Happy November 1st. In today’s report we will talk about fishing conditions, winter shop hours, and recent seasonal closures. I’m sure tid-bits of other things will come to me as I punch on these keys.

I can’t believe it is November 1st! With the arrival of our eleventh month, it is worth noting first off the things that begin to be closed for the season starting today. They include the Upper Metolius from the headwaters to Allingham Bridge (reopens 5/22/27), the tribal side of the Warm Springs to Trout Creek float, Whychus Creek and Tumalo Creek, Crane Prairie and Wickiup. Consult the ODFW regulations book or website for more details, and as always check that for all the reg’s to make sure you’re in season and compliant with flies and gear types.
There is a lot of water that remains open for us for year round fishing and I will highlight some of those here today. The weather looks good for the next 4 or 5 days, but I am seeing reports that by next weekend we might see a really wet and windy storm coming which I believe is the end of the season for the lakes that remain open. So if you have a desire for scratching one last itch on a few, today through Wednesday is probably your best option until next year.
***Check out the guide trip special below.

One of the things that makes The Fly Fisher’s Place so special is our proximity to the Metolius River. We love the river and our FFP team, along with so many of our friends and fishing buddy’s are getting out there almost every day in the prime time, and certainly a lot in what we might refer to as the ‘off season” which in my mind kind of starts now. I know my good friend Rod used to say he fishes the river more in the winter than in the summer. Others say they prefer the solitude they kind find in these non-tourist months to the heart of the summer.
And often times this can be true, especially on a week day in November (lasting until mid-March). Each day above freezing sometime between 11 am and 3 pm you ought to see a Blue Wing Olive hatch. There are multiple species of BWO’s that will hatch over the next few months so sizes can vary from 18 to 22, with 18’s being the most effective size to guess at tying on first. Have you seen the “winter baetis” that have such a tall wing they look like they might be a full size bigger? But when you have one land on you, or see it on a branch the body is certainly an 18. I wonder why mother nature did this? I am not an aquatic entomologist but I do know the 2 most common blue wing olives to our area are b.tricaudatas and b.bicaudatas. The tiny ones are most likely b. punctiventris, formerly called pseudocloeon and still referred to on river bank BS sessions as “pseudo’s”. When you encounter any of these mayflies today or over the winter, think about variables like the wing, or how many flies are hatching today. If it is a light hatch, then it is more likely the fish will be keyed on an emerger over a dun more than ever. And on the Metolius, emergers and cripples always perform the best.
Pale Morning Duns are not finished quite yet, but they are slowing down. There might be days you can be on the water and not see any, and there are days you can run into fishable hatch numbers of PMD’s until early December here. The old saying of being in the right place at the right time I think was invented on the Metolius.
Cinygmula is the “other yellow mayfly” that is important to match at this time. If you carry a Yellow Parachute, Comparadun, Sparkle Dun, Film Critic and KD Dun you will have your flies nicely covered for cinygmula and PMD’s should you encounter one or the other, or both hatching at the same time.
The 1st time I ever knowingly recognized a cinygmula was on November 1st in 1994. It is a hard year to forget, because on Halloween that year Sisters had a windstorm that blew with a maximum gust of 82 mph. Why we went fishing that day, I don’t know? I do know I was glad we did on 11/1 and not 10/31! Everyone talked about that storm for a long time.
Caddis Pupa have been one of the most dominate nymphs on the river lately. Tan #16 is #1, Orange #10 and Olive #14 take the 3 main caddis hatches and allow you to imitate the pupa in the drift. Caddis hatches now are a spread out affair, meaning they trickle off as adults instead of the intense hatches when many pupa reach the surface at the same time creating a good hatch to fish and concentrate on in our summer season. It’s not to say adult caddis wouldn’t have moments of glory now, but don’t expect as much from them over the winter as you do from May until October. Pupa’s should be your golden ticket.
There are still kokanee there actively spawning so eggs are especially important to use as a nymph. Eggs never are not important in this river, but when one of the major spawning runs of fish is happening like it does each fall when ten’s of thousands of kokanee come up from the lake to make babies, man oh man eggs are rolling downstream on a very regular basis and a high protein, easy to get meal for the trout and whitefish.
Goldenstone nymphs from #8 to #12, Perdigon’s #12-18 mostly in Olive, Brown and Purple, but BLUE, Orange and Pearl are good and may be the key to breaking it open during your own session on the river.
We are entering a time when Midges can be more important than ever on the Metolius as many of the other insects are not as available. Zebra Midges and Winker’s fished deep and slow are smart choices for nymphs, and look for fish to feed on emerging midges and adults especially in eddies now.
There have been some really honking Bull Trout caught lately. My friend Craig was in the shop yesterday and showed me a photo of one that was so wide in the back and shoulders it looked like a beast. Craig was stopping in for more of our Tri-Colored Articulated Streamers! You should too. White, Black, Sparkle and I have even heard of some coming on Chartreuse streamers lately. For me, at this time the bigger the streamer the better, but surprising things can occur with a small jig streamer, and there is no doubt you’ll never catch a 15″ rainbow or brown on a triple articulated streamer, but you will catch them on a Sir Mix A Lot or Slum Lord and plenty of Bull’s will eat that too.

