It’s October again and we have some gorgeous weather and perfect water conditions to enjoy. Short winged stones are still around but we are seeing October Caddis, Gray Drakes, Blue Winged Olives and mid sized Brown Caddis. Not to make things too simple but right now you can fish October Caddis, Parachute Adams and Brown Caddis on the surface and do just fine. Get out there and enjoy!
Jim Sens sits down and ties a classic local pattern the Tied Down Orange Caddis. The Tied down in October Orange or Green Caddis Green can be fished dry or wet fly style. 20 years ago this pattern took up a bunch of space in the fly bins at the shop. It still works today!
Material List:
Hook: TMC100, size 10
Thread: Veevus 6/0, rusty brown
Tail: Elk hair
Body: Micro Fine Dry Fly, orange
Hackle: Whiting Rooster Saddle Hackles, size 14, brown
Shell Back: Elk hair
From the News-Review by Kirk Blaine
After a catastrophic return of summer steelhead last year and multiple years of below-average spring Chinook, Winchester Dam remains more dilapidated than ever before. How does this 130-year-old dam maintained for private recreation affect the salmon and steelhead runs we all enjoy?
Sadly, Winchester Dam is likely the most significant fish killer in the Umpqua Basin, harming and depleting every native-run attempting to migrate up or downstream from the 160 miles of high-quality habitat stretching above this structure. A multitude of large false attraction holes remains in and under the dam. A gaping hole between the face of the dam and the fish ladder is still covered by what looks like a piece of conveyor belt, attesting to its careless upkeep.
These false attraction flows mean that fish will continue to jump into the side of the dam and meet hazards, injury and delay. Eroded concrete and exposed rebar are visible in the dam’s foundations, abutments and fish ladder. The fish ladder remains confusing to navigate for fish and doesn’t meet state or federal fish passage regulations. Meanwhile, a visible downstream curve in the dam crest raises questions about whether the dam is a threat not just to fish, but to public safety.
Almost two years ago, I wrote an opinion piece sharing issues with Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River. Over the same time, state officials have continued to urge Winchester Dam’s owners to repair the dam and fish ladder. But to this day, little has been done on the dam itself to fix glaring problems or assist our salmon and steelhead in passing the structure. This is a clear insult to those involved in the hard work all over Douglas County focused on restoring our fisheries populations, from habitat projects such as riparian planting to the modernization of fish passage at Soda Springs Dam.
Winchester Dam is unlawfully killing and harming our salmon and steelhead. State and federal agencies have an obligation to uphold the rule of law to protect citizens and our natural resources. Rules and regulations for Winchester Dam must be enforced to protect our rivers and fish.
We even have a recent successful example of an agency holding private dam owners accountable for a fish-killing dam in southern Oregon: the former Savage Rapids Dam on the Rogue River. In the years before the successful removal of Savage Rapids Dam, which was removed to benefit salmon runs, the National Marine Fisheries Service filed a lawsuit against its owners for unlawful harm to federally protected salmon.
The National Marine Fisheries Service should take the same action now to protect federally protected salmon at Winchester Dam.
I ask our state’s senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, to help direct federal agencies to help the North Umpqua River and its fish. The senators must continue to uphold their legacy on the North Umpqua by starting with bringing the rule of law to this dilapidated dam.
Two years ago, I saw two options for Winchester Dam:
Today, it has unfortunately become clear that the Winchester Dam owners cannot be trusted to repair and maintain Winchester Dam to protect the North Umpqua. The dam represents a substantial financial and legal responsibility the owners have neglected to properly uphold, alongside their responsibility for the dam’s ongoing harm to salmon and steelhead in North Umpqua River. It is clear that removing Winchester Dam will benefit everyone in Douglas County and our fish.
From Angling Trade Magazine by Kirk Deeter
That’s it.
Game… set… match.
Take a knee… clock expires.
Summit ascended… wave ridden… blue marlin landed…
However you want to frame it, Yvon Chouinard, the 83-year-old founder of Patagonia (and his family) recently did something so extraordinary, so unbelievable, that nobody can remember seeing anything quite like it, and nobody in their right business mind should ever expect to see it again.
The Chouinards GAVE Patagonia, the multi-billion-dollar enterprise Yvon built from scratch from fashioning climbing equipment from his California garage (now also one of the most iconic brands in fly fishing, because Yvon loves fly fishing)… away.
“The earth is in peril… thanks for caring, outdoorsy people… put your money where your mouths are. I just did,” Chouinard might have said. Or something like that. But he didn’t say that. He just did it, it for the purpose of combatting climate change and saving the wild places on this planet.
