In this video, Simon ties a fantastic caddis pupa pattern. Caddisflies are among the most widely distributed family of aquatic insects in the world. It is no surprise that in many places around the world, caddisflies make wonderful searching patterns. The pupal stage of caddis is their most vulnerable state. This stage which sits between larvae or nymph, and winged adult renders the pupa helpless on its journey from the river bottom to the surface. The beauty of a good caddis pupa pattern lies in its versatility. This fly can be dead drifted or swung. Another hallmark of a great fly is in its simplicity to tie. This fly utilizes some great materials from our friends at Fulling Mill; most notably their: Super Suede Micro Chenille, Flat 70D Thread , 5045 Jig Force Hook, Slotted Bead, and Tactical Microflash Dub. A turn of Starling, which is perfectly sized for smaller flies, gives the fly an enticing collar. This fly can be tied up quickly and can withstand the beating that a good fly takes. Feel free to tweak colors and sizes, but this fly is one you certainly want to have in your box.
In this video, Simon ties an awesome late summer beetle pattern. Beetles and other terrestrials make up a large portion of a trout’s diet in the summer. This pattern is tied with a hi-vis wing to aid in visibility from afar. Generally, Simon likes to fish this fly on smaller creeks as it is easier to keep track of. On smaller water too, terrestrial insects are more likely to end up in the water. When fishing this pattern on larger rivers, Simon likes to run it behind a larger fly like a big hopper or chubby. The simple beetle is buoyant enough to suspend a small nymph below it, or tag a soft hackle behind. Simon likes to fish this pattern with a trailing PMD dry fly behind it like the Side Sleeper. Beetles can come in several sizes and colors, so feel free to adjust based on your fisheries’ needs.
by: Native Fish Society McKenzie River Steward Dave Thomas
You are likely aware of recent reports of Coho salmon in our beloved McKenzie. Generally, we think of the McKenzie as a sanctuary for Spring Chinook salmon and indeed this run is protected under the endangered species act. So, what are Coho doing encroaching on Chinook waters? (spoiler alert, we don’t know).
First some background on Coho in the Willamette Basin. These species seem to have been endemic to the Willamette above Willamette Falls, at least since the 1950’s when ODFW started a stocking program. However, there are some reports of earlier occasional passages of Coho above the Falls, probably due to unusually high-water flows. The stocking program ended in 1996. Since then, until 2022, an average of eleven thousand Coho entered the river each year in the late Fall. Almost all of these fish spawned in the Western drainages of the Upper Willamette. It is believed that this species of salmon prefers the warmer waters and lower flows of these habitats, compared with the colder, higher-flowing eastern rivers.
So, what changed? In the Fall of 2023 approximately 28,000 Coho passed Willamette Falls and 50+ of these passed above Leaburg Dam. There are also reports of Coho in the Santiams, but precise counts are not available. In response to the availability of these fish, ODFW issued a temporary regulation allowing harvest of Coho wherever salmon harvest was allowed in the Willamette system.
In 2024, ODFW was ready to monitor the Coho invasion and indeed, between late September and early November more than 52,000 Coho passed above Willamette Falls, about five times the number we had come to expect. However, the number of Coho passing Leaburg Dam was one! In anticipation of a Coho fishery in the Upper Willamette like 2023, ODFW again issued a temporary regulation allowing Coho harvest.
Now in 2025, we await the Fall counts of Coho fish passage at Willamette Falls. There is speculation that the recent increase numbers in 2023 and 2024 was due to improved ocean productivity. While this may be the case, the current state of modeling does not allow for forward-looking quantitative estimates of particular species, much less individual runs of species. Regardless of the number of fish passing the Falls, we still have the apparent anomaly of higher number of Coho passing the Falls in 2024, but the number of Coho passing Leaburg Dam from 50+ to 1. However, in anticipation of what might happen with Coho numbers in the Willamette Basin, ODFW intends to make the temporary Coho harvest a permanent part of Willamette Basin fishing regulations.Given our current lack of understanding of the processes underlying the movement of these fish, a variety of futures seem about equally possible. That is, the numbers of Coho may drop back to something like the 11K we are used to seeing, or, for instance, Coho expanding their rang throughout the Willamette basin and possibly even displacing Winter Steelhead and Spring Chinook salmon. This will certainly make watching the Falls fish counts more interesting than usual.
