Trout Creek clears river still high

Posted on June 3, 2008 by Caddisfly

The Salmon Fly Hatch is full blown on the Deschutes River. Water levels have remained high, but the dirty brown water coming into the Deschutes from Trout Creek has slowed and cleared enough that visibility is good. Favorite patterns for this hatch include, Clark’s Stone, Norm Woods, Rogue Foam Stone in Salmon and Golden, and Blooms Barely Kickin Golden Stone. Fishing with these huge dry fly offerings should remain good through mid month. CD

Posted in Central Oregon Fishing Report | Leave a comment

Mckenzie Fishing Solid

Posted on June 2, 2008 by Caddisfly

Sunday, I ran the lower Mckenzie from Bellinger to Armitage with lawyer extraordinaire Keith Semple. The fishing was solid and steady if unspectacular.  Most of the action seemed to come between Hayden and Armitage but that could have been because I finally stopped dragging my MOAL Leech around and started concentrating on the trout.  The mayflies were prolific, a few Mckenzie Greens showed but didn’t seem to get the fish moving. According to my new William Joseph boat thermometer the water temp mainly ranged between 49.3 and 49.7 degrees. The bugs and the fish seemed to like it when the water warmed just a bit. We caught a mix of cutts and rainbows as you would expect. The fish weren’t oversized but were healthy and feisty. Most of them looked like this, give or take a little:

Mckenzie Rainbow

Fish ate Light Cahill wets and the Mega-Prince but our most prolific producer was a March Brown wet #12.  Special thanks are owed to the gentlemen we saw winching a mini-fridge out of the river at Harvest Landing!

Don’t be shy, sign up for our big resident rainbow competition on the post about it below!–KM 

Posted in McKenzie River | 1 Comment

Fly tying video: Chironomid Pupa

Posted on June 1, 2008 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

The key to success for this midge pupa pattern is a sparse body, so tie it with as few wraps as possible. This Chironomid pattern works really well in the Oregon high lakes. It can be fished under an indicator or stripped up from the bottom. Barrett says to fish this pattern on top of the Ice cream cone with a two fly rig. Highly reccomended by experienced chironomid fishers.

Hook: Size 10-16 Daichi 1150
Thread: Uni-thread black 6/0
Bead: 1/8″ silver
Body: Midge-bodi Burgundy
Rib: Silver wire
Tail: Olive Z-lon
Wing: Cream Z-lon or swiss straw
Collar: Synthetic peacock dubbing

Chironomid Midge Pupa

Posted in Fly Tying | 1 Comment

Steelhead Redemption

Posted on May 31, 2008 by Caddisfly

Last night I fished a short section of  the “town run” on the Willamette near Eugene. We knew the water was high but had seen the Willamette Falls fish passage counts and new there had to be a fish around. After basically giving up on one of the last tailouts of the evening I hooked up. At first I thought it was a snag and then, the tell tail head shake. We got the fish all the way to the boat and in my mind had him on the BBQ for todays lunch, big mistake. Just as Matt reached out to net the fish out comes the hook, mother————.

Today I had guests down from Vancouver and fished trout from Belinger to Armitage on the lower Mckenzie. Mid morning Dave hooks up in a classic depth change drop off, we both thought it was a trout for about 15 seconds. That presumption ended quickly when we got a look at the gorgeous hen steelhead shown below. After wrestling with the fish for about 25 minutes amidst heavy currents snags and sunken debris we finally landed her. On a five weight Sage ZXL and Bauer Rogue 2 no less.

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This one will make it to the BBQ. The steelhead are in big time on both rivers. Use heavily weight steelhead flies on sink tips, bigger and brighter than normal with the high water. CD

Posted in Lower Willamette, McKenzie River, Summer Steelhead | 1 Comment

Mega Day for Mega Prince

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Caddisfly

On Wednesday, May 28, 2008 Caddis Fly employee/guide, Lou Verdugo and Kirk Newburgh fished Hayden Bridge to Armitage under a “mega rain day”, with success.  We used Mega Prince nymphs, Karnopp’s Riffle Diver, Hairear’s soft hackles and March Brown wet’s on the swing.  Later in the day (it did stop raining!) dry flies were working using yellow PMD’s and caddis emergers.  

