do have land uses upstream that are sending contaminants through,” said Fricke. “And so when you’re settling out that sediment, that also means you’re settling out those contaminants as well, and they’re not going downstream to our communities where people are recreating and using the water, to our utilities that are using it for drinking water, so it’s a win-win for all of our downriver communities.”

Before Quartz Creek became a “braided” stream, it went through some heavy construction. That’s what’s happening now, upriver at Cougar Reservoir, where the work is in its beginning stages.

The 340-acre site is on the South Fork McKenzie River, just off Highway 126 at the start of Aufderheide Drive.

Lara Colley, the Floodplain Restoration Projects Manager with the McKenzie Watershed Council, said in order to create a wider basin, excavators and bulldozers are lowering some riverside areas and filling in other places.

“All these machines have GPS-enabled buckets in their equipment,” she said. “So they know where grade is, and they’re making sure that everything is to grade. At the end, it’ll look more like a riverbed surface would look. Wood is just gonna be everywhere. It’s gonna be great.”

Colley said 7,000 logs will be placed in a lattice here, many buried deeply to help create jams that will become wetlands. Many of the logs were hazard trees, burned in the Holiday Farm Fire, which came through here in 2020. She expects this restoration to be completed by the end of summer, with one more phase in the future.

These projects are funded by a combination of local, state and federal dollars. The South Fork project is estimated at $6.4 million. Quartz Creek was about $10 million, including the cost of a new, longer bridge, which was needed to span the widened creek.

At Finn Rock Reach, where gravel mines used to define the landscape, Tome was excited to see that willows, planted as small stakes three years ago, now tower over him. Fragrant lupine bloomed all around, and there were many other signs of life.

“Right now there’s an osprey overhead, there’s a heron flying over there, there’s a ton of wildlife that’s out here using the project,” Tome said. “There’s western pond turtle here that are all throughout the project site.”

Tome said people sometimes question the use of heavy equipment in restoration. He said they strive to do a destructive job thoughtfully: Biodegradable lubricants are used on the trucks, and as many fish, lamprey, and invertebrates as possible are saved from each site. Any living trees or active beaver dams are left alone.

He said energy needs to go into the system to undo the damage that was done, but the logs they bury, and the subsequent wetlands become a great carbon sink.

“We actually did a rough calculation of carbon, and (at) our Finn Rock project, for example, we think about nine months after machinery left that project, we were carbon neutral,” he said. “We had sequestered enough carbon that we made up for all the diesel that we burned to do the project itself.”

Tome emphasized that although they’re being diligent and heavily monitoring the work to learn as much as possible, they approach each restoration with humility.

“There is no project like this that was done 20 years ago that we can look at,” he said. “The 20-year project is going to be here, and this is kind of a grand experiment.” He added, “I think that this is the kind of work that truly moves the needle.”

Tome said the team believes these wetland restorations are the best chance to give salmon a healthy place to spawn and protect the water supply. He said historic General Land Office surveys of the Pacific Northwest mentioned old-growth trees growing on top of giant log jams on Oregon’s Rivers.

He said he’d like to think they’re setting up similar conditions. “In 400 years, hopefully there’s an old-growth forest growing on top of some of our log jams in Quartz Creek.”

Karen Richards is a reporter with KLCC.

This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

Posted in McKenzie River, Oregon Conservation News | Leave a comment

Simon’s Simple Scud

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

In this video, Simon ties an effective scud pattern or spring creeks, high lakes, and tailwaters. Scuds are aquatic crustaceans that, when present, make up a massive portion of a trout’s diet. Scuds can only thrive in nutrient rich waters, so they are often found alongside a wide variety of other insects in a productive body of water. They generally cannot live in the quick flowing freestone streams of the high gradient mountains of the West. They are likely present in those systems, but not where the large trout are. They are isolated in the slower headwater sections near cold seeps and springs with aquatic vegetation. This pattern utilizes a brand new material from our friends at Montana Fly Co: UV Spicy Squirrel Dubbing. The dubbing brushes out well and really is the only material you need to tie a fantastic scud. Simon likes to fish these on slow sinking lines, or in spring creeks under an indicator doing a tiny erratic “Scud” strip when the indicator approaches structure holding trout. This presents the scud broadside to the fish and swings it darting past their face. If you put in time on high lakes, or spring creeks, tie some up!

Hook- Ahrex Super Dry FW524: Size 12

Thread- Fulling Mill Black Pro Flat Thread: 70 D

Shell- Solarez Medium UV Resin

UV Torch- Loon Plasma Light

Vise- Renzetti Master & Deluxe Streamer Base

Posted in Aquatic Insect Hatches, Eastern Oregon, Entomology, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, Oregon High Lakes, Stillwater Fishing, Uncategorized | Tagged Fly, fly tying, gammarus, high lake, scud, spring creek, stillwater, Tutorial | Leave a comment

Phil Rowley’s Ambassador Series Midge Tip Long Line by Rio: Complete Review

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

A few weeks ago friend of the shop, and stillwater guide, Adison Rook and I set off for East Lake to both fish and test a plethora of different products for review. One product that was essential to our success up at East Lake was the Midge Tip Long, specifically the Phil Rowley Ambassador Series of the line.

Adison is really the master here, I just tagged along with camera equipment and a good attitude. With his guidance I’ve seen how, especially when the wind picks up, this line can be a day saver. More on that below, and Adison will share his thoughts on the line below as well.

