Hi everyone, it’s good to be home in Sisters and back to the shop. It has been fun this week catching up on local fishing and hearing stories of the trout and steelhead locally.
While we had a great trip to Cuba, for me there is no place like home and no fish like a trout! I am forever smitten and in love with this. Here and now and forever.

The Metolius has been a bright spot on the Central Oregon fishing front. I heard this week of massive mayfly hatches, mixed with BWO’s, Cinygmula’s and some straggler PMD’s, October Caddis and a few mixed smaller caddis and stones that I haven’t heard the fish being remotely interested in. On some of the days, the hatch has been tremendously strong and very few fish looking up for the dries. Other days, they have. Like any day fishing, being in the right place at the right time plays a role, especially dry fly pursuits.
Nymph action has been best. As you’d expect, heavier bead Euro Jigs and Perdigons are great, Copper Johns, Zebras, 2 Bit Hookers, McGee’s Girdle Bug, Golden Stones Nymphs and October Caddis Pupa.
I had a thought provoking exchange with my friend Phil Chi the other day, and it was regarding Bull Trout streamers that have multiple hooks. Many of us have noticed Bull Trout with hurt jaws, resulting in permanent damage to that fish. This comes from streamers with multiple hooks and mishandling fish during the un-hooking and release process. What would you all think about using streamers with a single hook? And down the road seeing if we could petition ODFW to make that a rule on the Metolius?
I think it would result in healthier fish for the future and prove to the universe that we all respect the game that we pursue.
The weather for the next few days is pleasant and then next week it looks colder, wetter and less comfortable, but I gotta say ought to be a good week for fishing.

The Lower Deschutes from Warm Springs to Trout Creek is another winner. Remember the Warm Springs Reservation side of the river is closed now until 4/22/23 but the section from WS to TC is open until 12/31/22 on all water east of the main channel which includes many (but not all) of the islands to fish.
Swing a leech or intruder for steelhead on a sink tip, or nymph with Double Bead Cheeseburgers and October Caddis and Girdle Bugs with a dropper of a Pink Bead Walt’s, Perdigon and Squirmy Worm.
The Maupin area is also a good and remember that beyond the boundary of the WS Reservation the Lower Deschutes is Open year round.

The Fall River is fishing well, with a nice afternoon BWO hatch and some midges and creamy amber caddis mixed in that the fish will eat most days.
Streamers and eggs and small heavy euro jigs are fishing great and will produce any day you can make it to the river, even next week when the weather turns bad on sunday and throughout next week.

Since I have been home, I have not heard a peep about the Crooked River other than I know it is back open to fishing for winter and is running a nice 52 cfs. I would assume it is just fine and the usual suspects of Zebra Midges, Tiny Perdigons, Scuds, Winklers, Micro May’s and Skinny Nelson’s ought to be good. You could approach with the Euro Leader set up and fish a short 3 to 4 foot tippet and I’d recommend one fly to avoid drag and snags on the weed beds, or fish a NZ Wool Indicator and likely again one fly just to keep the system clean from the weed beds.
This is usually egg time on the Crooked with whitefish spawn. But I can’t confirm that it has happened quite yet.

Being it is the eve of Thanksgiving it is important to be thankful for what we have. Having just come back from one of the poorest countries in the world, that is even easier this week to count blessings we have. Nothing is ever perfect, but we are lucky. Being anglers and fishing these rivers and lakes is just a small example of why we are blessed.
I know I appreciate where we live and fish, and for my business, and the amazing friends and people who support it. There is a lot to be thankful for.

See you on the water!

Jeff