Check out this informative article from Propublica.org about dam drawdowns in the Willamette Basin. If you have been wondering why Fall Creek, Cougar, and Lookout Reservoirs are like rivers right now this article will explain. Click HERE to read.
Enjoy a lovely evening of fellowship, festivities, and even a few exciting raffle prizes benefitting Oregon’s native fish and wild rivers.
$100 admission includes a delicious buffet-style BBQ dinner from Cody’s Country Catering, craft brews from our friends at Deschutes Brewing, and a specialty cocktail from the good folks at Crater Lake Spirits and Crafted Life.
Whether you join us live and in person or from the comfort of your favorite easy chair, our Virtual Silent Auction has a little bit of everything for your bidding pleasure. From hosted fishing days with NFS staff to quality Yakima Racks, Patagonia gear to hot air balloon rides, we’ve got it, thanks to our generous friends and sponsors.
Take a sneak peek at the auction catalog, updated regularly, and be sure to register! You don’t want to miss any of the fun!
When: In-person event: Saturday, November 11th, 2022; 6pm – 9pmOnline Auction: Bidding begins Sunday, November 5th, and closes at 5:00pm PST on Saturday, November 11th
Where: In-person event: Tumalo, OR Online Auction: Wherever you have wifi!
What:A Central Oregon celebration and virtual auction benefiting our wild, native fish, free-flowing rivers, and thriving local communities.
Take a sneak peek at the online auction catalog here – open to all for bidding this Sunday, November 5th. And if you’re in the Central Oregon area – or are looking for an excuse to travel to Bend! – you’re invited to join us for our in person event on Saturday evening, November 11th!
Whether you join us live and in person or from the comfort of your favorite easy chair, our Virtual Silent Auction has a little bit of everything for your bidding pleasure. From hosted fishing days with NFS staff to quality Yakima Racks, Patagonia gear to hot air balloon rides, we’ve got it, thanks to our generous friends and sponsors.
Take a sneak peek at the auction catalog, updated regularly, and be sure to register(for free!) and get ready to place your bids soon! You don’t want to miss any of the fun!
For those in the Central Oregon area wishing to attend on November 11th, Homewaters Roundup in-person tickets are limited, so get yours today! We hope you’ll join us in celebrating Oregon’s native fish and wild rivers!
In this instructional video, Simon demonstrates how to tie an effective shrimp fly he uses in the surf off of the Oregon Coast. The fly was originally designed for use targeting surf perch, but could also work for rockfish off of the jetties or other marine species that eat shrimp. Fish on our coast whose diet is largely made up of crustaceans, key in on orange colors or other colors indicating a gravid female shrimp or mole crab full of eggs. Specifically, here on the Oregon coast, Orange is a very productive color for targeting surf perch. Colors and materials can be substituted depending on the fishery. This fly would also work great for trigger fish if a larger hook is substituted.
In this podcast, former shop employee Gregory Nespor along with his friend and guide David Gregory discuss the variety of fly fishing within Yosemite National Park, techniques, fly patterns, how to escape the crowds to find solitude, bear management issues, and the future of conservation and stewardship within this American treasure.
What to Expect at R.U.N. In Unity Convening:The convening will center on three critical pillars:
Education: Raising awareness through informative sessions and expert discussions. Expect to leave with a deeper understanding of the challenges facing our precious water, orca, and salmon.
Cultural Awareness: Exploring the rich cultural heritage intertwined with these natural resources. Learn how Indigenous communities have been stewards of the land and its inhabitants for generations.
Solution Formulation: Developing concrete solutions and strategies to bolster the Northwest’s resilience. This isn’t just an event; it’s a chance to be part of something bigger, to safeguard the future of our Northwest home. Register today!
This event is not exclusive; it’s open to all, including Tribal and Non-Tribal people and voices. Diverse perspectives are vital in our collective efforts to protect these invaluable resources.
The R.U.N. in Unity Convening will also provide clear, precise, and factual information. We believe in empowering informed decision-making.
