West Side Cascade Trout Fly Fishing Video

On a recent outing, I filmed some footage and compiled it together to make a short video of some of the day's trout we experienced.

Click onto video below to watch:

McKenzie River Fishing Report and Pictures

Last week I was out on the McKenzie River every day guiding, and the fishing conditions ranged from "pretty good" to "as good as it gets" out there. We caught fish on a straight up CDC palmered size #10 McKenzie Green Caddis dry fly when the bugs were causing the fish to look up. If you are wondering about the McKenzie Green Caddis (which also comes out heavy on the upper Willamette), then click HERE to learn more by reading a Westfly entry posted a few years back (amazing entry). The hatch is on the way out for this year, but it is one incredibly fun bug to fish when the fish are keyed on them. Fishing a straight up dry fly was only really effective for about an hour or so here and there compared to fishing a dry fly and dropper nymph or swinging a double wet fly softhackle rig. We ended up fishing a Chubby Chernobyl with a Possie Bugger all week long for the dry fly and dropper rig, and it worked extremely well; with the nymph receiving the most attention. The dry gets crushed enough here and there to keep things really interesting. For the wet flies, I had the clients using a yellow #14 softhackle with a larger green caddis wet fly imitation dropped off the mid-point of the leader on a dropper tag. Both flies got plenty of attention, but the best fish would charge the green caddis wet fly offering. The key element of the week that provided the hot fishing action was the Pacific Moisture that was delivering to us "on and off" showers in pulses each day of the week from Tuesday on. Whenever the sun would break through and dry things off the fishing would slow up a bit, but then the bugs would pulse on out each time the next shower would roll through. The best fishing weather you could ask for on the McKenzie River resulted in a lot of fish being caught all week long.

Steve showing of his turbo charged rainbow with Taylor the Golden retriever

First hole of the day with a one person "double" - two fish on one cast

 "Landed double" - You can put a wager with someone saying you can catch 2 fish in 1 cast

Green Drake Mayfly Resting on my Silver Sonic Waders

Green Drake Drying off on the Clackacraft's rear standing station.....

On tight to a nice McKenzie River Rainbow Trout

Admiring a nice McKenzie River Rainbow Trout caught on a swung green caddis wet fly

The #14 Yellow Softhackle accounts for many trout caught on the McKenzie River

Green Caddis Gives Some Hot Trout Action

This past Wednesday was filled with some super hot trout fishing action. The lesser than desirable weather had caused the fishing to be really hot out there. We experienced some of the large green caddis, and they were pulsing off all throughout the day. We only had about one hour and a half of really hot dry fly action, but fishing a large dry fly with a possie bugger nymph was the hot producer out there otherwise. The possie bugger nymph caught lots of fish all day long ranging from 10"-17" (most ranging from 12"-14"), and here and there a fish would clobber the large dry fly offering as well. From about 1-2:30 there was a cranking green caddis hatch peak hatch time where the fish were looking up and pouncing upon every green caddis struggling to take off from the water. It was "what it is all about" out there, and we got to experience it! The benefits of having some showers out there keeps the trout fishing really hot.   

Lots & lots of fish like this all day long......

The first heavy pulse of green caddis action made the action really pick up.

Lots of tight lines with all of the hot action.....

This hot rainbow was hiding in a little side pothole next to a heavy riffle

When fishing a dry fly and dropper nymph, it is apparent how important the nymph is.

Possie Bugger meets nice pretty rainbow trout

2013 Deschutes River Salmonfly/Stonefly Hatch Photo-essay

These are pictures from the trip I took with my good friend Brian Morris from May 27th through May 30th.

Starting boat ramp - Trout Creek 

Brian Morris and I getting started on our 4 day voyage

Still pounding stonefly dries near the banks regardless of the rain. Fish are keyed in!

The Chubby Chernobyl in golden was the top producer on this trip overall

Chubby Chernobyl pinned into this rainbow's grill

Rain or sunshine - the fish were pounding on the dries

Quite a large tail on this Deschutes Rainbow trout

Chubby Chernobyl in golden was a common thing to see in the jaws of a trout

Lots of nice "two hander" slabs were being caught on this trip to the Deschutes

Rainbows in the water and rainbow in the sky too....

The weather was looking better and better for day one - sun setting at camp

The sleeping quarters of Mr. Morris - Morning 2

Hard boiled eggs, bagels with cream cheese, coffee with cream & sugar....

The weather on the start of the second day....not raining......

This rainbow fell to a size 18 copper john in red

The salmonfly hitching a ride on the rod holder of the boat

Golden stonefly on the table at camp spot of day number 2

The stones were all over the place and crawling on everything at the second day's camp

Two golden stones attempting to cross breed with a salmonfly

My Orvis Superfine Touch along with Morris's Scott G and A3 Rods

Golden Stones in the brush of the banks - Deschutes River

The brush had golden stones just about everywhere you looked

Nice close up detailed look of an adult golden stonefly

Weather was sunny and warm after we got all dialed into our second day's camp

Panoramic view of the second days camp area

Looking at the water from our second day's camping spot

Two golden stones hanging out on the stove cover bag

Some Deschutes River desert Lupine

View along with the third morning's weather vibe

Looking opposite direction downriver the same moment as the picture above

Fish on right before we move downriver and leave our second camp spot

Chunky healthy bow that took the "Jimmy Legs" in coffee and black

View looking downriver on day three of the float. It was the windiest and coolest day of the trip.

Working the inside edge of a drop off riffle

Removing the flies and preparing for release of this Deschutes rainbow trout

Nice red coloration on this fine Deschutes River Rainbow Trout

Fishing a spot in the morning before we ran into our good friend Kyle

Every bend you come around has gorgeous views of cliffs, water, and Magritte skies

The Norm Woods Special was working very well in the slower water spots

On tight to a hard fighting fish at the third camp spot's water

Not bad catching fish like this right out in front of your camp - Third evening

Chewing on a Chubby Chernobyl Dry Fly

The very next cast after releasing the fish in the above picture resulted in this.

View from camp on our last morning - sunny, calm, and nice !!

Cool lighting made me want to snap this picture of Morris, and it turned out to be a cool pic.

One stellar day on the Deschutes River fishing the famous stonefly hatch

Morris admiring this fine Deschutes River Rainbow

Re-rigging another stonefly dry pattern to use.....

Lots of caddis were starting to show up on the fourth day.....

More caddis coming off the water in certain spots.....

Make sure you click onto Older Posts below to see more (this entry takes up a lot of space):