Hello from Sisters. Saturday is going to be a busy day between casting lessons, shop work and finishing filling up my last spots for Argentina and Belize trips.
I am currently being serenaded by some kind of a horn outside the office window. I know that left you hanging so I got up and looked and there is a guy playing trombone in my backyard. Sisters is a trip sometimes. I like it.
On this warm and slightly rainy day across Oregon today I think the fishing is going to be really good today!

I had a lot of time on the water this week, all lake days so I have good things to share with you from the lakes.
As usual, we will start with the Metolius for the weekly report as I believe it is the #1 reason people tune in to the report?

The Metolius River is really doing well again. The July dry fly doldrums are in the rearview, and the August trend is typically like this as we march to the some of the best weeks of the year, which I think are Mid August to Mid October (and Early May to the end of June). All the hatches are off to the races now and over the next 8 weeks you can count on some of the best dry fly action of the year.
So what is happening? More consistent PMD’s, more and more BWO’s, the Micro Caddis in the evening, a mid size Olive Mayfly called an Ameletus (#14 Olive Haze and Flav patterns work for this), (ps- Flavs are about 3 weeks away), Tan Caddis #16, Grey Caddis #14-16, Olive Caddis #16-18, Little Olive Stone #16-18, Yellow Sally #16, Golden Stones #10 (these are spreading around more than the Upper River and look for isolated areas in the Canyon and below Bridge 99. Why isolated? Because in the Metolius the springs create pockets of cold water some of our insects don’t inhabit, which is why we don’t see Green Drakes above the Gorge and why there are less areas below the Gorge with consistent Golden Stone hatches.
The #1 Dry Fly Tip I can offer is get a great drift. Learn the Reach Mend and a Soft Parachute Cast. No how to feed line into the drift with out dragging the fly out of the seam it needs to be drifting in. If you can master that you will be a great dry fly angler anywhere, and if you can be a good dry fly angler on the Metolius, you can be great anywhere else.
Euro Nymphing this week will pay off on any stretch of the river so don’t forget your 10 or 10 1/2′ 3 weight and your mono rig. Have you tried the Ultra Light Mono Rig I talked about last month? It’s amazing right? More sensitive and more fun to use one fly and less hassle too. Jig Napoleon, Lightning Bug, Olive, Purple, Brown and Green Perdigons, Jig 20 Incher, Jig Green Drake, Caddis Pupa Tan #16, Grey #18 and TB Hookers or Micro May’s to be more specific than a Perdigon for matching a mayfly pre-hatch.
Yes the Lake Billy Chinook Bulls are up in the river to spawn soon, but it is important to know that there are always Bull Trout in the Metolius. 24/7 all year the resident fish are there. So it is not just about coming to fish a run that is short in duration. Come any time.
The fish have been excited to eat bigger streamers. Match your fly size with the rod size. Some of the streamers are way too big and heavy for a 6 weight, and if a 6 is all you have a smaller Circus Peanut, Jigs under an indicator and the Milkshake (remember it brings all the Bulls to the yard) will be appropriate. If you have an 8 weight you can suck some meat and that pays off for the lake run fish.

The McKenzie River has been good for the guides and a few friends that have been fishing it weekly. Dry Droppers with Elk Hair Caddis and Parachute Adams have been good, and use a Chubby for the heavier nymphs you want to suspend. Posse Buggers, King Prince and TJ Hookers have been productive on the McKenzie.
Euro Nymphs on a side drift technique will be one of your best options on most days, but it is a lot of fun to take a wild McKenzie Redside on a dry fly if you can!

The Crooked River is a gem now and worth fishing. Great opportunity for a Euro Nympher especially, and with good dry fly action most afternoons and evenings you should enjoy a lot of good fishing here. Pale Morning Duns #16 are the main hatch, but we are seeing BWO’s #20 and Mahogany Duns #16 and Tan Caddis #16.
Fire Starter, Split Case PMD, Micro May’s, 2 Bit Hooker, Orange Psycho Prince, Scuds, Zebra Midges and Perdigons in Purple #18, Olive #16-18, Brown #16-18, Green #18 and Pearl #16. You can fish any of these nymphs under a Hopper or smaller Chubby, or under a small Oros Indicator.