A block of hotel rooms will be available at the Tulalip Resort. These rooms will be available at a discounted rate for event attendees. Keep an eye out for more information, which will include details on booking your accommodations. Find directions to the Tulalip Resort here. Thank you for your commitment to preserving our natural treasures. Together, we can make a difference.
The Seychelles will test the limits of your gear. Every aspect of your tackle, from the type of backing you use, the knots you tie and even the gloves you wear, chasing big fish in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean is hard core.
On a recent trip to the coral head laden waters of Farquhar Atoll our group had a chance to learn about what gear really stood the serious test.
Factory Line Loops
Factory GT lines and other saltwater lines have strong cores that max out at around 60lbs. For most fisheries this core strength is fine. When anglers employ leaders formulated for IGFA standards factory loops hold up almost every time. In the Seychelles the guides don’t care about IGFA leaders, they want you fishing 80-130lbs, about 8ft long. They want to land that trophy GT and when he runs for the outer edge of the atoll or the closest coral head. They want you to turn your drag to max pressure and hold the fish. When you impose this kind of pressure on a fish with 100lbs test, factory fly line loops often fail. Add a bit of razor sharp coral and they almost always fail. Through trial and error Seychelles guides who deal with some of the toughest fish that swim have developed a DIY remedy that will give your fly line the strength it needs to hold giant grouper, wrasse and GT’s.
Step 1: as much as it pains you to cut the loops off of your $130 fly line do it.
Cut off Floating and Sinking Factory Loops
Step 2: Using Cortland 50lbs Braided Mono insert the fly line 3-4inches. The more DIY loops you do the more you can dial in a shorter amount of line but giving yourself some space to start will make things easier. Additionally you can leave extra “braid only” and use this as a transition if you want to make a smoother transition. That said, this new DIY loop is not designed to be in and out of the guides and when landing a big strong fish I don’t suggest brining this loop into the guides ever.
Step 3: Roll the line covered in braid over and tie your first of three nail knots to secure the loop, and create the loop size. Use 65-80lbs braided backing for all your nail knots. I use Cortland 80lbs Master Braid for this step and for all the backing on reels I take to the Seychelles.
Step 4: Tie 2 more nail knots for a total of 3, you can do 4 on the rear fly line loop and leave some braid so that the last nail knot covers one side with fly line and one side with just braid so you have taper. To cinch each nail knot down I use a pair of pliers ( or two ) and really crank on the knots to seat them. When cutting the braided mono, fly line, and master braid don’t use your prized fly tying scissors or even nipper. Use a tool designed to cut braid like the Loon Boat Scissors or the Hareline Cautery Tool.
Step 5: Tidy up the excess braid, mono and fly line. Cover this with a couple of layers of UV Knot Sense, cure and you have an indistructable fly line loop ready for the toughest fish that swim.
Saltwater Fly Reels
When you get a group of 10 together, all packing three 9-12wt outfits you’re bound to have some variety when it comes to reels. We had Nautilus, Sage, Galvan, Abel, and Shilton Reels in the mix of our group. While all of these reels worked on the whole, one reel shone bright in terms of performance/value. The new Sage Enforcer Reel blew me away with its drag, solid build and smooth retrieve. I used the 11/12 Enforcer on an 11wt IMX Pro V2 Saltwater 11wt ( more on that rod later). I had 250 yards of Cortland Master Braid 80lbs (more on that later as well) and a RIO GT line. There is a lot to like about the Sage Enforcer fly reel. First off, its only $575 well under all of the aforementioned reels. Additionally the Enforcer has a numbered, 20 detent drag knob that you can dial in with one full turn. This feature is critical when traveling from flat to flat in search of GT’s and other species. You want your drag locked down when you are fishing but you don’t want to have to pull the line out with the drag maxed each time you come to a new spot. The ability to turn the drag off and on so easily was really useful. When I first looked at the Enforcer Reel our Sage sales rep and legendary angler/hunter George Cook brought the reel to the shop and had us fondle it in store. Then we took the reel outside to cast some rods and test the strength of the drag. I immediately felt the smooth and consistent outgoing drag and the smooth and balance retrieve that the reel had. Then we tested the drag, dialing it up 4 or five detents until we got to max of #20. At the 20 setting I couldn’t not pull the line off the reel, yet with line through he guides and George 30 feet from me pulling hard, the line left the large arbor super smoothly with stopping power. Transfer to the flats of Farquhar, GT is hooked on 100lbs tippet and guide is yelling lock the drag! Lock the drag. He doesn’t want the fish to go off the coral edge or into a coral head. So I lock the drag to the #20 setting and the GT runs a bit more but no question this setting takes its toll and the fish is subdued. The Enforcer Reel just felt solid start to finish and performed perfectly the entire week.
