I am winding down in South America in a sense, although I just dropped off 8 people at the Balmaceda Chile airport from the Patagonia Baker Lodge as they make their ways back home to Oregon, Alaska, California and Massachusetts I will miss them, and the great stories we shared at the end of fishing each day around the dinner table. Hearing about trout of course, but photography, motorcycle racing, classic cars, industry, law and a group of like minded brains on politics was a nice way to spend a week with fabulous folks.
Tonight my new group arrives, mostly from Central Oregon and one former Central Oregon friend who relocated to Idaho.
I just arrived at the Cinco Rios Lodge about 2 hours ago and have been enjoying coffee and amazing conversations with the owner Sebastian. He has been inviting me to come to this lodge for at least 10 years, and between this (the main lodge) and where we will transfer mid-week to the spring creeks of Estancia Del Zorro I am full of anticipation for sharing the experience with the guys arriving here in a few hours.
One of my inspirations to be here came from a Todd Moen Catch Magazine video he produced on the Estancia Del Zorro many seasons ago! I’ve wanted to see that water ever since. It is amazing how often Oregon connects to here!
This is my 30th week of fishing in Patagonia, and my life goal is to hit 52 weeks. If I make 52 weeks and I have energy left to keep coming, I will.
I really encourage you to come along with me next year to Argentina or Chile. I am getting dialed in here more than ever and want this to be a bigger part of of the off season FFP/Jeff program.
I want to guide in the Oregon lake season and be here in Patagonia when Oregon is frozen. By 2028 I hope this is the reality in what will be my 42nd year in the fly fishing business.

For now, you are thinking about spring in Oregon, and fishing opportunities around Sisters and Bend.
They are abundant, and I look forward to share this info with you in this report.

The Metolius River is always a special place to visit in the spring, and Meteorological Spring is March 1st! My friend Phil sent me some good reports from this past week to share with y’all (he talks like that, haha) and I love that he takes the days to fish, and the time to share the info.
Here is the report:
So Monday fishing sucked.  No bugs again…damp and cool.  One fish that got off.  Today was a different story. Fished with Camp Sherman Dad…he did well on dries from the jump….before I even got wadered up.  I rose 4 got one on a dry purple comparadun size 18.  Saw Oct caddis, caddis, BWOs, cinygmula’s, and some little stones. Gavin said he saw some Skwala’s.  I switched over to euro when the hatch died off.   Whacked several nice rainbows…3 on an egg and one on a soft hackle PT.   Beautiful sunny day…lots of fun.
I also really appreciate the reports from Matthew and his son who are pretty darn successful and often mention their love of the soft hackle PT’s but last time said Brown Elk Hair Caddis for the win!
This is indicative of what you should expect now on the Metolius. Hatches are improving, but might be fickle some days. Always go to the nymphs if you can’t find hatches, and some days when you do find the hatch there is no guarantee the fish will be “up” on the emergers or dries. They usually are, but I have seen spring days (seems more common in the spring) to get a strong hatch with no interested fish, and go back another day with a light hatch and every fish is looking up. Only the fish God’s know why and I am not the fish God, believe me.
I would also add Golden Stones and Tungsten Jig 20 Incher’s to the Nymph selection, as both flies are imitating the biological responses of the bigger stones and drakes waking up and getting bigger for their upcoming hatches. I have to say it is exciting to write about spring! It is so full of hope.

The Fall River is top notch for the early spring and you will see good BWO hatches in the afternoons, along with Midges, some Caddis #14-16 Olive or Grey, quite possibly the 1st March Browns that should not surprise anyone to see fluttering clumsily as they take flight for the 1st time.
Don’t forget your Hippie Stompers (purple is best) and some ants and beetles as we warm in the spring days ahead.
Small Euro Jig Streamers are always a great choice on the Fall, and bigger streamers on a sink tip will be fun in some pools and bank lines, and “log cabins”.
Nymphing the ledges and the runs where you can sight fish trout is a blast in the Fall and one of my favored ways to approach the river if the fish are not on a dry fly hatch. Purple Perdigon, Brown or Olive Jig Napoleon or Perdigon, Eggs, Micro May BWO, 2 Bit Hooker BWO or Red and Scuds are great nymphs to use. From March 1 to April 21, 2026 we will be running our spring guide trip special again for $400 for up to 3 anglers on the river for a full day trip. BYOL. Flies Included. $350 for a half day.

