With the first significant rain event of the fall season, everyone is breathing a clean lung-full of relief.  The fires plaguing the region are on notice that their days are numbered.  And although they will likely have some last gasps, we are hopeful that the choking smoke of the past month is behind us.

The trout fishing on both the lower and upper McKenzie has been excellent as the weather has cooled.  The emergence of Fall Drakes, Short-winged Stones, and even some October Caddis combined with light traffic, overcast skies, and lengthening shadows have the fish looking up.  The next month will be prime time for enjoying some of the best fishing of the year.

On the steelhead front, not much has changed.  The return appears destined to remain at a historic low of around 2000 fish in the basin above Willamette Falls. That being said, anglers making the effort are finding the odd fish here and there.  Not exactly the standard we are used to around here, but seasoned steelheaders know that it’s always worth a session of swinging as long as there is hope of success.

Meanwhile, one of the best respites from the smoke over the last few weeks has been heading west to the coast for some “cross-training” in the bays.  It’s good for fly guys like us to get our hands stinky now and then, especially in pursuit of the King of all Oregon gamefish. Here’s a peek into the world of mega-guide-sleds, solo trollers, giant balls of lead, fresh baits, and ubiquitous hope.

The late season here in the valley has been hot, dry, and smoky, thanks to the myriad fires burning to the east and south of our area.  Our wet winter and spring made for lots of understory growth in the forests of the Cascades and Siskiyou Mountains.  After several weeks of hot dry weather plus a sprinkling of lightning storms, the worst fire season in a generation is upon us.

While the eerie, orange-hued, apocalyptic conditions have been unnerving, uncomfortable, and downright unhealthy some days, the fishing has actually been very good.  Apparently the trout don’t mind the faux overcast.

While the fires will persist until we get some significant rain, each day on the river is different.  With smoke conditions dependent on the whims and vagaries of the wind, some days are beautiful; some are… decidedly not.  As we look to the weeks ahead, once we have some reasonable rain and the first wet onshore flow off the ocean, things should settle back into a more normal pattern.  The fishing will remain excellent from here on out into November. In the meantime, seemingly everyone is hunkered down inside keeping a wary eye to the hazy skies, waiting for the air to clear.

It seems like everyone is getting hot and bothered over the upcoming Oregon eclipse, trying to out think the masses while keeping one eye on the ever-changing weather forecast: “will it be cloudy?!?…” “Are these goggles approved?..”

For those of us who are looking forward to the eclipse being over with, eyes instead are turned west to the cloudy cool coastal morning calm that signals the advance of Autumn, and the return of the Kings.

Fly fishing in the valley is still in full swing, but in between days, it’s great to spin some herring with good friends.  Here, in no particular order are some fresh images from the front lines of Oregon’s most popular fishery.  I wonder if there’ll be a good bite when the sun goes dark?

As we approach the end of July and the hot-“dog days” of August, is there any better place to beat the heat than the upper McKenzie River?  Boosted by the benificence of the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to do some dam repairs this summer, the flows of midsummer have been higher and colder than average.

And while the native redsides have been (typically for midsummer) few and far between, some beautiful trout have been in the mix almost every day.

The mainstay this time of year, of course, is the venerable “McKenzie Breadside” trout, courtesy of anglers’ license fees and the above-mentioned US Army Corps.  While not as photogenic as their wild counterparts, these hatchery-bred trout make for steady action through the generally hatchless midsummer months.  And of course, they are delicious fried streamside in some butter for lunch!  

Here are some photos from the past few weeks on the water.  I’m sure you will agree: it looks like a lot of fun!

Looking forward to more of the same in the weeks to come!  See you out there!

Just when we were all feeling comfortable in our flip-flops and shorts, a late pulse of cold fronts and wet weather reminds us that we’re closer on the calendar to winter than we are to the dry heat of late summer.  But as western Oregon locals say, there’s no such thing as bad weather; only bad raingear.  Anglers on the McKenzie over the last couple of weeks have had to bring their best slickers.  But no one notices the wind and rain when the fishing is good.

While the conditions have been “variable,” the trout action on the McKenzie has been steady, with the native rainbows and their hatchery-born roommates clearly enjoying the cloudy skies, higher water, and abundant hatches.  Whenever it’s raining in June, remember: it’s a great day to be a fish… or a fisher.

