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| Kaufmann Streamborn Northwest
Fishing Report |
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| OREGON |
I use the term
"fair" loosely for the very present. The Clack has
been fishing well and will continue to fish well, but for the
moment the river is extremely high due to dam released water
in light of recent monsoon-like conditions. Look for the Clack
to drop below at least 14' on the gauge before really
making this river an option. Once the river does drop…
Summer steelhead are the quarry of choice here for fly anglers
now and this will continue through the summer months. Winter
fish are few and far between at this point and are not quite
the fodder you'll be seeking. Spring Chinook are steadily
increasing in population throughout the river as well –
which will lead to a vast increase in boat traffic this month
with a potential Willamette shutdown in the looming future.
With a soggy spring thus far, the Clack has been lingering on
the high side of fishability. The river has remained productive,
but it will demand due diligence with the sink-tip and focus
on lies which may be underutilized in medium to low flow conditions.
Nearly every drift on the river below McIver should be productive,
but keep your eyes and ears open especially floating down into
tight and blind turns…the river is about to get very busy. |
The Sandy has
fairly well shifted over to summer run mode. Any remaining winters
will likely only be encountered in a downriver fashion. Currently
the river is very high and you'll likely want to keep
an eye on the gauge before you head out for a look. On the positive
side, angling pressure here is on the wane with the exception
of the lower sections where spring Chinook are the main quarry.
Anglers fishing the west bank of Oxbow in the Gordon Creek area
be mindful…parking here is now closed. You'll need
a drop-off and pick up to make it happen here now.
Your angling game should stay the same as it was 6 weeks ago
if you choose to pursue summer fish here. You'll want
to stay down and fish likelier lies closer to the banks until
the water drops significantly. |
Whoa…get
ready for a mouthful of information here.
First thing…there is no real appreciable airborne stonefly
activity here right now. We're about 3 weeks away from
the river turning upside down however and I'll make immediate
posts about the hatch under fishing reports on the main page
of the site. What is happening now is a major migration of salmon
and stonefly nymphs across the bottom and to the banks. Good
news for those folks willing to put it all on the bottom.
Having said all this, the salmonfly season will be here in a
few short weeks and the large bugs will create a frenzy among
both fish and anglers as they move upriver from the mouth. In
the meantime, this is one of the very best times of the season
to be out there fishing.
Pre-salmonfly season finds the entire lower river open to fishing.
Keep in mind angling is closed on the western half of the river
bordering the Warm Springs Reservation. In the area between
Dry Creek and Trout Creek, you can fish the east bank provided
you possess a Warm Springs Angling Permit.
If you're headed out in the next couple weeks here's
what you'll need to have in your box to keep your bases
covered. On the surface you'll find feeding fish primarily
focusing on a few different flies…carry Blue Wing Olives,
March Browns, Mahogany Duns, Caddis (all colors, but surely
green) and Black Caddis. The March Browns and Mahogany's
are on the wane, while BWO patterns remain relevant through
the month. It can't hurt to carry a few Stonefly or Salmonfly
dries as well. You'll likely see them in the air as the
month goes on, but fishing them when there are no rises will
result in a frustrating experience. Keep your eyes peeled, especially
along the banks and along outcrops.
It's a nympher's paradise on the Lower Deschutes
right now. The big nymphs will be very active, especially morning
and evening. Other large flies will produce as well…Cased
Caddis, Magnum Prince's, Bitch Creeks, and Rubber Leg's
while all overlooked will make it happen. On the smaller nymph
side of things, don't leave home without PT's (olive
especially), Caddis larva, Hare's Ear's and Prince's.
On top of this deluge…soft-hackles and emergent pupa patterns
are a staple.
There are really just a ton of options right now. I'd
string a couple rods and get ready to try lots of stuff. If
you're nymphing, stay on the bottom or you're really
not in the game at all.
If you're fishing upstream of Locked Gate (roughly) you'll
find a greater concentration of Salmonfly nymphs…downstream
– Golden Stones. You can't go wrong with brown either
way when on the bottom.
Trout are spawning. Really make a conscious effort to stay off
redds and leave them to their biz. This will become increasingly
important over the course of the next 4 weeks or so. |
Both rivers continue
to rock along. Rains have pushed up the flows a bit, but they'll
quickly settle and things will be back to normal. I'd
simply avoid sharp spikes in the gauge and you should have pretty
darn good fishing. This really is a prime time of year to spend
time drifting down here. I can't think of too many places
in Oregon where there are so many options to create just the
right length of trip or to float multiple pieces of trout water
in a weekend.
