It’s that time of year again: dreams of nightmarishly large and savage taimen strikes become reality in Outer Mongolia. Matt will be posted up with Sweetwater Travel Company at the Lower Eg River Camp through early October. Scott will be on the oars around home and on the Deschutes for the month. Stay tuned for the report. . . and sleep well.
The summer of 2012 is in full swing.
On the upper McKenzie, trout action has been excellent. Scott and I got to run a pair of Two Dudes – Two Boats Specials up there last week with returning guests, and a fishy, fun time was had by all. What could be better than to spend a summer day in a beautiful place catching trout on dry flies?
Meanwhile Steelhead are in our local rivers in good numbers, and biting! From Town all the way up to the dam, the fish have been making their presence felt. Some October dates are still available for those of you who’d like to hit the finale of what has already been a memorable run of action. Here are some of the latest images for your consideration. See you on the water!
Special thanks go out to all of our returning guests. You are the reason we love our job!
Steelhead are in on all the rivers of the southern Willamette Valley.
Numbers so far over Willamette Falls suggest this could be one of those years to remember. Book now for late summer and early fall. Here’s a taste of the action so far. See you on the water!
So chrome it isn’t fair!
Summer is in full flower here in the southern Willamette Valley, and the summer steelhead run is filling into the local waters nicely. Team Chromer has been logging plenty of swing time in the last few weeks. Here’s a look at some of the latest action.
The king of all hatches on the Deschutes lived up to its billing once again this year. Here is a random draw of images from the canyon. Enjoy!
After an unseasonably warm weekend melted major amounts of our Cascades snowpack, the McKenzie once again rose out of fishable range. But in the week that followed, cooler weather led to a steady drop. On Friday, April 27th, I hit the river with my good friend, Cougar, for a look around. I’m not sure if I’ve ever fished or boated the McKenzie at or above the 11,400 cfs it was running, but it sure seemed to be the highest I’d ever attempted it. Fishing was entirely a nymphing show, and spots were few and far between. But in the areas where the water ran green and even, the trout were there.
As the river has dropped over the weekend, fishing has only improved. Today saw one of the best March Brown emergences of the season, but it was scarcely noticed by any fish, judging from the lack of any surface feeding. In any case, the nymph fishing remains steady, and there are some fantastic native redsides and cutthroat on the bite. When the river flows stabilize, we should see the surface action improve. Trout season is here!
2012 has been a year to remember here in the Pac NW. Many of us will remember the parade of violent weather and epic floods that sent residents scrambling to read the fine print on their insurance policies. But in between storms, when rivers dropped into glowing jade, the steelhead were there. Some days it seemed reasonable to believe there was a fish behind every rock.
Now, as our focus shifts to the Valley waters closer to home, please enjoy some images from the Two Dudes 2012 Oregon Coast Winter Steelhead season. Tight Lines!
A good friend and fine angler has passed. Those of you who follow this blog will recognize the name, Don Truax. He was my first and most dedicated regular guest. Don fished with me two or three trips every year since 2000. We have shared many wonderful times on the water over all those years.
Don was pretty much like family to me. He was my dad’s first statistics professor at U of O back in the early 1960’s, and Fred has always held him in the highest esteem. Don’s daughter, Gayle, and I even dated for a while back in college. I remember sharing meals back then at the Truax family home.
Don and I reconnected at a meeting of the McKenzie Fly Fishers back in 2000 and began what quickly became a tradition of fishing together each season. Don favored dry fly fishing (although he would fish any clunky old nymph rig I would hand him with characteristic enthusiasm), and every season, the first great day of March Brown surface action would typically coincide with Don’s Spring outing.
It was so easy: The fishing would get good, and I’d call Don. He was always ready to hit it on short notice. Even when the fishing was tougher, Don kept it all in perspective. He embodied the concept that there is more to a good day of fishing than simply catching lots of fish (which he generally did anyway). Through it all, Don’s passion for fly fishing, his gentle wit and generous spirit made each day together a pleasure.
Even though his strength ebbed steadily over the last couple of years, Don’s passion and excitement for a day on the water did not. His last day out in October, 2011 was a classic: excellent trout action on big dries highlighted by the landing of his first steelhead on the fly.
In the years to come, when the fishing gets hot and the trout rise again to the surface, I will think of Don and wish I could call him one more time.
Winter trouting on the McKenzie is a great way to get out and get the jump on the season. Redsides and cutthroat are on the grab whenever the river is in shape from here on out. This can be the best time of the year to intercept trophy-class McKenzie Redside trout. With the cold and predictably unpredictable weather, fishing tends to be best in the middle of the day, from noon to around 4 pm, and nymphing is generally the method of choice.
From now through April 20, 2012 we’re offering a Two Dudes McKenzie River Half-Day Trout Special: $275 for 1-2 anglers. This trip is timed to coincide with the best fishing hours, all tackle is provided, and does not include lunch (Of course, lunch is still available for all full-day trips at the standard rate). Contact the Dudes for available dates and details, and let’s get out there for some of the best wild trout fishing of the season!
Rivers in Western Oregon are dropping and clearing after the last big weather event. A little over a week ago, waterways were at or over flood stage and the rain came pouring down. Since that time, as the floods have receded, there have been some great fishing days under high pressure with clear skies.
In the last week many streams have become low enough that the bait fishermen have moved elsewhere, leading to light traffic and perfect fly fishing conditions. There has been a nice mix of fresh chromers and more “experienced” specimens as we have moved into the middle stretch of the winter season.
Now is the time! Tight Lines!