In this video, Simon ties a fantastic realistic hopper that should be in your box this summer. This pattern offers a realistic, yet durable construction. Sometimes the issue with more realistic looking flies is that they are delicate and cannot withstand several eats. A more realistic looking fly in theory should get eaten more, and the designer should account for that. Certain techniques like wally wings, biot legs, etc just aren’t durable enough for a fly that will get thrashed. This fly employs Hairline’s new Hi-Float Foam that they came out with last year. This open cell foam floats high and can withstand shearing forces from small gel spun style threads like Semperfli Nano Silk. The large legs in the rear mimic realistic hopper legs and will kick when the fly is twitched and stripped. This mimics the behavior of a hopper attempting to swim to the bank. Fish this fly solo, or tag a dropper below. The large Widow’s Web wing paired with Hi-Float Foam makes this fly an excellent choice for dry dropper setups. This fly can be sized up or down and colors can be changed to match the many species of hopper on your banks this summer.
The public wants species protection but lawmakers are struggling with dwindling funds, higher fees and a biodiversity crisis
Article Below from Columbia Insight byK.C. Mehaffey
By K.C. Mehaffey. July 24, 2025. If a government’s budget is a statement of its values, consider this: this year, legislatures in Oregon and Washington dedicated roughly 2.4% of their total 2025-2027 biennium budgets to all of their natural resource agencies combined. In Idaho, about 4.6% of the state’s total fiscal year 2026 budget will go to natural resources.
The state departments of fish and wildlife—or fish and game in Idaho—make up only a fraction of those slices of the budget pie.
Natural resource funds also cover the costs of agencies that manage state parks, outdoor recreation, water resources, agriculture, environmental quality, forestry and many smaller state entities—such as the Puget Sound Partnership in Washington or the Wolf Depredation Control Board in Idaho.
State officials and nonprofit organizations say they think the public in the Pacific Northwest would be surprised at how little their states spend on natural resources.
Facing inflation and lower revenues from taxes, legislatures in Oregon and Washington this year raised user fees and made significant cuts to their state fish and wildlife agency budgets. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game—which relies solely on the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and federal funds—got a small bump in funding.
But with federal cuts looming and stagnant or decreasing participation in hunting and fishing, officials from all three state agencies say they’re deeply concerned about their budgets in the coming years and decades.
“We know with climate change and with all the federal impacts coming down the pike that we have a hard future ahead of us,” Brandon Bean, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s budget officer, told Columbia Insight. keep reading….
1 Lucky Angler, 1 Epic Week on the Babine River this Fall for just $100!
British Columbia’s Babine River is the hallowed homewaters of some of the largest wild steelhead swimming on the planet. At the Babine Steelhead Lodge, their goal is for you to have the fishing adventure of a lifetime – which you could experience for only $100!
From the minute you arrive at the lodge, you will experience first-class fishing and accommodations. Not to mention, the Babine River is considered one of the last unspoiled rivers in British Columbia, making its pristine beauty the ideal setting for a memorable wilderness getaway.
Trip Details: 1 angler / Steelhead Season – October 24th – 31st, 2025 / Prime-time guided steelhead fishing on the Babine River with Babine Steelhead Lodge in Smithers, BC, hosted by Tom Derry.
Tickets: $100 each – Only 250 tickets will be sold!
Raffle tickets on sale: NOW – September 11th, 2025
Drawing: Friday, September 12th @ 3pm
Don’t miss this week-long dream trip, including fishing with some of the best guides around, delicious gourmet dining, and tranquil river-side lodging – all of which could be yours for just $100!
We’re talking about your best (and most economical shot) at some of the most incredible dry line (even dry fly) wild steelhead fishing in the world.