March Brown's refuse to stop down here, but I would no
longer place them at the top of the list for dry fly activity
at this stage. Small caddis in a variety of colors will best
mimic the traditional mother's day caddis hatch here.
The often sought McKenzie Green Caddis is about to come off
and will be a major factor. I'd also carry some PMD's
(out in evidence), Golden Stones and Green Drakes. The focus
on these last three will steadily improve toward the end of
the month.
If you're fishing beneath the surface, get your golden
stone nymphs rolling, along with Possie Buggers, Magnum Prince's….and
please, please don't forget to trail them with a soft
hackle! PT's, caddis larva and Copper John's are
all good flies right now as well.
I'll touch more on steelhead counts in a bit, but both
rivers are now producing steelhead and it will just continue
to get better here for the summer fish…or rather for anglers
of summer fish! |
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I'm going
to sound like a broken record by the end of the coast section,
but there's a little light interspersed.
Nehalem River
The Nehalem is almost strictly a downriver fish option now.
Most native winters are on the redds and it's not a particularly
great idea to hassle them at this point. This river really doesn't
have a summer run per say….so until next winter…
Wilson River
The winter scene on the Wilson is also about done. Most fish
are going to be of the downriver variety. The Wilson is a good
summer run fishery however and anglers have been capturing chrome
fish in the lower stretches of the river. Remember all tributary
waters; the North, South and Devil's Lake Forks are closed.
Trask River
The Trask is seeing some early arriving summer fish amongst
the general steelhead catch. In addition, Chinook are in the
water and will boss around their anadramous cousins for the
premier lazy lies in the river. Things should improve on the
Trask as the month moves along. The Forks are closed now so
you'll need to confine your fishing to the mainstem of
the river.
Nestucca River
The Nestucca will benefit from the current rains. Low and clear
conditions have made the river difficult to fish of late. However,
the Nestucca is a good summer steel river despite receiving
a good bit or pressure due to its Three River's return
of Springers. Keep an eye on this river if you're getting
the coastal chrome jones. The river above Blaine is still closed.
Siletz River
The Siletz is the best of the year round coastal steelhead streams…for
summers. This river receives a large batch of summer fish and
they are on their way in now. Your best bet fishing for newly
arrived fish will be in the lower stretches of the river…back
to the old "town drift" recommendation. If you're
looking for some winters…well, concentrate your efforts
a bit higher up. |
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Kalama
River
Steelheading has been consistent in the Kalama. There are
fish spread throughout the river with opportunities in the
fly-only water as well as below. Springers are in the mix
too and the Kalama is one of the few places where there is
a realistic chance of hooking one in thinner water, especially
if you catch the river on the drop. The river is high and
off color currently.
Cowlitz River
Friends up north are saying steelheading has remained good
in the Barrier to Blue stretch, though winter fish are no
longer as readily available. The advance guard of summer fish
are in the river and angling here will only get better through
May. Give this river a week as it is high from recent rains
and takes some time to clear.
Hood River
The Hood is fishing really well of late. Fish counts at Powerdale
are extremely positive for this time of year and there have
been several reports in the last 10 days of very good fishing
here.
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| For steelheaders
in the Willamette Valley, here are your numbers…There
have been 2500 Winter fish over the Falls in OC with a trickle
of fish still making the jump. Summer numbers are rapidly catching
up with nearly 1400 fish over. Bear in mind…all fish are
certainly not recorded so extrapolate these numbers to some
degree. Springer passage sits at just over 2700 fish. All of
this is good news for Valley anglers with the chrome situation
heating up mightily on the Santiam forks. In addition, Eugene
anglers are beginning to get regular handshakes on both the
McKenzie and Willamette. |
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Iced and
Inaccessible: East Lake, Big Lava, Crane Prairie, Antelope
Res', Davis Lake, Cultus Lake, Hosmer Lake, Lost lake
Open: Davis Lake, Diamond Lake, Chickahominy
Reservoir, Ana Reservoir, Lake Billy Chinook, Mann Lake, Pine
Hollow Reservoir, Rock Creek Reservoir, Wickiup Reservoir |
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WASHINGTON
Yakima River
– Good (Forecast: Good)
The river is finally "low-enough" and, most importantly,
stable just at the moment. Once again, we are in that stretch
where significant warming/high-elevation rain will tend to
punch the system out. But until the fluctuating cycle rears
its ugly coffee-colored head, it is a "go".
Sounds like the two spring mayflies of note, the March Browns
and BWO's, are still around. These two will remain important
for the next week or two, particularly on cooler, cloudy days.
