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Note: Check fishing regulations as many watersheds are closing March 31st.
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The Wilson has been just a tad high and on the murky side this past week but with the current gauge reading and forecast still around 6 feet, the silt will be flushed and the water should turn dark green by the weekend.
There are plenty of fish in the system, consisting of both Native and Broodstock fish. One gear boat with three anglers reported 9 fish landed in half a days fishing this past weekend... Some on plugs, some on yarn. Glo bugs are yarn right?
Seek fish higher up in the system and bring out your largest and least favorite flies to cast. We're talking big, blue, black or purple intruder-style flies fished slowly on T-14 or fast sinking tips. Despite less swinging water from Siskeyville upstream, you will still find plenty of good holding water for this method. The smaller micro runs and tailouts will hold fish.
The float from Siskeyville (mile post 11) to Mills (mile post 8.6) will offer good swinging runs, but keeping the "bobber-stick" (easy now...Bobber-stick = indicator-stick) handy should be part of your arsenal of rods as inside corners/elbows and micro pockets are optimal places to pick up fish on glo-bugs. Siskeyville to Mills is a short float, so take your time between runs, or simply float it twice!
Again, we recommend your big leeches in black, purple or blue. Your low-water soldiers such as pink or light orange should be put on "injured reserve" until the water turns "light green" again. Get your T-14, T-11 and T-8 tips custom cut to your desired length at our shops. If you're curious about specific flies we're using, ask!
With the water on the rise, it's worth checking the tributaries as these will clear within 24 hours after heavy rain. Small glo-bugs in peach and pink, purple.... yes, purple! If the water is borderline fishable (3 feet of visibility) high sticking purple or blue leeches in the slots have proved deadly. (all coastal tributary waters close March 31st , get your licks in now!) When fishing smaller water, sight fishing is part of the game and spotting a gray ghost with see-through pectoral fins takes practice and a high quality pair of shades. Come in to the shop and buy a pair of glass-lens Action Optics Smith glasses from us before April Fool's Day, and we will throw in $ 25.00 worth of flies of your choice!
With numerous landslides in the upper reaches, the Wilson has been a moody river this winter and it's been difficult to make predictions. Should (when!) the river blows, wait 24 hours and hit the Little North Fork or target the 1st mile of the South Fork. (deadline approx one mile upstream from confluence)
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Mixed reports this past month, but the Trask will continue to fish deep into April. In other words there's plenty to time catch up! Sure, most fish will have some river-color by then but there will still be chrome fish mixed in.
If the launches are full of boat trailers' head upstream and "bank" the Forks as both will stay open until March 31st. It's also another great way of getting away from high and off-color water! There's some wicked water in this section, but be ready to machete your way around in some places and leave your father in-law with the "bad knee" at home! It will cost you! When fishing smaller water, sight fishing is part of the game and spotting a gray ghost with see-through pectoral fins takes practice and a high quality pair of shades. Come in to the shop and buy a pair of glass-lens Action Optics Smith glasses from us before April Fool's Day, and we will throw in $25.00 worth of flies of your choice!
We like the same fly choices as listed in the Kilchis report below, with an added green sculpin pattern thrown in, should when the water runs clear. "Load this bullet in your gun" especially as the season prolongs. Native bucks are hateful towards coastal sculpins!
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 Many smaller coastal watersheds offer excellent fishing if you are willing to bushwhack it and the Kilches is one of them, when fishing up high above county park. An Oregon Gazetteer and a compass or GPS can take you far away from the masses on small streams and creeks, but bear in mind that most of these smaller streams close March 31st. In other words, get off the beaten trail while you still can!
When fishing smaller water, sight fishing is part of the game and spotting a gray ghost with see-through pectoral fins takes practice and a high quality pair of shades. Come in to the shop and buy a pair of glass-lens Action Optics Smith glasses from us before April Fool's Day, and we will throw in $ 25.00 worth of flies of your choice!