Phil’s Midge Tip Long is a floating line with a clear 6 ft intermediate head sinking at 1.5 ips (inches per second). The standard Midge Tip is the same configuration, but has a 3 ft intermediate section. Phil’s Midge Tip comes in a hover version as well, which features a 1 ips sink rate for fishing higher in the water column. As our high lakes callibaetis hatch really ramps up, the hover version will be an equally important line to have in your boat. All Phil Rowley Ambassador Series Midge Tip Lines have a sighter portion to let you know as you approach your intermediate tip.

Both lines feature a tippet ring instead of a standard welded loop. In fact, this is consistent across all of the Phil’s Ambassador Series Lines, which also come in an Aqualux configuration, a Standard Floater, and both the standard Midge Tip and the Hover version which comes in standard and long. Both lines feature a sighter that lets you know when you are approaching the clear sinking section.

The ring is a key component of these lines for the stillwater aficionado. Typically, you run extremely long leaders when stillwater fishing. This is all great until you are fighting a fish at the boat and your welded loop and leader is catching on the tip of your rod and guides. Phil’s Ambassador Series of Lines, with their built in rings instead of welded loops, effortlessly slide through your guides meaning no panicking with a massive fish boat side.

Phil’s integrated tippet ring also allows you to swap lines quickly. For example, if fish start feeding more in the upper water column, you may want to switch to a Midge Tip Hover. Before swapping spools, you can reel your line all the way in until the leader is just outside of your reel. You can snip your leader off, swap lines, retie your rig on, and then cast the swapped line through your guides. This is much faster as you don’t have to remove flies or indicators to run a loop to loop connection. For float tube guys with limited space this is huge.

The Midge Tip Long also has a fantastic coating from Rio called SlickCast which allows these lines to fly through guides. At one point mid day, Adison and I saw just how far we were able to shoot the line. After a few casts, we both were able to shoot our backing through the first few guides casting the entire line. This allows you to cover more water easier, being such an easy line to cast. The taper loads rods quickly and turns over rigs with ease.

These lines are meant to be fished by stripping flies at a variety of retrieve rates. Given the lighter sink rate, typically, you are fishing these lines with a very slow retrieve, emulating the slow darting movement of aquatic insects and crustaceans like scuds. Typically you are employing a slow figure 8 strip adding pauses and experimenting until you find a retrieve rate that fish like. You may use a slower consistent retrieve when fishing chironomids and Callibaetis nymphs. Fishing scuds and damsels may require more erratic short darting strips. These lines can certainly accommodate fishing small streamers as well, in fact fishing a beachhead streamer in tandem is a fantastic way to help get your smaller fly down.

Here in Oregon, we are blessed with so many high lakes that we even have a dedicated highway that runs along some of the best: The Cascade Lakes Highway. There are plenty of other lakes on the Cascade Crest and East, but they all experience an uptick of afternoon wind. Adison’s solution to the wind that can make indicator nymphing and dry fishing difficult is fishing Loch Style with Rio’s Midge Tip from Phil.

This involved deploying drogue or wind anchor which slows the winds affect blowing broadside on the boat. Using the midge tip with the help of the wind at our backs, we presented Chironomids and Callibaetis nymphs 70-90 feet ahead of where the boat was drifting. This method also allows us to drift over the lake and present our flies to fish that we haven’t drifted over yet. Using a slow strip and figure 8 retrieve, we hammered browns and rainbows using this method. The Midge Tip Long is Adison’s ace up his sleeve when the wind becomes unbearable.

We also fished the line when anchored up and caught plenty of fish. East lake is a venue that is easily fished from shore, and this line would be fantastic for bank anglers as well.

Thoughts from Stillwater Guide Adison Rook

“I’ve been fishing the Phil Rowley Ambassador Series Midge Tip Long personally and with clients and it is an amazing line. The line has a short head that makes multiple fly rigs easy to cast. The line has very low memory so it doesn’t coil like a full intermediate will, and the low stretch core that rio lines are known for really shines when hooking fish at distance, or detecting light takes.

Adjusting the point fly of your rig and leader length helps determine the depth of water your flies will target. For instance, if you run a fly with a tungsten bead your rig will achieve greater depth. If you wanted to fish higher in the water column you can run a weightless or even boyant fly such as a booby or fab to bring things up in the water column. This makes the line effective at a wide variety of depths.

One thing that really stands out to me about this line is your ability to fish small nymphs and chironomids at precise depths SLOWLY, giving me a natural presentation. Traditional faster sinking lines, in the type 3 and faster range can get to depth but when using slow retrieves for small flies the sink rate over powers retrieve speed and your flies continue to plummet. With the midge tip the floating running line doesn’t allow the rig to sink after your flies achieve the desired depth and you can CRAWL them back to the boat, even with pauses and they stay at a desired depth once you’ve figured out your leader and fly set up.

The only con I can think of at the moment is the built in hang marker. The hang marker doesn’t have a good contrast against the running line making it difficult to see it approach the rod tip. I cannot speak to the longevity of the line, as this is the first season I’ve implemented them in my arsenal, but so far I am amazed at how effective and versatile this line is.”

-Adison Rook

High lakes this year above all others will be a refuge of cold water. With our subpar winter, our rivers are already experiencing unseasonably warm water. Our high elevation premier stillwater venues will be getting a lot of love this summer, and this was fantastic year to learn if you’re new to it. We have a variety of float tubes in the shop that unlock heaps of new venues and done take up too much space at home.