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Here’s Kirk with a nice fish on a Mega Prince:

HPIM1084

Also, be sure to enter our big rainbow competition before June 15.  Good luck!–LV

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Mckenzie/ Middle Fork Willamette Big Resident Rainbow Competition

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Caddisfly

 The Caddis Fly is pleased to announce its first annual big rainbow contest.  The contest is for the largest fly caught resident rainbow trout caught while fly fishing in the Mckenzie or Middle Fork Willamette.  This competition is limited to the mainstem Mckenzie River or Middle Fork Willamette (tributaries not included).  The contest shall run from June 1st to September 30th, 2008.  The winner will be announced October 1st.

The winner shall receive one pair of Crystal Series Action Optics winner’s choice of style valued at approximately $189.00.  This is the maximum prize value. The winner’s name shall also be placed on a plaque displayed in the Caddis Fly Angling Shop. The rest of the rules and definitions are laid out below:

Definitions:

Fly-Fishing: Any legal method of taking a fish with a fly as defined in the Oregon Fishing Regulations.

Fly: The definition of a fly is the same as set forth in the Oregon Fishing Regulations.

Rules:

1.         Contestants shall announce their entrance in the contest by posting a comment to this post. There is no fee for entering the contest.  June 15 is the last day to enter the contest.

2.         Employees of the Caddis Fly as well as regular contributors to the blog are not eligible to win the competition.  Professional guides are also not eligible though clients of professional guides are eligible to win provided the fish is caught on the rod that the client is actively fishing. 

3.         Fish size shall be determined either by the use of a measure net (prefered) or a measuring tape (if using a tape preferably of the flexible seamstress variety).  Fish shall be measured from the shortest point of the fork of the tail to the snout of the fish.  Girth is irrelevant and should not be measured.  In the event of a tie, preference shall be given the fish in the measure net. If there remains a tie the winnng fish shall be determined by a vote of the contest administrators taking into account other relevant factors. 

4.         Evidence of the length of the fish shall consist of a digital photo taken at the time of the capture and shall clearly show the length of the fish.  The fish shall be in the measure net or shall otherwise be measured in the picture. The digital photo should be submitted to Caddiseug@aol.com, mattstansberry@gmail.com, and onemuleteam@gmail.com within one week of the capture of the fish and should specify: your name; the date caught; the river in which the fish was caught; and, the approximate location.  Oregon Fly Fishing Blog may publish the photo and state in which river the fish was caught and your name but will not reveal the approximate location.

Please handle the fish very carefully!  Try to keep them in or partially in the water as much as possible including during measurement. Take your photo quickly.  We reserve the right to disqualify any entrant for mishandling a fish.  The decision of the judges regarding the winner is final and not subject to appeal.

 Have fun out there and good luck!–KM

Posted in Uncategorized | 44 Comments

Breaking News: Willamette Chinook Closure

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Caddisfly

The Willamette River and most tributaries will close to chinook fishing this Sunday night. Of the tributaries above Willamette Falls, only the Molalla will remain open for chinook. Below Oregon City, the Clackamas and Sandy rivers shall remain open.

The closure is deemed necessary to allow hatchery managers to harvest 20,000 chinook for future runs. At this time only approximately 5,000 fish have passed the Falls and many of those are native fish returning to the Mckenzie River. Almost 5,000 fin-clipped chinook were already harvested beneath Oregon City before ODFW closed the lower Willamette.–KM

Posted in Oregon Conservation News | Leave a comment

Video: Barrett’s killer Cascade Bass master fly

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

According to Barrett, this rubber-leg monster will catch bass in any water, but it is perfect for fly fishing for bass here in Oregon. This beast is weed-resistant, heavy as hell, and indestructable. Tie up a bunch of these flies and go punish those non-native largemouth and smallmouth. Barrett says they taste great this time of year. This bass fly pattern will work on Davis Lake or Umpqua Smallmouth.

Barrett's Bassmaster

Barrett’s Bassmater Cascade Killer:
Hook: Gamakatsu B10S stinger
Thread:Black 6/0
Weedguard: 25lb clear monofilament
Body: Black pearl estaz
Legs: Purple and black Juicy Legs rubber skirts
Eyes: Large dumbell eyes

Posted in Fly Tying | 4 Comments

Fly tying video: Pheasant tail nymph

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

In this new fly tying video, Barrett demonstrates how to tie the bead head pheasant tail nymph, a great mayfly nymph imitation. He also demonstrates how to prepare turkey feathers for durability, using Softex and a turkey flat feather. If you want a fly to last more than two or three fish, you’ll want to spend the extra time to turn fragile feathers into something that will last.