Larger chrome bright "nates" covered in lepeophtheirus are now the name of the game, especially when speyin' down below. If swinging in "greenish colored" water below the park we like purple, black, and red. For clear water we like the pinks and light orange. Pick Yer' Pockets and MOALS should be considered. The Kilchis clears more quickly than the Wilson or Trask.
Small Stream Guide Info: Jakob Lund. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your trip.
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Sunday and Monday were on the high side for flies, but the gear-guys and seals spanked them pretty hard. With more rain on the way, fishing up higher may prove to be the best bet again. With the water up, the upper river makes a good drift. Bank access is also available.
Techniques are similar to the Wilson River listed above. Fish big "bait" lower on the river and small "bait" up high.
When fishing smaller water, sight fishing is part of the game and spotting a gray ghost with see-through pectoral fins takes practice and a high quality pair of shades. Come in to the shop and buy a pair of glass-lens Action Optics Smith glasses from us before April Fool's Day, and we will throw in $ 25.00 worth of flies of your choice!
Small Stream Guide Info: Jakob Lund. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your trip.
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The Poor rating is simply due to poor water conditions today. The gauge reading is at 7 feet, not bad looking from afar, but the water color is that of diluted Bailey's Irish Cream. Call the shop and ask for Jad or Jakob for updates.
In general.... Fishing the Nehalem in March is one of your best chances of getting a 20+ pounder anywhere in Oregon. Big water, big rods, big flies, big fish! Native Steelhead will continue to trickle in the river system through April.
The severely damaged Salmonberry River and its Canyon have been spitting out silt of and on for nearly 2 months now. Expect clarity to affect the Nehalem the rest of the season (into late spring!). Fishing the Nehalem will be best above the confluence. Please note that the bridge crossing the Salmonberry is completely gone making the Lower Nehalem Rd a dead-end street (from either direction!)
Fishing the Salmonberry River this year (and years to come!) will be poor at best. It's time to explore new water!
Again, X-Large Black, Purple and Blue Intruders on T-14 will be your bread and butter.
Guide Info: Jad Donaldson. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your trip.
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Huge numbers of native fish has been reported over the last 10 days, and with the water descending and looking great for Saturday, the Siletz River clears the finish line as number one. These huge natives are easily the life of the party as most hatchery fish have been caught or disposed of by now.
Moonshine Park to Sams Creek makes a great float this time of year, and access above or below Moonshine for the Walk & Wade angler is good to great as well.
See the Wilson River Report above for tactics.
NOTE: Although the majority of the fish has been trapped, the nearby Alsea River are still kicking out chromers through early April as Alsea hatchery fish are now of a later stock. Natives are also in the river in great numbers right now.
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In March the Necanicum River will see a strong push of native fish. Some very large Nates' can be found on this smaller coastal stream, so leave your early winter 7 weight and 2X low water flouro at home, as we like a meaty' 8 (or 9) weight and 12 pound maxima. 15~20 Pounders' are regular customers around here come late March!
If you have taken the day off and planned on fishing a blown-out Nehalem or Wilson, the Necanicuam makes a great Plan B. The best float will be from Klootchie Creek (Sitka Spruce Tree Site) down to the Relief Pitcher Tavern take out. This is a fun river to Pontoon. With that said, there are still a few snags to look out for from the storm back from December. The river clears within 18-36 hours after heavy rain.
Access is difficult this year due to the early season carnage along 26, explore carefully. Walk & wade anglers have reported tough wading due to fallen trees blocking access. Be cautious of private property boundaries. The Klootchie Park Bridge has been reopened.
If you hadn't noticed our matra this time so far, read on...When fishing smaller water, sight fishing is part of the game and spotting a gray ghost with see-through pectoral fins takes practice and a high quality pair of shades. If you buy a pair of glass-lens Action Optics Smith glasses from us, we will throw in $ 25.00 worth of flies of your choice!
Small Stream Guide Info: Jakob Lund. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your trip
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B-L-O-W-N! Call Jad Donaldson at the shop for updates.
Summers will start to show next month.... Reports of these early strain summer fish have surfaced already!