Rods for the Seychelles
I had a chance to fish two new rod models on this trip. The Sage R8 Salt in a 9ft 11wt was a fantastic all around stick in the Seychelles. I had a RIO GT line on it for the entire trip and it cast everything from 2/0 baitfish to 8/0 Beast Flies with ease. The R8 has an unending amount of power. Power that is utilized when making a long cast with a large fly as well as fighting a fish in close quarters. As I mentioned before anglers are using 80-130lbs tippet and when you pull on big fish headed to the coral the tippet simply isn’t going to break. You need to give in by letting the line go with resistance through your hands, or off the reel with the drag maxed. You can’t use to much rod or it’s going to break before the 100lbs does. If the fish makes it to the coral, it’s likely game over. A combination of pressure tactics must come together in order to get a clean tight line on the reel and bent rod for battle ahead. Once the line is on the reel with maxed drag you really get to see what rod is capable of managing a big fish. The R8 Salt did the job numerous times with GT’s, Groupers and Wrasse. I felt I had plenty of “fish fighting” power at distance and close to the boat. You are pulling harder than you ever thought you could in the Seychelles and the R8 Salt stands the test.
The IMX PRO V2 (version 2) Saltwater rod is way too good for the $645 sticker price. I used a 9ft 12wt on our trip and it was shockingly good. Casting big poppers, 8/0 GT flies and big game sinking lines put this rod to the test during my week at Farquhar. The IMX Pro V2 Saltwater passed the test with flying colors. It has the power to make super long casts without the rod “folding” up at any stage in the cast. You felt in contact with line and rod throughout casts of any distance. In terms of fighting fish the rod stood the tough test of keeping fish out of the coral and even fishing in deepwater with sinking lines where lifting fish up off the bottom was required. Bottom line is this rod is a phenomenal value in a saltwater rod.
My 16 and 18 year old children fished together most of the week at Farquhar. Let’s call them the Scott Rod/Nautilus Reel team. They had Scott Sector 9wt and 12wts with Nautilus reels. Patsy caught the biggest GT of the trip with the Scott Sector 12wt. The Sector has been on several trips with us and we continue to love it. The 9ft 12wt is an easy loading, long casting rod that has tons of game for a super light feeling rod. The “Ceracoil” guides are super light and keep the line flying through the guides. The rod is gutsy in terms of battling fish. It’s not so stiff that you lose feel yet it has the strength to wear a big fish down. The Scott Sector is the easiest casting saltwater rod on the market.
Saltwater Backing
On a previous trip I made the mistake of using my old standard 30lbs braided backing. While it’s plenty strong for most applications you just don’t chance anything in the Seychelles. When I was trying to lift a fish off the bottom and out of the rocks…, fly line straight down in the blue water and pop! Line GONE! The Fix? Use Cortland Master Braid 80lbs braided backing and don’t ever worry about failure. You are into the backing on most of the fish you catch in the Seychelles so why chance failure. Cortland Master Braid is not the smallest in terms of diameter but it is the very strongest I have used.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Finn Rock Boat Landing Temporary Closure until Spring 2024 FINN ROCK- Ore. – October 11, 2023
Finn Rock Landing is a popular recreation site on the McKenzie River near Blue River, Oregon, attracting as many as 400 people a day in the summer. Owned and managed by McKenzie River Trust (MRT), the boat launch, parking lot, and restrooms will be closed from October 23, 2023 until Spring 2024 for renovations. Improvements to the site will include a better road base, safer traffic flow, and the installation of new parking stalls, ADA- accessible walkways, fencing, bird-friendly lighting, picnic tables, and garbage receptacles.