Pheasant tail nymph

Bead head pheasant tail nymph:
Hook: Size 10-18 Tiemco 3761 Nymph hook
Bead: Gold
Thread: Camel 8/0 Uni thread
Tail: Pheasant tail fibers
Body: Wrapped pheasant tail
Rib: Copper wire
Wing case: Softex coated turkey feather
Thorax: Bronze colored synthetic peacock dubbing

Posted in Fly Tying | 5 Comments

Fly tying video: Easy elk hair caddis

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

This is a quick and easy elk hair caddis pattern. You can tie it in yellow, green, tan and other colors, but yellow is a good color to have in your box in the early spring. I tie in as much wing as I can for fishing heavy water, but you can vary the amount of elk hair based on the conditions you are fishing. This is a great fly on most western waters.

Elk hair caddis materials available at CaddisFlyShop.com
Hook: Tiemco 100 size 12-18
Thread: 8/0 Uni Thread yellow
Dubbing: Yellow fine and dry
Rib: Yellow thread
Wing: Bleached Elk Hair
Hackle: Ginger dry fly hackle

Posted in Fly Tying | 1 Comment

Reflections and Ice cream cones on Crane Prarie Reservoir

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

On Saturday of this Memorial Day Holiday, Lou Verdugo, Caddis Fly employee/guide and Ken Crangle, set out for Crane Prairie for an afternoon of fishing. Using Scientific Anglers “Stillwater” 5wt lines they headed out from Rock Creek launch toward Rocky Point on a gray day.

Lou V on Crane Prairie

Fly selection for the day was a mini bugger with a trailing Ice cream cone chironomid. The day began using bobbers with suspended flies, but that technique was abandoned as the results were negative. However, using a very slow trolling retrieve, they were able to hook up on a smaller size Cranebow, including one nice brookie.

Lou V on Crane Prairie

The weather proved to be the greatest challenge of the day, as wind and thunder began to increase in the afternoon. Although the results were fair at best, the scenic beauty of the surrounding Cascades created a great place to reflect on the meaning of the Memorial Day Holiday. -LV

Posted in Central Oregon Fishing Report, Oregon High Lakes | Leave a comment

Summer steelhead still swimming free in the Siletz

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Caddisfly

Matt and I decided to skip the higher water on the Mckenzie on Sunday and head up to the Siletz river where the flows are more managable. The Siletz heads in some of the highest mountains in the Coast Range and hosts runs of spring and fall chinook and winter and summer steelhead.  The summer steelhead run peaks in June so we were a little early but as summer wears on and the flows become lower you can’t float a drift boat. 

At 3.75 feet the “around the town run” from Illahee Park to Greenthumb Park is easy to float and judging from a couple other boats coming down as we launched at Illahee you can also run down from Twin Bridges to Illahee. Moonshine to Twin Bridges is not recommended. If the river is running at less than 3.5 leave the driftboat at home though locals still float the river in pontoon craft.The “around the town run” is unlike anything I’ve ever floated– there is easily enough river to provide full day of fishing but the takeout is less than one mile from the put in.  In truly disorienting fashion the river makes a long loop around the town of Silezt bringing you almost full circle.  The takeout is about one mile after a green bridge on the right. 

The only notable obstruction is a downed cottonwood that almost completely obstructs the main channel.  The tree is located a few minutes downstream of the concrete bridge right after the put-in.  Your safest bet is to avoid the whole scenario and walk your boat through a skinny side channel on the right. That’s what we did and it went much better than the boat in front of us which got pinned in the branches of the tree and was really lucky to make it through there gunwhales up. No shame  walking your boat–better to live to fish another day.

The river itself is fishy looking in that stretch with multiple riffles, nice runs and deeps pools. We didn’t observe any steelhead early but did see one that had been dressed out by someone recently. As the day wore on and we reached a long flat I decded to turn downsteam and haul getting us into fishier water.  After about a minute of really pulling through the shallow flat it was like we stepped on a steelhead land mine–a school of fish scattering in every direction.  A few were pushed a little downstream and held where we could see them.  The spooked fish didn’t want any part of our swung offerings.