The removal of Marmot Dam has changed most of your favorite runs throughout the river. We recommend hiring a guide for the day to get familiar with the new "surroundings".
Guide Info: Jad Donaldson. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your trip.
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The Kalama is blown! Go elsewhere! In general, fishing has been very slow this year.
I reported a few hundred native fish being ported upstream in the last report nearly a month ago. Those were bogus numbers I received (75 at that time). Only 160 wild have been ported upstream in the canyon! And... only 43 broodstock fish have been collected!
The canyon water is fly-fishing only water
With Dickies-jackets (aka: Kalama River Goretex) and empty egg-cured ziplock bags covering the river banks come April 1st (yes folks... It's Springer Season!) I would say your chances of getting native Steel are slimming down a bit!! Best chance is in the canyon upstream from the 2nd hatchery. The canyon water is fly-fishing only water.
3700 hundred Springer's are forecasted for the Kalama this spring, but those could be low numbers! A conversation with the hatchery this morning had talks of "way more"! Catching Spring Chinook on a fly can test the patience of any angler, but it's possible with that many fish in such a small stream. Think Chartreuse and Hot Pink for fly colors! A 10-12 weight rod and a strong drag is needed in order to turn these great tasting fish. (Check your regulation!)
48+ hours after rain stops, the river should be back to "fly-fishing condition".
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Blown out as of today! Wait for the gauge to read less than 13.00 Feet and dropping for best fishing.
Be careful when checking the Estacada gauge! There's a large difference between in CFS flows between 12.5 feet (great!) and 14.5 feet (go home!)
At 12.5 feet the CFS is usually around 2700 CFS!
At 14.5 feet the CFS is usually around 6800 CFS!
Get it?
Large Intruder Style flies in Purple, Blue, Orange, Pink and Black are always solid producers, with fire engine Red being a sleeper color. With water temps in the 40's, you should slow down your swing as much as possible. T-14 custom mini tips and sink tips in type 2 thru 6 should be in your tip wallet mix. Daylight is growing, skip work early and get your big 14 foot swinging stick ready!
Trout fishing is closed and will be open again in May 2008.
Guide Info: Jad Donaldson. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your trip.
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Not much to report here... It's been bad all year! Very few fish have been seen in the trap, no one's sure why either! We'll keep you posted.
Swingin' with Purple A' leeches on a floating line or type 3 will do for the swing guys.
Dead drifting a Glo-Bug such as BH Lifter's and Lifter's will be the bread and butter for the "drift" fisherman. The access on the Hood' is limited to only 4 miles (below the Hood River Dam), and should the North coast rivers be blown out expect East Side Metro anglers to be seen on the Hood.
We only have a few more years before the removal of the Hood River Dam. (2010) It could take years after the removal before fishing resumes, so until then learn this river as it's only an hour from Portland.
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The weekend weather forecast will be a mixed bag of sun and rain. What you don't have to encounter according to the weatherman is wind!
The 11:30 ~ 3:00 game should be played with 3 or 4 weights, long leaders and a dozen BWO patterns. Water and flows are and have been great all year. If you are getting tired of chasing winter steel or need a break from the crowds, the Big D' should be the "numero-uno" spot on your trout "billboard top 10." It's not even close!
BWO's in size 18-22 should be favored for fishing on top. Small soft hackles are great if fishing back eddies. Cast upstream and let the micro-bathtub-swirls suck down your offering... follow with your rod tip.....hold tight...and BANG!, the takes are hard! Midge patterns will produce here as well, keep them just below the film. We carry over 22 different BWO dry and emerger patterns in the shop. Buy a bakers dozen BWO patterns for only $16.99! (mix and match) If buying Online or buying via phone-order we will ship for free.
March Browns are out in few numbers, but with sun Saturday and overcast/rainy Sunday, I think Sundays outing should be great fishing on top with size 12 Western March Brown. Come spinner fall, use a CDC Parachute Spinner size 12-14.