If you are a summer stillwater angler, and haven’t tried any of Phil’s Ambassador Series Lines, you are missing out on lines that revolutionize stillwater angling. The Midge Tip Long, especially is a line that should have a home somewhere on your boat.

-Simon

Caddis Fly Shop

168 W 6th Ave

Eugene, or 97401

Phone: (541) 342-7005

Email: Support@caddisflyshop.com

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Posted in Eastern Oregon, Oregon High Lakes, Stillwater Fishing, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 ips, 1.5 ips, drogue, hover, intermediate, loch, midge, phil, rowley, stillwater, tip, uk | 1 Comment

Spey Casting Classes with the Legendary Jon Hazlett Offered June 20, 2026

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Spey Casting guru, fishing guide, Sage, and Rio ambassador Jon Hazlett will be instructing two sessions of two handed casting lessons on June 20th. Jon Hazlett is a big name in the spey scene in general, and especially in Southern Oregon where he calls home.

He will be doing a spey casting clinic on June 20th Locally in the Southern Willamette Valley with two distinct skill classes with two time slots. If you’ve wanted to get in Jon’s books, but the distance has deterred you, this is a fantastic opportunity.

The morning from 9-12 is an introductory spey class. Great if you’re a beginner or have never even picked up a two handed rod before. The afternoon is an intermediate/advanced class where Jon will help tune up your cast and teach more advanced techniques/theory.

A max of 6 casters, or 6 spots in each class will be available. All equipment will be provided. Anglers are welcome to bring their own rods if they would like. Casting instruction will be on the water at a location to be announced. Space is LIMITED so that Jon can give time and attention to each participant, small classes are Jon’s best way to share his expertise with you.

Class #1: June 20th, 9am-12 Spey Fundamentals ($95) – Spey class for beginners, with the focus being on basic fundamentals, and the introduction of the Double Spey and Snap-T

Class #2: June 20th, 1pm-4pm Intermediate/Advanced Spey ($95) – Spey casters who want to refine their technique, such as the finer points of the D-Loop Stroke, the Single Spey and Snake Roll.

Each class will include hands on instruction, discussion of moderns spey lines, tactics and techniques. John Hazlett has been in and around the two handed rod game since the late 1990s and is an excellent instructor and fly fishing guide. Classes aim to introduce and improve your spey casting skills.

Swing by the shop, or call The Caddis Fly Shop to sign up: 541 342 7005 – Space is limited to 6 casters per session.

Posted in Classes and Instruction, Coastal Steelhead Fishing, Uncategorized | Tagged class, instrtuction, jon, spey, Steelhead | Leave a comment

June Community Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Night at Falling Sky Brewing with Fly Tying Lessons for Beginners

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

This coming Tuesday, June 16th is our monthly Fly Fishing Community Night. Every month, our local community looks forward to gathering at our favorite brewery which has hosted us for over a year: Falling Sky Brewing. Beginners and experts alike are found in the crowd that attends this monthly gathering. There are new faces each month as well as veterans that have been attending since the monthly event’s inception.

Where: Falling Sky Brewing [1334 Oak Alley Eugene, OR 9740]

When: Tuesday, June 16th at 6:00

What: Fly tying, new friends, prizes, great food, great beer, fly swap, fly tying lessons (must reserve your spot), and connecting with the community.

This past two months, our friend Alan Eubanks has given complimentary fly tying lessons to beginners. Again, this month Alan will be hosting an intro to fly tying class sponsored by Caddis Fly Shop. There are limited seats so message our Instagram to reserve your spot, stop by the shop and get your name on the list, or give the shop a ring (541) 342-7005. Alan has been tying flies for decades and is excited to share his wealth of knowledge with eager students. This month he will be pairing down the class size and scope of the class, and will be teaching beginners how to tie an Elk Hair Caddis. Please reserve your spot if you are interested; we only have limited supplies and for those who want to learn

If you haven’t been to a Community Night, you’re missing out, and we’d love to see you there. It is a great excuse to get together and talk about fly fishing, tie flies, meet new people in the community, usher in newbies, etc. We have had a massive influx of new anglers as of lat, and this is a fantastic way to meet people to fish with. See the bottom of this post for the full schedule for 2026.

Tiers are encouraged to bring their vise and materials and tie flies if they choose. We will still continue with the monthly fly swap for tiers who participate. If you aren’t planning on tying, but want to bring a hand tied fly, you are welcome to bring one from home.

We have gotten in some gifts from our friends at Fulling Mill & Trout Unlimited that we will parcel out to those participating in the fly swap. We won’t give everything out this month, as we will stretch the prizes over the next few months but if you participate in the fly swap, you will have a chance to win something.

Falling Sky has great beer and some very talented chefs working hard in the back. Their burgers and sandwiches are fantastic, if you choose either of those you have to try the truffle fries. They also have a fantastic bacon loaded truffle Mac and Cheese. Stephen, the owner, has been generous enough to host us monthly for a year and a half. He is a fly angler himself and always makes his rounds. Be sure to extend your gratitude to the man who has made this happen every month for well over a year.

We can always expect our regulars to show up monthly. We also encourage new people to swing by. We have had a massive influx of new faces and new anglers, so it is a great time to stop by if you’ve been hesitant. Whether you’re a veteran to community night or brand new, we are looking forward to seeing you Tuesday!

Help spread the word, the more the merrier!

-Simon

2026 Schedule

Community Nights will typically land on the third Tuesday of each month for 2026. Some dates are subject to change, so keep a close eye for updates.