The Lower Deschutes is still closed for steelhead but is fishing well for trout. We’ve had some awesome days of nymphing lately, with stonefly nymphs, girdle bugs, perdigons, eggs, october caddis pupa and small streamers here too.
Our guides are using a combination of euro nymph techniques and indicator fishing depending on the water type and wading options.
Until recently I didn’t view the Lower Deschutes in this way, but I am going to make a comparison to the Lower Sac in California. I took a guided trip to the Lower Sac with my best friend Matt and we met the guide Jason Lozano at the Fly Shop in Redding for our big day. We began the float trip at the Stock Yards and went well below Sun Dial Bridge. Jason knew the channels amongst the flow of this big river, and maneuvered the boat so our Fox’s Poopah and Micro Mayfly nymphs would be in these little gravel depressions most of us would miss.
What I am learning from our guides is these types of things exist in the Lower Deschutes too, and our guides that are putting clients on these spots are increasing their catch rates. This is a much different approach to the Lower D than I learned, and it is exciting to see frontiers open up as a slight shift in a micro current, or finding a gravel depression area and being in those zones makes a difference over the approach of sending the nymphs out over the riffle in a lot of random spots.
Trout Spey fishing has also been fun and productive on sculpins, leeches and small streamers. A skagit line and a little 8 to 10 foot sink tip is the best approach and a good way to keep your spey skills sharp while our steelhead season is closed. Echo has some cool little 3 and 4 weight Trout Spey for under $500 and that’s a darn good rod and won’t break the bank. I have a Sage 11′ 3 weight that is a blast to fish and I need to use it more. Just like with steelhead, there is nothing like the take of a swung fly.
***Check out the guide trip special below.

The Crooked River is on the rise and was 56 cfs this morning. It was my understanding the conservation flow agreement is 50 cfs minimum, so maybe they will fine tune that extra 6 cfs back in the next day or so…
Fishing the Crooked is good, and the Whitefish spawning season is beginning here, so yellow eggs are another nymph to add to the box this month.
Zebra Midges, Winkers, Scuds, Ray Charles, Fire Starters, Spanish Bullet, Small Perdigons, 2 Bit Hookers, Micro May and keep an eye on mid afternoon hatches of Blue Wing Olives #18 and later in the day Black Midges #22.
It is not just about flies, so take these thoughts about rigging to the river now too: 1) euro one fly and set up on a micro thin leader. Build your leader using the Umpqua butt section that is 4x, use a 5x sighter and 6x fluorocarbon tippet. 2) use a tiny Oros or NZ wool indicator for nymphs and if this is your preferred method over the euro leader, still use the 6x tippet and more often than not, I would choose a single fly for most of the water because of the exposed weed channels. 3) in the deeper runs and pools a drop shot leader is an effective tool to catch more fish. 4) hatches will bring the fish up to the surface to feed very nicely at times, but just because the water is “off color” doesn’t mean you should fish a heavier tippet. The lighter tippet will provide you a better drag free drift and that is the goal.
***Check out the guide trip special below.

The Fall River is fishing really well and is maybe the best of the bunch if you want to catch the most fish. of course, most of the fish here are stocked where the Metolius and Deschutes are wild trout. either way, the Fall is having a lot of great days with nymphs, streamers and some outstanding afternoon dry fly hatches.
The river is pretty busy with anglers most days, especially late morning to about 2 or 3. Weekdays this time of year are better to knock down some of the crowds and remember to spread out and enjoy more of the river than just the hatchery. Access at the Headwaters, Campground, a few nice pullouts between the CG and the hatchery, and down to the parking areas at the Tubes (remember here you need a State Parks parking permit) and fishing is open to the Falls but not below the Falls.
There are very good BWO hatches most days, and a KD dun, Film Critic, Sparkle Dun, Purple Comparadun and CDC Parachutes are excellent on a 6.5x or 7x tippet.
Midges are important and the little Amber Caddis that are like mini October Caddis are out. I like the Corn Fed, Edible Emerger and Orange Missing Link to match this hatch.
The usual suspects on the nymph and streamer side with 2 bit hookers, micro may, eggs, mops, perdigons, walt’s worms, zebra midges, scuds, ray charles and slum lords taking up our top 10.
***Check out the guide trip special below.

This can be a nice time of the year to go in the desert and enjoy the Ana River. Usually the late mornings will see a very good trico hatch, and then BWO’s after that.
Leeches, Scuds and small mayfly mayfly nymphs are great during non hatch times.

The Middle Deschutes is a fair option, with the biggest advantages being close to Bend, Redmond and Sisters and hardly any crowds.
Water is higher after irrigation season. Phil from the shop fished it near Redmond last week and they caught some fish Euro Nymphing and rated it as fair. I think you’d run in to days that the rating could go higher, but as we move to colder november days this fishery will quiet down a lot until spring soon.