MRT’s Executive Director, Joe Moll, acknowledges the disappointment of the temporary closure. “We understand that this construction closure will be a significant inconvenience for the many river users who launch or take out at Finn Rock throughout the year. But we expect the site improvements to make the landing more accessible, safe, and enjoyable for all community members and visitors.”
Long provided by the Rosboro Company as a publicly accessible recreation site managed by the McKenzie River Guides Association, Finn Rock Landing was purchased by McKenzie River Trust in 2016 to ensure that future. In the same transaction, MRT acquired the larger Finn Rock Reach habitat conservation area, which has undergone major restoration efforts over the last three years. With ongoing support from community partners and volunteers, the landing has continued to offer an important space for recreation and connection to the river. Support for these upgrades includes grants from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, EWEB, Lane County, Ford Family Foundation, and the McKenzie Masters, as well as gifts from private individuals.
About the McKenzie River Trust:
The McKenzie River Trust is a regional nonprofit land trust with offices in Eugene and Newport OR. Our mission is to help people protect and care for the lands and rivers they cherish in western Oregon. Since 1989, we’ve acquired property and voluntary conservation easements to protect more than 8,000 acres of clean, free-flowing rivers, plentiful salmon runs, and vibrant farms and forests that provide livelihoods and habitat. We envision a future in which conservation lands are at the core of community efforts to sustain clean water, abundant fish and wildlife, and diverse natural resource economies in western Oregon. Working with private willing landowners from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, we take on the responsibility of caring for land, water, and people, and ensuring that these resources are available for generations to come. For more information,
“Fly Fishing in Argentina: Exploring the Waters of Northern Patagonia and The Fascinating World of Golden Dorado” by SET Fly Fishing
Where: The Caddis Fly Angling Shop 168 West 6th ave, Eugene Oregon 97401
When: October 17th 6pm
Matias Claret of SET Fly Fishing will discuss the Golden Dorado as a species and why they are a great fish to fly fish for. In addition he will discuss SET Fly Fishing’s 3 Golden Dorado programs. For the final part of the program he will talk a bit about Northern Argentina a a trout destination.
Local wines will be served during the free presentation.
Please call the shop to confirm your seat. 541 342 7005.
The more time I spent fishing the surf, the more I came to realize that purchasing a stripping basket would make line management much easier. The Ahrex Flexistripper is a lightweight, compact take on the classic, more robust stripping basket. Its design resembles more of a tray with pegs, free of sidewalls. They come in several colors and feature 28 pegs to keep your fly line close. A neoprene belt is included and assembly is quick and easy. Whether you are in the Pacific surf chasing Surfperch and Corbina, the Atlantic surf chasing Stripers, or down South in the surf chasing Pompano or Snook, the Flexistripper will make a big difference in helping you manage your loose line. The Flexistripper also has potential to be used for streamer fishing or in a float tube if you do not have a stripping tray. It keeps your sinking lines close and out of the water, ready for your next cast.
The Flexistripper’s tray design allows for water to rush over the tray while still holding your line.
Surf fishing at times can be a high intensity endeavor with lots going on all at once. Whether its crashing waves, conflicting currents, debris, rips, or getting hung up on your feet or gear, line management is paramount. Pair that with timing your cast, stripping, and still keeping your head on a swivel for waves, you need just about any help you can get managing your line. Stripping baskets are extremely helpful in situations like this where managing your loose line can be difficult, and distract you from actually fishing.
