Fished the upper Mckenzie for the first time this year Tuesday. The river has been high and cold and I’ve stayed away. In addition to the high and cold, the river has had blockages in some sections near Belknap and Frissel Crossing. As of today there were no blockages, not sure what might happen if our upcoming heat wave makes the river spike up.
Boating this section is great fun but the person on the oars must be experienced, the water is cooking right now and one mistake can prove deadly. One doesn’t last long in water 44 degrees. That was the high water temp reading for the day.
When we found “slowish” water and got a slow deep dead drift with a stonefly nymph the fish were on it. Despite the cold water, it never left 44 degrees fishing was very good.
There were quite a few bugs around all day, caddis in a variety of sizes, a few darker stones and Pale Morning Duns. The bank full flow of the Mckenzie is great for the health of the river and the fish. We are in for a tremendous summer.