In sum, the company will now be run as a for-profit entity, but the ownership rests with trusts set up to battle climate change. You buy a pair of waders… you battle climate change. You give your sister a fleece for the holidays… you’re protecting the planet. (As it always has been with Patagonia, now stepped up a level.)
With respect to fly fishing and this “industry” we all work in, I’m struck with three thoughts.
First… THANK YOU. Rather than just reporting what went down, I think the first thought should be gratitude. I think everyone in fly fishing owes a debt of gratitude to Chouinard. If you’re a fly shop, whether you carry the Patagonia brand or not, say thank you. If you make rods or reels, or lines or widgets… say thanks. Even if you make waders and boots, fleeces and pack and have been fighting Patagonia for market share… say thank you also, because Patagonia totally threw down in support of the natural resources that make your business possible in the first place. Conservation organizations, say thank you, but don’t get caught up in the ugly money-grubbing game. Just do things that affect positive change.
Second, Chouinard’s actions should end any climate change debates within our industry. The science is clear. This move underscored a level of urgency we’ve never seen from any entity in corporate America before. If you don’t think climate change is important, and if you don’t think it matters to all outdoor recreation, indeed, human quality of life—maybe you think the answer is to kick the can down the road for another generation to face—please just think a bit deeper.
Third, Chouinard has set a bar, and we, as a fly-fishing community should endeavor to match it. I know, I don’t have a billion dollars to my name, and never will either. Heck, if I had a billion dollars, I don’t know that I’d do what Chouinard did. And I’m not expecting, nor calling for others to match the dollars, whether they have the means or not. There are many, many, many wonderful, committed companies who do a helluva lot for conservation already. And I commend them for that.
But we, as an industry, have a lot more we can and should do in support of the conservation that makes our sport possible in the first place. The fly-fishing industry’s support of conservation, as a whole, is embarrassingly light in comparison to what others—hunting, skiing, etc. pour into supporting their sports. “Cause-related marketing” is the thing now, but we really need to decide whether we’re an “extractive” industry, or if we stand for something better than that.
As all of us in this fly-fishing world consider what just happened with Patagonia, I think we should endeavor to make a billion-dollar “match.” Maybe it isn’t money. Maybe it’s a billion- dollars-worth of action. Think about your own habits and patterns as they relate to climate change. Can you tweak something? Can you burn a little less gas? Can you support companies that stand face-forward against climate change, and in favor of making waters cleaner, clearer, and more productive?
Can we, as a cohesive, dedicated fly-fishing community match, through actions, words, and, sure, money, the standard just set by Yvon Chouinard?
The answer is yes… or at least it should be.
And the time to start acting is now.
Just a reminder that we will be meeting this Wednesday, September 28th, at 5:30pm again at Ninkasi’s Better Living Room, 155 Blair Blvd, Eugene.
We will discuss:
You may be aware EWEB is deciding on the future of the Leaburg Canal and Dam over the next few months. For more background info, click here to watch an informational YouTube video EWEB created.
Please encourage others to join us! The more, the merrier!
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me,
Liz Perkin, Northern Oregon Regional Coordinator
503-442-3985
📷 Spring Chinook spawning in the McKenzie. Photo credit: Liz Perkin
Jim Sens joins us back at Caddis Fly to tie up an effective summer steelhead pattern. Our guides and fellow steelhead enthusiasts all swear by this fly – it’s just one of those flies all steelhead fishers should have in their box. The green butt silver hilton can be fished all year, but it shines for summer steelhead during the summer and into the fall as winter takes its hold.
Jim ties the wing of this fly in with Ewing Grizzly because it’s a great, webby material for all steelhead and intruder-style flies. Once you have this fly down, feel free to mess around with different varieties of tinsel for the butt and rib section.
Material List:
Thread: Semperfli Nano Silk Thread, 50D black
Hook: Alec Jackson’s Steelhead Hook, size 3 in black
Butt: Lagartun Flat Tinsel, silver in large
Butt: Senyo’s Fusion Dub, lizard
Tail: Gadwall Feathers
Rib: Uni Flat Embossed French Tinsel, silver in medium
Body: Angora Goat Dubbin, black
Collar 1: Strung Ringneck Pheasant, black
Collar 2: Gadwall Feathers
Wing: Ewing Grizzly Capes
Dear Oregon Fly Fishing Blog,
As summer winds down I’m getting excited for fall fishing. Usually around mid October we begin to see October caddis hatches along with the occasional callibaetis. It’s fun to fish October caddis because it’s the time we begin to use bigger flies (Stimulators Size 10) and begin to see some of the bigger fish cruising the riffles and pools.
With record low snowpack and high heat, the dry fly action this season was the worst I’ve seen. The Merced River was hitting 74° in early August so fishing was not an option (STOP FISHING @ 69°) so I took off down south to chase Corbina with my buddy Rob.
