Hello from beautiful Sisters, Oregon. It seems like a bit of an early fall, but I am sure some hot summer like days are on the horizon. Growing up in Oregon and spending most of my life in Central Oregon I know the most perfect days come in September and October. And with no smoke to deal with, this is shaping up to be such a good fall. We have 49 days of general trout season left! Are you going to make the most of it?

The Metolius River is just magical in September. I fished there with my friend Bryce this week on a warm afternoon, and I arrived a little late for seeing green drakes, Bryce said they were popping well at 1:00. I arrived at 2:30 (thinking I was on time for the drake hatch…) and saw none, but did catch fish on Purple Comparaduns and a Spring Creek Chute, so I was happy. But there is nothing like a “drake take” and my next trip there I will make sure to leave the shop a little earlier.
Hatches are really good throughout the river, and Golden Stones continue to be a staple from the headwaters to Gorge Campground, and look for them to be in isolated spots where variable water temperatures create pockets of habitat conducive to the 3rd largest, but best hatching stonefly on our favorite river. Other stoneflies to note are Cascade Stones, especially around the Lower Bridge area, and some Salmonflies, and a lot of Little Olive Stones #16-18 (Henryville with the hackle cut flush to the bottom or an Olive CDC Caddis).
Plenty of Caddis to chase and match! Tan #16, Olive #16-18, Yellow #18-20, Grey #14, Orange #8. Pupa as nymphs practically anytime of the day you have a fly rod in hand, and emergers and adults later in the afternoon and evening. Iris Caddis in Tan and Olive are essential. Parachute Caddis, Corn Fed Caddis and Missing Link Caddis are 3 others we fish a lot and they work.
Arguably the mayfly is my most adored trout stream (or lake) creature! The elegance of a mayfly is hard to beat, and the way their life cycles work they are easy to identify and choose a pattern based on some deductive reasoning. Patterns of all hatches are repeatable from year to year, season to season, and with mayflies some of my favorite flies, and favorite techniques to present these special creations have emerged. Pun intended. I’ll be happy in any hatch, but mayfly hatches are icing on the cake, and the next 5 weeks are extra sweet on the Met!
Flav hatches are a small Green Drake. Sometimes Flav’s are referred to as “lesser green drakes”. They are smaller at an average hook size of #14, but that is the end of discussion of lesser. Flav’s are all things beauty, and all things important to the Metolius in September. Make sure to carry a few patterns to match them as the fly that worked yesterday won’t necessarily be the same today.
Green Drakes are popping more this week than last week, and several customers and friends have been absolutely stoked on their recent success on #10 drake emergers and duns.
Pale Morning Duns are one of the most important mayflies in the West, and from April to November on the Metolius they roll off the surface more than most of the other mayflies. #16 is the size to match, and nymphs, emergers, cripples, duns and Rusty Spinners will cover you on the stages of the hatch cycle.
Blue Wing Olives #18-20 are gaining ground on the hatches now. They have been important since late July in some areas of the river, but now the hatch spreads to all areas of the river and the quantity and quality of the hatches will both get better. Just like the PMD above, the whole life-cycle is important to have flies in your box to match the moment.
Finally, Mahogany Duns are a great fall hatch and the more the Vine Maples turn orange and red, the more Paraleptophlebia’s you will encounter here. We have a fly that is called an Upright Rusty Spinner that we occasionally use as an actual Rusty Spinner, but always have used as a Mahogany Dun #16. Also, a Quill Gordon (old school baby) and a Grey Comparadun are my 2 favorite flies for the Mahogany Dun hatch. A Grey Film Critic is a fabulous emerger for these. I remember a time on the river using a Timberline Emerger with good success when they were selective about eating a dun. A #16 CDC Soft Hackle PT with a copper tungsten bead is a great nymph for them.
Nymphing Euro/Tight Line Style is always a great method to catch about anything that swims in the Metolius. A friend was in the shop today and said he hammered the Whitefish recently with his nymph rig. Bulls, Bows and Browns (the 3 B’s) love a tightline rig. Standout nymphs for the moment are Tan Caddis Pupa, Tungsten Jig 20″, Jig Green Drakes, TJ Hooker Olive, Olive and Brown Perdigons, BWO Micro Mayfly, and Walts Worms.
Bull Trout Fishing is good, keep an eye out for Redds (spawning gravel being used or that shows signs of recent use from cleaner spots in the gravel compared to surrounding areas). We have amazing BT streamers in stock and lots of them. It isn’t always about the old white streamer. Yep, they work, but they also are shown to a lot of fish, and changing it up to other colors is a good idea. I personally love our triple articulated streamers in Black/Purple and all Black, and the Milk Shake.