The Fall River is producing a number of good fish on all techniques throughout the day. Dry Fly action has been good in the afternoons and evening with PMD’s, BWO’s, Olive Caddis #16, Tan Caddis #16, Midges #20-24, Beetles #12-18, Ants #14-16, Hippie Stompers #14, Grasshoppers #10, Yellow Sally and Henryville’s both in a 16 or 18. Before dark the spinner falls will occur as the female mayflies lay eggs to start the next brood of PMD’s and BWO’s. Grab a few Rusty Spinners in a #16-18-20 for this event if you’ll be there between 7 and 8:15 PM. You might see some spinner in the early morning too.
Tungsten Eggs, Mop Flies and small Jig Streamers will cover the “junk” and Micro Mayflies, Skinny Nelson, CDC PT, Split Case PMD, Caddis Pupa, 2 Bit Hookers, Zebra Midges and Perdigons to match size and color of the pending hatches will be your match the drift flies.

The Lower Deschutes has been exciting with the good steelhead run coming up this season. I am really optimistic for our October and November trips in the day stretch for steelhead!
Right now most of those steelhead remain a long drive from Sisters, and are faint below Maupin to the Mack’s Canyon area and all the way to the Mouth of the Columbia River. A lot of friends have caught multiple steelhead this season already on swung flies! If the rain we are having this weekend creates runoff from the White River Glacier, keep an eye on that for a few days. Amy in Maupin at the Deschutes Canyon Fly Shop does an excellent report to keep tabs on that aspect of this game.
Swinging Purple flies like a Street Walker, Freight Train and Berry’s Peacock & Purple is as good as anything. Green Butt Skunks are tradition on the Deschutes and must be in every fly box. If the water stains from the glacier, bump it up to an Intruder with some flash in the body for better results. In perfect water conditions swing and skate a Muddler. One cool trick with a Muddler is make your own steelhead leaders from Maxima using 25#, 15# and 10#. between the blood knots on the 15# section put on a Muddler or an Andersons Euphoria so it slides between the blood knots. One tip though, make sure you put that slider fly on the leader with the hook bend UP towards the fly line (not towards the point fly) because when it turns over on the water to begin swinging the hook point will be under the water instead of above it.
For Trout on the Warm Springs to Trout Creek drift we’ve had good morning caddis hatches and dead/spent caddis dry fly fishing. By afternoon look in the eddies for spent mayflies and caddis, and even ants, beetles and midges. Some of the eddies hold brilliant surprises.
It seems like the main hatches now are #16 Tan Caddis and #14 Pale Evening Duns. With that said, don’t forget #16 PMD and #20 BWO’s.
Nymphing is good with Berry’s PCP, Brown Perdigons, Girdle Bugs, TJ Hooker, Caddis Pupa including Tan #16 and Grey #18, Soft Hackle PT and Red Ass Soft Hackle, Guide Hares Ear, Micro Mayfly to match BWO and PMD’s and 2 Bit Hookers to match BWO’s and PMD’s.

The Middle Deschutes is fishing great with good hatches towards evening and better nymph fishing in the morning. Pale Evening Duns and Pale Morning Duns, Blue Wing Olives and Tan Caddis are the hatches, but don’t forget flies like a Patriot, Purple Haze and Renegade through here. A lot of good Middle D action is less than 30 minutes from the Fly Shop. Don’t miss it.

Summer Creek Fishing is good on Tumalo, Whychus, Upper D, Upper N Santiam, Marion Creek, Upper S Fork of the McKenzie. The next 6 weeks are prime for this. Not many people, a lot of small wild trout in most of these place (Santiam is also stocked) and dry flies. Also excellent for Tenakara friends!

Lakes Report– The one thing that has surprised me so much the last weeks on the lakes is no body is there. East lake the other day was me and a guide from the Hook, and I saw no other boats. 1000 acre lake with 2 boats….wow. Same at Paulina with my boat the only fly anglers on the lake. And for the biggest surprise, the same at Hosmer with only one or two other boats fishing. If you are staying off the water for some reason I can tell you don’t. Water temps are good, fishing is good. Weather is good. Fish are looking up often, and down more often. Go get ’em! Guides Steve, Tonn and Troy all guide the lakes too, so my own schedule is booked out until mid-October we can still offer guided days on the lakes with these 3 guides.

