Reports from rivers on the east side are encouraging. We recieved an email from Brian O’keefe this morning with some photos of nice browns from the Owyhee. Midges, Blue Winged Olives, Chironomids and Scuds seem to be the ticket for the Owyhee and Crooked Rivers. The Metolius is producing some nice bull trout (see photo) and anglers willing to fish fine tippets and tiny flies are finding fish on Fall River.
This past Friday we led a large group of young fly anglers on an outing down the Mckenzie River. When we put all eight boats in the water a Deerhorn boat ramp the water level read 6300 cubic feet per second at Walterville and almost 10,000cfs at Hayden Bridge.
Hopes were not high. We knew the river was dropping but did’nt expect much in terms of fishing. The kids were great sports, and when we could find a place to slow the boat down, we fished swung wet flies with some success. As the day developed the river dropped and cleared. At 1:30pm the best March Brown hatch any of the eight guides had seen all year popped. Very few fish were up on the surface but they would eat the down and accross swung March Brown Emerger, or Royal Coachman Wet fly. Possie buggers coupled with a March Brown Wet also worked.
Currently the water is clear and in fishable shape, especially from a boat. It looks like we will have decent weather and good water this spring break week. Anglers who get out on the Mckenzie will see good numbers of March Browns and the best dry fly fishing so far this winter/spring.
Moab Stones, Mega Princes and Kaufman Stones fished deep coupled with a Possie Bugger, Pheasant Tail or March Brown Nymph under a strike indicator remain productive. The water is a bit high and wading opportunities are not as easy as when the water was at 400cfs running out of Hills Creek Resevoir. However Middle Fork fish are used to the “ups and downs” of typical spring flows. The fish will move to the edges and shallower drops of the river, and remain very catchable. Now that the river has been up for a week or so the fish are used to the higher water, the still have to eat and the coming week should be good. This spring we are going to see higher water, don’t let this deter you. The fish will be in great shape and cold water will make for a fantastic summer.
Winter steelhead continue to head upstream in a high and cold North Umpqua. While this is prime time for the fly fishing only section of the river, high water has made things tough. As I write this the river has come down a bit. At Glide the reading is under 4000 cubic feet per second. Go a bit higher, just below the Steamboat Creek confluence, “the camp water” and you will find the water in better shape, clear and very fishable. Egg patterns, articulated leaches, MOAL leaches, and Veiled Assasins are good patterns.
In this video, Chris ties the Green McKenzie Caddis wet fly, a good pupa pattern to fish this spring. This is a great fly to fish in the surface film or swung near the surface. This is a pretty simple pattern, tied sparse. If you’re looking for a great article on the Green McKenzie Caddis lifecycle, check out this post on Westfly (Thanks to our photo pal Burt Banner for pointing it out).
A lot of times after these caddis hatch, they go back and dive and skirt along the water — the big black head helps the fly stay down a bit, while the deer hair wing brings it back to the surface.
Green McKenzie Caddis Wet Fly:
Thread: 6/0 Black
Hook: Tiemco 3769 size 8; Tiemco 3761 size 10
Body: New Age Chenille, Wintergreen
Collar: Patridge
Wing: Deer hair
This fly tying video demonstrates how to tie a high-visibility March Brown parachute fly — that fluorescent wing post is good for rainy days. A parachute pattern sits lower in the water than other dry flies and it makes an excellent wing silhouette. March browns have been coming off on the lower McKenzie River and the hatches will continue for the next month.
March Brown Parachute pattern:
Thread: Brown Uni 6/0
Hook: TMC 100 size 12-16 or Gamakatsu S10
Tail: Moose hair
Dubbing: Light tan fine and dry
Hackle: Whiting, grizzly dyed brown
Two pieces of Oregon salmon news this week.
First, Oregon fisheries managers say it’s likely that anglers will be facing tighter restrictions this year in light of the dismal chinook returns predicted for the Pacific Northwest. According to an article in The Oregonian, biologists are considering reducing the bag limit from two fish to one this season. They also say salmon runs appear to be in poor shape up and down the Coast, but most severe in the south. Bad news for those of us who fish the Rogue, Elk and Sixes Rivers.
The second piece of news, NOAA has given Oregon the go ahead to shoot to kill on Sea Lions in the Columbia River. According to a press release from ODFW, sea lion predation on threatened salmon and steelhead stocks has increased significantly since 2001, despite three years of non-lethal hazing efforts below Bonneville Dam. Fishermen will likely be thrilled with the controversial decision, but salmon are facing a lot bigger hurdles than fat and sassy pinnipeds — unfavorable ocean conditions, warming river temps, overharvest and dams.
These pictures were taken at Alton Baker Park during the casting section of the Caddis Fly Shop’s Introduction to Fly Fishing Class. Last weekend’s class braved the elements at to learn from instructor Steve Baker. Steve has been the shop’s instructor for about the last 15 years, his day job is public relations with King Estate Winery.
Steve covered the roll cast, pick up and lay down, and false casting with demonstrations. Steve also spoke about insect hatches. The class then followed with casting practice on the ponds at the park. All equipment is furnished by the Caddis Shop for the class. Prior to casting sessions, the class met on Friday night at the Caddis Fly Shop for instruction of knots, fly fishing equipment, insects, and fly line designs.
