A super wet April has pumped serious water into the Willamette Valley and rivers are way up today. We needed the water, and the snow in the mountains. While high water can make access difficult it’s going to keep water temps, and levels solid through the coming couple of months. Current flows seemed to have crested and are on the way down for a day or two then back up. Water temps remain cold but that will change with a few warm days. Whats next in terms of fly patterns and tactics?
The March Brown Hatch was great this year but it has come and gone. We are still seeing Grannom caddis, a few Salmon Flies, and Skwalla Stones. We are about to get into the “big fly” time of the year. Green McKenzie Caddis and Golden Stones will be more available to trout. After this high water push trout will come out aggressive on these bigger bugs. Fishing Chubby Chernobyls, Green McKenzie Caddis dries and Parachute Adams on the surface is a solid tactic. Nymph patterns like Possie Buggers, Mega Princes and Golden Stone Nymphs will be great over the next month. Pale Morning Duns and Little Yellow Stones will soon follow and adult Mayfly and stonefly patterns like the Tilt Wing PMD’s and Little Yellow Sally’s are good to have on hand.
May is a great time to swing flies. Our McKenzie Green Caddis Wet, Possie Bugger, Freed’s Krystal Soft Hackle and Pheasant Tail soft hackles are great to swing from bigger water to inside soft seams.
Good Luck out there!
The Vida gauge right now is 14,700 cfs and tons of debris coming down, not sure if this will peak soon.