Fat Skwalla's or Black Winter Stones in size 8-12 will pick up trout all day. Also, these meaty treats are great for your buddy that's "just getting into the sport" and doesn't know about drag-free drift eddy-fishing with size 20 BWO's.
A 9 foot 3X leader, size 10 Bullet head Skwalla with a size 12 FB PT 20 inch dropper outta' do great!
A Kaufmann's Stone and a San Juan worm will fish well for the next 4 months. Nymphing should be a morning and late afternoon gig. Small Flashback PT's in 16-20, Baetis Nymph size 18, BH Bubble Back size 16-18 work wonders. Don't be afraid of beefing up your tippet size when nymphing. 2X is about right above your tool fly, and 4X is plenty small for a size 16-18 dropper. Small Glo-bugs are also another great "fly". Yellow or peach are good colors.
Going over the mountain on HWY 26 in the winter can be a mess. We recommend taking HWY 84 to HWY 197 instead. This can also serve as a great combo trip between the Hood River and the Deschutes River. Head east on HWY 84 and fish the Hood River for Chrome Winter Steelhead in the early am, then continue on 197 and hit Maupin fishing with BWO's in the Backeddies for Redsides! NOTE: check out Hood River report for update.
Remember trout fishing is only open here from the Northern boundary of the reservation downstream to the mouth.
Steelhead fishing is done for the year. Try not to harass the downriver crew.
See Hood River report or head westbound on HWY 26!!!
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Those who make the annual pilgrimage to the storied waters of the McKenzie for the first major hatch of the year are in luck. March Browns are hatching in good numbers and the time to go is now. Keep BWO and caddis patterns handy as sometimes during this large mayfly hatch it can be an asset to fish something else when there are many on the water.
Anglers looking for more serenity during this hatch might want to explore the Santiam and/or the Willamette (both the Middle Fork and at the confluence with the McKenzie).
Carry American or Western March Brown patterns 12-14. You can always run a cripple or emergent pattern as well with good results. Tandem dry and emergent can be deadly.
I'm guessing there is about a 2 week window on this before we get to the lull in anticipation of the unique McKenzie caddis.
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Skagit/Sauk: The Skagit remains open till 3/31 in the Dalles to Cascade River section only. Traffic on this water has been heavy but fishing remains good. If you want a last shot on this water now is the time.
The Sauk remains open till 3/31 from Darrington Bridge to the Mouth. Conditions are similar to those of the Skagit.
Sky/Snoqualmie: All done ladies and gents ... until next time.
Green: High and Mighty.....all done for the season.
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Its game on til April 30, except for the Hoh which ends on April 15. Good numbers of fish out here and plenty being caught. March is THE month, with plenty around and still more to come. Without a significant warming episode to blow anything out in the foreseeable future, don't hesitate to keep the Peninsula love alive.
There is lots of good spey and classic water here amidst an awesome setting. Get out and fish the OP.
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Skwalas have been the ticket over the last several weeks, with the adults becoming especially important about a week ago. These are #8-#10 olive-ish stoneflies think Stimulators, Madam-X's, and Chernobyl's in the appropriate size and color. Anticipate the adults to do justice over the next week or two, and then wane dramatically as the naturals thin out.
Meanwhile, BWO's have begun making their mid-day appearances, with March Browns due to join them right about now as well. The March Browns normally precede the BWO's in appearing on a given day, and typically last all of 15-45 minutes. Occasionally they join the BWO's early in the hatch, only to peter out, giving way to the remainder of the BWO's for that day. Sunny days may well mean lighter, shorter duration emergences with a lack of surface activity. All this does is put a premium on presenting the associated nymphs (BWO's #16-#18 olive, March Browns #12-#14 dark-tan, hare's ear). Cloudy days, though...look out. Mayfly dry bonanza days!
By Mid-April, Skwala adults will be vanishing from the scene, March Browns' days will be numbered, with BWO's still ready to come off on any given cloudy, cool day (especially). With every sunny, warm day, however, starting about mid-April, smaller tan caddis (#16) will begin showing an early hint that summer is on the way.
