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With cooler morning and evenings in September, as well as a few scattered showers over the last few weeks, Steelhead are again being found between Upper McIver and Feldheimer's as well as the usual suspect spots downriver to Barton. We've heard of several anglers serving fresh caught chrome Steelhead from charcoaled barbie's this past Labor Day weekend. (Thanks for the invite Tom!)
The kids are back in school and with them in the classroom, many of the rubber rafts and innertubes are hanging in the garage. No need to set your alarm at 4:30 am like you did in July and August, overcast days in September can translate to a full day of fishing. Don't be cute with your fly selection either! This strain of Clackamas Steelhead likes larger leach-style offerings with Black, Dark Blue, Deep Red and Purple being colors of choice. With the added aqua, 10-15 foot sink-tips in type 3-6 or sinking Poly Leaders will make their way back into your tip selection.
With that noted, steelhead fishing will slow by the end of the month. Approx 550 Summer Steelhead have been recorded at the hatchery trap. Fish will continue to trickle in throughout September and October, but in low numbers.
At the end of the month most Clack' anglers will be focused on the 12000+ Coho's expected to enter Eagle Creek. Coho's are in the main steam, but it should be a couple weeks before we see them in great numbers. The first fish are usually trapped at the hatchery by October 1st... In other words, most of the Coho will hold and roam around Bonnie Lure State Park and wait for the first gush of rain.... In different words, your target area should be below the confluence.
You will have little luck trying to fish for moving Coho. Walk the trails and fish in deeper pools or back eddies. Coho are much different than Steelhead in that regard, as they seldom bite in faster currents. Do not be afraid of your tippet or leader selection. We like 12-15 pound test. Your giant Alaska Chinook flies do not work here, as smaller flashy patterns in Hot Pink, Purple and Cerise are favored. Coho are tail biters, and will chase your fly from behind. Retrieve your fly using fast 12-18 inch strips. If you see fish chasing your flies but not biting, your offering is too large
Please call the shop for updates throughout the month.
Boaters should be advised flows are still (Sep 2nd 2008) at summer levels and the Clack becomes a difficult run no matter what craft you're using. Unless you want to drag your drift boat or put a hole in it, find a raft. Please be especially aware of the Minefield below Dog Creek, as well as sweepers within McIver.
Trout fishing is open on the Upper Clackamas. The Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas provides excellent small stream trout fishing this time of year. The upper reaches of the river are accessible and can be a great place to spend the day casting dries for willing eaters.
Guide Info: Jad Donaldson. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your trip.
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A few of our readers took our advice from the last report and paid attention to the rain forecast. They timed it perfectly and were rewarded big time! The coastal rivers are low once again, but with any measurable rain, you might consider telling your Deschutes-Spey-buddy to turn in his 14 footer for a 10 footer! Instead of heading East on HWY 26, head West to the Wilson, Nestucca, Trask, or Siletz.
Again, the key is rain and weather.com is only a click away!
Long clear intermediate tips will be needed for swinging.
That's all we got!
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The fish are showing up near tidewater in many systems, but reports have been poor in higher reaches. We need some serious rain and rivers to rise. The mainstream of the Nehalem offers your best chance at resident and Sea Run Cutt's. There's plenty of access along Lower Nehalem Road. Spiders, Black/Red Muddlers, Turks Tarantula, Parachute Adams and Cerise Stimulators will cover your bases. The resident fish are small in size and a 3-4 weight rod will be plenty for these native sea-run trout.
We have a special "Searun fly bin" at our shop.
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 We fished Warm Springs Friday between the Pelton Dam and Dry Creek. Fishing was average at best although we hooked a couple mysterious fish that "yarded us out" on 5 and 6 weights! There's big trout in that neighborhood, but they were most likely Steelhead. If it wasn't for the excitement of these "mystery fish" the rating would've been fair at best.
Water conditions from Maupin upstream are great on paper with CFS flows steady and running a few tall glasses of water under 4000 CFS. The 10 day weather report calls for plenty of sun with temps in the upper 80's to lower 90's.
The caddis hatches has been less predictable this year but with the warmer weather trend ahead, expect good caddis activity near dusk. You will need a fleece shirt come 7:30 pm as September evenings turn cool. A head lamp is also a necessity, unless you like falling down, tearing your waders and generally bumbling about.
Swinging soft hackles at dusk will still catch fish, but you will find less fish sippin' spent caddis during daytime. Softies' ala Nemes Softhackle in Yellow, Orange, and Bright Green are great come evening time. Trout will hold below riffles snacking on emergers. Swing these down and across. Use 3X tippet. For the fly-tiers, tie a neon yellow floss-bodied floss softhackle on a size 16 TMC 3769 hook. Use the brown colored (avoid the gray) hackle feathers from a partridge skin. The body should be tapered front to back.
The mayfly of choice this month will be Mahogany Duns. These duns like flat smooth surfaces and the rise form from the fish will therefore be slow and precise. Long leaders are recommended.
