I will be traveling the next couple of days and wanted to get this done before I left at 5 AM tomorrow.

One bit of bad news relating to the Crooked (more to come), and some new things opening up. There is good fishing on a lot of our waters and it is exciting to see spring really having a positive impact on the fishing.
I promise to share some cool stuff here.

The Metolius River has really been good, and with all kinds of flies and tactics depending on the time of day, the section of river you are on, and even the weather at the moment.
Yesterday there were a lot of #16 tan caddis down by Bridge 99, and while the fish were not up to the dries they were eating the Pupa. Check out this new fly called the Jeff’s Improved Fat Ass Caddis that was “born” on the Met.

October Caddis and some other Amber colored #12-14 caddis and Grey #12-14 are out and about too. It sure has been a Caddis-y spring! I love it.
Mayfly hatches, especially Blue Winged Olives #18-20 are what seems to be really bringing the fish up to the top for emergers, cripples and duns. Remember to use a Suppleflex 12′ 6x leader for this, as it makes a giant difference in your slack line presentation and the drift you achieve. On spring creeks that is mission critical.
DOn’t count the cinygmula’s out yet (yellow #14-16) but keep an eye out in the next week or 2 for the overlap of PMD’s #16. Both yellow mayflies, each have a different nymph type and habitat. Cinygmula’s have 2 tails and PMD’s have 3 and that is an easy way to distinguish between the 2 when a masking hatch is occurring.
Rusty Spinners are also important to add to the mix, and look for the spinner fall at any point during day light hours at this time. Remember in the summer Rusty’s are usually at dusk or dawn.
Besides the Caddis Pupa you want Perdigons of various colors and bead sizes but Olive and Brown and Orange are fave’s, and Walt’s Worms. We have a big Pink Bead Walt’s type fly called a Sexy Betty’s that is worth a dip. Golden Stones, Green Drake Nymphs, 2 Bit Hookers, Micro May’s for PMD and BWO and Zebra Midges.
More friends of mine have seen a few Green Drakes hatch this week and fish eat them. Look, we are a long way out for the “hatch” but keep a few big bugs in the box and use as a searcher for now, and hope you get the unicorn moment, rainbows and all.

The bad news (and surprising news) is the gosh darn Crooked River is blown out again. W.T.A.F.?
When I looked at flows a couple of days ago I thought I’d see it coming down from the 900 cfs we talked about last report. NOPE, she shot up to 1800 cfs. Now the reservoir is 93% full. How much more snow content is up in those mountains? Runoff has been 2 months now, and I seem to recall we had an early runoff that blew us out around Christmas.

The Middle Deschutes is in nice condition as irrigation canals have now opened. Between now and May it will ramp down further, so it is still pushy for a wade, but lot’s of spots that doesn’t matter and there are a lot of BWO’s and March Browns hatching mid-afternoon.
Of course there will be good nymphing to be had if there is a time when you have not been getting a hatch.

The Fall River is excellent, and had a nice report from our freind Scott about the area down by the tubes and good afternoon BWO hatches and fish really reacting to it.
We’ve had some good guide days out there, and Troy had a day with a super good March Brown hatch the other day. That kind of stuff is what dreams are made of on a small spring creek.
Midges were hot recently and will be on the menu for the next couple of weeks.
The small Streamer fishing continues to be our best method of putting fish in the net. And nymphs, small tungsten stuff from Zebra’s to Perdi’s and Walt’s, 2 Bit Hookers, and Micro Mayflies to match PMD’s (which we should see hatch soon!) and BWO’s (which hatch most of the year). Don’t forget to add a Red Zebra to your box for the Fall….
Don’t forget the Spring Special guide trips for $350 for up to 3 people until 4/22!

The Lower Deschutes is fishable, I had a customer write she was at Maupin and found a bunch of fish tight to the banks on Nymphs. Thanks for the report.
Our guide crew and a few shop dudes are going tomorrow for a 3 day from Trout Creek to Harpham. They can’t fish until they get to the end of the WS Reservation (until opening day 4/22/25) but they are stoked to get down to the open water and fish it hard. I suspect they will get the March Brown hatch in earnest, BWO’s, Caddis Pupa and Stonefly Nymphs and really good action on larger bead sized Perdigon’s.

The Mckenzie is fishable as I saw a friend post he drifted it 2 days ago and had good action. The water is a bit high, but they caught fish and had a good trip. So, we can do our spring special guide trips there for the 11 days if you want to go. Steve, Troy, Tonn and Michael are ready to roll. 3 of the 4 of them will be on the Deschutes for the next 3 days though.

Chickahominy is fishing well and is worth the 2 hour drive through the desert to catch nice rainbows.
Balanced Leeches and straight leeches have been good depending on how you want to present it…The fish let us know these things.
Mike H was kind to share he had a good day there over the weekend on BROWN, but they needed to be skinny he said.
I also like Olive at Chick, and Black is a staple. Add some Chironomids and Water Boatman’s and Prince Nymphs to the selection.

Ochocco Reservoir is a good bet, and one you should enjoy easy access to this week for good fishing. Rainbows and Smallmouth Bass on leeches and minnow patterns and I would also hang some chironomids under a bobber in 4 to 10′ of water now.

Justesen Ranch is fishing great. All 8 of the “ranch” lakes plus the lakes they have up near Shaniko and off Highway 97 in various places. I expect to see the 1st Callibaetis hatches of the season here and would guess them to be coming any day now. Call Amanda and tell her Jeff sent you (541)980-4084
When I was there the other day, a Hanging with my Chromies was so darn good! Can you say Bobber Down? and can you say it often?
Leeches were also the talk of the lake circulating through my group Sunday.

Lake Billy Chinook is a good bull trout destination now, and all 3 arms have good potential.
Balanced Minnows and Leeches and Big Streamers on Sink Tips will be good.

I would love to hear about North and South Twin… Access? Ice Free yet?
My friend Phil Fisher sent a photo from the summit to Mt Bachelor over the weekend and it showed wickiup ice free and crane still iced over but showing some signs of break up. My 1st guide day is May 1 so crossing my fingers.

I am heading to Belize to the Blue Bonefish Lodge on Southern Ambergris Caye in the morning with 15 friends and customers the 1st week and a dozen the 2nd week. I am only sad to miss opening day in Oregon but I will endure down there.
We’d love to have you join us on our next trip there and I’ll have dates after I return.
I decided the December Argentina trip would happen instead of Belize in December. I will look at November dates for the Blue Bonefish.

I wanted to say thanks to all the good people who are booking trips and shopping even through all the crazy shit going on in the markets. I have to say I am worried a bit, about prices of the things we sell, and about confidence from the people we are able to serve here at FFP.
It’s a wild world out there, thank god for fishing!

Be well,
Jeff