What a week we had at FFP. On Sunday we had 13 people here for Phil Rowley’s Lake Fly Tying Seminar, then Phil and his friend Steve (now my friend too) and I went to Hosmer for a fishing day, then back to Sisters Tuesday to hear Phil present to 51 people highly interested in becoming the best stillwater anglers they can be, and Phil Rowley knocked their socks off with a 4 part presentation that will make that dream come true. Then on Wednesday Phil, Steve and I met around 15 anglers who came to Paulina for a fish-a-long event and we had a blast in my boat. I shared my passion for fishing the edges of lakes with terrestrials with them, and he and Steve dialed me in on how to be better at using a Type 7 full sink line for a deep dangle presentation which we ended up using more because it was really fun, but also because that afternoon the water temps became a little unsafe for C&R along the shallow zones and we decided to move to where we could keep the fish safe.
I truly believe in respecting fish, and I realize that no one is perfect and that it can be easy to make a mistake in the excitement of the moment when we go out to fish. Whether that be that we finally got away from work and made it to the water in less than optimum conditions, or we mishandle one we caught, the guidelines are this:
1) Water temps over 68 stop fishing there. Fortunately most of our waters are in the zone where we don’t need to worry, but some of the lakes get too warm and we do 2) Don’t handle trout with gloves, and wet your bare hands too 3) Don’t pull a fish up on the land, or drag them on the bank 4) Don’t squeeze them when you are unhooking them, or to control them for a photo 5) use a barbless hook and a net for best handling practices, and a Release Tool is handy for a quick flip of the hook out of their mouth with 5x and larger tippet and 16 and larger flies. These tools are made on the McKenzie River and minimize handling to Zero. Very cool.
The trout don’t owe us anything, but we owe them everything if we want to enjoy what they offer us year after year.
So let’s get to the conditions report because there is a lot of fun stuff to cover this week.

The Metolius River is seeing an uptick in hatch action. Chester and I fished together last night after I closed the shop. We arrived to a mix of PMD and BWO hatches with very few caddis hatching. At dusk the Rusty Spinner fall got going for about 15 minutes, and the bats and the trout got happy just before dark.
My friend Jesse was there after his work earlier this week, and texted me when I was home watching the Olympics and said he ran into a great PMD hatch at 5:30 but ended up catching 2 on a Griffiths Gnat, and 4 more on Soft Hackles and Caddis Pupa. All of this is Middle River stuff, and I know the Upper River is seeing equally good, or better fishing on Golden Stones, Tan and Olive Caddis, PMD’s, Mahogany Duns (Quill Gordon and Purple Comparaduns and a fly called an Upright Rusty Spinner are favorites)
Nymphing is good all over the river, especially the Euro Jigs and Perdigons, but Green Drake nymphs, Golden Stone nymphs, Caddis Pupa and PT Soft hackles would be patterns to add to the box on any given day.
No big showings of Yellow Micro Caddis or Little Olive Stones yet. Yet.
Bull Trout fishing is good and they are chasing big streamers quite well. Early morning sessions are the best bet. If we end up getting some cloudy weather this week, it could be good all day.

The McKenzie River is fishing really good on our guide days. Tonn had a day a few days back the fish went nuts for a big Red Chubby. Steve has been fishing Olive Stimulators and all the guides are doing great on Perdigons and Euro Jig Streamers. Actual hatches during the day when we are there are very very light, but in the evening I would expect to see Caddis and some larger Yellow Mayflies.

The Crooked River continues to be an impressive destination this summer. Drew was out there guiding and fishing on his own throughout the week and euro nymphing was great, but note how amazingly good the PMD hatch has been and they are hatching in the morning and in the later afternoon.
Drew also said he was getting fish on Black Beetles and the fish loved them! and that there were a ton of hoppers on the banks and he recommended that too. He was mixing his dries up with Purple Haze, PMD Film Critics and Black Hippie Stompers.
Scuds, Fire Starters, Zebra’s Midges and Micro Mayflies for PMD and BWO size and color are essential.
Check out one of our Clients- Todd Nix with a good average bow and GO NAVY

The Lower Deschutes is another spot that is exceeding expectations lately. I say that from the standpoint of how hot it’s been yet the trout fishing just keeps churning out good days each time we go. Tonn had an 11 year old in the boat this week who landed 8 big redsides just at the 1st stop of the day alone. All on Perdigons.
Our shop guy and my good friend Gavin aka Camp Sherman Dad was down the 3 day stretch with the family earlier this week and he found the morning and evening dry action to be very good on spent caddis and rusty spinners with some hatches of PMD and Caddis going on and off throughout the day. He also observed spent moths in the eddies and said he fooled the fish with a #16 tan x caddis without any floating on it. I love stuff like that!
other Dries you want will be Black Micro Caddis, Purple Haze and Yellow Sparkle Duns.
Nymphing Caddis Pupa and Soft Hackles, Stonefly Nymphs and basics like Micro Mays, 2 Bits, Psycho Prince and Copper Johns will be good under the indicator.
Trout Spey streamers, leeches and Brown TJ Hookers.
Steelhead run numbers coming through the dams on the Columbia are more impressive at Bonneville than the Dalles Dam. That tells me we are getting some fish in the lower river which is good, but a lot more are to come shooting through when it cools off and they decide to push through the Dalles and up the Deschutes. I am confident this October and November are going to be very good for steelhead on the day stretch and if you have an interest in getting down the Lower River this fall, get booked soon.

The Middle Deschutes is good and definitely worth the early morning to about 1 PM session and from about 6 to dark session. Mornings have been leaning more towards the nymphs with some PMD’s on top, and evenings will include small Blue Wing Olives, PMD, Pale Evening Dun, Tan Caddis, Black Micro Caddis, Rusty Spinners, Purple Haze and Renegades.

