Good morning from the fly tying desk at The Fly Fisher’s Place, where I am back to work and catching up after being gone for 2 weeks fishing in Belize.
I hosted 2 wonderful groups at the Blue Bonefish Lodge in Ambergris Caye, and needless to say everyone had a great time and some good days of fishing.
We had 5 people land their 1st permit on these trips. Lot’s of bonefish and a few tarpon were landed.
I will tell you a little personal achievement, on April 22nd last week I had myself one heck’uva day, landing 9 permit in a day! Hooked and lost 2 others. This is epic for permit fishing. It started with the 1st seven fish coming from a school we were able to stay on for a while, then moving to a flat called Heavenly where my guide Richie Spice and I found some big fellas over white sands. I can’t describe to you the rush it is seeing about a dozen permit crossing in front of the boat, 60 feet away and you have to intercept the cruisers with an accurate cast followed by a SLOW retrieve. I remember having such a hard time getting that slow retrieve down, the excitement of the moment would often inadvertently speed up my line pulling, and not always impress the fish! It takes practice and patience to get good at this. The permit fishing game is the most enthralling, cat & mouse, high stakes chess match in the sport of angling. And lady luck always has her hand in the mix of course.
Permit fishing is amaze-balls…
But you know the only thing I love more?
Trout Fishing.
Trout, and where trout live will always have my complete heart. East Lake (the 1st place I ever fished). The Metolius (my favorite North American River). Rio Chimehuen. Paulina Lake. Rio Baker. These gorgeous landscapes, with the fish that live there are where my best dreams come from. What do you dream of, and for what kind of fish?

For now, I will share this memory and tell you our next lodge dates for the Blue Bonefish will be January 10-16 and April 11-17, 2026. Let me know if you want to be in the group or get more info.

The Metolius River is seeing some really good days lately, with some dry fly fishing mid day and into the evening hours. PMD’s are popping more, and for longer duration hatch cycles. BWO’s are continuously important, and the caddis kind of trickle on and off throughout the day, making dry fly action with caddis more of a searching endeavor than a match the hatch event, the pupa game is strong. Here are some critical dries to add to the box this week: Film Critic PMD #16 and BWO #18, Knock Down Dun PMD #16 and BWO #18, Purple Comparadun #16-18, Sparkle Dun Yellow #16 and Olive #18, Pliva Olive #18, Corn Fed Caddis #14-16, Iris Caddis #16, Missing Link Caddis #16, Rusty Spinner #16.
Remember you could see a few Green Drake’s pop later afternoon from the Canyon to the Candle Creek area. Add some drakes just in case. And certainly drake nymphs will be hot until the hatch really gets rolling in about 3 to 4 weeks from now.
Speaking of Nymphs, Red 2 Bit Hookers, Golden Stones and Brown or Olive Perdigons have been our best nymphs lately. Zebra Midges and Eggs are a good almost any day on the Met.
Big Bull Trout have been found on Big Streamers. Go get ’em Tiger.
Shout out to Oregon State Police these last few weeks for enforcing fish and game laws and license checks on the river lately.
Also, check your body for ticks after going through the brush. In some areas it seems there are a good number of ticks now. Gross.

The Lower Deschutes has fished great for us this 1st week of the 2025 season. Pretty much all nymphing so far with Stonefly Nymphs being one of the most important things to match as the hatch is just around the corner. Water is dropping today, yesterday it was still a little high so wade with some extra caution at levels over 5000 cfs. It is about 4500 today, but this doesn’t take in to account the little creek dumping in just past the bridge at Warm Springs which is a bit high.
A lot of nymphs have been good, with the crew coming off the river yesterday saying a lot of smaller Perdigons, Micro May’s, 2 Bit Hookers, Tan Caddis Pupa and Walt’s Worms.
Gavin (Camp Sherman Dad) from the shop even swung up some trout on a Crayfish yesterday using his Trout Spey set up. So Cool!

Mattias yesterday near Warm Springs. Walts Worm.

The Middle Deschutes is running low and that makes access and wading easier. March Brown hatches are up and down depending on the day, but the fish want to eat them mid afternoon. PMD’s and Pale Evening Duns are also hatching well and you could see either from 10 AM to dusk. Add some X Caddis Tan #16 and Corn Fed Caddis to your box and go get it.
Bring some nymphs. We would recommend Euro style for the most action. A Dry-Dropper set up with a smaller Purple Chubby and a nymph trailer is a fine set up on a lot of the varied water types found in the Middle section.