The Lower Deschutes is in the middle of the end of the summer hatches and the beginning of the fall cycles. This means the Pale Evening Duns #14 and PMD’s #16, are fading away until next season but will be around for a bit longer so don’t put that box of yellow mayflies away! And don’t forget to pack #14-18 Purple Haze and Purple Comparaduns. There are a number of caddis that are important now, and you’ll want pupa, emergers, adults and spent egg layers in the box to cover the #16 Tan, #18-20 Black or Dark Brown, #14 Grey and it is time to get the #8 October Caddis Pupa on the line as the next 6 or 7 weeks will be the prime time to fish that fly. Midges in all the stages are overlooked on the Deschutes, but are important. Round out the selection with Girdle Bugs, Rubber Leg Peacock Stones, Perdigons, and Walts Worms and get some!
Steelhead fishing is really good this season. A lot of fish coming to a swung fly on a dry line, and that will be the case until it gets much colder later in October and November, then we start pulling out the sink tips and leeches. Nymphing is also incredibly productive now and forever on the anadromous fish, and we just stocked up on Cheeseburgers with hot orange beads and you definitely want to use that Jig Peacock Girdle Bug with the 4mm tungsten bead under an indicator. Lightning Bug dropper is always a great bet, and we have a new Hot Pink Bead Purple Stonefly I think will will put steelhead in the net so take a few out and prove it for me!

The Middle Deschutes is fishing quite good. There are still good dry fly opportunities with BWO’s, PMD’s, PED’s and Tan Caddis mostly. Are you missing the hatch? No worries, Euro Nymph with a Jig Napoleon and a Berry’s PCP or a Brown Mini Gulp.

The Fall River is coming in to the time I like fishing it the most, with Fall weather coming a lot of good fishing conditions come together on the little spring creek. Here are some things that are happening right now you can count on and a few things that are just getting a foothold but will be great in the next few weeks.
Both PMD and BWO hatches are heavy hitters now. The absolute best way to match these 2 small mayfly hatches are to use a cripple like a KD Dun, or emergers like a Film Critic, Winger, Klink or Captive Dun. Combine with a 6x and you will do well, combine with a 7x tippet and you’re going to smash.
Henryville Caddis and Olive Elk Hair Caddis both with trimmed hackles to sit more flush are good, I also really like a Missing Link Caddis on the Fall and right now I would use a Yellow or Olive #16, and add the Hot Orange bodied version too, especially in October. Midges, Ants, Beetles and Grasshoppers will be effective throughout the river as well.
A lot of good nymph and streamer action with notable patterns like a Soccer Mom, Slum Lord and Mini Gulp, and nymphs like a Tungsten Egg, Zebra Midge, Micro Mayfly BWO, Perdigons, MOP and Rainbow Warrior. A Balanced Leech is also a good one to use under a strike indicator.

The Crooked River is one of our Central Oregon standouts now, and is one you don’t want to miss. A lot of good afternoon PMD hatches and a good mix of BWO’s in there too plus some Mahogany Duns. Here are 6 afternoon dry flies to use: PMD Extended Body Cut Wing Dun, Sparkle Dun in Yellow #16 and Olive #18, BWO Knock Down Dun #18, Purple Comparadun #16 & 18, Upright Rusty Spinner #16 will do the job.
Nymph fishing is fabulous, whether that be swinging a Soft Hackle or Tightlining a Frenchie or Fire Starter. Scuds, Zebra Midges, Skinny Nelson, Micro May’s and 2 Bit Hookers are very good.

The McKenzie is good, I know our FFP guide team is having a lot of good days on the river. It is a good time through September and October to book a day with Troy, Steve, Tonn, Michael, Eric and Shad.

LAKES REPORT

Little Lava Lake was a standout this week for me! Wow is the callibaetis hatch popping. Nymphs under the indicator or stripped on a Hover or Ghost Tip before the hatch starting about 10 AM, and by 1 you should see a full blown hatch. We hammered fish on Callibaetis Cates, Sparkle Duns and Cut Wing Extended Body Duns. We also got some fish on Beetles and a Red Holographic Jig.