September was high country lakes and skinning water streams. We had to hunt and cover lots of water to find fish, but nymphing produced quality rainbow and brook trout.
As I write this we’re beginning to get rain and cooler weather, so the Merced has been fishing again, primarily with nymphs. I expect the dry fly action to pick up over the next few weeks and hopefully the fish are moving.
October and November are my favorite months to fish the Sierra. Shorter days, cooler temps, and caddis action!
Rob and I will be on the Deschutes late October and we’re thankful the river opened this year. 2021 was depressing on the D and I think of all the guides out there having to change their game plan or perhaps change careers. Sucks, but it’s the reality.
Tight lines,
Greg
Greg is a former Caddis Fly Shop employee and owner of Gregory Nespor Fly Fishing based in Yosemite National Park.
Man I wish September was about 60 days long. It’s hard to beat the weather, and of course the fishing is solid all across the state. Locally we have seen dry fly fishing pick up considerably. Prior to October Caddis the big bug of importance for me is the Short Winged Stone. From the bottom to top of the Willamette and McKenzie these stoneflies are present and fish definitely love smashing them near shore or wherever they get the opportunity. Check out this article bug guru Arlen Thomason wrote way back in 2009.
Grey Drakes, Pale Evening Duns and Blue Winged Olives are vital for your collection when you hit the water this time of year.
Anglers should hit the lower river with confidence this time of year. Cooler water temps and more bugs in the air will pull some of the larger fish out of the deepest pools. Swinging wets and fishing smaller dries can be really effective Hendricks down into the mainstream Willamette. When you head up into the upper reaches of the McKenzie and Willamette or branches of those rivers look for mid day to be best. Chubby Chernobyls, Parachute Adams, Half Down Golden Stones are all a good idea when trying to imitate larger stones, gray drakes and hoppers.
Alex Swartz ties up a clouser variation with barred crazy legs with color inspiration from a great local fly, the mega prince. It’s a quick, simple tie with few materials. This fly was designed for bass on the Umpqua but take it the coast, throw it at big browns or whatever you’d like – it’s versatile.
Hook: SL45, size 4
Thread: 6/0, rusty brown
Eyes: Dazl-Eyes, gold
Body: Bucktail, olive and carmel
Legs: Barred Crazy Legs, olive/green flake
Increased shade, cooler evenings and lighter fishing pressure have trout looking up much more in recent days. Must have (don’t leave home without them) dry flies for the McKenzie, Willamette and tributaries include the following:
Parachute Adams #10-14
Carlson’s Purple Haze #10-16
Brown Elk Hair Caddis #12-16
Tan Elk Hair Caddis #12-16
Orange Stimulator #8-12
Other news and notes fishing report-wise in the area. Steelhead fishing on the Middle Fork of the Willamette between Dexter Dam and the confluence of the McKenzie has been decent considering the overall number of fish in the system.
Both the McKenzie and Willamette drainages have seen bumps in flow as reservoirs are drawn down to prep for fall. Water temps and flows have improved fishing on all fronts.
I have been seeing quite a few more hoppers in the burned area of the McKenzie, no doubt more grass growing in the forest and hoppers are loving it. Fish are loving the MFC Chubby as an imitation but there are a bunch of cool hopper patterns out there that work well.
Let’s hope we all escape the inferno predicted this weekend!
This video fully addresses the Leaburg Dam, Canal and Hydro project. EWEB is still taking public comment on this issue until October 10th. You can submit your comments at this link: https://www.eweb.org/about-us/power-supply/mckenzie-river-hydro-projects/future-of-the-leaburg-canal/leaburg-public-comment-form
I was able get a couple of the Technical Men’s Conference attendees to leave grampa duty to fish Southern Oregon. During 2016 ODFW dumped brown trout into Diamond Lake to get after the chubs. During a great Callibaetis hatch several nice browns fell to hand. If you ever get to Diamond Lake and love pizza, you know where these fish were caught!
The following day we headed to Chiloquin and floated the Williamson. It was very challenging, but we were able to get one fish to hand. The Willamson has many deep slots, leech patterns and sinking lines are a must. 
Cooler evenings and mornings have our thoughts focused on fall and steelhead. While we’re still below ten-year return averages in most of the rivers here in Oregon, we’re glad to see things bouncing back the way they are. It will be interesting to see what the next few years look like.
We’ve got a few exciting things to go over here: New spey lines, tips and leaders from Rio and what we consider to be the best flies for fall steelhead.
