Spring continues to be productive on the McKenzie and Middle Willamette Rivers. Hotter days with cooler nights has been the trend and the fishing seems to fluctuate depending on temperatures, cloud cover, and hatches.
March Browns are still active, but pick up a rock and you’ll see that the Green Caddis are about to start popping pretty soon. The “McKenzie Green Caddis” is another fun hatch that fly fishers look forward too and they are big, tasty, beautiful insects that trout key in on.
Dry fly fishing has been hit or miss, but fishing softer water off the channels has produced some stunning cutthroat trout. My friend James and I were able to get them to rise to Parachute Adams Size 14 & Carson’s Purple Haze Size 14 fly patterns consistently. Cool note, James first fish on a fly rod. Great job James!
Old Man Larry and Amazing Mike were out too. I watched them swing soft hackle fly patterns all day crushing it in the riffles. If you want to learn how to fish effectively watch the veteran fly fishers and what they do. They can teach a young buck or doe a thing or two.
Nymphing continues to produce too and Bryson reported that the Hopper/Dropper set-up worked great all day on Friday. Sometimes people will ask, “how far down should the nymph be from the dry fly?” Six to eight feet.
Dry Fly Patterns
Parachute Adams Size 14
Carson’s Purple Haze Size 14
Purple Rooster Size 16
Chubby Chernobyl Purple or Pteronarcys Size 6
Nypming Patterns
Possie Bugger Size 8
Sens Improved Jigged Tungsten Twenty Incher Size 12
Mega Prince Size 8
Jigged Frenchie Size 12
Soft Hackle Patterns
Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear Size 14
Soft Hackle March Brown Size 12 or 14
This spring has been really interesting with the hot, almost summer days, to cooler spring-like conditions with rain and much cooler days. The Dry Fly enthusiast may find it difficult since the hatches have been inconsistent, but with a nymph attached under a BIG Dry Fly or a bobber you’re sure to find something. If you don’t have a fly in the water you’ll never know.
Tight Lines,
Greg
