Despite the continued high water both the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers are fishing very well. Hatches have really improved and a great variety of flies and tactics are taking fish. Each time I speak with a fellow angler I hear about different fly patterns, locations, and tactics. Fishing is really really solid all around even with the high water. The river has come down over the past few days and is looking really great.
Key Patterns to have with you in the coming days include:
Little yellow Stones ( Little yellow sally’s ) #16’s
Pale Morning Duns # 16’s
Green drakes #10, 12’s
Tan caddis #10-14
Masquerade Caddis #14-16
Green McKenzie Caddis #8,10’s
Wet Green McKenzie Caddis #10
Salmon flies
Nymphing is still solid but dry fly fishing has really picked up. Fishing the active Green McKenzie Caddis on warmer days has been really productive and on cooler rainy days look Pale Morning Duns and Green Drakes to do the trick. We are looking at a cooler weekend, fishing is going to be fantastic!
Would not recommend that boaters unfamiliar with the McKenzie launch their boat – anywhere. Between the Army Corp of Engineers in Tennessee and the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), hazardous boating conditions are likely. The McKenzie does not typically flow at 6000-10,000 CFS at this time of year plus you have ever-changing hazards from the Holiday Farm fire. Proceed with caution and hire a professional guide. If you’re feeling macho, good luck. Another conern is that there hasn’t been a collectively requested hearing called among the fisheries groups and organizations like the Flyfishers, NW Steelheaders, MRGA, and others. It’s time for some answers as to why Cougar Reservoir is only at 15% of pool and they continue to spill water into the river.