The Caddis Shop’s Introduction To Fly Fishing Class is a bargain at $55 (equipment included)for classroom work and casting practice on water. Check out our upcoming classes and sign up now.
Caddis Fly guide Jeff Carr found some gorgeous winter steelhead this weekend on the North Umpqua. The river is running a bit high but still fishable. Jeff was swinging articulated leaches on this Sage 13′ #7 z-axis spey rod. His line choice was a Skagit 450 spey line with a 15′ type 8 sink tip. Prognosis for the North Umpqua is great, water is dropping and fish numbers are going up.
Waters around the Eugene area as well as many coastal streams are dropping fast. Upcoming weather forecasts suggest we are for a good spring trend, not enough precip to blow things up again. This week should bring stronger March Brown hatches, a final push for winter steelhead on the coast and a pleasant beginning to our early spring fishing season. I look for the Mckenzie to be very fishable by Wednesday, maybe sooner. March Browns, Blue Winged Olives, Winter Stones, and assorted early caddis species should be emerging. Fish will be eager and this years pattern is one that we’ve seen before. Fishing will be very good. Here are a couple of shots of early season fish on dries this season, just before the water went out late this last week. Best patterns have been March Brown Spun Dun and March Brown Sparke Duns.
This CDC March Brown Emerger is great for catching picky trout. In this video, Chris Daughters of the Caddis Fly demonstrates how to tie this wet fly which is a killer on the McKenzie River.
Also, check out our updated library of fly tying videos — we’ve added high-res photos of the finished flies and fly pattern recipes.
March Brown CDC Emerger
Thread: Brown or Tan Uni 6/0
Hook: TMC 3761 #12,14
Tail: 3-5 Pheasant Tail Fibers
Body: Natural Possum
Hackle/Legs: Grey or Brown Partridge
Wing: One Med Brown and one light tan CDC feather
The rain we needed to blow up the coastal rivers and bring the next and probably last really big push of native steelhead into the rivers arrived. Unfortunately, it came a little late in the week and Saturday is totally shot for steelheading pretty much statewide. Sunday is looking a little better and the Alsea should have stabilized at a fishable level-the coloration remains to be seen. The Siuslaw is also supposed to crest Saturday but at 8.8 feet it won’t be conducive to fly angling. The Siletz will also remain too high for consistently good fishing at about 7 feet on Sunday.
The trout angling forecast is similarly grim. The Mckenzie is running a little too high and the lower Willamette is in the trees. The Middle Fork Willamette will be out. The water right beneath the dam from Salt Creek to Hills Creek dam should be in shape though. Don’t count on central Oregon spring creeks to bail you out either. A massive snowfall is forecast for the Cascades and trying to access the Metolius is a fool’s errand.
If you have an itch that you just have to scratch, your best drift boat bet bet is to fish a stretch of the Mckenzie that doesn’t have canal water in it. Hendricks to Bellinger comes to mind or Deerhorn to Hendricks. Taylor Landing (the old and now improved Mudhole off Deerhorn Road at mp 5) to Henricks is available for a shorter drift and is a good option as there is a fair amount of good water on that side of Goat Island. For shore anglers, your best option is to fish in the vicinity of Hills Creek Dam above Salt Creek. Yesterday, a good hatch of Blue Wing Olives came off and the fish were rising to them.
There was a great article by former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber in the Oregonian last week, calling for more protection on the Rogue River.
While the lower Rogue has a narrow strip of protection along the river’s edge, it is critical that we take a watershed approach and protect the important tributary streams and uplands of the Rogue. For that reason many conservationists, boaters, anglers and businesses have joined forces to strengthen protections for the lower Rogue.
Kitzhaber called on Peter Defazio, Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith to expand protections for the fishery. We have also called on representatives to do so — see our recent Rogue River op-ed in the Register Guard . For more info, check out SaveTheWildRogue.org.
Our own Karl “One Mule Team” Mueller is taking on the whole damn Bonneville Power Administration on his personal blog. In the final installment of his series on removing the Lower Snake River Dams, The Mule gets into a monster debate with The VP of National Relations for the BPA. There are already 10 comments — and things are about to get really interesting, since I just submitted the story to Oregon Reddit.
The Mule is a big boy and can hold his own, but I’m calling in the cavalry. Get in there and help him out. And check out Save Our Wild Salmon for more info.
On Saturday March 29th, 9am-4pm, the Cascade Family Fly Fishers and McKenzie Fly Fishers will host the Eugene, Oregon Fly Fishing Festival. It will take place at the Amazon Community Center, 2700 Hilyard Street, Eugene. Experts will demonstrate fly casting, fly tying, insect identification, knots and leaders and more.
According to the McKenzie Fly Fishers, this event is a continuation of the fly fishing fair from the 1980’s and 90’s. That event was eclipsed by the Oregon Council FFF’s Fly Tying Expo held annually in Eugene. The Expo grew as large as the Lane County Fair Ground would allow. Last year, the Expo was moved to Albany and a larger venue. Check out our coverage of day one and two of the Northwest Fly Tyer expo from 2008.
Also, check out our new Oregon Fly Fishing events calendar. Send us your club’s Oregon fly fishing events to have them posted.