Tuesday January 20th at 6:00
Tuesday February 17th at 6:00
Tuesday March 24th at 6:00 (Initial date of the 17th changed Due to St. Patricks)
Tuesday April 21st at 6:00
Tuesday May 19th at 6:00
Tuesday June 16th at 6:00
Tuesday July 21st at 6:00
Tuesday August 18th at 6:00
Tuesday September 15th at 6:00
Tuesday October 20th at 6:00
Tuesday November 17th at 6:00
Tuesday December 15th at 6:00

Posted in Monthly Community Night, Oregon Fly Fishing Clubs and Events, Uncategorized | Tagged brewing, community, falling sky brewing, night, sky | Leave a comment

Brand New Sage Arrow Review & Buying Guide

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

If you haven’t already heard, Sage released an entirely new collection of rods earlier this year. We both heard mutterings of a new collection coming, and casted these rods far before their release date, and keeping the secret wasn’t easy. Despite our excitement with these new rods, we wanted to really put the new Arrow to the test before releasing any sort of longwinded review. This review mainly focuses of the 9′ 5wt or 590-4 offering from our friends at Sage. It is a fantastic rod that preforms well in the hand of a beginner and expert, alike.

Right out of the tube, the Arrow is a gorgeous rod. It features a deep colored blank that Sage calls “Flint Black”, and sports classic Sage tan marking reminiscent of the RPL and other heritage Sage rods. Each rod from 3-5wt without a fighting butt has a deep walnut reel seat that, in my opinion, is a small feature that adds a lot of character to a rod. These lighter rods feature a gorgeous shaped half-wells cork grip. Rods with fighting butts trade their walnut inserts for a fully anodized bronze colored aluminum reel seat that matches the rear hardware. All Arrow models with fighting butts and any rod 7+ features a full wells cork grip. Sage nailed the aesthetics of this rod, and its performance matches just how good it looks.

Feel & Technology

Today’s world moves faster than it did 30 years ago. The same holds true for the action of modern fly rods. As someone who objectively can appreciate the technological advancements that fast-action rods showcase, I also recognize that if a rod is too fast, it sacrifices feel. This delicate balance of power, flex, recovery time, and ultimately the amount of tactile feedback the angler receives is carves out a rod’s feel and capabilities.

Sage absolutely nailed the delicate balance of these attributes with the Arrow. Some ultra fast action rods lack the tactile feedback which most advanced anglers look for in a rod. This is where you hear the term “broomstick” thrown around. When an angler cannot feel what the rod is doing, the rod and angler aren’t on the same page. The 590 Arrow does a fantastic job of keeping the angler informed in a tactile manner, allowing them to make micro adjustments as late as when they are shooting line.

The Arrow’s feel does not undermine its power. Some rods that are too soft, and have too much feel have blanks that flex deep and lack power. The Arrow has a quick recovery time and has enough power in its blank to throw cumbersome nymph rigs, dry dropper setups with large buoyant dry flies, and even small streamers. The feedback anglers get from the rod allows it function as a delicate dry fly rod and gracefully lay down a #16-18 BWO or a #20-22 Trico. The rod designers at Sage created a wonderfully balanced, adaptable instrument will do exactly what you want it to in a variety of situations.

The Arrow features the new KonneticHD technology from Sage. This breakthrough in graphite technology allows for rods that are more powerful and lighter than previous iterations. KonneticHD blanks have more feel and allow the angler to be more in touch with their instrument. These more powerful rods recover quicker and are a powerful tool when wielded by an experienced angler. The beauty of faster rods is that they can also help newer anglers cast further by recovering faster and aiding a more powerful cast and tighter loop.

Lines & Setup

I primarily fished the 590 Arrow with the 5 wt Elite Technical Trout. This is a fantastic delicate dry fly line which, is a great pairing with the 5wt Arrow. It really unlocks the rod’s power while keeping it in check enough to lie down flies gently. This was especially crucial when I was fishing dries on one of Oregon’s premier stillwater venues: East Lake. More on that below. The line was capable on our larger rivers, the McKenzie and Willamette, offering seemingly endless reach when needed. I also took this rod up several freestone tributaries and headwater sections of our local rivers, and the Arrow and Elite Technical Trout combo performed at closer range too.

There are endless ways to setup a 590 Arrow line wise. The Elite Technical Trout listed above is a fantastic option for anglers wanting a serious dry fly stick. For anglers throwing more cumbersome rigs or want unmatched versatility consider the lines below.

First off, the Rio Elite Gold is your go to for unlocking more versatility with a 590 Arrow. This true to size line makes turning over medium dries, modest dry dropper setups, and reasonable nymph rigs much easier. Its head is front loaded allowing you to load the rod at short distances and it has a longer rear taper for mending at distance. The innate power that the Arrow has really shines when paired with the Gold series of lines, making it a more adaptable tool.

The Rio Elite Gold XP is the line that you want if you often fish big dry dropper rigs and nymph often. It is 1/2 weight heavy and really allows the Arrow to charge and turn over more cumbersome rigs. It also would allow the Arrow to function more effectively as a light streamer rod. Its drawback being 1/2 a size heavy is that to will be much splashier when presenting teeny dries. This likely isn’t the line for your Arrow if you spend a lot of time fishing venues that require more stealth like spring creeks and high lakes.