The Fall River is good, but late morning to mid afternoon it typically gets crowded this time of year.
We have been doing really well on streamers fish Euro Style. Of course Perdigons, Eggs, Zebra’s, 2 Bit’s and Micro mayflies. We have a little brownish-gray mayfly nymph in our Lake Box that is a damn fine Fall River pattern, I suspect because it is tied feather duster style and has a lot of breathing gill movement when its being fished.
Fish are looking up for dries, the PMD hatch is good, Midges are good, Tan Caddis are hatching or egg laying in the morning and evening and often a olive Elk Hair Caddis or Henryville Caddis fished well even mid-day will be a fish fooler. Also, if you haven’t tried a hot orange Missing Link on the Fall River, you ought to do it. No fly is the magic Bullet, but that fly is one they will rush up to eat.
Don’t forget your terrestrials. All of ’em. Ants, Beetles, Hoppers and ever Yellow Jackets.

LAKES Report

East Lake is good, but we seem to be in-between the first and second brood of Callibaetis. The 2nd brood is smaller and when they hatch it is intense hatch activity for about 4 to 6 weeks. Usually very good from August to Mid-September but hasn’t totally rocked yet. The 1st brood was late due to a late ice off, so maybe that is delaying the 2nd brood? The 2nd brood comes from the egg laying brood in June and July and the flies are smaller in the 2nd brood because the life cycle is so short. When the 2nd brood lays their eggs, the nymphs will over winter under the ice and hatch next summer when the water temps get in the 50’s.
The Beetle, Ant, Hopper and Damsel action makes up for lighter mayfly numbers, but watch afternoon water temps where that will occur.
Chironomid fishing is good under an indicator at 15 to 20 feet depth and in the middle of the day or morning. Colors and Sizes change but trends have shown a Red Ice Cream Cone, Black with Silver Rib, Chromie, and Olive Pupa will be good choices to cycle through. Seems like a fly called a hanging with my Chromies and Chironomid Assassin have my own go to bugs for success.

Paulina Lake is good too, and there are light hatches of Callibaetis there too. Callibaetis Nymphs are excellent, dries are hit and miss. I wouldn’t go there without them though.
Beetles and Hoppers were good for us this week until the water went 68+.
I caught a heck’uva nice brown over a marl patch on a Hanging with my Chromies under an indicator 10 feet down on Tuesday.
My own highlight was having Phil Rowley and Steve Anderson share their knowledge on getting set for a Deep Dangle on a Type 7 full sink line. That take is the best of the best and I’ll share more on how to use an Ice Fishing depth setter to get ready quickly. it’s easy and effective and you gotta have faith it will work because it is a little foreign to fish like that with a fly rod. Kokanee were already showing fall spawning colors with some vibrant reds on their sides. No green on the head or tail yet, but it was interesting to see the Kokanee we caught so colored up.

Crane Prairie is a go to for the week in the Channels of the Deschutes, Cultus and Quinn and probably Rock Creek too.
Chironomids, Red or Black 2 Bit Hooker, Black Double Down, Holographic Jig, Bloodworm, Balanced Leech, Scud, Water Boatman, Damsels, Chubbies (which also make a good indicator)

Have any of you been to Lava Lake? It was good in August last year on Balanced Leeches, chironomids and Hoppers for me. I wonder how this summer is holding up?

I’ll tell you what is holding up…. the Upper Lake at Hosmer. Water temps holding at 59 to 61F, happy brook trout with the occasional nice rainbow mixed in and every once in a while a cutty to the net looks good.
I fished there twice this week, and the indicator work was steady with Red Holographic Jigs, Zebra Midges and my Callibaetis Cate Jig. What was best though was a Hover Line stripping a callibaetis nymph!
Some callibaetis hatching about lunchtime, and fish are looking to eat dries. Timberline Emerger, Gray Sparkle Dun and Harrops Captive Dun were the best for us. At times fish are feeding aggressively on Adult Damsels. Damsel Nymphs are important too.
The Lower Lake was seeing water temps at 72 and is a no go for safe C&R fishing.
BTW, I saw a brook trout in the channel swim under the boat that had a silver Mepps Spinner hanging from its lip. WTF?
Check out our flies we were catching a lot of fish on at Hosmer. Looks so real the damsels wanted to eat them too.

Three Creek Lake is a good bet from dawn to about 1 and from 3 or 4 for about an hour or so with callibaetis, and then just before dusk with black caddis.
Balanced leeches, Sheep Creek Special, Flashback PT, Callibaetis Nymph, Ice Cream Cone, Olive Wooly Bugger with an Orange Bead for under water presentations and Hippie Stomers, Ants, Beetles and Micro Chubbies (sounds like a personal problem but its a fly). Come by and i’ll show you our Micro Chubby for real. HAHA.

There is so much good fishing to be had this week. The numbers of anglers utilizing most of the places I just wrote about are really low. The Fall River is the most crowded from this list, and the rest of them are mellow for fishing pressure. Of course Hosmer has all the paddle boards and kayaks. It’s ok. Get there early before they come in their swim suits. They don’t bite, but the trout do.
Paulina Lake boat ramps fill up early with Kokanee people. It’s easy to park in overflow and fly fish in water they never touch with those techniques. East lake looks like the 1950’s. No one is there.
Chester and I and one other guy took up a mile of river on the Met last night. Then that other fella left. Having the river to ourselves is nice, but it makes me wonder what the hell are you thinking staying home and missing out on the fishing? Get out and fish.
Smoke is super minimal, fishing is really good, and this week the weather is so pleasant I don’t think you want to miss out on what is happening.
I hope to see you on the water and in the shop.

Jeff “Bugs” Perin