Paulina Lake is fishing well with Beetles, Pink Hoppers (Really), Royal Chubby, Purple Chubby, Ants, Red Aero Legs and parachute Callibaetis. Fish are on the ledges and bank lines and over the shoals in the shallow weed bed zones looking up for dries.
I also like to fish the drop off’s of the ledges with a Balanced Leech and a Red Holographic Jig or Red PT.
It is a great time to be on Paulina from now until Halloween. I might add some guide days here in late October if the weather is good, so keep it in mind if you want a late season trip with me.

East Lake days have been good, but some days the afternoon callibaetis hatch is tricky to match. My best luck has been with a Captive Dun #1, a Film Critic #2, a Gallops Spent Bent Hook #3, and a tie between the Sparkle Dun and the Cream Extended Body Callibaetis. I will also say it is a good idea to have some Purple Haze and Olive Haze in the selection when Callibaetis are out.
A lot of Terrestrial action can be found along the shorelines with Hoppers, Ants, Beetles and Chubby’s. Royal Chubby is my favorite along with a Red Hippie Stomper.
Nymphing a Callibaetis Cate, Red Jig PT, Blood Worms, Ice Cream Cones, Hanging with my Chromies and Balanced Leeches are all good under an indicator, or strip damsels, scuds and un-beaded callibaetis nymphs on the shore line with a Hover or Ghost Tip line.
I am told the docks at the resort are coming out this week. That means for me I will either use my drift boat or do a lot more at Paulina until the end of the season.

Hosmer Lake is good and the Brookies are now starting to fill in down the channel in their seasonal response to spreading out.
Olive or Red Midge Pupa on the bottom, CB Cate, CDC Red Ribbed Black Double Down Nymph, Red PT, Water Boatman, Damsel Nymphs, Leeches, Crostons Chironomid and Ice Cream Cones are all the flies you will use to fool fish at different times and in different areas of the lakes.
Not many hatches left but some straggler Callibaetis, Damsels and Caddis. Waterboatman take flight in the fall months and a floating water boatman pattern is a good thing to have in your box for the next 6 weeks here. Ants, Beetles, Hippie Stompers and the Red Aero Legs are good over the weed beds and along the reed line.

Crane Prairie is a good choice from here on out until the end of the season. Any channel is good, and the fish are spreading beyond the channels now that temps are cooling. Balanced Leeches (try the new Umpqua leech with the chamois leather tail! it is really cool and durable too), Ice Cream Cones, Zebra Midges, Black CDC Double Down, Scuds, Blobs, Water Boatman and Red Jig PT. Red Hippie Stompers and Purple Chubby’s are a good indicator and also good dries for fall.

Three Creek Lake had some really good days for some friends this past week and I expect this week to be good up there! Balanced Leeches (Vampire with the chartreuse bead) are great. Red or Black & Red Ice Cream Cones, Red Jig PT, CB Cate, Red holographic Jig are all good. Red Hippie Stomper is a dynamite dry for this lake, and there are still a good number of Callibaetis hatching. We’ve been taking the Cut Wing Extended Body CB and coloring the body and thorax black with a sharpie for the darker stage mayflies hatching now. Midges and some Black X Caddis will be good hatch matchers towards evening, and don’t forget Ants and Beetles.

Travel

1. a couple of spots to fill in Belize for the Blue Bonefish Lodge with me April 11-17, 2026. $4600+/-
2. 
   2 spots to fill with me January 24-31, 2026 in San Martin de Los Andes, Argentina $4950
3. 
   4 spots to fill with me in Chile at the Rio Baker (the finest fishing lodge I’ve ever been to) February 21-28, 2026 $7500

Local Guide Trips

we still would like to fill the womens only trip September 23-24-25 from Trout Creek to Harpham. We set up the camp, cook you good food and provide an amazing experience with like minded women anglers. Steelhead will be there too, so the guides can work with you on Spey! They are also great teachers of nymphing and dry fly techniques. $1500 and singles are more than welcome. The group are women in there 50’s through early 70’s. All are welcome.

Book your October and November Steelhead day trips or Overnights now. The run is very good and our fall trips are a good way to chase Steelhead and Trout on the Lower Deschutes.

Fall is a good time for a lot of the lakes, especially Paulina. I am pretty booked until the 20th, but if the weather is good from the 20th to Halloween I will add 5 or 6 days to the year and finish strong. Let me know if you want on a waiting list to call in October. Also Steve and Tonn know this fishery well and are good choices to hit the lake with for sure.

I look forward to seeing you on the water or in the shop.

Jeff