The pegs firmly hold your loose line close when waves and current want to do the opposite.
Jetty fishing for Rockfish, Lingcod, Greenling, Perch, and the many other species can be fun, but the sharp rocks and barnacles don’t get along with your fly line. Cutting your tippet and losing your fly is frustrating, but cutting clean though a fly line is something you really want to avoid. Using a stripping basket to manage your line and keep it off of the rocks and barnacles keeps your line in one piece for longer.
A stripping basket can really save your line from rocks and barnacles when fishing on the jetty.
The low profile design of the Flexistripper makes it great for traveling. If the pegs and belt are removed it can easily be stored in a carry on sized piece of luggage. Because the tray is so flat, it does not take up any more room than a folded shirt. This is perfect for anglers traveling who have a surf trip in mind and want a stripping basket that they can pack with ease.
The peg on the right will fit flush in your tray, the one on the right wont, and your line may get hung up.
My one critique of it lies in its assembly. The pegs come on plastic trees which are remnants of the production process using a mold. To assemble, you pull the pegs off and then put them into the tray. On some of the pegs, there will be a tag end which sticks out. This causes the fitment to not be flush and your line can get hung up on the bottom of the tray. Trimming the excess off makes for a perfect fit and your line will not have anything to get hung up on.
A side profile view of a peg with excess plastic which will catch on your fly line.
One important note directly from Ahrex explains that the pegs can get bent and using an oven can straighten them out. They say: “If the Flexistripper spikes for some reason have bent, you can put the whole Flexistripper (without the belt) into a warm oven (90-100 degrees Celsius) for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down. This will straighten the pegs.”
Blue is one of the five colors the Flexistripper comes in.
I think the Flexistripper’s new take on an old design has the potential to change how we think of stripping baskets for the foreseeable future. I have fished with it a lot and am happy with it; it is my first recommendation when someone comes asking for a stripping basket. It’s compact design and lightweight construction seriously rivals the old bulky stripping baskets. If you have any questions about it give us a call or stop by the shop, we are happy to help.
US Fly Fishing Team mini-comp at Diamond Lake Oregon
Saturday, October 21st mini comp and a Sunday October 22nd mini comp. Information posted on www.flycomps.com web page under the “Events” tab.
Although anglers earn points for this competition toward their ranking, we are focused on learning to lake fish using the loch style technique developed in the United Kingdom. This will be a fun weekend where we will help our anglers be more successful.
Organizers of these comps, have been prefishing Diamond Lake and can help anglers with lines, patterns, retrieves, and areas to fish.
This event will follow the new Fly Fishing Team USA cycle format starting this year. For anglers to be eligible to garner points, they need to be from the states of Utah, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, or California.
Angler Limit: This event will be limited to the first 12 anglers.
Transportation will need to be provided by the anglers on their own.
Questions: Please reach out by email to Hann at hlee@hleeassociates.com with any questions.
For insurance purposes, we would need new anglers to sign up for a US Fly Fishing Team membership which covers everyone with their insurance for a year from signing up. Boat rental fees will be $45 to $55 per day.
With colder temperatures at night come our favorite fall hatches: October Caddis, Blue Winged Olives/Baetis, Shortwing/Nocturnal Stone, Assorted Caddis, Grey Drakes and Mahogany Duns. The cooler weather has fish waking up from their heat induced summer sluggishness. Fish are looking up keying in on hatches as well as eating voraciously subsurface. Dry fly fishing locally has been fantastic. We have brought in an extensive selection of brand new fly patterns for this fall that we are excited about. This is one of our favorite times of year, and a great time to get out on the water.
Mahogany Duns are hatching and the fish know it. A Hatchback Mahogany Dun fooled this one
Fall hatches are triggered by cool nights and colder water temperatures; these hatches start high in the system and work their way down as the cooler weather makes its way down into the valley. October caddis pupa emerge at night or on cooler, cloudier days. Their activity is largely concentrated to the afternoon into the evening. Mahogany Duns, Gray Drakes, Short-Winged Stones, and assorted small caddis will be active in the afternoon. Blue Winged Olives will hatch in greater numbers on cooler, more overcast days. You may see some lingering terrestrials like hoppers, crickets, ants and beetles, but with these cold nights they wont last long.