Midges will play an enlarged role as well, especially in the early am or late evening. Midge pupa...any color really... size 20 will fish in back eddies and slower current seams.
In the nymphing game you will find trout in both riffles and deeper seems, although with cooler water temps in September you will find most trout feeding in deeper water. It's back to the RL BH Kaufmann Stone and a size 16-18 BH FB CDC PT dropper (you get that?.... Bead Head Flash Back Cul De Canard Pheasant Tail) The BH Caddis Sparkle Pupa's of the world will still fish. Bear in mind that there are 52 caddis species hatching on the Deschutes in summer, and color and size is less important, but shape is key.
Tool Nymphs: BH Cased Caddis, BH Black Stonefly Nymphs, BH Prince Nymph, Pat's Rubber Legs Black, BH Pheasant Tail, BH Hare's Ear.
Dropper Nymphs (size 14-18): BH Lightning Bug, BH Bubble Back, BH CDC Prince, BH GR Hares Ear, BH FB CDC PT, Black Biotic Nymph, Kaufmann's BH Rhyacophila, Morrish's Biotic Nymph, Sparkle Pupa, Green Jelly Cord Caddis, Kaufmann's Mirage Copper, BH Soft Hackle Orange, Yellow, Brown, Olive and Tan, Bead Head WD-40.
Dry Flies: size 14-18 PMD's, size 14-20 Midges, size 14-18, Tan, Brown & Peacock Elk Hair Caddis, Tan & Olive X-caddis, Tan & Olive E-Z Caddis, size 14 yellow Crane Flies.
Sun Screen: Size mongo bottle Banana Boat SPF 60.
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 If you fished the Big D' in July and early August you most likely encountered with a fish or 5! Fishing was stellar to say the least. Fishing has slowed down a bit as of late, but anglers are still getting plenty of fish.
Water temps have dropped from August hot to September perfect. With temperatures from Maupin down to the mouth ranging between 59 ~ 64, Steelhead will be more active and fishing is picking back up.
The White River has been spitting out milk. However, visibility is 4 ½ feet at Kloan (today!), just fine for swinging with black or purple bunny fur on 13+ footers..... but maybe a bit optimistic skating a bomber on a dry line!
Call the shop for updates about the White River.
We swung through our favorite runs in Maupin on Friday. Perhaps it was a little early to think "Maupin" with low counts over Sherars. We felt or saw no signs of Steelhead. The second week of September is when we will see a surge of fish passing through the trap. (so history says!) Around Oct 1st Maupin usually reeks of Steelhead.
Mack's to the Mouth is still your best bet.
The Big D' will see between 3000-4000 wild fish and an additional 3000-4000 Deschutes hatchery fish. Great fishing on the Deschutes is determined by the number of strays, and this year is predicted to be spectacular. Should you happened to catch a Steelhead with a skinny orange spaghetti-tag please take note of the number on the tag, and call ODFW (The Dalles Office). All the fish collected at the trap are getting tagged. Keep in mind that not all fish are trapped however.
We are booking trips for day trips, overnight trips and exclusive reservation access and have a few openings left. Call Jakob or Jerry for available dates.
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This is a great time of year to be out on this river. You can expect some of the best dry fly fishing of the year from now till the end of the beginning of September. Here's what you should expect: Golden Stones are still around, you may be able to pick up a fish on them, but it will be more than 90% likely above Allingham. More importantly, the Metolius has 3 other big bugs on the move this month...fall Green Drakes, Willow Flies & October Caddis. Carry adult and crippled Drakes in size 10 & 12, for Willows you'll want an oversize Black Elk Hair or Black Stimulator in about a 10 or so. October Caddis – you'll find Dries and Pupa to be your most productive....Check out our article on October's later in the newsletter.
Other options to have in the bag....On the surface, Mahogany Duns, Baetis (toward the latter part of the month), and heightened Midge activity. When down under, Drake nymphs, PT's, October Caddis Pupa and Midge Pupa will be your first options. I might suggest an October Caddis Pupa with a WD-40 trailer, course for the adventuresome nympher, I'd slide a Drake Nymph in the middle and declare war.
Bull Trout are in the river right now. They are just off their August spawn and will be in likely areas for those in the know as well as near the mouths of tributaries. Carry big streamers in olive, white, brown and black or preferably a combination thereof.
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I hesitate to ever call this river poor and the good news is the river will get in better and better shape as the month moves forward. It's not peak time here for good fishing however and the large portion of fish in the river are kegged below Cedar Creek. While there will always be a couple bright fish, the bulk are long in the tooth. Best steel bets are to head west to the coast or keep going east to the D. If you're interested in Sandy knowledge, call in and talk to Jad.
Guide Info: Jad Donaldson. Call us at 503-639-6400 to book your trip.