Lastly, the Rio Elite Gold Max is the biggest and baddest line in the gold series that really unlocks all of the power within the new Arrow rods while keeping the setup in the “all around” realm. This line is 1 size heavy, and excels at throwing large dries, extra heavy dry dropper setups, modest streamers, and bigger nymph rigs. If you have Deschutes Salmonflies on the mind, this would be a fantastic line. If you want to turn your Arrow into a dry-dropper beast running big foam chubbies with 5/32/3.8mm Tungsten jigs on the Mckenzie, then this is the way you’d want to setup your rod. Again, this line’s power has a drawback, which is making presentations splashier. If you frequently fish size 18 and smaller on technical water, try one of Rio’s dedicated dry fly lines like the Rio Elite Technical Trout.

Stillwater Test

I spent two days with, friend of the shop and stillwater guide for Caddis, Adison Rook on one of the Pacific Northwest’s most renowned stillwater venues: East Lake. I don’t know much about stillwater angling compared to rivers, but Adison did, and he told me to bring a dry fly stick. I figured it was early for callibaetis, terrestrials, and things, but figured I’d bring the Arrow along to test.

Among other techniques, we spent the next two days fishing small terrestrials to rising trout on downwind banks. The Arrow with the Elite Technical Trout delicately presented size 12-16 ants and beetles consistently fooling large, fickle stillwater trout. We used a trolling motor to work the shelf off of the bank. The innate feel that the Arrow has gives fantastic feedback and allowed me to reach mend into our drift and prolong the presentation. This is a technique Adison showed me on other stillwater venues, and I was pleased at the Arrow’s ability for adjustment. The rod was responsive enough to stop long powerful casts short and flutter dries down onto the surface when needed.

A large Blackwater Strain Rainbow from East Lake that decided to have a #16 Hippie stomper for lunch

There were several situations where we spotted fish that were cruising the bank feeding. The 590 Arrow quickly picked up significant amounts of fly line with an impressive degree of stealth, which is important on lakes, and redirected the line quickly in a different direction. We also spotted fish that were holding a specific territory and intermittently feeding in the same zone. Some of these fish were large like the toothy Blackwater Strain rainbow seen above that was holding off of a large rock just off the bank. Adison spotted the fish feeding and the Arrow performed well under pressure, delicately presenting my dry in the fish’s feeding zone.

I am pleased with the 590 Arrow’s ability to delicately present flies when needed. I love fishing spring creeks, and although at the time of writing this, I haven’t taken it for a spin on a spring creek, I have fished enough rods to know this would be a phenomenal rod working such technical water. Fishing small dries to stillwater trout has showed me that the 590 Arrow when paired with the Elite Technical Trout makes an impressive dry fly rod that will excel on lakes, spring creeks, and highly pressured waters.

Working the bank of East Lake with the 590 Arrow

River & Stream Test

I fished the 590 Arrow on a variety of rivers and small tributaries in the Western Cascades. I started testing the rod right as the dry fly fishing got really good and had a blast every time I took it out. The first day I had it out was fishing a mix of March Browns and Grannom Caddis. The rod turned over a tandem rig of a parachute March Brown with a Cripple as the trailer extremely well. I was working an eroded bank with large rainbows holding in root wads periodically rising. The rod had enough power to reach the far seam and enough control to mend line at distance. Towards the end of the day I swung some caddis pupa and picked up a few other fish.

I fished this rod searching on some smaller tributaries and the headwaters of our larger rivers with a small Snowshoe Grannom Caddis that I tie. The rod was able to both present the caddis well, but also animate it over small riffles and in likely holding water. The power embedded within the KonneticHD blank of the Arrow makes it a fantastic rod for line control in technical water. Many of our local tributaries have complex currents with concurrent seams and small micro-eddies. The rod is powerful enough to mend in technical water, but delicate enough in the tip to make adjustments without dragging your fly.

I did fish this as a smaller Gold Stone dry dropper rig on a separate tributary and found a plethora of willing juvenile rainbows and coastal cutthroat. I would’ve preferred a more powerful line from Rio’s Gold Series, but I was having too much fun watching young, eager trout smash both my dry and dropper to care. For someone looking to upgrade their arsenal, the Arrow makes a phenomenal all around stick that will leave you giddy after finding a pod of cooperative fish.

What young wild trout lack in size, they make up for in their gorgeous parr markings

Models

Sage has an impressive battalion of 14 rods within the Arrow family. These rods range from 3-8 wt and range in length from 7’6″ to 10′. Many of the heavier wt rods do come in a fighting butt option for those interested. For sake of conciseness, I will not delve into every rod that Sage offers within the Arrow family. I will outline the heaviest hitters based on type of angling that people like to do. As many of you know the 590 is the Swiss army knife of fly rods for trout, and is the #1 recommendation from this family of rods.

For those of you who like to tromp your way up a small stream the 8″6″ 4 wt Arrow would make a fantastic small stream rod. It would be capable of everything from throwing dries, smaller dry dropper rigs, and light nymph rigs. It has enough power to be an adaptable small stream rod, with enough give to still be fun on small water.

The 9’6″ 6wt Arrow is a great streamer rod in the Western US. The extra 6 inches will aid in turning over heavy sinking lines and sink tips. My previous streamer rod was the 696 Sonic, which the 696 Arrow replaced. The additional power and feel that the Arrow brings to the table makes it a more capable rod. The 696 Sonic was a great streamer rod for trout and bass, but the added feel of the Arrow helps anglers fish at a higher level being more in tune with what is on the end of their line.