Seeing as though our mountains still have 10-feet of snow left to (begin) melt and run-off, though, let us all hope for prevailingly cool (mayfly) weather. Significant warming will most likely blow this river out of shape, something we've dodged so far. Like every year, run-off is the wild card. Replete with meaningful hatches, though, when in shape, on good days, it doesn't get really much better, anywhere.
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PASS LAKE: Pass Lake is heavy on big stuff that trout eat fathead minnows, crawfish, leeches and dragon nymphs. It's a good thing, too, considering there really isn't a callibaetis hatch or damsel emergence to set the calendar and watch by. Fortunately for the trout, and angler, though, there is one significant hatch event of note on this lake, and it's a big one. You may have guessed chironomids.
The larvae (aka "bloodworms") provide a reliable, easy staple for fish cruising the depths while over-wintering, in addition to the other "big stuff" that's always around. Come Spring, though, and the emerging chironomids can utterly dominate the menu for weeks. That's not to say that you can't get a fish to choke down a big bugger, leech or streamer during this time you can. But, for those who bother to match the size of chironomid that's coming off in an area, match the color, then find a foot or two off the bottom those are the one's who "got another one!". Once "dialed in", chironomiding can elicit rapid sampling of trout in the area!
Particularly late in the day, cast a keen eye upon the surface. Normally by this time, the trout have shifted their scarfing efforts from just off the bottom, to just beneath the surface, as the bulk of the emergence concentrates up top by that time. Combined with calm conditions and low-light, emergers come into play, as do ovipositing adults surface action!
This lake only gets better through April...
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You know the lakes Lenore, Dusty, Lenice/Nunnally, Beda, Quail (those open year-round or March 1st). Well, by the time the "general opener" lakes, like Dry Falls, open up, there has been a whole lot of improving fishing going on here in the Basin, already. This year was a little late in starting, with a lot of ice around on March 1. That didn't last very long, and as of this writing, things are just beginning seriously to get going here in the 3rd week of March. Generally, this means marked improvement with every passing week until it finally just gets too warm (late May? June?).
While bloodworms, leeches, immature dragons/damsels and scuds have been sampling fish from the depths early on, THE CHIRONOMID EMERGENCES have just begun. The aforementioned offerings will still take fish; however, when the chironomids are showing, for a good shot at the "fast action", "matching the hatch" is the order of the day.
For now, smaller (#16-#20) chironomid pupa in black, brown, maroon and bright green (!) are the ticket. More important than color (although not Unimportant) is size-match and literally whether the fly is being shown to fish or not. In fact, these smaller chironomids in particular rely heavily on trapped gasses to buoy them through the water column to the surface. This trapped gas obscures color to the point where all you'll see is a micro-high beam ever so slowly ascending the column. Chromie's address this phenomenom quite well.
Typically, fish either intercept the emerging pupa just off the bottom, or (during low-light/calm conditions especially) near-to-on the surface. Short of the odd-to-regular rise, assume the fish are feeding off the bottom. Now, just find an area where the chironomids are actually emerging. Match size, and color if possible. Then, clamp forceps to fly and lower er overboard. Pull clamps off bottom a foot or two, place indicator, remove clamps, fish fly anywhere from dead-still to BARELY even moving at all.
If fish are taking just sub-surface, select a non-weighted pupa and grease leader to within inches of fly. Intercepting cruising fish is preferable, though many times leaving it in a promising area is the best we can do. If fish are showing noses, select an emerger/adult and do your best to directly intercept feeding fish, leading them by a few feet. For the next couple weeks, #16-#20 will be about it, with adults being black, olive, bright green and tan. Closer to the middle of April, we can expect incrementally larger specimens to join the fray, leading up to the appearance of Jumbo Bombers (Giant blacks, browns, tans and olives) closer towards month's end.
If caught between emergences or just not dialing in, take heart leeches, immature dragons and immature damsels, and scuds will all take fish. And in a few weeks we can look for Callibaetis mayflies to appear, adding to the menu, and another way for us to fool these girthy bows and browns. In the desert!
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