How does it work? Native Fish Society is selling 150 tickets for $100 each. We’ll draw the winner on September 12th, and then the lucky angler will get ready for the time of their life!
Trip Includes:
World-class guided fishing on the Babine
Cozy accommodations at the newly renovated lodge
Gourmet meals prepared by the talented Lodge Chef and staff
Full bar, beer, and wine
Not Included:
Does not include travel to Smithers, B.C., taxes, gratuities, or licenses.
Our friends Tim and Katie Conway are offering last minute deals on drift boat trips down the Rogue Canyon. Get 6 of your pals together and get 40% off.
Every year in the industry we see new products come out. Many of them are only slight variations of their competitors. Generally, when a good product is made it can only be tweaked and improved so much. The only way to really make waves with something new is to completely reimagine it. This is exactly what our friends over at Riversmith did with their Convoy Gear Roll.
There have been countless iterations of the classic wader bag. Riversmith aimed to improve the features offered in a wader bag and combine them with the best features of a great tote. What they created is undeniably the best wader/gear bag on the market today.
With a complete ground up redesign of the modern wader bag, this one looks unique. Riversmith opted for a roll design with reinforced panels that helps maintain its structure. Other roll style bags end up lopsided and the extra reinforcement of this gear roll ensures it packs consistently and is easy to carry. A shoulder strap allows the angler to carry it a short trip from their car to the garage, or to a tree to hang it on. For longer trips, the roll can be configured into a backpack. This is why the reinforced structure is so crucial for compact packability on a trip or for travel if you are carrying it long distances.
The roll has a top strap that can be hung on the side of your vehicle, from your tailgate, or hung in a nearby tree. From there the bag unrolls and you suddenly have all of your gear presented to you like a walk in closet. Three separate compartments organize your gear on the bag.
The uppermost pouch is fully waterproof and is great for storing valuables that you don’t want to get wet. It is made of a durable rubber material and features a fully submersible zipper. This could be for your keys, wallet, phone, change of clothes, fly boxes, tippet, spare reels, etc. Because the bag rolls on itself, this pocket is crucial because it ensures, after a day of fishing, that your wet waders and boots won’t soak your valuables.
The middle compartment is for your waders. Depending on the size of your waders, you can fit up to 3 pairs in the stretchy mesh pouch. The beauty of this pouch is that it stretches and contracts depending on how full your bag is. Whether you are packing for yourself or a friend too, this bag can carry it all. This pouch is also where you’d store wet wading things like Patagonia Sandy Cay Pants, a pair of Backcountry Skinz, or Patagonia Yulex Neoprene Booties. The mesh on this layer breathes to aid in your waders drying, and if you forget to take your waders out after a long day, this pouch will help them air out.
The lowest section is for boots and is made of a different material. This pouch is fabricated out of a wide hole rip-stop mesh. This allows rocks, sand, and debris to leave when you put your dirty boots in after a long day. The large openings on this layer also aid in your boots airing out after being soaked in the river. Depending on your boot size you can fit 1-3 pairs of boots in this section.
On the backside of the boot pouch, the bag features two sleeves for rod tubes. If you have a Riversmith Rod Vault, this is a mute issue, but most people do not and this makes packing up for the day convenient and organized. The panel splits and can hold a net as well. With an adjustable strap, the bag can accommodate anything from small hand nets to large steelhead boat nets.
On the backside of the middle compartment for waders there is a drop-mat for changing. Walking with your wader booties on the ground is a great way to ruin a several hundred dollar pair of waders. The same goes for walking on the ground with your neoprene wet wading socks. This mat is folded and aids in providing structure for the bag to maintain its shape when packed full.
With all of these features it can be difficult to imagine how this thing would even close up. Rolling the boots up to the waterproof compartment, there are two heavy duty straps that lash the bag shut. When packed both lightly, and at full capacity the straps have several point to attach, and closes comfortably.