The 10′ 7 wt Arrow is a versatile heavier rod with many uses. This would be a fantastic winter steelhead rod for working small to medium water with a floating line, and possibly sink tips. The extra reach makes it a deadly rod in terms of line control. The 7100 Arrow would make a phenomenal Pyramid Lake rod for Lahontan Cutthroat. It would excel at a variety of methods including indicator nymphing and stripping beetles on sinking lines. The rod could also be used for other applications like bull trout on the Metolious, large and smallmouth bass, or Surf Perch & Rockfish on the coast in a pinch.

Any of these Arrow rods pair well with the new Shift or Shift LT reels from Sage. The Shift is the base model, and the Shift LT is the lighter option with more porting. Longer rods may balance better with the Shift or a sized up Shift LT. Not matter which the 14 Arrow models you decide on, you are getting an exceptional fly rod hand crafted right here in the USA.

The Arrow is a testament to Sage’s ability to constantly innovate and improve seemingly perfect rods. It is a fantastic mid-priced rod that is made here in the US. The rod is versatile, responsive, powerful, and looks great. If you’re local and you want to check one out, swing by the shop and see for yourself. If you are online and have any questions, contact us and our friendly staff are happy to help guide you to the Arrow model that best fits your needs.

-Simon

Caddis Fly Shop

168 W 6th Ave

Eugene, or 97401

Phone: (541) 342-7005

Email: Support@caddisflyshop.com

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Bead- Hareline Gold Slotted Tungsten Bead: 5/32, 3.8 mm or 1/8, 3.2mm

Posted in Fly Fishing Gear Review, Oregon High Lakes, Uncategorized | Tagged 590, arrow, arrow rod, buying, kinetic hd, konnetic hd, new sage, Review, rod, SAge, sage fly rod | Leave a comment

Jigged Split Case PMD: The ONLY Dropper That You Need All Summer

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

In this video, Simon ties a fantastic jigged PMD pattern that should be a staple in everyone’s summer box. Pale Morning Duns or Pale Evening Duns (PMD or PEDs) are small yellow to cream mayflies that hatch prolifically in the summer months in the Western US. Their eastern counterpart is typically more yellow and referred to as a Sulphur. While PMDs provide western anglers with some of the finest dry fly fishing of the summer, their nymphs are equally important. For months, fish are keyed in on both the adults and their nymphal form. This particular pattern features a split back suggestive of an ascending nymph ready to burst through its thorax out of its nymphal form. This fly can be tied with a heavier 5/32 bead or a lighter 1/8 bead depending on the water you are fishing it in. Having a few tied in each bead size will help you be prepared for a variety of conditions. PMD hatches are typically long winded on the calendar, so these nymphs will be an effective searching pattern for most of the summer. They make an especially fine dropper below a big buoyant golden stonefly.

Hook- Ahrex CZ Mini Jig Barbless FW555: Size 16

Thread- Fulling Mill Brown Pro Flat Thread: 70D

Tail- Whiting CDL: Dark Pardo

Abdomen- Fulling Mill Brown Pro Flat Thread: 70D, Uni Black Soft Wire: XS, Solarez Bone Dry UV Resin

Thorax- Fulling Mill Eco Warrior Dub: Pepperbox & Fulling Mill Tactical Dry Dub: March Brown

Wing Case- Hareline Life Flex: Black & Cream

Legs- Hareline Fluorofibre: Tan

UV Resin- Solarez Bone Dry

UV Torch- Loon Plasma Light

Vise- Renzetti Master & Deluxe Streamer Base

Posted in Aquatic Insect Hatches, Eastern Oregon, Entomology, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Patterns By, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged dropper, dun, evening, fishing, Fly, fly fishing, hatch, Instructional, Mayfly, McKenzie River, morning, pale, ped, pmd, summer | Leave a comment

Late May East Lake Stillwater Report

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Last week I had the opportunity to fish East lake with one of our friends and stillwater guides of the shop, Adison Rook. I have screwed around on many of our famed Stillwater venues over the years and done okay. Based on my past experience, I felt that I’d leave the stillwater thing as something to figure out when I got old and cannot wade anymore. Being in the boat with Adison, who intimitately knows many of the Northwest’s most famed Stillwater fisheries, opened my eyes to the dynamic world of technical stillwater angling. Utilizing techniques from competition Stillwater angling in the UK, we caught fish on a variety of methods, consistently all day. I’m not going to say I’m a changed man, but I am convinced that stillwater fishing can be just as engaging as floating the river, or working your way up a small stream when done right.

We were testing a variety of stillwater products, some new to the market, others not so new. We are excited to be working more with Adison leaning into his stillwater expertise and sharing it with you all on the blog, our YouTube, and most importantly our instagram. Stay tuned for additional educational content and product reviews. This year, especially, our stillwater venues will be getting a lot of love as our rivers are already unseasonably warm as a result of the subpar winter we had.

East Lake rests in the Newberry Caldera which is the crater left behind after the eruption of the Newberry Stratovolcano about 600,000 years ago. East Lake shares the caldera with Paulina Lake, separated by a relatively small flow. East lake is smaller coming in at just over 1,000 acres and Paulina being roughly 1,500 acres. East lake is the higher of the two being about 50 feet higher in elevation. Both lakes are considered high lakes sharing an elevation over 6,300 feet. Both East and Paulina have fantastic fishing for Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Kokanee, and the occasional Brook Trout, with East Lake having better access for bank anglers on the fly.

