March fishing conditions looking good

The McKenzie River near Eugene is at a normal level for this time of year and anglers should expect hatches to improve with warmer air temps expected this week.

March Browns, Blue Winged Olives and Skwala Stone flies will be hatching during the mid day. Concentrate your efforts between 11am and 4pm when water temperatures will be peeking. Nymphing with Mega Prince, Possie Buggers, and Golden stones have been, and will continue to be very effective. But look for swung flies like March Brown Beadhead Emergers, Hare’s Ear Soft Hackles, Spectre Soft Hackle, and March Brown Wets to produce better this week. The emerging March Brown Adults will struggle to meet the surface in wet conditions and these emerger patterns will do well.

Winter steelhead fishing conditions are also excellent with fresh rains enticing the final push of fish into Oregon’s coastal streams. With trout and steelhead conditions shaping up simultaneously it is going to be a win, win for local anglers. For steelhead use egg patterns and swung leeches. This weekend some of our coastal streams dropped unexpectedly fast and were low and clear.

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Hopefully a bit more rain and good ocean tides this week will keep the winter fish moving through the system.–CD

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