good morning from Sisters, Oregon. The Holiday spirit is alive and well in our little town and the town is lit up beautifully with lights, wreaths and a great Christmas Tree at the park 2 blocks from the shop. I really love Christmas time for the lights and songs and time with people I like to be with. And Santa.

I’m excited to go fish soon. I got the go ahead from the doctor on Friday when I went to my 2 week follow up appointment to go do some easy stuff. No hard wading, still no lifting over 10 pounds and just be smart about movements.
To me, this sets up well for an afternoon session on the Fall River. I have been dreaming of watching a trout nose up to a mayfly on the surface for a while. That moment when we see the shape of the trout come up, eyes focused, pectoral fins aligned with the hydraulics of the stream and a sudden wink of white as we see the inside of the fishes mouth is art. I love art.
It is all artful. The rod. The cast. The drift. The rise. Holding something as gorgeous as all trout can be.
I think fly fishing is the ultimate expression of artistry as it takes so many forms to create what we love. Think about your own expressions. Is it a fly you tied? the loop you form off the rod tip? Is it the spots on the gill plate of that trout you released?

Fall River is seeing an afternoon BWO hatch (#18-20 and go heavy on emergers and cripples) mixed with some really small black midges (#22-24) and assume a decent chance of seeing some larger amber caddis (#12-14) here and there.
Eggs, Zebra Midges, Perdigons, Dark/Small/Heavy Mayfly Nymphs, Caddis Pupa, Leeches, Euro Streamers and Orange Rufus are good pattern choices all winter long.
It’ll be a good week to enjoy the Fall River with today being the coolest day on the forecast, with mid-week looking quire nice and end of the week maybe some snow showers coming back to the forecast.

The Metolius was good for a few of my friends this past week. Chester was catching fish matching the hatch during an afternoon Cinygmula emergence yesterday. The day before he said he was bummed that he only had his 4 weight dry fly rod in hand because he went by a good pool that had NINE big bull trout stacked on the tailout. Ooh, to be ready for anything is always hard on a river like the Metolius. I’ve been known to carry 3 rods (Dry/Euro/Bull) but that is such a pain in the butt.
My friend Phil had a good week on Bull’s using eggs on his Euro Rod, including his personal best BT at about 10 pounds. That’s a good fish. He said all the fish were so keyed to the egg he stopped trying anything else. That doesn’t imply YOU shouldn’t try another fly! Like Perdigons, Walts, Rainbow Warrior, Spicy Squirrel (pink bead is a good winter thing), 2 Bit Hookers, Stonefly nymphs, Zebra’s, CDC Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail and CDC Hares Ears.
Seems like the Bull Trout have been more susceptible to the nymphs and dead drifted (smaller) euro streamers….Makes me wonder if after the kokanee feast they get tired of eating big meals?

The Crooked River is keeping on the nice list with good catches of trout, whitefish and steelhead. Apparently ODFW had brought some steelhead up to the upper river to imprint them on where they want them to go. I’ve heard of some being caught. Kind of weird but what the heck.
I talked to a couple of customers in the shop earlier last week that said they had good dry fly action too. So it might not be all about the nymphs, and get your BWO’s and Midges out this week if you plan to fish the Crooked.
Eggs, Scuds, Zebra Midges, Skinny Nelson, Micro Mayfly, 2 Bit Hooker, Fire Starter, Spanish Bullet and Purple Perdigon’s are good flies to build your winter box.

Just a few weeks left to enjoy the Lower Deschutes from Warm Springs to Trout Creek (and South Jct) as all waters adjacent to the Warm Springs Reservation close on 12/31/24. Also remember that the river on the Tribal side (west of the main channel) are closed as of 10/31/24 so keep on the east side and be cool.
There have been good days of trout fishing with midge nymphs, eggs, stonefly nymphs and spicy squirrel nymphs. Also, we are getting to the time that Amy Hazels blue perdigon shows some magic on the D and Met. Remember that in winter light (low angles of sunlight) Blue is a color that really shows up in the water column.
Steelhead swinging is good. Sink tips are getting to be the norm now with traditional flies (Green Butt’s and Euphoria’s catching fish) and Intruders and Leeches maybe eroding more confidence.

We have some guide trip opportunities on the Fall, Crooked and Lower D for the rest of the month. We can watch the weather and make a plan if you want to go over the holidays.

The shop is open 7 days a week, and we’d love to see you soon just to say hi, or to see you on the way to go fishing.

I have a few travel things to present to you:
A spot for 2 people opened up on our April 19-25 Belize trip at the Blue Bonefish. The room holds 2 people and is good for a couple or 2 single fishing buddies. It is $4150 p/p for the 5 days fishing package. Other options are available including a “couples package” for $5995 which includes 3 days of guided flats guide trips, a half day reef fishing trip and 2 massages. And you can add another a la carte fishing day for $600. The week before I have 2 couples doing that, and last month 2 of the couples did that package and added the a la carte and loved it. The value is excellent.

My good friend Esteban in Argentina is having a terrible year for bookings. I am bummed about that after being able to send down a couple of dozen anglers to him last year. He had a completely open schedule in January and February and I want to help him fill some of that up.
This is a great trip to do for just 2 people! He will take great care of you and show you a week of diverse fishing, amazing scenery and the utmost in professionalism for his craft.
Floating beautiful rivers in Patagonia where fish will rise to big or small dry flies is something every angler should do. I’m going back to Patagonia in about 5 weeks for my 23rd time but to Chile this winter after my last 3 trips were to Argentina.
The week with https://southernloops.com is about $4300 for 6 days of guiding, and I am working with them now to make a special for January and February for 4 days of guided float trips and 1 lake day to see if we can make the ultimate escape. Add a few days in Buenos Aires and a wine tasting and food trip to Mendoza and this will be one awesome vacation to do.
Flights are relatively cheap to Argentina now.
Our friend Trini at Travel Dreamers in Buenos Aires will help with logistics (domestic flights, Hotel in BA, dining and even ground transportation). She is the best of the best and I have 1000% trust in her services as I do with Estebans guiding and equipment on the water in Patagonia.
Let me help you make this a reality.

For those of you following my health progress, I had a terrific follow up with the surgeon on Friday. It was 2 weeks and 2 days post surgery and I am feeling really good. No skiing for a while and no lifting for another 2 or 3 weeks. I am eating normally and enjoying how good I feel and next summer you all need to watch out because I have a feeling my energy is going to be way better after getting all that sick and inflamed colon taken out of my body.
PS- Tina said they missed the 25% less asshole portion of the procedure, so in advance I am sorry but I am the same as I’ve ever been. (ode to the Talking Heads!)

JP
Happy Holidays, You mean the world to me! I saw this on Instagram the other day and liked it.