I was along for the ride with Adison, who knows his way around the high lakes and we began the cool, still morning indicator fishing. We caught Rainbows, Browns, and Kokanee for hours searching with a double chironomid rig. Here are some Chironomid options from the shop: Chironomid Bomber, Rio’s Hangin’ w/ My Chromies, Chironocones, Buzzer, Kelly’s Ice Cream Cone, or a Croston’s Bung Buzzer.

The most necessary part of our rig was a slip strike indicator, which allows you to fish at a depth longer than your fly rod. When stripping a fish in, once the indicator hits your top guide, it is tripped and will slide down freely until it is stopped by your first fly. Adison prefers to fish the smallest ones he can get away with; which made sense after seeing some very subtle takes. We also fished Phil Rowley’s Indicator Line which has a tippet ring instead of a welded loop. This made stripping your long leader through guides much easier when landing fish close to the boat. Typically we fished about a foot off the bottom, and got eats at frequent intervals that kept things fun.

As things warmed up, Chironimids starting popping off on the surface and on Adison’s instruments he could see fish starting to move off the bottom. We started to see more fish eating dries and as things slowed down we switched over to Callibaetis nymphs. With a significant early season Callibaetis hatch starting we each turned one of our flies to a Callibaetis nymph and began picking fish up again. Here are some Callibaetis patterns that we like: Mercer’s Epoxyback Emerger Callibaetis, KJ’s Diawl UV Hot Head Fly, Foisset’s UV Callibaetis, Red Holo Diawl Bach Fly, Callibungus Nymph, or a Callibaetis Pandemic May. Adison flipped over to another fantastic line from Phil Rowley, the Midge Tip Long Float/ Intermediate. He promptly hooked up on a 20 inch brown that ate his slowly stripped Callibeatis. We fished these lines “Loch Style” the day before and I was impressed at how these lines both shot and presented flies.

The day prior, we fished “Loch Style” which entails letting the wind catch the boats broad side and casting with the wind to your back. This allows you to present flies to fish that you have not floated over yet. A “drogue”, which is like a parachute dropped off the side of the boat, allows you to slow your drift and get more casts in over the prime shoal habitat. I’ve heard Adison talk about this technique, but seeing it, and fishing it really helped me understand how deadly of a tactic it is. There’s no surprise it is standard procedure on the stillwater venues in the UK, where that is there jam. It is also a fantastic option when it gets too windy for dries or indicator fishing. We fished Callibaetis and Chironomid nymphs on Midge Tips and got bit on most casts. Our retrieve rate depended on how heavy our flies were, and more importantly how quickly the boat is drifting. This method is certainly effective with streamers as well s, but we were dialed in giving the fish exactly what they wanted.

We finished up the afternoon fishing terrestrial patterns up against the banks. If you can fish downwind of the banks of East, Adison told me that you can have fantastic terrestrial fishing early in the season. We brought countless fish to hand fishing terrestrials which I figured was unseasonably early, but was assured that the fish get dialed in on them extra early. Working the banks, Adison taught me that fish will hang out in a territory that they claim, sipping terrestrials that end up in their zone. He spotted a large fish repeatedly eating off of a rock as we were slowly working up the bank. I landed a nice 20″ Blackwater strain Rainbow on a dry. They are so dark and bronze, we both assumed it was a big brown at first. These fish were introduced from Canada to help control the booming Tui Chub population, but happen to also fancy dry flies in the afternoon.

As things continue to warm up, Callibaetis Dries will become increasingly important. Here are some favorites that we have: Tilt Wing Calilibaetis Dun, Cripple Callibaetis, CDC Biot Comparadun Callibaetis, Hackle Stacker, or a Parachute Extended Body Callibaetis. Spent Callibaetis spinners can be especially important such as these two: Hi Vis Spinner, Hi-Vis Spinner. Some great larger terrestrials follow: Hi-Vis Micro Chubby Chernobyl, Ground Beetle, Splitzville Beetle, Stubby Chubby, Fat Angie, or a Rio’s Blade Runner Hopper. Ants are often overlooked, and they are super important. Here are some favorites: Mason’s Bant, Mason’s Wingman Ant, Hi-Vis Flying Ant, Black CDC Ant, or a Rainy’s Hi Vis Ant(3 Pack).

I’ve done well working the bank from foot with many of the above mentioned tactics. Typically, I make my way up to East Lake later in the year, but got a taste of earlier season there and it is just as good. Searching with dries in the afternoon into the evening can be fantastic, especially as summer carries on. Stripping flies from the bank has yielded more of my large fish over the years. Indicator fishing from the bank is doable, especially with a 10′ rod. Obviously being in a boat is best, but East lake is a venue that is extremely accessible for most bank anglers.

We fished a handful of rods there, most were 10′ 5 weights. These rods have enough punch to reach far from the boat or the bank, without being overpowered for the trout there. We compared the Echo Stillwater and Lago both in 10′ 5 wt; stay tuned for an in depth review comparing them. We also fished the brand new Sage Arrow 9′ 5 wt mainly for risers throwing terrestrials. Another rod that we threw for dries happened to be one of my favorite rods of all time: The Winston Air 2 9′ 5wt. We also ran the newer 10′ 6wt Air 2 Reach from Winston which felt great. I have the 10′ 4wt Air 2 Reach which is a fantastic nymph stick, and with the right dry fly geared line, would be an epic high lakes dry fly rod. We ran the extra long Absolute Indicator/Stillwater Leaders which have a sighter and is very helpful.

