It is mostly a wash-out throughout the entire Pacific NW with very few fishable rivers.
The one that is still fishable for sure is the Fall River, and I am not sure I trust the gauges on the Crooked but the internet says the flow from Bowman Dam remains 100 cfs. What makes me question that is the inflow to Prineville Reservoir is showing 106 cfs and my spider senses are telling me that can’t be accurate.
All of the Deschutes is way too blown, and even the old steady Metolius is ripping some high water since yesterday and I would say we will see it get a bit higher before the retreat begins.
So this isn’t much of a fishing report, but if you need a fix, head to the Fall River and get some there.
It’s likely you’ll see #18-20 BWO’s and if the rain is coming down expect even greater success on emergers and cripples because emergence can be catastrophic when big rain drops hit you in the wings as you are trying to fly away for the 1st time.
Tungsten beaded Perdigons, Eggs, Pink Mops, Zebras and Scuds. Rainbow Warrior and Micro Mayfly and 2 Bit Hookers are high on the list to add plus Slump Busters, Soccer Moms, Zonkers and Balanced Leeches.
Coming home from Argentina with a revived love of stripping streamers on a sink tip, I think it’s time to rethink this approach to all of our local Oregon rivers too.

I remember 20+ years ago coming home from Chile and taking a sink tip and Conehead Rubber Leg Wooly Bugger to the Deschutes riffles and whacking the fish. Years ago I used a sink tip and a Zonker often on the Fall. I remember Chester on the Metolius in the Canyon stripping a Zonker on the Sink Tip with a huge rainbow to show for it. I think it is time to revive the sink tip and more streamers. It’s active, and interesting and productive.

I’m home from Argentina for another week, and have been enjoying time in the shop, and being with my mom and some great friends for dinners and lunches and socializing before Christmas.
I head back south next saturday and come home in the spring. A lot of warm days ahead, and a lot of good fishing to look forward to.

I had breakfast with a new friend I met at the Fly Fishing Movies in Bend earlier in November yesterday, and was telling him about getting started in guiding, and why my Deschutes National Forest guiding permit is so important to me personally. I started fishing East Lake when I was 4, and in 1988 my bosses Alan and Craig at the Fly Box let me start guiding. They only allowed me to guide the Fall River and Hosmer Lake and I wasn’t allowed to drive to any trip. They told the clients I was a good guide and knowledgeable angler, but a shitty driver so they didn’t trust me to drive. That isn’t exactly true, I would have been a good driver on guide trips, but I did go through a period where I was a maniac driver to and from the fishing. Ask Chester Allen, one of my longest fishing buddies about being strapped in to the passenger seat of a small Japanese hatchback, often listening to a Van Halen tape (diver down got a lot of play) and setting land speed records to Crane, Crooked, Hosmer, Mecca and Fall River.
Great days. But the best story was my 1st ever lake trip. We chose Hosmer because that’s where I was allowed to guide, and loaded up 3 round float tubes in the back of Joe’s Volvo wagon. His son in law Scott was brand new at fly fishing and I helped him start along the reed line on the lower lake before moving towards the channel to catch up with Joe. At lunch, we went back to the parking lot to get out of tubes, take a leak and have a sandwich. BTW, that is a good order to do those 3 things in, but as I get older I can only hope for 2 out of 3.
It is here I learned that Scott hooked himself in the back of his ear with a fly he chose to tie on when I left him alone for a bit.
I think I have told this story before here, but it is worth mentioning that “I am trained in First Aid” and I took a looksy.
Scott’s limbic system didn’t agree and when I reached up to look at the damage, he crumpled to the dirt parking lot in a heap of passed out big man mess. Now, with a rusty #6 royal coachman impaired in his ear and a newly split open forehead.
It’s amazing that my first ever lake guide trip ended up in Urgent Care, but you can only get better from there. Right?
And that got me thinking about peeling neoprene waders off a passed out guy, let alone peeling them off ourselves when there were no other choices.
Do you remember wearing Neoprene waders? Or did you start in the sport when breathable waders were the only things around?
Chester and I used to walk to Luellen’s from Mecca campground all the time on hot summer days wearing neoprenes. I had Simms, and then Orvis models and he had a brand called James Scott. Do you remember them? The James Scott waders compared to the Simms were unlined, raw neoprene and Chester sprinkled baby powder in the waders to help them slide on. And hopefully off 6 hours and a half gallon of sweat later. We drank a lot of green gatorade that we bought at Ahern’s Market in Madras on the way to the river. And you couldn’t stop at Ahern’s without a sandwich made to order from the deli in back, or their famous fried chicken and jo-jo’s.
I miss the old days, but my goodness we are lucky to wear a modern pair of breathable Simms waders.
And now I listen to NPR radio and drive the speed limit and swear loudly and shake my finger at bad drivers.
It’s good to be the old guy. It beats the alternative. So keep fishing and keep traveling, and keep being friends with the people you love the most. In my world there is nothing more important that relationships and love, and a passion for fishing.

A quick announcement on travel
Baja filled up.
We added a week for 2 to 4 anglers, (maybe 6) January 17-24 in San Martin de Los Andes, Argentina Patagonia. $4500 per person.

We are putting together our groups for Argentina December 2026, January 2027 x 2 and Chile in February and March 2027.
Belize in April 2027.
Get on the list for more details and info and sign up before they all fill up.
You will not regret any of these trips.

ON SALE-
All Thomas & Thomas Euro Nymph Rods and old style Exocett SS for 40% off
Winston 13′ 3″ 7 Weight Air TH for 40% off.
Abel Super 6 Reel
Simms G3 Waders at $495 before the new model comes in the spring.

I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and wonderful holidays with your family and friends.
So many people that read this report each week are some of the most special people to me in the world.
Peace to all of you.

Jeff