October Caddis, the big fall bug that many of us have been waiting for
Several shucks from an October Caddis emergence the night prior
As more mayflies hatch this time of year, swinging soft hackles that imitate emerging nymphs can be a great way to fish, and produce explosive grabs. For Blue Winged Olives or Mahogany Dun soft hackles try: Soft BWO Emerger #16/18 , Tungsten Soft Hackle Pheasant #14-16, Harrop’s Mahogany Soft Hackle Beaded Thorax #14, or a a Drymerger Baetis #18. The October Caddis Pupa listed above are great on the swing. Most of these pupa emerge overnight, or on especially cloudy days. Try swinging them in various lower light situations.
Now is a great time to get out there, most of our rivers are in great shape to wade
For many of us here in the valley, this is our favorite time of year to get out. The river is conducive for a float, for wading, there are loads of insects hatching, what more could you want? Swing by the shop and check out the back table for a handpicked selection of our best seasonal flies, or to see some of the new patterns. Feel free to give us a call or stop by the shop if you need anything. Have fun out there!
In this video, Simon demonstrates how to tie a simple, but effective Caddis fly imitation. We really like the ease of Veevus Lucent Body in creating a quick durable body. The flash on the underside of the body makes it a great searching caddis pattern. The vertical hackle wraps can be clipped on the vise at home, or on the river for a lower riding imitation for picky fish. Use this pattern any time of the year; swap the hook size, body color, or hackle colors to match your seasonal needs.
Hundreds of miles of Oregon coastline provide habitat to several species of surf perch
An underutilized fly angling fishery exists right under all of our noses, in places most of us have already recreated. The Oregon coast has hundreds of miles of shoreline, which provide habitat for several species of surf perch. The most abundant species of surf perch in Oregon also happens to be one the largest: the red tail surf perch. Surf perch are broad-sided fish that vary in size, but most of the larger species top out at about 16 inches and can weigh in at over 3 pounds. A unique feature about them is that the females give live birth after carrying their babies 8 months. Sexing the fish is important for this fishery so you do not to take a pregnant female. Due to their reproductive life strategy, their populations don’t grow the quickest, so being responsible if you choose to harvest is important. They mainly inhabit sandy beaches diving in and out of the breaking waves eating food as it is stirred up. Surf perch offer a year round fishery, which is a bonus if you end up enjoying it.
A plump female red tail surf perch
You may have more of the gear necessary to start fishing in the surf on our coast than you think. I make do with a 9 foot single hand rod. You can use rod weights 6-8 to target surf perch. The strength an 8 weight provides is less about fighting the fish, and more about punching through the wind and getting your fly out far enough. I use a Scott Wave 9” 8wt, and am happy with how it fishes in the surf. Having saltwater safe components is a bonus.
Nick with a healthy male redtail surfperch
Shooting head style lines are preferred while fishing in the surf because they can deliver your fly quickly as you do not always have time to false cast. I use a Rio Outbound Short 8I/S5/S7. This line features an intermediate running line, and transitions into sink 5 then Sink 7. A shooting head with sink rates between 3-7 ips is plenty. If you don’t want to use a shooting head, a 5-10 foot Polyleader with a sink rate of 3-8ips added to a standard floating line is appropriate to get your fly in the zone.
Wading terribly deep is not necessary; there is a lot going on, so a stripping basket helps immensely
A saltwater fluorocarbon leader of 10-12lbs is plenty to handle these fish. Waders can be helpful when its cold and a good shell will keep you dry as it starts to cool off soon here. Lastly, a stripping basket is extremely helpful in the surf. I use the Ahrex Flexistripper. While you are wading into the waves, there is a lot going on. Keeping your line at your side is especially helpful for when you need to deliver your fly into the zone quickly. This is even more important with an intermediate line which will sink under the surface and come and go with the waves.