This bag is great for anyone, and I mean anyone. Whether you have a small sedan or a full sized truck this bag will aid in organizing your trunk or bed space. The bag is configured to unroll to the width of a truck bed and perfectly lays out from side to side. For those of you with rod vaults, this bag can solve other issues for you like hauling gear, and organizing valuables.
Many of us partake in other sports outside of fly fishing. This bag makes a great gear tote for ski/ and snowboard gear. Just like with fishing gear it can haul snow pants, boots, coats, goggles, mittens, etc. For upland hunters this can be great way to haul boots, shells, other gear, and a change of clothes. No matter your circumstance this bag will preform in and out of fly fishing season. Whether you are a summer angler, or you fish year round, this bag will impress you every time you break it out.
I have been running this bag for about 2-3 months and really waited to write this review to put the bag through the wringer. I have a River Smith 4 Banger Rod Vault so I do not use the tube storage for the bag, but use every other feature of the bag every time I go out. Most notably, this bag has kept the back of my truck more organized than ever. We hall have our own ritual for gearing up riverside, and this bag has made gearing up more pleasant than ever.
It has been packed up for fishing, mushroom picking, and more. This fall and winter I will be using the bag to load up my upland gear and snowboard gear in a few months. I truly believe that there is not a better gear tote for the outdoorsman on the market today. Swing by the shop and check them out, or if you’re out of state, click here to shop online. Well ship it right to you.
In this video, Simon ties a great versatile dropper that can be ran below buoyant dry flies across the country. He sought out to develop an attractor style pattern that can mimic a wide range of aquatic foods, while also being flashy enough to capture a trouts attention. The flashiness aspect of this fly is part of what makes it successful, it can move a fish from its lie to come feed. Purple is a color that many people are superstitious of. Many say it is the last color on the spectrum that a trout can see, therefore it pops more. Regardless of the true reason behind the purple superstition, many of us have had fantastic days fishing purple flies. Green is another color that often fishes very well subsurface. It screams caddis pupae or larva and trout feed heavily on them in many areas. This color combo is one that Simon has had a lot of luck with in the past and often pairs together. For more shallow fisheries consider sizing the bead down to 1/8 or 3mm. This fly also uses a great new thread from Fulling Mill which comes out in September. We are super excited to have it in the shop and we think you all will love how it feels. Tie some of these up and you can crush in most places across the country this summer!
In this video, Simon ties a fantastic soft hackle variant for fishing the PMD hatch. This particular style of fly can be fished a number of ways, but most common is swinging it downstream. It is reminiscent of a standard Soft Cahill, with additional flash and a target point in the rear. The fly certainly can also be included in a tandem nymphing rig whether you are running an indicator or euro setup. Simon likes to fish it as a drowned cripple behind a dry fly, generally a PMD dun. The beauty of this setups is it is a great way to search extremely shallow and larger water with a light dry/dropper setup. If the fish doesn’t think the soft hackle is an ascending insect, it should assume it is a drowned cripple, the easiest of meals. If your eyes struggle to track small PMD duns or emergers, a great way to keep track of it is to tag the Lucent Soft Cahill. You certainly could run a PMD dun and mark your tippet 18-24 inches above your fly with a Scientific Anglers Indicator Marker. This is a great way to make tiny dries a tad bit more visible. Feel to size this up for drakes, or down for BWO’s. This style of fly and trailing tactic works for most mayfly hatches.
Often in the industry we see small updates and improvements to already existing products. Every once in a while something entirely new surfaces that changes the way we fish forever. Backcountry Skinz were born out of the rugged New Zealand backcountry. For anglers on multi day trips, carrying waders became a major inconvenience. With these thermal neoprene layers, anglers can now wet wade for hours at temperatures once thought to be for “waders only”
Backcountry Skinz set out to solve the issue of having to wear waders when we don’t really want to. These leggings are game changers and get you out of your waders much earlier in the year. By the time spring rolls around, many of us can’t wait to hang up our waders for summer. These wet wading options get you out of your waders sooner, and wet wading at temperatures we never thought possible.