There are fish in the river now and the run is still building.  If we continue to get intermittant rain the river should remain floatable into June. Another good rain could lead to fabulous fishing on the Siletz.  If the river drops, its best to focus on the Siletz Gorge which is strictly a bank fishing affair.  One more thing, when heading up to the Gorge keep an eye out for a 25 mph zone shortly after you make the left towards Moonshine–if you don’t you might be sorry, I was.–KM

Posted in Coastal Steelhead Fishing, Summer Steelhead | 13 Comments

Fishing continues to improve on the Mckenzie

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Caddisfly

Fishing was so encouraging on the lower Mckenzie River Sunday I had to get out this Monday as well. We found fewer bugs, the weather was a bit cooler, but fishing was very good. The larger fish on the lower river are really looking up more now. They are recognizing the larger caddis and taking them with “leaping porpoise” type rises. Chasing the bug up to the surface with so much aggression that they fly out of the water.

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The day was also designed to do some testing. I just bought a Bauer Rogue 2 Reel and a Sage ZXL 9′ # 5wt Rod, add a Scientific anglers Sharkskin line and you have the perfect Mckenzie Rod. I wanted to test out a new dry fly as well. “The Jimmy Z”, it is a spun deer hair head caddis pattern that I saw in a size #14. I ordered 20 dozen #8’s thinking it would work for our local Green Mckenzie Caddis hatch. The fly was great! While it floats nicely it’s tapered spun deer hair head also dives a bit and pops back up, imitating the diving, egg laying caddis we have on the river currently. It has rubber legs and a red tail both qualities fish have a hard time passing up. Sorry about the photo, low rent light tent in the living room.

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The River is higher than normal for this time of year, however it is in great shape. We are in prime time now, as the days warm slightly you will see the big black birds get on the gravel bars looking for the larger caddis, golden stones, little yellow stones, and even a few salmon flies. The fish are with the program as well, you will see fish in faster water, taking more surface imitations as well as nymphs and soft hackles. CD

Posted in McKenzie River | Leave a comment

Temperatures and clarity improve

Posted on May 26, 2008 by Caddisfly

I took the family out this Sunday for a few hours, floated from Hayden to Armitage on the Lower Mckenzie River near Eugene. We got in the water around noon and fishing was good immediatly. My three year old was hanging onto the rod rigged with a Possie Bugger and a Karnopps Riffle Diver both in size #10. Her rod was getting hit constantly, despite reeling backwords, bouncing the rod up and down and the fight resembling an adult struggling with a sailfish she did land some nice fish. 

IMG_2360

It was a bit windy and cold but when we found a patch of calm warmth the fish were on the surface. The dry/dropper rig of a big green Mckenzie Caddis and a Possie bugger was doing the trick. The water is still high but fishing was as good as it has been all year. This coming week is brings us ideal weather and I look for fishing to be great. Flies anglers should be prepared with include Green Mckenzie Caddis #8-10, Brown Elk Hair Caddis #12, Parachute Hare’s Ear #12, Karnopps Riffle Diver #10, Green Mckenzie Wet #10, Possie bugger #10, Pale Morning Dun Sparkle Dun # 16 and Light Cahill Wets #12 and #14.

Posted in McKenzie River | 1 Comment

Salmon Fly Hatch in full swing

Posted on May 26, 2008 by Caddisfly

Adult Salmon flies as well as Golden Stones are spread throughout the lower Deschutes. Despite cold weather fishing was very good this weekend. We spoke to several outfitters leading three day trips from Warm Springs ramp to Maupin. The overall report was that dry fly fishing was very good. Clark Stones, Giant Foam Stones in Golden and Salmon, Terranasty’s, Norm Woods and other adult stonefly patterns were effective. The flows out of Pelton Dam were good and actually came down a bit with the cooler temperatures this week. The dry fly activity was not limited to Salmon Flies and Golden Stones, Pale Morning Duns and Blue Winged Olives had fish looking up this weekend as well. It is hard to beat watching a nice wild trout rise to a giant stonefly dry in a size #6. The good dry fly fishing will continue for the upcoming couple of weeks.

Posted in Central Oregon Fishing Report | 2 Comments