The March Brown is a #12-#14 and in most cases the adult (split-divided
wing full-hackle, parachute, thorax, etc) will be gladly received
by the fish. For good measure, not a bad idea to have some
March Brown Spiders (hare's ear soft hackle) or some
other emerger, just in case. Too, it wouldn't kill to
offer a #12-#14 dark hare's ear by morning leading up
to the emergence. The BWO's are a #16-#18 and the full
range of stages (save for the spinner stage) will prove useful
from one day to the next.
In the near-term, the little glossamidae's, small tan-dark
tan #16-#20 caddis, should start squirting out, at least sporadically,
if they haven't already. Once these build in enough
numbers along the bankside vegetation (the riparian zone),
and windy day can yield a bonanza for bankside fish and anglers
alike. Of course, if you get enough coming off at once, that's
worth addressing, too. Also due in the next week-to-ten days
is the appearance of the Mothers Day Caddis, matched well
by #12-#14 dark-tan elk-hairs, even peacock elk hairs in that
size. When this event "goes off", the fish tend
to lose caution completely – maybe why folks dream of,
and work towards, hitting this hatch at its onset. Something
about every fish going berserk for hours until they are simply
gorged, a very good situation for the hatch-starved angler!
Keep a close eye on those flows – as long as they remain
stable, head on over for some fair-to-excellent catching.
Of course, the fishing – that's always good. Not
a bad place to be.
Puget Sound
Sea-Runs. Post-Spawn. They're hungry.
Puget Sound Lakes
Well, they're all open, now! Pass and Lone will deservedly
receive ongoing "much attention" for their reliable-shot-at-a-large-fish
ways. And, they are pretty close to Seattle, inside an hour-and-a-half.
Just around that mark, also, lies Cady and Prices towards
either side of the south-end of Hood Canal. Then, a little
closer to town, lies Rattlesnake Lake just south of North
Bend. All these lakes produce nice fish.
Right now, and something that will not change, chironomids
will provide varying opportunity day-in, day-out. By now,
all sizes, up to Bomber, in pupa and emergers, have a purpose.
Blacks, browns, rusts, maroons and chromies on the pupa. Black
#10-#20 emergers, supplemented with some #16-#20 grays and
tans should cover the piggy-schlurping sessions.
Callibaetis are also starting up, so nymphs, emergers, adults
and spinners are a must-have-along if interested in playing
with mayfly-seeking trout when this opportunity presents itself.
In the near-term, be ready also with some damsel nymphs (trending
more medium-to-dark olive, even olivish brown on most west-side
lakes) to supplement sinking line efforts (aside from buggers
and leeches) as they are due to start swimming/crawling out
daily, soon.
Lastly, at some point this month, mayyyybe early June, there
will be a spring Carpenter Ant flight – don't
be caught without some in case you are lucky enough to witness
this event. Talk about trout acting "goofy" and
gluttenous!
Yes, the lowland lakes are in full-swing. There is no better
time!
Rocky Ford
Still Blue Wing's on the fly, midges and Callibaetis
as well. Be prepared for all if you're a top-water sort.
Beneath the surface the great scud migration is on. If this
becomes a little monotonous for you, small PT's and
midge larva will test the endurance of a size 20 hook on a
large fish. Let the undersung crayfish be your ace-in-the-hole.
Eastern Seep Lakes
There's been a lot of wind (no big surprise), but there's
also been a lot of good days had, with chironomids yielding
more of the dizzying catch rates. The buggers and leeches
have also predictably sampled some fish, with Callibaetis
starting to sweeten the pot, where applicable (sunfish-free
zones). And, due to get going in the very near term, be ready
with damsel nymphs in light olive, medium olive and tan. They're
just starting to get active, and will increasingly demand
addressing leading up to daily-outmigration time. So, the
menu is expanding. Be ready to deviate from the chironomids
and buggers and look forward to the lengthening and warming
days ahead. It is spring in the desert!
Okanogan Lakes
Still a little behind the "warming curve" up this
way – still snow on the way into Chopaka, with ice still
on the lake. Won't last for long, though, and fortunately,
there's a few other lakes up this way that are worth
getting to know, lying a little lower in elevation. Big Twin
near Winthrop, Sinlahekin Blue, Wannacut and Wannacut-Blue,
Aeneas, Spectacle and others are all rich, healthy lakes that
produce large trout. Expect leeches, buggers, bloodworms and
chironomids to be the early staples until the Callibaetis
get going (shouldn't be too much longer). Given a few
days to roam, this is an amazing area worth the journey and
the visit. |
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