We fished indicator lines from SA and RIO for Indicator setups: Scientific Anglers Amplitude Anadro / Nymph Fly Line and Phils Stillwater Floater from Rio. Phil Rowley’s Midge Tip Long in Float/ Intermediate from Rio seems like a staple for subsurface presentations after using it. For dries we ran the RIO Elite Technical Trout Line on the Arrow and it presented small flies delicately in shallower water. I ran the tried and true Textured Scientific Anglers Amplitude Infinity on my Winston Air 2 9′ 5wt which worked good enough to entice an eat from that large bow. Two better options more geared towards delicate dry presentations versus the more versatile Infinity from SA would be: Scientific Anglers Amplitude Textured Trout Expert Fly Line or Scientific Anglers Amplitude Textured Trout GP Fly Line.

East Lake is a fantastic option to spend a weekend learning the ropes of stillwater angling, whether you’re in a boat or from the bank. The suggestions above will surely enhance your experience there, but you can make things work with your standard 9′ 5wt setup enough to catch a handful of fish. This past trip really opened my eyes into the big leagues of stillwater angling. With Adison showing me the ropes, I have seen into a whole different side of the sport that typically does not get as much love here in the US as it does in the UK. We’ve got everything you need to have a fantastic trip there. Swing by the shop for advice and to get geared up, or shop online here.

-Simon

Stay up to date with additional links below

Follow us on Instagram

Caddis Fly Shop: @Caddisflyshop

Oregon Fly Fishing Blog: @OregonFlyFishingBlog

Caddis Fly Travel: @Caddis_Fly_Travel

Subscribe to our Youtube channel

Shop Online from all over the World

Posted in Central Oregon Fishing Report, Eastern Oregon, Fishing Reports, Oregon High Lakes, Oregon Weekend Fishing Forecast, Stillwater Fishing, Uncategorized | Tagged blackwater, brown, Callibaetis, Central, chironomid, east, east lake, high, high lake, lake, newberry, Oregon, still, trout, venue, volcano | Leave a comment

Egg Laying Snowshoe Grannom Caddis

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Fishing dry flies for the grannom caddis hatch can be a lesson in patience. Some would say it is a fool’s errand entirely. If you know what to look for, and can time it right it can be extremely rewarding. The Mother’s Day Caddis hatch or Grannom Caddis is a spring hatch that sweeps North America. Typically, it is the first significant caddis hatch of the year and can produce huge “blanket” hatches which provide trout with many targets on the surface. Many people claim that fish strictly feed on pupae for this hatch, which sometimes is true. Swinging soft hackles and dead drifting pupae can be deadly, but so can fishing flies closer to the surface. Running an emerger behind a dry is typically my go to, but egg laying variants can work fantastic, especially if you time it right with an egg laying event. If you are on the river and happen to see swarms of grannoms moving upstream, I highly recommend that you follow that swarm up. Typically they will choose a glide to spawn and for females to oviposit eggs on the water. These egg laying events create a feeding frenzy and it can be some of the best dry fly fishing of the spring if you can time it right. After the hatch has been going on for some time, fish are keyed in on cripples, mergers, pupae, and egg laying females specifically. This makes searching with an egg laying caddis a fantastic choice. Grannoms are similar size to many of our summer and fall caddis species too, so this fly will get love all of the way through fall as well.

Hook- Fulling Mill Ultimate Dry FM5050: Size 14

Thread- Fulling Mill 70D Pro Flat Thread: Black

Egg Spot- Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Yarn: Western Green Drake

Abdomen- Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Yarn: March Brown & Fulling Mill Eco Warrior Dub: Pepperbox

Wing- Fulling Mill CDC: Light Dun & Nature’s Spirit Snowshoe Rabbit Foot: Dark Dun

Hi Vis Spot- Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Yarn: Fluorescent Pink

Hackle- Whiting Bronze Saddle: Brown

UV Resin- Solarez Bone Dry

UV Torch- Loon Plasma Light

Vise- Renzetti Master & Deluxe Streamer Base

Posted in Aquatic Insect Hatches, Entomology, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, Lower Willamette, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Patterns By, Proven Spring Fly Patterns, Proven Spring Trout Patterns, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged Caddis, caddis fly, day, Egg, egg laying, fishing, Fly, fly fishing, fly tying, grannom, grannom caddis, laying, McKenzie River, mothers, mothers day, spring, Tying | Leave a comment

Starling Grannom Caddis Emerger

Posted on May 22, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

The Grannom Caddis hatch is an impressive spring caddis hatch that comes off every year. This hatch can come off in a “blanket” fashion leaving the surface littered with insects. When this happens, it can be hard to convince fish to take your dry fly over all of the naturals. This is when fishing a trailing emerger behind a dry is advantageous. Even when just searching for trout without a huge hatch, fish will often take the soft hackle/ cripple off of the rear. The beauty of this pattern is that it also can be swung picking up fish feeding subsurface. Starling makes a great hackling material because the fibers are pre-sized for smaller flies. This is a fantastic versatile pattern that should be in every angler’s spring box!

Hook- Ahrex North Country Spider Le810: Size 14

Thread- Fulling Mill 70D Pro Flat Thread: Black

Shuck- Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Yarn: Brown Dun

Abdomen- Fulling Mill Eco Warrior Dub: Olive, Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Dub: BWO, & Uni Gold Soft Wire: Small

Wing- Hareline Mule Deer Hair

Collar- Hareline Starling Skin

UV Resin- Solarez Bone Dry

UV Torch- Loon Plasma Light