The Green Drakes are just starting to show up more, the Salmonfly hatch is on in many places and getting a foothold on other sections of the big river. One of our favorite lakes is opening up this coming week. We have new docks at Crane Prairie, and it seems like the summer vibe is starting to happen as a lot of people are stoked on fishing and we love seeing you all in the shop and on the water.
I love this time of year. So let’s dive into the nuts & bolts of fly fishing around Central Oregon for the next week or so.

The Metolius River is fishing well, and most days from here until the end of June you should expect to see a good emergence of Pale Morning Duns #16, Green Drakes #8 and 10, Blue Wing Olives #18-20 and I saw a fair number of a Mayfly I believe is a Nixe #16 in the Canyon a few days ago. That is a mahogany colored dun, but is distinguished from a paraleptophlebia but the fact the Nixe has 2 tails (para’s have 3) and Nixe is a spring hatch and paraleptophlebia’s are a autumn hatch. I used my trusty Purple Comparadun #16 to match, and I love that fly to match PMD’s too. I have no idea why a purple body fly works when Yellow is the hatch matching color? For the PMD’s you really want to fish the cycle, so a nymph, an emerger, a cripple, a dun and a rusty spinner will cover all of that. Same goes for the BWO’s, just downsize and change the colors.
With the evening warmth now, look for rusty spinner falls as the female mayflies are down laying eggs and dying on the water. The end of the cycle. Or is it the beginning of the next cycle?
Caddis will be more prolific at hatching in numbers that may get the fish more interested in emergers and dries, but searching with a Weiss’s Caddis, Iris Caddis, Orange Elk Hair, Corn Fed Caddis and Missing Link Caddis will be good choices for the dries and emergers. Pupa continue to be amazing. My new Improved Fat Ass Pupa is killing! We just ordered another 30 dozen Tan, and have 30 dozen Olive (a new addition) coming soon.
Golden Stone nymphs, Green Drake Nymphs, Perdigons, Walts, 2 bit hookers and Soft hackle PT’s will be good for your nymphing sessions.
Don’t leave the streamer rods behind, or try Euro Jig Streamers on your 3 or 4 weight Euro rods. The big streamers are working on Bull Trout.

On the Lower Deschutes the sighting of Salmonflies and Golden Stones have been increasing on the Warm Springs to Trout Creek section, but not enough quite yet throughout that section to go wild on fishing the dries. By time I write the next report, that will likely be another story… or soon to be another story.
Further down river through the Camp stretch and the Maupin area the hatch is better and the fish are starting to key on them.
The fish are keyed on nymphs for the most part, with stonefly nymphs being top dog for now. Caddis Pupa, Duracell’s, Jig Napoleon, Walts, Micro Mayfly’s and Soft hackles are all smart choices to euro style or fish dry dropper or under the bobber.
PMD and caddis hatches are increasing by the day, and just because the giant stoneflies overshadow the smaller hatches, the fish can prefer the small morsels at times when all are presented to them.

The Middle Deschutes is good. Depending on what section you visit, Salmonflies are out and migrating up the river. Here today, gone tomorrow is something you have to consider. It isn’t that fast, but it is something to keep an eye on.
Caddis, Pale Evening Duns, PMD’s and Blue Wing Olives are all important.
Mattias from the shop nailed a huge Brown on a jig streamer after work this week. Chester is my dry fly guru and he’s finding great fish on the dries, especially yellow bodied mayflies, but he is loving the big stones on the water now for sure.

The Crooked River bumped back up a tiny bit and is over 400 again today. Still fishable and the fishing is good. Go. The Mother’s Day Caddis hatch is starting, so make sure to have Pupa (Tan and Olive both seem to work in a #16) and Henryville, X Caddis, Corn Fed and Foam Elk Hair Caddis #16. The caddis are typically Olive, but Black and Tan occur during this Mother’s Day hatch.
Our friend John said he did well on a Red San Juan Worm, and of course Zebra Midges, Perdigons, Micro Mayfly’s and Psycho Prince are great too.

The Fall River is fishing quite well, but do expect crowded conditions at the hatchery during the day. Venture out to new waters and new areas, hunt trout that are not in pods like at the hatchery. Challenge your self and breathe the life of fishing in more solitude.
Micro Streamers are usually the best bet, but orange Eggs, Red Zebra Midges or Red Copper John’s, Micro May’s, 2 Bit’s, Perdigons and Rainbow Warriors are the good ones now.
This week has seen a good hatch of PMD’s! BWO’s #18-20 and Caddis #14-18. Add ants, beetles and Hippie Stompers to the dry fly box now.
A Henryville Caddis is a strong dry fly this time of year on the Fall River. Try it. And get some Griffiths Gnats in the box for sure.

The McKenzie River has been good on our guided trips this past week. Water is dropping and flows are really nice. It is definitely a good time to float the Mac! Call us if we can fit you on a guided trip this week.

LAKES

Paulina Lake will open May 14th! The Resort is the only access for now and it will be limited with snow even in their parking lot. $10 launch fee last year….assume it won’t be much more in 2025?
I’ve had great early season success on black leeches. Sometimes stripped on sinking lines and sometimes on a balanced set up with an indicator. Not that we have much choice at Paulina, but the edges are where the fish will be and most likely in less than 8 or 10 feet of water for the moment.

Crane Prairie was good for me yesterday, at least with a good 2 hour bite around lunch time on a Duct Tape (blood worm). Red Ice Cream Cones, Balanced Leeches (try Bruised and Black-n Red, and olive). Our FFP guide Steve had good success a few days ago stripping old school Wooly Buggers on an intermediate line a few days ago. The Biblical Midge Hatch that was so annoying last week was nearly nonexistent yesterday.
New Docks were being put in yesterday and today. Can’t wait to use them.

I had a great report from South Twin from a customer. They really did well on Leeches and Damsels. I have not had so many good reports from North Twin.

Hosmer and Three Creek Lake are still iced over and not accessible.

I hope Lava Lake will be open to access this coming week….
Little Lava will probably be another 2 weeks.

There are at least a few weeks of good fishing left at Justesen Ranch and with Callibaetis and Damsel hatches going strong, I highly recommend the investment to go there. With so many of the mountain lakes not quite ready yet, this is a great stillwater fix.
If you don’t book it through me, tell Amanda Jeff sent you.

I am headed to Baja on Wednesday for 5 days of Roosters! Looking forward to that, but I can’t wait to be back in Oregon for all the good fishing coming up.
See you on the water friends!

Jeff

5/9/25