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The McKenzie is heating back up again. Anglers looking to get a good trout fix in should consider dragging the drift boat a few miles down I-5. The story on the McKenzie is as expected – a variety of caddis, returning baeits, and the advent of Mahogany Duns. However, the wrinkle in this picture – October Caddis. They're out early and fish are on them. A tandem rig of a good floating Dry like Morrish's October Caddis along with a dropper October Caddis Pupa. Important to get a high riding dry, as these BH Pupa's are fairly heavy.
Fishing above Leaburg Dam will continue to be good to many stocked fish. The water here is colder and more turbid. A Stimulator, Chernobyl style ant or Hopper with a dropper here is your best bet. Also, high riding attractors such as Humpy's, Coachmen, and smaller Trude's and Turks can be good here, especially with a small nymph dropper.
Steelhead fishing in the McKenzie has slowed and is at a crawl, but there are fish still hanging about. October Caddis Pupa's can definitely have an effect on these fish. The closer you fish to Leaburg, the better your chances. Fish to these fish on the extreme ends of the day with dark flies...else indicator fishing for these fish will be the route to take midday.
The McKenzie has a large hatchery trout program and hatchery fish are planted just for a supplement to anglers. As a matter of fact the stocking of these trout is one of the largest hatchery projects in the nation. You are encouraged to retain the hatchery fish (all wild fish must be released). Please study your 2008 fishing before going. The best fishing for hatchery fish is from below Forest Glen Boat Ramp down to Hayden Bridge near Springfield. There are 16 boat ramps in this section. Access when floating is plentiful.
 Other Trout Options:
The Coast - resident cutthroat are present and grabby.
Middle Fork Willamette - a beautiful, productive stream frequently shaded by the sun. Use flies similar to the McKenzie.
Upper Clackamas/Mt. Hood streams - there's still cooler water flowing and fish can be found...you should need a 4 weight at max for these fish.
Additional Bits and Pieces Off the Top:
Steelhead have been arriving early all spring/summer long. This goes for almost all valley, coast and Columbia drainage rivers to a fault. Expect the same for the John Day, Klick, and Grande Ronde. Fish are flying over Bonneville. The N. Umpqua is fishing very well and in true style, this is a great time of year to skate. SW Washington rivers continue to fish. The Cowlitz is finally approaching normal summer flows and though the run has tapered off, there are excellent "B" run fish in the water as well as a ton of Sea-Run's. The Kalama and Lewis forks are low, but fishing well with the Kalama producing extremely well for early silver and fall Chinook. Don't be surprised at a Steelhead bump either. Similar results can be expected on the McDougle just across the Columbia. North Coast rivers and streams have some opportunity for Kings as well.
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9/5/08
The Stats:
4 Anglers
Flies Only
13 landed and a bunch (10) more on
The fish are still running in the 18-30 lb. class, but more surface activity is being seen. A strong wind prevented us from doing much drifting into
breaking fish as effectively as we would have liked, but we did have some success doing this. This makes for two strong trips out in a row.
We hooked about half the fish casting within pods of active fish while throwing live anchovies to keep the fish close to the boat.
I have added the following days and will post the available spots below. Please contact me (@ jad@kman.com) or 503.639.6400 ASAP if you would like to do this...again, cost is approx. $275/person (+ bait and gratuity) including staying the night before at the Captain's lodge in Hammond, OR.
Dates: SEPT 25 / OCT 5 / OCT 6 / OCT 7
 
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In a few days, the gradual drop in flows will be finished, the system stabilized, and ready for extensive wading opportunities. Highway 10, from Cle Elum to Ellensburg, and the Canyon Road from Ellensburg downstream to Roza, offer only about, oh, 40 miles of river access for the wading angler. No small wonder so many look forward to this magic time of year.
The next couple weeks will provide a tailing off of the late summer bugs (hoppers, beetles, ants, pmd's, short-wing summer stones, smaller caddis), while the fall bugs will gradually increase in activity and numbers moving forward (Heptagenia, Mahoganies, BWO's, October Caddis). Because we're moving from one season to the next, with late summer bugs waning, and fall bugs yet to get started in earnest, there will be some days in the near-term where hatch activity is light to imperceptible. Be assured that the fish won't be liking this scenario any more than we will. Fortunately, the hoppers will be especially important, as will the short-wing summer stones, during these in-between times. Also, very soon, look for the giant October Caddis to start showing up late in the day to dark. Once these big-boys start showing, it's time to eagerly anticipate being able to match the fall mayflies, especially on cooler, cloudy, moist days.
It's time!
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| There are Silvers about with more and more pushing in each day. You'll want to use Clear Intermediate Lines, an Outbound or Clouser line for these fish. Also fishing for Sea-Run Cutts is favorable. If you're thinking about spots to chase...Brown's and Dash Poin, N. Hood Canal should be good for Silvers, with the S. Hood Canal, Allen/Victor beaches, and the mouth of the Snohomish good for Sea-Run's. Fly selections range with Shock and Awe's, Pink Clouser's and Herring flies. SRC specific flies, try smaller versions of baitfish, poppers and buggers. |
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