Hello from the Santiago, Chile airport. I arrived here from Chilean Patagonia where I had a great time with the Magic Waters crew ar Patagonia Baker Lodge, then to the Cinco Rios Lodge and finally to the Estancia Del Zorro where I left just after sunrise to catch a flight from the regional airport in Balmaceda.
I look forward to my return to Patagonia after the season is over in Oregon (!!!!) and I’ll be home in a little over a week.

I know it is a lovely weekend back home in Oregon, but on monday much cooler weather is coming in. I would love to see some back to back snow storms hit our mountains and make at least a dent in that horror story of a snowpack I keep looking at. I may be back in the drift boat at East Lake again as I imagine launching the big boat is going to be a challenge. Dang, because it was such a gift to see that water creeping back the last 2 years. Time will tell, but I have a feeling the little green boat is going to be used a lot this season.

I have a lot of wonderful friends! And thanks to them I get to share Oregon fishing reports with the people who read this report and make choices about when and where (and what to use) to fish because of it.

The Metolius River has been good overall, with a lot of reports from Phil S, Phil S, Gavin F (camp sherman dad) and Jesse B. Thanks to all of them for the contributions to the report.
To summarize the group there have been hatches, although spotty as to where you might find them and whether the fish are going to eat dry flies at all… Some days yes, somedays no.
We get drawn to these sunny and warm early spring days thinking this is it, the hatch is going to be on fire and I’ll fish a Sparkle Dun all afternoon. But often the case is the dry fly fishing in March and April is better on the stormier days and sometime in May and June when the PMD’s and the Green Drakes really pop the nice days are as good as any. Of course there is so much more to it than this, but it is something you can use to think about plans for the day, what flies to get in your boxes, what rods to bring and how you’ll approach the river on your day.
Every single person on the list above had had their best success on Caddis Pupa, and all report good hatches of Caddis, and pockets of BWO’s #20, and the 1st March Browns #14 and Cinygmula mayflies #14-16 this week. Also midges, but overwhelmingly the Fat Ass Caddis Pupa and October Caddis Pupa were the flies that produced the most fish.
Jesse got some fish on #20 BWO dries, and Gavin and Phil C both mentioned seeing a fair number of little stoneflies, both black (winter) stones and yellow sally’s. Spring Creeks are a trip!
Phil also got a Bull Trout yesterday on a Black Jig Streamer.
A few steelhead have been caught lately between the hatchery and bridge 99.
Olive and Brown Perdigons, Golden Stone Nymphs, Micro May’s in BWO and PMD sizes, Green Drake Jigs and 20 Incher’s, Zebra Midges in Red and Black and add a Croston’s Chironomid to the nymph box too. Last spring it accounted for a fair number of fish and I think it’s weird, but I like the weirdness about fly fishing.

The Crooked River is a super good choice for the week ahead, with midges in full force and BWO’s on the increase. March, around spring break is a prime time for BWO’s on the crooked , and a lot of years we get washed out with runoff when it starts, or it never gives us the opportunity because of high water. That is not going to happen this season.
Add some Scuds, Fire Starter and Napoleon Jigs, Winkers and Zebra Midges, 2 Bit Hookers, Skinny Nelson (my personal favorite BWO nymph for the Crooked) and Micro Mayflies in #18-20 Olive. You can also swing Soft Hackles with good success on the crooked now.
*SPRING SPECIAL GUIDE TRIPS $400 for the day for one to three anglers on the Crooked and the Fall Rivers until 4/21/26

The Fall River has been consistently good and is worth the time spent over on our 2nd favorite spring creek.
This is the time of year to enjoy more hatches like Blue Wing Olives #18-20, some March Browns #14, possibly a Pale Morning Dun #16, Midges #22-24, Tan Caddis #16 and Grey Caddis #12-14, the 1st Ants and Beetles of the season will be more active as the ground and trees warm, and never discount an attractor dry fly on the Fall River. Hippie Stompers are a shop favorite, especially a Purple one.
Get more action on Jig Streamers and small Sculpzillas and Zonkers, and consider adding a sink tip or sinking leader to your kit for this. Try jigging the undercuts with a heavy tungsten jig streamer or #10 lead eye wooly bugger. Years ago, Tom Brazier of the Numb Butt Fly crew (Tom and Merril Hummer were the “crew”) showed me that Lead Eye Wooly Bugger magic trick, walking softly over the areas known to have a cut bank and dropping the fly beside the cuts and lifting your rod up and down gently to swim the fly right off the bottom with nothing more the leader out of the rod tip. Fish would rush the fly and grabs were intense, but often missed.
Lately I have also done this with a Pinkish-Orange Mop Fly.
It is hard to beat the Euro Nymphing techniques on the Fall River and don’t be shy to do both match the hatch size/shape/color but also crazy stuff like the streamers and mop flies and eggs.
*SPRING SPECIAL GUIDE TRIPS $400 for the day for one to three anglers on the Crooked and the Fall Rivers until 4/21/26

The Lower Deschutes at Maupin going up or down stream is going to get better and better this month and into April.
I haven’t heard of any March Brown mayflies yet, but it won’t be long. Do keep an eye on Midges, BWO’s, and even Caddis in tan #14-16 and Grey #14 for hatch opportunity, and think about the lift cycle of those aquatic insects and fish nymphs and pupa when its time. Salmonfly and Golden Stone nymphs are mature that will be hatching in less than 2 months! Can you believe that? Fish the big nymphs with confidence.
Probably a lot more anglers go to the Locked Gate than towards Macks Canyon, but both sides of Maupin offer great trout fishing now.
Jig Streamers, Sculpins and even Minnow type streamers are something we are learning more about and that fish on the Lower D don’t just eat insects, but capture and kill the meatier offerings too.

Are you looking for a spring break adventure? Consider the Blitzen. Later in the year the water is going to be really low, so a spring trip will hit the conditions better.

LAKES

Justesen Ranch had a darn good week last week with leeches and red ice cream cones reported successful. $150 per day per person.

Haystack Reservoir is a great public option with wading the shore lines or tubing the lake both offering good fishing now. I didn’t hear from anyone who went this past week, but water is open and we recommend balanced leeches, especially black with an orange bead, black with an chartreuse bead, olive with both of those bead and something subdued. Red or Black Ice Cream Cones, Hanging With My Chromies and other chironomids as you see fit for the day will be good under the bobber or on an Emerger Tip with a slow retrieve.

I got some good intel on Lake Billy Chinook on the Deschutes Arm fishing streamers and balanced leeches for Bulls, Browns and Rainbows. Metolius Arm is open but remember that you need the Tribal Permit to fish that arm, and in my opinion, early season with the fly rod the Deschutes and Crooked arms are more fishy.

Travel-
Over the past 3+ months I spent a lot of time fishing in patagonia. Here is the recap:
Absolute best trip was with Southern Loops in December. Fishing was better than I had ever seen it.
All 3 trips to Southern Loops in San Martin de Los Andes were good, with the 1st and 3rd being the most productive.
One of the things I also love about this trip is the cultural experience of big in the town and not in a lodge. Don’t get me wrong, a lodge is a luxury, and I love the luxury. But I love most the opportunity to be in the culture, to walk about town and to go out for ice cream before bed. I like the fact I’ve found a bunch or good restaurants to share and choose each night after fishing. The fish are probably on average a bit smaller than other places in Patagonia, but when we went in December the bigger fish made their presence known and who doesn’t like leaving Oregon in January or February to catch 14 to 21 inch trout? Awe shucks.
In Chile Magic Waters and Patagonia Baker Lodge are just top notch. Eduardo and Consuelo have created one of the greatest trout lodge experiences in the world at the Baker River. The original lodge at Magic Waters is wonderful too, not quite as fancy as the Baker, but closer to the town we fly in to, and offers about 60 fishing options which is one of the reasons it remains a favorite of ours. The accommodations at both places are the loveliest, the staff is too. Guides work hard and are friendly always. A+ for the things they can control. Weather is always a consideration. Some weeks you just get wind and rain and it can affect the fishing.
It did for us a bit 2 weeks ago, but the weather really kicked our asses last week at the Cinco Rios Lodge and our move up the Estancia Del Zorro, and it certainly affected our fishing for 2 or 3 days. Guides at both lodges were again top of their class. All exceptionally hard workers but they were up against low water from a snow drought and heavy rain and wind for a few days this week. I am glad to be adding it to the FFP list of options for the future. Cinco Rios is also close to town and is easy to get in and out, and from there the guides have what seemed like endless options on waters to fish. I was most impressed by the Rio Simpson Canyon, it was a trout paradise and one of the best days of fishing I will have all this year.
I am already working on dates for December and January in Argentina and it is looking like Esteban is going to come to Oregon for a visit in May and we will work together to promote our businesses together.
I also have dates in February of 2027 for Chile at the Baker and at Magic Waters. I have several people already committed to the Baker and we are just announcing the dates for Magic Waters now.
Let me know if you want to get on the list for more info.

I started writing this in Santiago and I am finishing it in Buenos Aires. It’s been a long day of travel and I have food being delivered to the apartment soon and then I look forward to a great nights sleep in a city I love. It is not Sisters, but it is good here.

See you in about a week and half in Oregon! I look forward to seeing the Cascades, eating Chips & Salsa and driving my truck to the Metolius. It is weird to have not driven a car since December 22nd.
If you have a fishing story to share, let me know! Also, if you have info on Chickahominy or North Twin access (if any yet) let me know.

Jeff