A whole bunch of good stuff to talk about this week, but I will start with the bad news. A strong cold front is sweeping through Central Oregon beginning tonight and the weather on the lakes (anything above 5000 feet) looks atrocious. Snow. Wind. More wind.
This weather patterns is not unusual for mid-June, as it often hits us over the Sisters Rodeo Weekend. So it is a week late this year.
After Tuesday it looks like a nice, mild to warm forecast for the rest of the month and we love that.

The Green Drake action certainly has been better the last 3 or 4 days on the Metolius.
PMD’s and BWO’s are hatching well.
I understand the 1st Golden Stones have begun hatching in the upper river. I would guess the cold weather will slow that down for a 4 or 5 days now, but it is time to start thinking Clark’s Stones and Norm Woods Specials up there. For sure fish Golden Stone nymphs! And do it now.
Caddis hatches in the evening have been consistent. After the caddis the Rusty Spinners come back to lay eggs and die on the surface of the river which creates a good dry fly opportunity before it’s time to go home.
Euro nymphing has been excellent all the way from the Tract C area down to below Bridge 99.
Streamer fishing is great for Bull’s. Mostly swinging, but there is some game for the stripped streamer now for sure.
Overall, the metolius is good and worth the time. There is no summer doldrums and no sign of it coming, if anything it is still moving upwards towards the peak.

The Lower Deschutes Salmonfly hatch is barely holding on (golden stones too), but if you still want to work the big dries you can as there are some stragglers around the river in the Warm Springs area.
It is a big time Caddis show now, with pupa and emergers and adults responsible for most of the fish we got this week.
Well, caddis and Perdigons and Euro Jigs.
Add some PMD Split Case, 2 Bits Brown, Soft Hackle PT, and Micro May’s PMD.
PMD’s and Pale Evening Duns are hatching pretty well and the PED on warm evenings can be even more important than the caddis for a bit. Bring your Purple Haze #12-14! And Yellow Sparkle Duns #14-16 to overlap the PED’s and PMD’s. So fun for the next 6 to 8 weeks this time of year.
Don’t leave your trout spey at home, it has been a blast on sculpins, leeches and soft hackles.

The Middle Deschutes is fishing well from above Bend to Lake Billy Chinook, with a lot of access in some really cool places. A lot of similar things going on the Middle as on the Lower River. PMD, PED, Caddis, Euro Nymphs, Streamers and Soft Hackles.

The Upper Deschutes is from Little Lava to Crane Prairie is a mosquito nightmare right now. You will want to bring repellant and cover up but I do think you’ll find some good nymphing, some caddis, PMD’s, Green Drakes and likely some Golden Stones as soon as the warm weather comes back later next week.
Streamers in the log jams and some of the cut banks can provide some exciting catches.
But the Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing Blood Suckers are not fricken joke.

The Crooked is fishing great. A lot of great nymph action, mostly on perdigons and jigs, but 2 Bits, Micro Mays, Rainbow Warriors, Skinny Nelson and Caddis Pupa.
The mass of the Mother’s Day caddis is over, but caddis remain an important hatch and you’ll want Missing Links, Corn Fed Caddis, X Caddis and Egg Laying Caddis in your dry fly box.
The old Parachute Adams, Purple Haze and Yellow Sparkle Duns are good for matching the other hatches, and if you’re lucky enough to stay to dark, add some Rusty Spinners.

The Fall River has been good for us on guided days, with a lot of good action on euro streamers and jigs.
In the right place you can find fish on PMD’s, maybe Drakes, certainly Caddis, Midges, Ants, Beetles, Rusty Spinners and that to me is the essence of Fall River and spring creek angling which is catching fish on dries.
Bring the repellant to the Fall River too. Especially in the evening.

The Mckenzie Float Trips have been outstanding. Our guides are finding some fish on dries, Chubby’s, Big Parachute Adams and Elk Hair Caddis, and a whole bunch of fish on Jigs and Perdigons and some streamers too! I would call this our #1 trip choice right now for sure.

Just a reminder that the USFS is totally re-doing the road to Three Creek Lake this summer and it closed last week and remains closed until about July 22nd. The new road will be nice, but it is a bummer it is happening now instead of in the fall. Until then, we stay patient and enjoy other places.

East Lake is fishing well. Not much on the callibaetis hatch yet. Beetles and Ants are bringing fish to the top.
Balanced Leeches, Chironomids, Damsel Nymphs, Flashback PT, Poxyback and Marabou Callibaetis nymphs are good. Be prepared with under the indicator techniques, and also carry Hover, Intermediate, Type III and Type IV lines.
When will the Callibaetis pop? I hope soon.

Paulina Lake is good for the overall trend, but in actual terms of this week it was slower than the week before. I had a decent day with the Beetle finally, and we got some fish on Balanced Leeches.
Kokanee are biting well if you want to target them, I’d strip or wind drift a flashback PT and a Red Ice Cream Cone for Koke’s.
It is coming up to what is historically a really good time of year for indicator fishing a Chironomid in about 14-17 feet of water. I also like the Watermelon Leech in late June and July, so put that in your box soon.

I have fished Hosmer a whole bunch in the last 2 weeks and yesterday was really slow. The Day before was better but was only a good bite in the afternoon about lunch time. A week ago we had one good callibaetis hatch later in the day, but ever since not so much on these important summer mayflies. Again, when will they Pop? has to be soon.
By far, my best fly this week was an Olive Ice Cream Cone with a Red Rib. We don’t sell that so tie them. #16 2 XL.
Damsel Nymphs under an indicator or stripped on a clear camo is good. Certainly plenty of damsels hatching now, and in the morning that can provide sight fishing that rivals a bonefish flat on the non breezy mornings.

Crane Prairie takes a degree in Patience, but the fishing is good at times on Chironomids, Balanced Leeches and Damsels. I’d rate the Deschutes Channel as the #1 spot to target, the Rock Creek area #2, Cultus #3 and Quinn so far last. But shit, that can change in a hurry.
2 years ago at this time the Callibaetis hatch was on fire. Will it be again soon?
4 years ago on the first day of Summer I had my best day on Crane since the 80’s on Balanced Leeches in the Deschutes area just around the corner from the resort. Every year is a different story, but that is the conditions we can find in June before it gets warm in July.

I am going to hit Sparks soon. Has anyone made it there yet? I saw a car with a canoe heading down to the ramp yesterday as I was going to Hoz, but I don’t know if the road is snow free all the way in yet?
Lot’s of Cranes in the meadow too.

Other Lakes to fish: North Twin. South Twin. Clear Lake on the Mckenzie Pass. Davis Lake. Lava Lake (I know Jerry from the fly club caught some fish at Lava on Thursday). There is a lot of water to spread out on so get to it.

I’ll be at the Royal Treatment Fly Shop in West Linn next saturday doing a presentation on lake fishing if you are reading this from the Portland area and want to stop by. Hope to see you there, or in my shop here in Sisters or better yet, out on the water.

Go Fish,

Jeff