This season, Rio is aiming to simplify their lines by integrating running lines with shooting heads. We like this because it makes the purchasing process a bit easier for you, and there are no loop connections clicking through your rod guides. We’ll start with the RIO Elite Skagit Max Power Spey Head. This line has a shorter head that delivers heavier flies with ease but don’t feel limited with this one because it can be thrown all day long with whatever you’re using. Fish the Max Power with light, medium or heavy MOW tips depending on your line weights. The Max Power is great in the 5 through 7 weight class with 12 and a half foot rods.
The RIO Elite Integrated Skagit Mini Max is perfect for rivers like the Rogue where you’ll be fishing slightly lighter rods, think more along the lines of trout spey here. The 16-18 foot turns over heavier flies with ease and when you pair this line with light MOW tips, you’ll be pleased.
Also, the Trout Spey non-skagit Shooting Heads are perfect for Trout Spey rods and are available in line weights #1-5 weight. All models of Elite Trout Spey Shooting Heads are 23ft. We recommend matching Elite Trout Spey shooting heads with thinner running lines in coated and mono versions. Best Sinking and floating tips to use are 10ft replacement tips or Trout Versileaders for lighter work.
Again, to simplify your systems for the modern spey caster, Rio is offering up three new VersiLeaders in Trout, Medium and Heavy. VersiLeaders allow the user to quickly adjust fishing depth without changing fly lines. Simply loop the VersiLeader onto to the end of a line to adjust the depth at which the fly is presented in the water column. The Rio Trout Versileader is great for floating and Scandi lines with 4 weight or lighter lines. The Rio Medium Versileader is excellent for traditional spey lines, scandi shooting heads up to #7, and single
hand lines 8wt and up. And the Rio Heavy Versileader shines with traditional spey lines and Scandi shooting heads sizes #8 and up.
Fall Steelhead Flies
In the first half of the above video, we go over these in a bit more detail.
Surface Flies
Ska-Opper Black Skater
Pompadour Skater Steelhead Dry Fly
Tube Skater
Finnerty’s Steelhead Skater
Sub-surface
Jack’s Klickitat Muddler
Chou’s Mooshoo Muddler
Berry’s Euphoric Muddler
Steelhead Mini Muddler
Traditional
Bennet’s Last Light Steelhead flies
Anderson’s Euphoria
Silver Hilton
Silvey’s Spey Fly
Purple Peril
Heavy
Hoh Bo Spey Fly
Reverse Marabou Leech
Signature Intruder Steelhead and Chinook Salmon Fly
Jeff Ziller, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife District Fish Biologist, will be joining us, giving his perspective on current fish trends in the McKenzie, discussing potential citizen science collaborations with ODFW, and answering any questions you might have!
The meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 31st, at 5:30pm again at Ninkasi’s Better Living Room, 155 Blair Blvd, Eugene.
Please encourage others to join us! The more, the merrier!
Lastly, McKenzie River Trust is offering an opportunity to take a tour of the Finn Rock Reach early in Chinook spawning season, September 25th from 9:00-11:00 am. The tour will be led by Jeff Ziller. If you’d like to join in, sign up soon at this link.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me,
Liz Perkin, Northern Oregon Regional Coordinator
503-442-3985
liz@nativefishsociety.org
McKenzie River Trust has done a fantastic job of fund raising to restore and keep Finn Rock Landing on the McKenzie open to the public. They are very close to reaching the goal which will allow them to build one of the best landings on the entire McKenzie. If you have yet to give I urge you to do what you can to help the trust with this important community project. Donate Here.
OregonFlyFishingBlog.com and The Caddis Fly Angling Shop invite you to participate in building a new landing at Finn Rock on the McKenzie River. Finn Rock is a popular landing for anglers and whitewater enthusiasts and this project will improve the site tremendously and keep it free to the public. We are very lucky to have McKenzie River Trust in our community. MRT is local, accessible, and is protecting and creating vital habitats on the McKenzie River. Additionally MRT protects the very fine water we all drink in the Willamette Valley. I encourage you to participate in this new project. Please give at this link: A Better Place to Land
From McKenzie River Trust
Connecting People to the River
Finn Rock Landing is the most popular landing on the Upper McKenzie. As a part of a larger land protection project, McKenzie River Trust purchased the area in 2016. The Finn Rock Landing is located at the downstream end of a 278-acre conservation project where caring for the land and community come together. Used by rafters, kayakers, and drift boats, the space supports public access while also serving professional guides and outfitters. Since purchasing the landing, McKenzie River Trust has invested in site improvements including installing bathrooms, an informational kiosk, and creating paved ADA parking spaces. Now, we have the opportunity to make a lasting investment in the area to support outdoor recreation and tourism economies for the McKenzie River Valley.
Today we’re asking you to join us in this important community work. Your support of this project is building more than just a boat landing, it’s building a stronger connection between people and rivers in western Oregon.
Donate Here: A Better Place to Land