The Fall River is awesome right now. A lot of that has to do with a fresh batch of trout from the hatchery, but that is kind of the essence of that fishery. Remember the area below the falls doesn’t open until 5/22.
Little streamers in Olive , Natural, Black and White all seem to be great at times. There are a lot of options but a Soccer Mom, Holverson’s Heavy Hitter and George Daniel’s Mini Gulp will be go getters.
Hatches have been good with moments of excellent dry fly fishing. PMD’s and Tan or Olive Caddis are increasing their intensity day by day. BWO’s and Midges remain very important.
Eggs and Perdigons will always be in the box for us here.

We’ve been having great days on the McKenzie River on our guide trip days there. Steve had a fun day with Salmonflies already this week and got a bunch of fish up on a big Chubby. Troy had a super day there yesterday on a mix of dries and nymphs. The water levels are lovely and dropping, and I am now wondering when we will start seeing the McKenzie Caddis pop, and also when the Flying Carpenter Ants will be on the water? Maybe 2 weeks?

The Mighty Crooked River continues to be a bummer. 900+ CFS today. Reservoir is 100% full, inflow to the Reservoir is being matched with outflow so BOR is trying to save water for the reservoir which is smart for the future.

I’ve had a few reports from Crane Prairie, and as expected it is mostly a Balanced Leech under the indicator game, and add Red Ice Cream Cones, Black Ice Cream Cones with Red Rib, Olive Chironomid with a Red Butt, Black with Gunmetal Bead and Silver Rib and Hanging With My Chromies. All #14-16 mostly, but add some 12’s in Red and #18’s in Olive. Boat Ramp access is only on the East Side at CP Boating Site. Quinn and Rock Creek are snowed in.
Bring a Head Net and Sun Gloves. The Biblical Midge Hatch is in Fill Swing. Pray for Breeze and a strong breeze at that.

North Twin and South Twin Lakes have both been promising over the last few days. Hit them both with the game plan of indicator techniques with Balanced Leeches, Balanced Damsels and Chironomids. Or strip (or troll) Leeches, Damsels, Callibaetis Nymphs.

I have not had a report from Wickiup. The lake has a lot of water and access is anywhere you would want to go.

Lava Lake, Little Lava Lake and Hosmer are still iced over and not accessible.
3 Creeks is not accessible and usually is not until about Rodeo Weekend in mid June. It would not surprise me if it a week or 2 later this year….

Haystack Reservoir is fishing well. Our casting instructor guru Doug Pendleton left me this report to share: Nice Haystack Hawg: 24″ –  Parabolic Sweep line on a #12 Tequila Blob in 13 ft. Water temp was in the mid 50’s

Rick Boggess pontoon boated with me – He landed a couple of  handsome 15+” ‘bows on a balanced leech.

Imagine that: Stillwater fishing in late APRIL. Glad those low-elevation reservoirs open early

Cheers,

Doug

Justesen Ranch Lakes are still fishing really well. Amanda will help us assign one of the 8 to you for $150 per person per day. Callibaetis are starting to hatch well now and damsel activity is increasing. Leeches and Chironomids are going to be important on these lakes every day. Let us know if we can help get you booked, or tell Amanda Jeff at FFP sent you if you call her directly.
I will tell you this is still the #1 lake option for the time being, and I would guess that will hold true for another 2 weeks.

I don’t have a current report on Ochocco Reservoir but it should be good.

And for our Eugene, Corvallis, Salem and even PDX peeps, remember my friend Addison has the bass trips on Reservoirs near Eugene and Cottage Grove for $300 for 2 anglers with Lunch and Flies. He said the Spotted Bass are just waking up and on the bite and landed some hogs this past week. Call or text him (541)570-3621or adisonrook@yahoo.com

As you can see there is plenty of good fishing to be found across the Sisters Country area. We would love to see you out enjoying it soon, either with us on a guided day, or a visit to the shop as you head out to the water on your own.

See you soon Tiger 😉

Jeff

Here is real stoke occurring after the release of my biggest permit landed in since 2019