Z Series
First off the Z Series are Backcountrskinz warmest neoprene base layer, being able to withstand temperatures as low as 41F. These are the model for you if you absolutely hate wearing waders and can’t wait for wet wading season. They also offer more thickness for brush and brambles. These pants are rated for 50UPF sun protection. These do tend to run a tad bit warmer in the summer, but you can always dunk them underwater to recharge them to stay cool.
Next the Airblitz is the lighter neoprene base layer. These are micro perforations to allow exchange of water through the membrane on hot days. These will not provide the warmth that the Z series will offer, but will keep you more cool and comfortable during the dog days of summer. If you tend to run warmer these may be a pair that you can get away with during the spring and fall, while still having a lighter pair for the summer. These are also rated with 50UPF for sun
Solarflexz UV Legging
Lastly the Solarflexz UV Legging makes a great layer for flats anglers, or other anglers going on trips closer to the equator. These will provide ample sun protection for those hot sunny days on the flats or in the jungle. On the flats and in the jungle, the water can be extremely warm so you don’t need the additional neoprene insulation that the Airblitz and Z Series offer.
I have tested the Z Series model since the spring. My first trip out with them was picking apart pocket water using two 3 wts high on salt creek. The creek was still off color, frigid, and swollen with snowmelt. I brought my Scott F Series 7ft 2″ 3wt to throw a bushy caddis, and my favorite small water rod of all time my Winston Air 2 8’6” 3wt rigged with a chubby-dropper setup.
I scoped out the creek from the road and had one thought in my head: “I’ll just wait till things warm up a bit more to test these”. It was already about 3:30 and I knew my time was limited. The sun would set behind the hills of the Salt Creek valley soon and being wet would not be fun that early in the year. I walked back to my truck planning on throwing on my waders.
Something came over me, and I figured that these are the conditions the guys from Backcountry Skins really market these for so I should give them a shot. I threw them on and ran down to the river to see how they did.
The first thing I noticed is that my legs were relatively safe from sticks, brambles, and thorns. I stepped into the water nervously and cold water flooded my boots and rushed around my legs. Prior to jumping in I hadn’t taken the water temp; I knew the water was cold. I stood there waiting for the initial punch of cold water, and it never came.
I chuckled to myself and waded deeper to reach the far side of a nice looking seam. I stood waist deep on the downstream side of a large boulder in some slack water surprised how comfortable I was.
Searching with a large caddis I had a large cutthroat eat. After releasing it, I figured this was a good time to check the water temp which ended up being 51. I was shocked at how comfortable I was and continued to work the water for hours with both of my rods.
Towards the end of the day I found some good water and pushed through some short poison oak with confidence knowing I was covered. I fished for a good 45 minutes after the sun popped behind the hill and remained comfortable until 7:15 when it started getting dark.
Generally I do not fish our tributaries when they are still swollen all that much, but the Z Series pant made it doable. This opened my eyes to early season wet wading opportunities with surprisingly willing fish looking up.
As things warmed up in the summer, I continue to use my Z series to supplement my wet wading. Now they really help me out for early mornings and late evenings. Even on hot days I do not get too warm. If I start to get hot, I will dunk them and “recharge” them to help keep me cool.
In the summer I do a lot of bushwhacking, and love the additional protection I get from these pants. I took them to the Driftless early summer, and they really helped in the early morning. The spring-fed creeks there are very cold year round and the Skinz made a huge difference. Razor grass and poisonous wild parsnip were an afterthought with my Z Series Skinz, and I explored freely.
To many of us the ice cold Metolious is a wader-only river. Part of the issue wearing waders in the summer on the Met is that the walk back to the car in full waders can be exhausting in the heat. This summer a few times I wet waded in my Z series and was surprisingly comfortable all day.
To anyone considering tying a pair of these out, I highly recommend them. If you are okay wearing waders through the spring and fall, the Airblitz may be the the one for you. If in the spring you just can’t wait to get out of your waders and in the fall you dread putting them back on, then the Z series will keep you out of your waders for as long as possible.
