Fish are looking up more and more which is finally giving us some better dry fly days late season.
BWO’s, PMD’s and Mahogany Duns are all hatching. I had a customer who hammered them on a Purple Comparadun a few days ago.
Still great nymph action on Micro Mayflies, Frenchies, Zebra Midges and Jigs have been excellent.
Crooked River
Crooked River fishing report 8/15/17
I went out there to “verify” all the good reports the guides have been giving me a few days ago. I guess guides don’t lie (too much) after all.
Amazing Euro Nymphing on Micro Mayflies and Zebra Midges.
In the evening you have a better chance with dries (PMD, BWO, X Caddis, Midges) but most of the day you should plan to set up with either a Czech Rig or New Zealand Wool rig and you should get ’em too.
Cold Water in the Crooked River + Good Fishing 8/1/17
Did you realize that even though the Crooked River is out in the desert, the water is very cold coming out of the reservoir and down the river. It is what makes the Crooked so special and keeps the trout and whitefish healthy in the summer when we get these hot spells.
Check out the family in the photo below. They enjoyed time on the water with our guides Ben and Adam yesterday and beat the heat by wading wet. Check out this article on the best way to approach wet wading.
We’ve had exceptional fishing on the Crooked lately. It’s a Euro Nymph paradise, and if that isn’t your think try a NZ Yarn Indicator with a couple of nymphs and a split shot and go for it. It’s all good.
Not much dry fly action until evening but when the sun fades and it gets a bit cooler expect to see PMD’s, BWO’s Mahogany Duns, Rusty Spinners and Caddis.
I recommend Hoppers too! It is uncommon, but in August over the years I have pulled fish from some really interesting places when fishing a hopper.
Crooked River fishing report 7/19/17
Fishing the Crooked from the Dam down to about Mile Post 12 is very good. During the day there is little opportunity for dry fly fishing, so we’ve been hitting them hard with a Czech Nymph system usually with a Frenchie and a Baetis nymph dropper.
Running it drop shot style is the most effective.
In the late afternoon and improving evening hatches you can find fish taking Mahogany Duns and PMD’s, X Caddis and Renegades.
Crooked River fishing report 7/4/17
Man we’ve been having really good nymphing days on the Crooked with all of our guides pretty much sticking to sightline/euro style leaders on short casts using Frenchies, Zebra’s, Psycho Prince, Micro Mayfly (especially the BWO color) and our new Double Bead CDC Flashback PT.
Some fish up on top to Renegades, Adams, Parachute Rusty Spinner, PMD, BWO and X Caddis. Look for rising fish in the late afternoon and evening.
Crooked River fishing report 6/22/17
Our guides have been reporting very good catches of both trout and whitefish, mostly on small nymphs on a tight line/euro nymph rig.
Frenchies, Zebra Midge and our New PMD or BWO Micro Mayfly nymph patterns have all been hot.
Some fish up on the top with Parachute Adams and Rusty Parachutes picking up the most. Renegade’s and smaller Hoppers are recommended now too. Both can be used a nice indicator fly too.
Crooked River report 6/14/17
My guides and some good friends are all reporting good fishing on the Crooked below the dam. Fish seem plentiful and the mix of whitefish and trout all seem healthy although the trout are averaging smaller this year so far.
One friend reported very good fishing on a cranefly larva. There are Baetis hatching and some PMD’s, Caddis and Midges so nymphs, emergers and adults for all of the above will be important.
Frenchie, Micro Mayfly, Zebra Midges, Sparkle Pupa, 2 Bit Hookers and an Olive Girdle Bug are good flies underneath, and by the way we’ve had way better success euro nymphing with a sighter than fishing any of these under an indicator.
Crooked River fishing report 5/25/17
The Water continues to hold at 280 which is the level it was all last summer. Mothers Day Caddis hatches are strong. Fishing is pretty decent, with a lot of whitefish and smaller trout coming to net for our guides so far this week.
Mothers Day Caddis in the Pupa and Adult are very important, plus Scuds, Zebra Midges, Rainbow Warriors and a few BWO’s hatching plus Micro Mayfly Nymphs are doing the trick.
Crooked River FISHABLE! 5/17/17
For the first time in nearly 2 months, it appears the run off is over and the Crooked has dropped to fishable levels.
It is 268 cfs today. That is 12 cfs than it flowed for most of the Summer in 2016.
We do not have a fishing report. No one from here has been there yet.
I will guess we will immediately have success on Frenchie’s, Zebra Midges, Mother’s Day Caddis (Pupa and Adult), Micro Mayfly Nymphs, Lightning Bugs and Rainbow Warriors. Keep an eye out for BWO’s.
Anyway, it is nice to add this report to our list. It has been a long winter and spring without having our beloved Crooked as one of the options.
Crooked River remains High 5/3/17
It’s about 670 cfs today and has been stuck there for a while. Nice to see it under a 1000 but sure do like fishing it at 280 or below.
If it were me, I wouldn’t go, but I do think you can go at this level, it is just not ideal.