I came to the shop today in a short sleeve shirt. It feels glorious. Oregon is basking in sunshine and I love it. More wet weather is coming mid week and I know we all are grateful for that too, as water is the lifeblood of our passion.
Tomorrow is a Lake Billy Chinook Bull Trout day, the 1st day in the boat for me this season. I am so excited, and the boat is ready to go.
I’ll let you know how it turns out, but following other local anglers on Facebook and Instagram I’ve been seeing some good days on the water at LBC.
Water levels are low and I have heard Perry South is challenging for bigger boats to launch. Crooked Launch is better. I’m taking the drift boat to Perry.

Ochocco and Haystack are 2 other lakes you ought to be hitting. ODFW stocked the brood rainbows (big fellas) in Haystack and they are cruising the shorelines and susceptible to a Balanced Leech.

Private Lake access now at Justesen Ranch is on fire. This warmth has the chironomids ripping now! Book it this week or later this month. You truly won’t be sorry. There are 7 lakes right on the main ranch, and others off Highway 97 we can book for you. If catching big rainbows with no one else on the water is your thing, you are going to love this place.

The Metolius is great. Seems like tan caddis pupa #14-16 and stonefly nymphs #6-10 have been best, along with brown and olive perdigons.
Several good Metolius angler friends this week said they got in to a nice BWO hatch at 1:30 a few days this week. I am going to guess those yellow Cinygmula mayflies are going to fly this week. Also look for trout to be rising on those caddis in select places. With the days getting longer, you can fish until 7:30PM and that is pretty cool. On the next few evenings with the warmth I would keep an eye for fish rising to Iris Caddis or X Caddis and Rusty Spinners #18. Sometimes the Cinygmula hatch will come off strong about 6 PM in March and April too. Yellow Sparkle Duns and Yellow Parachutes are good for that.

The Fall River is a good place to be this weekend and coming up over the next several days, perfect weather or not, go fish it. BWO hatch in the afternoon will bring fish to the top. Look for dry midges and possibly a few March Browns starting up too.
Our best days have been with Perdigons, Eggs, Zebra Midges with double Tungsten Beads and Micro Streamers. Don’t forget our Spring Specials on the Crooked and Fall for a full day guide trip for $395 for up to 3 people. Good through 4/21/24

The Crooked is in the mid-400 cfs today. We are watching it close for a spike with warmth in the Ochocco’s that might create a bit of runoff again. Hard to know.
BWO hatches in March and April are my favorite time to fish the Crooked. The hatch is mid afternoon and is solid #18. Make sure to fish the nymph, emerger, dun and have some cripples. Essentially the cycle minus the spinners. You might see some spinners at dusk.
Scuds, Zebra’s, Winkers, 2 Bit’s, Skinny Nelson and Micro Mayflies are great under the indicator or fished tight with a sighter.
Leeches are solid. We are 2 months away from a massive Mother’s Day Caddis hatch, so the cased caddis nymphs are a good choice now too. Mostly they would be pupating in those cases and not moving much, but they do get washed off the rocks and I think the fish sometimes root for them too. If you’ve ever picked up a rock from the bottom of the Crooked River, the rocks are covered in these cased caddis. Don’t forget our Spring Specials on the Crooked and Fall for a full day guide trip for $395 for up to 3 people.

The Crooked is in the mid-400 cfs today. We are watching it close for a spike with warmth in the Ochocco’s that might create a bit of runoff again. Hard to know.
BWO hatches in March and April are my favorite time to fish the Crooked. The hatch is mid afternoon and is solid #18. Make sure to fish the nymph, emerger, dun and have some cripples. Essentially the cycle minus the spinners. You might see some spinners at dusk.
Scuds, Zebra’s, Winkers, 2 Bit’s, Skinny Nelson and Micro Mayflies are great under the indicator or fished tight with a sighter.
Leeches are solid. We are 2 months away from a massive Mother’s Day Caddis hatch, so the cased caddis nymphs are a good choice now too. Mostly they would be pupating in those cases and not moving much, but they do get washed off the rocks and I think the fish sometimes root for them too. If you’ve ever picked up a rock from the bottom of the Crooked River, the rocks are covered in these cased caddis. Don’t forget our Spring Specials on the Crooked and Fall for a full day guide trip for $395 for up to 3 people. Good through 4/21/24

The Lower Deschutes at Maupin is a great bet now. Water is still a bit high, just fish heavier nymphs and watch where you wade. It’s fine and the fishing is good. Stonefly Nymphs, Soft Hackle PT, Perdigons, Green Rock Worms, Tan Sparkle Pupa or Prairie Dog Pupa, plus a classic Hares Ear or Flashback PT is a good choice as we get close to March Brown time.

The Middle Deschutes is running high still, it won’t drop much for another 3 to 4 weeks but it has areas that are fishable from Tumalo to Lake Billy Chinook. So far, not much hatch so it is a nymph and streamer game but worth fishing, and as an evening after work place for locals it a good choice as so many of us live within 15 minutes of access.

We’ve got 10 spots left for the August 6th Phil Rowley Class. #30 signed up today. Who will be 31 through 40?
More for his tying sessions on 8/4. Sign up soon if you want to get in on them.

A reminder I’ll be speaking at the Go Fish Group (aka Sisters Fly Club) on Monday 3/18/24 at 7 PM at the Sisters Community Church located at 1300 McKenzie Hwy Sisters, OR 97759
All are welcome and the talk is fun and informative.
On 3/28 I’ll be at the Cascade Family Flyfisher’s Club in Eugene also talking about lakes, and that is at 6:30 PM at the Wesley United Methodist Church 1385 Oakway Road Eugene, OR 97408
all are welcome there too.
Both of these are really nice fly clubs and attract good folks who love fly fishing just like you. So you might as well show up and see what it is all about and maybe I’ll share a tip bit or 2 that’ll make you a better lake angler this season. They both meet at churches but neither are religious fly clubs.

Reminder that we are open 7 days a week in the shop now. Things are good here, season is off to a great start and I am very happy to be in the shop and seeing so many of you again.

be well!

Jeff