NOVEMBER GUIDE TRIPS SPECIALS! $500 for 1 or 2 people Warm Springs to Trout Creek Float Trips, $400 for 1 to 3 people for Walk & Wade Trips on the Crooked and Fall until December 1st.

LAKES REPORT

You’ll drive and walk in a little bit of snow up at East and Paulina Lakes. Launch a boat at Paulina Lake CG, the docks are permanent now. I’d fish that area close to the resort and the campground a lot, and strip streamers on an intermediate line. Rowley’s Balanced Minnow, Jig Minnow, Zonker Sir Mix a Lot, and Sparkle Minnows will turn heads.
At East, walk the shorelines from the EL CG towards the White Slide and strip streamers or scuds or Diawl Bach Nymphs on slow sink lines. Indicator fishing with balanced minnows and leeches.
After Thursday or Friday I wouldn’t be surprised if the snow gate is locked for the winter. We can touch base on that next report, but the next few days will be good to go.

South and North Twin Lakes area a good Autumn place to enjoy. Access can be wading the shores, tubing or launching a non motorized boat. Work the edge drop off’s with a balanced leech and chironomids and keep it simple. Under an indicator or stripped on an Emerger/Midge/Ghost tip line will be good.

I have heard of good fishing out on Chickahominy Reservoir over the past 2 weeks. It wont last much longer so go get it this week if you don’t want to wait until next spring. I was honestly surprised to hear about it being good, but coming from reliable sources it sounds like a good trip could be had soon.

I have also been getting good reports from Diamond Lake. I wanted to go last Wednesday or Thursday but the wind, snowy roads and generally crappy weather to drive pulling a boat made me want to pass.
It looks better this week, but my schedule does not. Leeches, Soccer Moms, Chironomids and near Silent Creek maybe a few surprise hatches of mayflies and caddis.

Not sure on Hosmer… the Lower Lake should be ok, but Upper Channel and Lake might be icing over now.
I do not know if Three Creek Lake is beginning to ice up? Roads will be snowy for sure. I’d pass. See you next June old friend.
Little Lava. No current reports. I am guessing it’s about done for the year.
Crane and Wickiup are closed after general season closures on 10/31. Opening day is just 172 days from now!

I took my final guide trip of the year to Justesen Ranch on Friday with Ted and Abby from Redmond. We had a ball, and caught most of our fish on a Bruised Balanced Leech under a strike indicator. At first we used an Oros, but the cold water temps had the fish taking ever so softly, so I switched them to the Drop Back Bung indicator and because of it’s cylindrical shape it detects soft bites better.
We also found the fish were really interested in chasing the leeches when they stripped it in for another cast, so I set them up with a 7 foot midge tip and a orange bead Thin Mint leech and did well on that too.
And mid afternoon some fish were sipping the surface in the shallow zones near the banks and I set them up with a Red Hippie Stomper with a Red Ice Cream Cone trailed behind 18″ and got a couple on the midge dropper.
At 3 we pulled the boat out and went to fish Granary Lake from the dock and got a bunch more on the Bruised Leech.
Justesen is a very special place with some great lakes and a lot of good fish. We can get you booked there for this week if you want. $150 per person.
I look forward to our spring 2027 group outing, and getting a bunch of you booked to fish there in 2027 from the opener (usually March) until early to mid-June.

Jeff and Abby with a solid 21″ Justesen Rainbow. Dollar for the 1st, dollar for the Biggest, Dollar for the Most, and Ted pressing the bet after lunch made Abby some good dough on Friday.

SHOP

We go to Winter hours starting today. Sunday is 9-3, Saturday 9-4, and Monday through Friday 9-5:30.
Winter crew is mostly Mattias, Sequoia and Camp Sherman Dad, I will be around a lot the next 2 weeks before I leave to go to Argentina and back on December 14th to work through the Holidays and New Year then I head south again to fish Argentina, Chile and Uruguay until Spring comes to Oregon.

SALE STUFF/CLEARANCE
We have a bunch of Lamson GURU S Reels and Spools and Speedster Reels on sale for 40% off. We have them in Blackout and Green. Both cool. Mostly 3+ and 5+.

I have two 9′ 10 wt T&T Sextant Rods (permit, tarpon, rooster fish and chinook close to home) normally $1145 for $595

I have one used Sage Z Axis 990-4 pc in great condition for $295. This would be a great Chinook rod for the coast now, and absolutely perfect for a Belize, Mexico, Baja or Bahamas trip.

I have 2 pairs of Zip Front Patagonia Swiftcurrent Waders in 2RM with a zipper and 2 without a zipper front.
I will sell the Zipper Front for $250 (normally $799) and the non-zippers for $195 (normally $649). These fit someone who has some girth in the middle, about 5’10 to 6′ and has around a 10 or 11 shoe. These are the Blue ones from 2025.

See you on the water or in the shop!

Jeff