If you’re local, swing by the shop and check them out. If you’re online scroll back up and click the links throughout the article to shop online. If you have any questions, give us a ring at (541) 342-7005.
In this video, Simon ties a unique PMD or pale morning dun pattern which is designed to fool the pickiest fish. The fly is tied on its side to highlight the nymphal shuck that the emerging dun is struggling to escape from. PMD hatches can be extremely prolific and sometimes ensuring a fish picks your fly specifically is extremely challenging. This fly offers fish a vulnerable insect that is actively emerging or is actually crippled and stuck. It is tied on the stout Ahrex super dry hook. This hook has an extreme curve to it resulting in a wide gap for your hook set and great hold. The hook also offers a curved frame to build this cripple on which emphasizes the nymphal shuck. The next time you see fish sipping PMDs or sulphurs if you’re out East, tie on a side sleeper and hang on tight.
Our local water in the valley is fishing very well. Summer fishing on the Willamette and Mckenzie is in full swing and the bugs are here. Summer continues to chug on, but we aren’t feeling the negative effects of the heat just yet. We have thus far dodged wildfires, extreme heat, and the dog days of summer where fishing slows a bit. Knock on wood, let’s hope the trend continues as long as possible. That means that right now is a great time to get out and hit the river, or that small creek you’ve been meaning to explore.
As things get warmer, this oxygen rich pocket water becomes vital to trout mid-summer.
We are seeing consistent hatches of PMD/ PEDs, caddis, golden stones, yellow sallies, and terrestrials are just around the corner. The most consistent summer bug, by far, is the PMD. This small cream colored mayfly starts hatching in the afternoon and generally goes into the evening. In the last few hours of light you can catch a PMD spinner fall, where spent adults die on the water after they spawn. Fish key in on this and large fish wait for these spinner falls to happen. The other major player in terms of dry fly fishing is the golden stonefly. This is the main reason why we use a big foam Chubby Chernobyl style dry with a dropper in the summer. These bugs are high calorie meals, and are difficult for fish to turn down.
A fantastic picture of a PMD from friend of the shop, Andrew B.
The afternoon into the evening is when there is the most insect activity at the moment. The PMD hatch begins in the afternoon and persists into the evening. Some great flies for the early afternoon hatch are: Sparkle Flag, Tilt Wing PMD, or a Quigley’s Film Critic PMD. Closer to dark, you may catch a PMD spinner fall. This is when sexually mature insects mate and fall to the waters surface “spent”. PMD spinners are smaller and look different, try these for the Spinnnerfall at dusk: Rusty Spinner or a Hi-Vis Spinner. These flies can be small so tagging them behind a larger fly like a golden stonefly can help you keep track of them, especially in low light. Goldstones will be active mid-day into the afternoon. Here are some shop favorites: Fools Gold Stoneflies, Double Stack Chubby Chernobyl, or a Clarks Stone. Yellow Sallies make great mid day searching patterns, especially on smaller streams and at the heads of pools. Here are some that we don’t leave home without in the summer: Silvey’s Yellow Sally, J’s Hi-Tie Sally, or a Parachute Headlight Yellow Sally. We are seeing larger summer caddis and a classic caddis pattern makes an excellent prospecting pattern. I especially like them on small streams. Here are some I always pick up in the shop this time of year: Splitsville Caddis, Rubber Legged Elk Hair Caddis, or an Elk Hair Caddis Tan.
Golden stoneflies are like flying ribeye steaks to trout in the summer.
Searching with a dry-dropper rig is undeniably the most efficient way to probe water in the summer. This requires an extra buoyant dry fly and a nymph tagged below. Depending on the water turbidity and the nymph’s weight, you will have to choose a dry fly that is buoyant enough to suspend the nymph. Generally the more turbid the water, the more foam you need on your dry fly. That is why we love to run the following flies as our select dries for our rig: Double Stack Chubby Chernobyl, Chubby Chernobyl, Water Walker, Fluttering Stone. As a rule, this time of year we like to fish all of these in a golden-yellow color to mimic golden stones. As summer progresses, there are opportunities to change that dry to a hopper or beetle. For the dropper, we like tungsten jigged nymphs. Here are some of our favorites to run below a dry in the summer: Jigged Mega Prince, Olsen’s Blowtorch, Jigged Duracell Nymph, Weiss’ Possum Anchor Jig, MFC Jigged Pearl Rib Perdigon, or a Jigged Frenchie.