East Lake is my favorite again this season! I am happy to report that the morning Callibaetis Spinner dry fly fishing is good. Just be there early enough to beat the first breezes because that shuts off suddenly when the wind ripple begins. It appears the best Callibaetis hatches are in the evening at the moment. I hope to see them in the afternoon again, and they should be around much time. But….not so far.
Fishing Beetles, Ants, Hoppers, Hippie Stompers down any bank line and drop off zone is usually good for some fish. Some days are more productive with this, but it is a rare day without some fish on this kind of technique.
As you have read in previous reports and if you follow me on instagram at Oregon_Stillwater_Jeff you know I am totally stoked on Deep Dangle Nymphing with a Type 7 Full Sink and a Chironomid, Bloodworm, Blob and Double Down Black Nymph on the bottom. A couple,e of days ago an Olive Jig Leech was responsible for our biggest brown of the week on the dangle.
Indicator fishing in shallower water is productive. Callibaetis Cate, Red PT, Poxyback CB, Hanging with my Chromies, Ice Cream Cones are all good. You can also present these on a Midge Tip with a slow hand twist.

Paulina Lake over all is about like East with the same flies, but in my experience this season Paulina has a lot of small rainbows to weed through to find the better fish. I think ODFW stocked some real pukers in Paulina this season.
I look forward to Fall when the bigger browns form the “wolf packs” and are found in great numbers.
Don’t take this as I am down on Paulina, not at all. Just expect more small rainbows at the moment this season.
Brown/Orange and Watermelon/Gunmetal Balanced Leeches, Chironomids, PT’s, Double Down Black, Callibaetis Nymphs and Scuds are good choices now.
Beetles, Ants and Hoppers and Chubby’s are great dry flies to search the banks with. My man Milt had some large fish eat a Chubby this week. Ask him if he hooked them. Hey, he needs shoulder surgery (HAHA).
Callibaetis are on now at Paulina. This is a peak time for this mayfly hatch here, so get there early to enjoy the small dries before the breeze turns it off.

Hosmer Lake was incredible for Sean and I this week. Our best flies were a Jig Red PT and a Red ice Cream Cone. We also caught fish on Callibaetis Cate’s and Poxyback Callibaetis.
I’ve had multiple friends tell me how well they are doing on a Black Assassin and our Black Double Down nymph is a CDC version Assassin. A great nymph under an indicator here, or stripped on a Hover or Clear Camo line.
Some good explosive takes on a Damsel nymphs and adults. A few Traveling Caddis around, problably more in the evening before dark. Mayfly hatches continue to elude me while I am present on the lake? Weird. But hey, they are chowing on the nymphs so what the heck.

Little Lava Lake is a great bet, and here Callibaetis are hatching well. Fish all the cycle of CB from Nymph to Emerger to Dun and Spinners. Balanced Leeches (Bruised with Orange Bead and Olive with a muted bead) Ice Cream Cones, Assassin Chironomids, Hanging with my Chromies, CB Cate, Red PT, Red Holo Jig, Bloodworm, Beetles and Ants will be essential flies this week.

I have heard good things from Crane Prairie in the Cultus Channel. I have also heard the surface temps on most of the lake are still over 70. For me, I will wait to see that drop below 67. It won’t be long.

Three Creek Lake is a local favorite and is fishing well with good callibaetis action throughout the day and evening. Black Caddis and Midges in the evening when the wind is calm for dries.
Red Hippie Stomper, Crowe Beetle and my Jiggy Beetle have been awesome.
Balanced leeches and Ice Cream Cones, Red PT and CB Cate under an indicator, and Poxy Back CB and Flashback PT on a sinking line. We have a good stock of Sheep Creek Specials, and this is a great trolling fly for the lake. Our old friend Col. Bill used to tie them for us and he was passionate about fishing this fly too. He’d troll it from his tube with an intermediate line and run a griffiths gnat as a dropper behind it.

I need to head out to teach lessons. The rain stopped. It is a great day in Sisters. I hope to see you on the water or in the shop soon.

Be well, and fish even better!

Jeff