Summertime small stream fly fishing wrapping up

Don’t get me wrong, I’m eager for October Caddis hatches, coastal salmon in our rivers, and football on TV. But it’s great to get a last blast of summer.

Nate and I hiked a few miles of an Upper Willamette Tributary yesterday, fishing plunge pools and riffles for wild redsides. The fish were small but plentiful, with a few in the 12-inch range.

I caught the majority of my fish on a size 10 yellow stimulator, in an attempt to match the current “termite hatch” going off in the area now. Termites are trout candy, according to a Westfly article by Hafele and Hughes:

Once a year each colony produces thousands of winged reproductive adults that mate and search for new nesting sites. This is the most important time to fly fishers, since these swarms of flying ants and termites often end up in the surface of lakes or streams.

Trout seem to have a high preference for these hapless creatures, and the fishing can be fast during an ant or termite “fall.” The exact time swarms take to the air depends on local species and conditions. Several falls of ants or termites may occur in an area during a season, and you should be on the lookout for them anytime from May through September.

I didn’t see any termites on the wing yesterday, but have seen a lot around town.

The fishing on these small streams will get much better over the next several weeks, but the school-hating kid in me is still sad to see summer go. Not many weekends left when you’ll be able to vent finicky trout frustrations by cannon-balling the pool.

-MS