The water is low and clear, Nick demonstrates the importance of staying low while fishing a prime lie on a small stream.
When things get hot and the sun is glaring down at high noon, there is not a whole lot that you can do to entice a fish to eat on the surface. This is when carrying a nymphing stick is key. Generally, I first search a run with a dry or a dry-dropper rig. If no one wants to eat from the surface, I will dredge a double nymph rig through the run. Often I will pick up lethargic fish that are waiting for better conditions to actively feed. I like running a medium or small ORO Indicator depending on the size of my nymphs and the water I am fishing. I always run two nymphs and like to pair something flashy with something natural. Generally one of those nymphs is heavy, and often act as more of a tool to aid in getting the target nymph in the zone quicker. Here are some heavier nymphs that I like to use: Jigged Possie Bugger, Jigged Mega Prince, T.J Hooker Nymph, or a Jig Hot Spot Girdle Bug. Often off heavy fly, I will tag something more closer related to what is hatching seasonally. Generally this fly is smaller and lighter, so the heavier flies above are extremely important to getting this fly deep fast. Here are some I’d include in my box currently: Improved Jigged 20 Incher, Tungsten Jig PMD, Jig Fullback Napoleon, Yardley’s Low Hole Jig Fly, or a Croston’s Full Metal Jacket Jig. I like to tag these off lighter tippet so that they can blow around more freely in the current. I like Scientific Anglers Fluoro in 4-5x for the lighter nymph.
Our small tributaries are full of gorgeous native coastal cutthroat trout.
Our local rivers are fishing great. The Mckenzie and Willamette are at great levels to float and to explore on foot. This is the best of both worlds and conditions cater to both types of angler. All of our valley tributaries are fishing well too. This is a great time of year to tromp up a small stream searching for wild fish. Generally, there is a dense canopy which keeps these streams cool making them good summer options, when our bigger rivers more exposed to the sun warm up. Conditions are great for wet wading. Mornings and evenings can be chilly; I’ve been keeping myself warm with a pair of Backcountry Sinks Z series. These neoprene pants keep me warm, keep the sun off, and when it’s hot during the middle of the day, one dunk and they keep me cool for hours.
It is a good time of year to begin to be mindful of water temps. Small streams, high lakes, and warm water species will become your friend as things get hot. Stay tuned for another article outlining water temps and trout fishing. If you need anything, swing by the shop and we are happy to help get you geared up for a fun day on the water.
Community night over at Falling Sky this month lands on Tuesday the 22nd. Feel free to bring your tying gear, or just pop in and visit. We love new faces, bring all of your friends!
Here we have a fantastic Green Drake pattern that Simon developed for fishing the various Green Drake Hatches that happen in our home state. For how big these bugs are, one would think that fish would take these flies without hesitation. Sometimes it can be challenging, and downright frustrating to get a fish to take a Green Drake, especially if you are approaching the water with a dun. Selecting a cripple or emerger will likely result in more eats. This fly is tied with a great material called EP Trigger Point Fibers. These fibers are treated and are hydrophobic out of the package. This is what makes this such a great fly for long days on the river. Tie some up and get out there, if you can’t find any Drakes locally, there are a few lingering ones on the Metolious. If you miss those, catch the fall Green Drake hatch on the Metolious in a couple of months.
Join The Redsides for a summer trash cleanup and fishing event!
Who: Redsides Chapter of Trout Unlimited What: Trash cleanup and half-day fishing trip When: Sunday, July 13th, starting at 9:00 a.m. Where: Sand Prairie Campground on upper Middle Fork Willamette River Why: To remove trash from our watershed!