A variety of crustacean style flies will be productive for surf prerch
A variety of flies will work in the surf and we have several options in the shop that will produce fish. Surf perch feed on a diverse range of foods such as: mole crabs, shrimp, small fish, sand eels, and sand worms. Generally, I like flies with small lead eyes to get deep, however having a variety of weights can help with the changing tides. Here are some flies that work great on our coast: Mayem Mole Crab ,EP Mantis Shrimp #6, Squimp #6-8, Beck’s Sili Legs #6-8, Flexo Crab #6, Feczko’s Cheeseburger, or a small Clouser Minnow #6-8.
Shrimp seem to be irresistible to these fish
Surf perch are a lot like trout, they hold and feed in areas that provide shelter, food, and don’t require much energy to hold in. This is a lot like how trout will hold on seams close to food, but don’t have to work hard against the current. Surf perch are often schooled up and I’ve found perch congregating in the troughs that form between the sandbar and the actual beach. These troughs funnel water out to the spaces between sandbars called cuts. The perch will hold in here and face up current like trout and feed on food that is dislodged when waves break as it is carried out to the cut. When looking for favorable conditions, I am looking at what tide is most conducive for me to be able to reach that trough in front of the sandbar. Every beach is different, but in my experience tides on the higher side make it difficult to present a fly in the zone. This may be a situation where a two handed surf rod might be advantageous over a single hand rod. I also look at the weather, and ensure the wind is not so high that casting becomes extremely difficult.
Wading in the surf can be dangerous so making sure you have your footing and that you dont go too deep is important. Certain sections of the beach have rip currents where troughs drain water to cuts which dump water out quickly to the ocean. If you cant see these areas, you will feel the current pull as you approach the area wading. Sometimes several waves “stack up” and a surge of water comes in. Although, these surges churn up a lot of food and bring fish in closer, you should be aware that the water is very powerful and you should be careful. Be aware of sneaker waves too and never turn your back on the ocean.
Sometimes a change of pace is fun and challenging yourself by targeting a new species in an entirely different ecosystem can be a beneficial experience. The surf offers a great fishery to give trout a break during the hot conditions of summer. Because these fish school up, you will do a lot of walking and casting to find where fish are congregating that day. Feel free to give the shop a call or stop in if you have any questions; we’re happy to help with gear, fly selection, or advice.
Our special storytelling September McKenzie Chapter Meeting is coming up next Wednesday, September 27th at 5:30pm in Eugene, OR – and you’re invited to join!
What: Special Storytelling September McKenzie Chapter Meeting
Storytelling is one of the best tools we have for sharing information and getting people excited about a new topic. With that in mind, we’re excited to launch a storytelling campaign based on the wild fish and environment of the McKenzie River! To roll out this campaign, we need your help, starting at the McKenzie Chapter Meeting next Wednesday.
Please bring your photos, maps, and stories of interacting with wild fish, wildlife, or the McKenzie River itself. Maybe you have a great story about landing your first big wild, native McKenzie Redband. Maybe you’d like to share a time you watched springers spawning. Or maybe you’d like to let people know about the satisfaction you’ve gotten from volunteering on restoration projects in the basin. Any stories related to wild, native fish and the McKenzie River are welcome!
Ultimately, we hope to share these stories with the wider Native Fish Society community on our website, social media accounts, and at relevant events. We look forward to seeing you at the McKenzie Chapter meeting and hearing your stories!
The boat launch at Dexter Dam may close due to the Fish Facility Upgrade at Dexter. Anglers/Boaters should contact Ross Foster at the Army Corps of Engineers. Let them know if you would like to have continued access to the launch at Dexter Dam. “Contact us about Dexter Fish Facility Upgrade:Ross Foster: 503-308-2905. Email Ross at: dexterfishfacility.upgrade@usace.army.mil