As we look ahead to more summery conditions in the weeks to come, the rivers remain full and healthy, just like the trout.  Oregon’s summer season will soon be here. But who among us wouldn’t swap their flip-flop tan for some good waders and a quality rain coat to enjoy a wet June-uary adventure on the McKenzie?  It’s all good!

The 2017 Salmonfly Hatch on the fabled Deschutes River is winding down.  After a slow start and colder weather, this year’s emergence was prodigious, as usual, and the trout made the most of the bounty.

In the last couple of trips, we went from the heat and unbelievable crowds of Memorial Day Weekend to a ghost-town-quiet three days, featuring the best fishing of the entire season. Now, as we settle back in for a summer on the local waters, here’s a look back at the season in the Canyon.  Enjoy!

Special thanks to Ethan & Alia and Kyle & Kerry of Ethan Nickel Outfitters for black-belt-level outfitting and moral guidance.

With the flowers of May in full bloom, it finally seems safe to say that winter is over.  A last couple of floats on the rivers of the coast range towards the end of April were the final shots for winter steelhead fishing until next season.  While one trip was highlighted by eating lunch in a cave during a downpour, another yielded an amazing fish for young uber-angler, Max Jensen.  This beautiful tide-running early summer-run hatchery hen put a nice exclamation point on what has been a volatile season to say the least!

Back in the Valley, McKenzie Trout Action continues. High water has predominated thanks to our higher-than-average snowpack, and nymphing has been steady. The March Brown Mayflies made for some reliably good fishing throughout the month of April, with lots of nice fish looking up. Recent warm days have seen the first big McKenzie Caddis of the season out bouncing around on the riffles.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Cascades, the annual Deschutes River Salmonfly Hatch is just getting started. The late spring has seemingly made for a more “normal” time-frame on the hatch this season, which means a just-completed early May float found high water, good nymphing, and very few adult big bugs out and about.  Dry fly action was limited to say the least, but save for some sore shoulders, the nymphing more than made up for the lack of surface feeders.

Here is a sampling of images from the first run through the High Desert.  It only gets better from here!  Enjoy!

Spring has sprung here in the Valley!  Warmer days and plenty of water have made for some very good trout action over the last few weeks.  On cloudy drizzle days, the annual March Brown Mayfly emergence has brought some very nice redsides and cutthroat to the surface.  On recent warmer days, the Grannom Caddis hatch has been heavy, and although the trout dont like them as much as the mayflies, plenty of good fish have had their heads up.

Weather at this time of year tends to be volatile. One day is warm and calm; the next, the wind is knocking down trees.  But when the elements align, Spring trout fishing can be some of the most rewarding of the year.  What better evidence that all is right with the world than beautiful wild trout rising to hatching insects on your home river?

If you’re in need of some dry-fly therapy to chase those winter blues, we’re still offering our Spring Special half-day rate through the 20th of April.

Fish On!

Just home from another adventure in the Equatorial Amazon Jungle.  This season featured unusually high water conditions, with the river up in the trees throughout the last couple of months.  It’s definitely frustrating to be fishing the open water while listening to gangs of peacock bass crashing baitfish 100 yards deep in the forest.

The silver lining to the rain clouds, however, is the reboot to the system that all this water provides.  After the last two seasons of El Nino-drought conditions, this season’s high water means that the fish got a nice long jump start on the wet season.  That can only mean one thing:  you want to be there the next time the river comes down!

Here’s a selection of images from the recent season.  Enjoy!

While the local angling population focusses on the siren song of winter steelheading, the McKenzie River is quietly waking from its midwinter slumber. On a recent midday outing, Fred and I managed a couple of nice redsides on nymphs and had the river to ourselves.

As we transition into the new season here in the Valley, trout fishing will steadily improve. Sometimes a few hours floating and some chunky trout can be a welcome respite from the chaos and drama of day-to-day reality.

If you find yourself needing a break from all the noise, we’re once again offering the

McKenzie River Spring Special Rate:  $275/boat for a 4-5 hour trout fishing tour.

The MRSS runs from February 1 – April 20, 2017.  Limit 2 anglers/boat. All fly fishing gear and flies as well as water & sodas provided. BYO lunch/snacks.