The Crooked River is a great choice now, and I am 99.9% sure we won’t see any spring runoff unless we get biblical rains this spring. One never knows for sure, but they will want to be holding back water in the reservoir and not wasting a drop.
Reports of early Blue Wing Olive hatch success have been frequent, along with tiny black midges and excellent nymph fishing.
In lower water it is not uncommon to need to go to 6x (or lighter) on the dries, when the dries are #18 and #20. Comparaduns and Sparkle Duns are your top choices, but get some emerging profiles in the selection too, like a Film Critic or RS2. A small Purple Haze or Parachute Adams in an #18 can work some magic and is a pretty decent fly to run 20″ of 6x fluorocarbon tippet with a Skinny Nelson as a dropper nymph or an Rs2 you spit on (really, soak it in saliva to make it sink quickly) and run it over an area where the trout are rising.
On the nymph side, Fire Starter, Brown and Olive Perd’s, Flashback PT, Skinny Nelson, Micro May BWO and Soft Hackles. Scuds and Eggs and Zebra Midges are smart choices on a tailwater any time. From March 1 to April 21, 2026 we will be running our spring guide trip special again for $400 for up to 3 anglers on the river for a full day trip. BYOL. Flies Included. $350 for a half day.

The Middle Deschutes has some places to look for good fishing in the next couple of weeks. The water is high until irrigation season begins in mid-April. Some areas are really tough wading in this water level, and other areas are ok.. Skwalas are likely, BWO’s too and the end of the cycle for the Little Black Stones but worth having a Black Elk Hair Caddis and Float-N-Fool for matching the hatch.
On the nymph side go with Girdle Bugs and Brown Perdigons and keep it simple, and add some Slum Lords and Mini Gulp streamers to the box. Bring split shot too, and some indicators because some of the places that is going to be more productive than euro nymphing because of the access.

The Lower Deschutes near Maupin up to the Locked Gate or down to Mack’s Canyon is an absolute yes for March. If you bring your dog, check it for ticks when you get home (you too) and make sure to bring your favorite nymph rod and consider some small streamers, even on a sink tip and work the weedy edges with minnow and sculpin imitations. For the month of March Stonefly nymphs, especially Black ones in a #6, Soft hackle PT #12-14, Hares Ear #12-14, BWO Micro May #18, Prince #14-16, Green Rock Worm #14-16, Perdigons (all your usual colors) and Walt’s Worms.
You should also keep an eye out in eddies and the edges for BWO’s hatching and creating a dry fly opportunity. March Brown’s are likely 4 or 5 weeks away still.
Remember Warm Springs, Mecca, Dry Creek, Trout Creek and South Jct are closed until 4/22/26

Haystack Reservoir is a very good option this week. Wade the edges or tube it. Strike Indicator with a Balanced Leech and an Ice Cream Cone. Usually a fluorescent bead either Orange or Chartreuse is a good bet for the leech, and usually Black is the #1 body/tail color, but Olive and Red are good choices too.

With the beginning of Spring, we are excited to hear from Amanda at the Justesen Ranch the private lakes are open for the season!
last year at this time we were there and had tremendous success with Red Ice Cream Cones under the strike indicator. I don’t have a report yet for the season as it opened today, but Chironomids and Balanced Leeches are going to be tops for now.
If you call the Ranch directly to book it let Amanda know Jeff sent you. Or call the shop and we can handle the details for you.
When I am back in Oregon later in March I will do a group day (x2) again and have a few of your emails from last fall when I asked who wanted to join on that fun day. Let me know if you want to go.

As I write, I had to get up from the chair here and open the door so I could hear the birds that are down below the lodge along the Rio Simpson, and in the expansive valley across from the river. It is mostly Southern Lapwings (Tero) and Black Faced Ibis (Bandurria), although on the drive here I got to see and hear a Chilean Chucao which the locals say is good luck if you hear it from your right side. I did hear from my right side, so here is to a lucky week ahead with some wonderful people in one of the prettiest places in the entire planet. There is much peace here and today, all of us need that reminder that it is out there waiting to be found.

Be well and fish a little! I am not quite ready to come home yet, but I will look forward to seeing so many of you soon.

Jeff