Category Archives: McKenzie River

Simple Starling Jigged Nymph Fly Tying Tutorial

Posted on September 11, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Starling is an underutilized feather in the fly tying world. It is an absolutely phenomenal choice for smaller offerings that require a soft hackle collar. Starling feathers are made of soft barbules that pulsate much like partridge or grouse, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Fly Tying, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Proven Fall Trout Patterns, Proven Spring Trout Patterns, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Proven Winter Trout Patterns, Trout Fly Tying Videos, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

More Room for the River: Restoration Continues on the McKenzie

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

This summer, partners reached another milestone in restoring the McKenzie River system, reconnecting more than 335 acres of historic floodplain and approximately 1.8 miles of the South Fork McKenzie River. Led by the USDA Forest Service and McKenzie Watershed Council … Continue reading →

Posted in McKenzie River, Oregon Conservation News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Simon’s Summer Searching Caddis

Posted on August 21, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Anglers all over the world have fond memories of banner summer days with endless caddis dry fly eats. Caddis dries cast an appealing silhouette that trout can’t resist when they are keyed in on surface feeding in the warmer months. … Continue reading →

Posted in Entomology, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Proven Fall Trout Patterns, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Fly Tying Videos, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hi-Vis Peacock Beetle: Versatile Summer Terrestrial Tying Tutorial

Posted on August 14, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

The doldrums of summer have arrived, things are hot, trout are ornery, and aquatic insect hatches are dwindling in the lower sections of our rivers. We are entering a transitionary period in terms of aquatic insect hatches. It is too … Continue reading →

Posted in Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Oregon High Lakes, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Stillwater Fishing, Trout Fly Tying Videos, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

New Solarez Top Coat 77 Gloss: UV Resin Specifically for Coating Your Summer Foam Terrestrials

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

It is about that time of year where much of what we are throwing is constructed from foam. Terrestrial season is upon us, in the last 15-20 years, the commercial fly scene has seen a major shift in the materials … Continue reading →

Posted in Fly Fishing Gear Review, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Summertime McKenzie Trout Fishing remains Productive! – Fishing Report

Posted on August 1, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Trout fishing on the McKenzie and upper Willamette has stayed steady through the summer. Despite low snowpack producing low summertime flows, the middle to upper sections of our rivers have remained cool and productive. We have been fortunate and continue … Continue reading →

Posted in Fishing Reports, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jigged Low Tide Pheasant Tail: A Great Nymph for the Dog Days of Summer

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

The dog days of summer can be a difficult time to fish. Despite the favorable weather for us, trout start to get a bit unhappy during the peak of summer. Their feeding can be sporadic, isolated to the cooler, shadier … Continue reading →

Posted in Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Fly Tying Videos, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Summer Fly Spotlight: Fulling Mill’s Burkus’ Bareback Rider Gold Stone

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Golden Stoneflies are one of the most important large insects that hatch here in the Western US. This bug is responsible for big, explosive dry fly eats in the summer. It is also partially responsible for the adoption of large … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquatic Insect Hatches, Entomology, Fly Fishing Gear Review, Fly Spotlight, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Summer Fly Spotlight: Fulling Mill’s Tactical Light Cahill Parachute

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

There are a few insects that are synonymous with summer dry fly fishing in the west. If we narrow it down to the insect order of Ephemeroptera, which envelops our beloved mayflies, there is one that stands out. Of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquatic Insect Hatches, Entomology, Fishing Porn, Fishing Reports, Fly Fishing Gear Review, Fly Spotlight, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, North Umpqua River Fishing Reports, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Driftless Cricket V2 Dry Fly Tying Tutorial

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Crickets are an often overlooked insect under the more broad “terrestrial” umbrella of insects. When people thing of terrestrial season, hoppers are typically the first insect that comes to mind. Grasshoppers are typically followed by beetles and ants in terms … Continue reading →

Posted in Entomology, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Patterns By, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Fly Tying Videos, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Extended Body Golden Stonefly: Fly Tying Tutorial

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Golden Stoneflies are arguably the most important summer stonefly in the Western United States. This large insect hatches consistently across much of the West, and provides steady fishing with large attractors for most of the summer. In the Western United … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquatic Insect Hatches, Entomology, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Fly Tying Videos, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Early July Fishing Report

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Despite our subpar winter, we have made it through several popular weekends without any serious local fire flare ups. We have our fingers crossed that we can make it through this holiday weekend without any new fires. Fishing has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Fishing Reports, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jigged Western Green Drake Nymph

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Green Drakes are one of the most famed mayflies in the world. Here in the US, the insects can be broken into two broad categories: Eastern and Western Green Drakes. Although both are large green mayflies, they belong to entirely … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquatic Insect Hatches, Entomology, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Proven Spring Trout Patterns, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Fly Tying Videos, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

USACE ANNOUNCES OPERATIONAL UPDATES FOR WILLAMETTE VALLEY DAMS

Posted on June 28, 2026 by Caddisfly

From: Native Fish Society June 2026 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, posted a press release on Tuesday outlining its plan for operating Willamette Valley Dams. Immediate actions include a deep drawdown for Detroit Reservoir as well … Continue reading →

Posted in Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Oregon Conservation News, Oregon fly fishing links, Oregon Fly Fishing Tips | Leave a comment

Simple and Effective Jigged Yellow Sally Nymph for your Summer Dry-Dropper Setup

Posted on June 22, 2026 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

Yellow Sallies are a small, yet important summer bug in the Western US. They are often overlooked as other warm weather stoneflies are much larger like Salmonflies, Skwalas, Gold Stones, Shortwing Stones, Etc. These bugs come in a yellow, more … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquatic Insect Hatches, Entomology, Fly Tying, Fly Tying Materials and Supplies, Fly Tying Tutorials, Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Middle Fork Willamette River fishing, Proven Summer Trout Patterns, Trout Fly Tying Videos, Trout Patterns By Season, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment