It’s been the wet, cool and windy week that was in the forecast and that sure has helped some of our fishery’s get back to the water temp safe zone, and it’s making the fishing better too.
I’m sitting here (Friday evening) as the rain is falling, we just had a few claps of thunder sounding off from what seemed like south of the fly shop, between us and Three Creek Lake. And then it poured.
Saturday is going to be the driest day of the weekend, and then Monday looks like our pattern changes back to a more summery and lovely time to be fishing around central Oregon. Should be pretty darn smoke free, not hot, just warm. Chamber of Commerce would be proud, and you need to be fishing.

The Metolius is a powerhouse now for Trout and Bull Trout. Not to be missed over the next several weeks. No big Drake hatches so far, but it is getting ramped up and you need to be ready.
No reason for me to rewrite this from scratch so here is the info I shared from last week that is going to be the same this week and through at least the end of the 1st week of October.
Pale Morning Duns. Likely to see both #16 and #18 as autumn days march on through September and into October. 
Blue Wing Olives. Mostly size #20, but #18 and #22 are possible. On small hooks, the % difference if you are off a hook size is greater than being off between a #12 and a #14. Meaning you might not get away with it unless you match the hatch right on. And that hasn’t taken account for what stage these picky trout are after…
Mahogany Duns. A close relative to PMD’s in #16 and just a perfect match for the Quill Gordon or Upright Rusty. 
Ameletus. #14. I like an Olive Haze, Jeff’s Flav (its a multitasker), Film Critic and Purple Comparadun 
Flav’s. A true sign of autumn. Jeff’s Flav, Film Critic, Comparadun, Parachute, Olive Haze. 
Green Drakes. I don’t expect to see them this week, but maybe they will pop on the rainy days? The september drakes are usually a #10 and #12 where the spring drakes are a #8 and #10. 
Not this early in the month (of September) but by late month some Cinygmula should be mixing in too. #16 yellow mayflies with 2 tails. Don’t worry, all the PMD flies you bought or tied will match it too.
Spinners. Rusty #16-18-20, light Olive #18-20-22, green drake #10-12-14 and look for them in the mornings and the other 2 in the evening usually. 
Caddis are in abundance with #20 Tan Micro Caddis filling the air most evenings, but they prefer warmth so tonight and tomorrow look good, but Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday might see less of them? Lots of #16 Tan Caddis (hydropsyche sp) , Olive #16-18, Gray #14and October Caddis #8 are increasing in hatch numbers now each evening. I expect to see more of them this week with the cool weather. 
Stoneflies will be very good this week and all of September with the most abundant species coming up as #16-18 Little Olive Stones, followed by #8-12 Golden Stones, #4-6 Salmonflies in isolated hatch areas, and #6-8 Cascade Stones mostly below Bridge 99 but could be up around Wizard Falls and the Canyon. 
Midges are also a strong possibility to be a hatch of importance, so make sure to have some Griffiths Gnats #20-22 and other black emergers and pupa to fish if that shows up. 
We are using more Ants and Beetles on the Metolius than before and they work. 
Nymphs you absolutely need now are Green Drakes (TJ Hooker and 20 Incher) PMD Split Case, 2 Bit Hookers, Soft Hackle PT’s, Fat Ass Caddis, Golden Stone’s and Black Stones, October Caddis Pupa, Walts Worms and a myriad of Perdigons, especially in Brown, Olive and Purple. 
Streamers include the biggest articulated stuff you can handle, along with more manageable flies like a Circus Peanut and Milk Shake, and Sir Mix a Lot, Busta Seamz and Sparkle Minnows. Mostly this is for Bull Trout, but you can also use smaller Squirrel Leeches and Slum Lords and certainly interest some Rainbows and Browns. 
This is an intense hatch time for the next 6 weeks, and I listed a lot of flies to match the hatch. Overwhelming? Stop in the shop and tell us where on the river you’ll be, and what time you are going to fish and we can narrow it down a lot. Often to just a few hatches that will be most important in the right time and place for you.

The McKenzie River continues to be very good for the FFP guides, and water levels are 1700 to 1900 cfs, low but very navigable in their drift boats.
Lots of fish coming to Chubby’s with a Perdigon dropper, and leeches with a perdigon or walts worm dropper, frenchies, possie buggers, caddis pupa, mega prince and copper johns.
With the river lower than average we’ve been seeing more anglers coming over to wade through the different areas and a lot of them are using a trout spey to cover the water with sculpins and leeches. I have also heard chatter in the shop talking about good action on stonefly nymphs, with golden stones being the top fly choice.

The Fall River is fishing good of course. On a holiday weekend expect some crowded conditions from 10 am to 4 pm, and around the hatchery and campground and headwaters. Consider going early at dawn or starting at 3 and fishing to dark. And of course hike! Explore more areas off the beaten track. The main hatches will be PMD’s #16 and 18 and cripples and emergers are best, BWO’s #18-20 and make sure to have a KD Dun, Midges black #20-24, Caddis Olive and Tan #16-18 with a Henryville and CDC Caddis being killers, Beetles #14-16, Ants #12-18 and small Chubby’s and Hippie Stompers which double as a good strike indicator too. We usually prefer to Euro nymph, but a Dry/Dropper is a killer technique on practically any trout water.
Make sure to bring Eggs, Perdigons, Split Case PMD, 2 Bit Hookers, Scuds, Zebra’s (red and black) Leeches and Slum Lords for getting deep.

The Lower Deschutes is keeping up for us with good days of trout action even though the steelhead season remains closed. Most of the fish are coming on small streamers, leeches and 2 Bit Hookers. Stonefly nymphs and Caddis Pupa are very important, and a Split Case PMD and Micro May BWO nymph are essential.
When the fish are eating on top, the Purple Haze is a strong 1st choice, but with warmer days and evenings coming back next week we ought to see some great caddis hatches again with tan #16 and charcoal #18 best.
Bring your euro rod, trout spey, strike indicator stick (mine is a 9 1/2′ 5 weight for here) and a dry fly rod like your favorite 9′ five weight.

The Middle Deschutes is picking up and on the good list with our cool down. From Bend to Lake Billy Chinook you can find a lot of good fishing on dry flies, nymphs and lighter weight streamers. PMD and PED, BWO’s and Caddis are all good. I also love a Purple Haze here, and in fact it was almost 30 years ago on a September afternoon a kid named Kyle showed up a the shop repping a new brand called Montana Fly Co. I remember Nate Turner and I were at the shop that day and Kyle was enthusiastic of his brand. He showed us so many cool flies and Nate and I were so fired up we closed the shop at 5 and headed to a favorite section of the Middle D, with a bunch of samples to try. The Purple Haze was magical that night and has been a staple for us ever since. I recall Kyle stuck around Oregon for a while and we got out on the Lower Deschutes with him and learned a lot of new techniques, fished awesome new nymphs and cemented MFC as a staple for us at FFP.
Frenchies, Split Case PMD, Soft Hackle PT, Yellow Jig Napoleon are all sweetheart nymphs.

The Upper Deschutes for the section we float is quite good. A lot of Streamer fishing now, and hoppers and many days there are a lot of great hatches including Tricos early AM, PMD and BWO and Mahogany Duns and you might get some caddis mixed in too.
The Walk and Wade area above Crane Prairie is still fishing really well. Mostly with nymphs and small streamers, and some PMD, Caddis, Ants, Beetles and Chubby’s. “
All of this closed Sept 30th.
Remember that there is an area near Sheeps Bridge and up to Browns X-Ing to the Crane Prairie’s dam that is already closed as of the last day of August. Know where to go and don’t fish closed water.

The Crooked River is dropping to under 200 cfs. 177 cfs as of today. That’s still a fair bit of water for the area, and fishing is really good. PMD hatches are improving, and we ought to see more BWO’s coming on this month and in October.
Nymph action is excellent! Frenchie and Walts, Jig Napoleon, Spanish Bullet and Perdigons are killer. Scuds, Zebra Midge and Winkers are also recommended.

Lakes Report

While I was starting to write the report I got an email from Stevie in Sunriver who went to Crane Prairie today and found water temps in Quinn in the 50’s and the water has cleared.
I also saw a report on one of the Facebook fishing pages that someone had a really good action there yesterday.
Balanced leeches and chironomids are going to be the sweet spots, don’t hesitate to go with Zebra Midges in the fall on Crane and not just the bigger chrony’s.

My friend Rob sent me the messages I wanted to hear this week. Little Lava water temps were down, water was clearing and one of the 2 days he was there there were good callibaetis hatches and also caught fish on ants.
Beeltes are also highly recommended!
I’d fish chironomids and callibaetis nymphs under a strike indicator. Give a whirl to some leeches, especially the olive with a root beer tail.
I look forward to a few days up there this week, starting monday with Sean and Skip joining me in the boat again.
Lava Lake is a definite go to this week too. Same hatches and nymphs and leeches but bring your type 7 full sink for some deep dangling too.

I have not heard any report form Hosmer. Upper lake and Upper Channel ought to be in good condition. Fish can get picky in September, but chironomids, scuds, water boatman, little damsels, leeches and CB nymphs all important. Water is low, maybe too low in places for my favorite Bung style indicator there, so I would do a NZ Wool indi.

Good news coming from East lake resort with the docks staying in until the 18th for those of us who rely on them to launch and re-trailer our bigger boats.
Callibaeits hatches near the EL CG and White Slide are good around lunch. I hope to see some massive hatches this coming week with the sun and warm days returning.
Ants, Beetles and Hoppers!
Chironomids under an indicator or down deep on the dangle.

Paulina Lake continues to be a good bet, and for a while it was all I wanted to fish due to water temps and access.
Now, it’s more about the trending fall excellence.
Beeltes, Aero Red Legs, Flag Ant, Hoppers (including peach and pink) will be the main dry flies, but tuck some olive haze in the box. A lot of September late afternoons see a mayfly hatch that will bring fish to the surface.
There is a good chironomid bite, fishing under an indicator mid day in 15 to 18′. Larger Red Ice Cream Cones and Hanging with my Chromies were best for me last week. It’s always important to have a good selection of chironomid sizes and colors.
Balanced Leeches, Scuds and Red 2 Bits are good on the ledge drop offs with an indi or a midge tip line.

Shop Stuff

we still have a good selection of T&T Zone rods in 3, 4, 5 and 6 weight models for $357 sale priced. And some T&T saltwater 9 weights and high end trout rods 40% off.

Travel

Very happy to have filled the Chile trip in February with a lodge full of 12 at the Patagonia Baker Lodge. Get on the list for 2028.
Only 2 places left in December for Argentina 12/5 to 12/12
January 9-16 is filling, I think by time the weekend is over I’ll have 4 more commitments leaving 2 spots open.
January 16-23 is full.
Southern Loops has the following weeks open too. I wont be there with you but I will get you set up and all the planing and logistics done together with you: Jan 23-30 (4 spots), Feb 6-13 (6 spots), Feb 13-20 (4 spots) and Feb 28 to March 7 (2 spots)
Belize May 1-7, getting good sign ups but have plenty of rooms and guides left.

Life in Sisters

After I was able to pay of the building, that made it possible to be a home owner again. Even better, a homeowner in Sisters. I closed on a house about 7 blocks from the fly shop this week and move in Sept 19th. I am really excited about the space, getting my tying desk organized again, and having a 2 car garage for my gear!
next summer I will spend less time guiding and more time in the shop and enjoying waters close to home.
I am nearing the end of 2 years of my business and longest stretch of guiding in my life. Starting tomorrow I have 7 in a row in the lakes and then 6 the following week. This has allowed me to chase dreams and finish goals, like the building and the house.
I plan to leave to Argentina on November 16th, coming home December 13th, then going back January 6th to March 25th with trips to Uruguay for Dorado, Chile and Argentine Patagonia for trout and a exploration of the Rio Limay in the south american fall for a run of big browns that is well known on that water in march and april.

Many thanks for all of your support, kindness and friendships.

Jeff