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.
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| Steve showing of his turbo charged rainbow with Taylor the Golden retriever |
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| First hole of the day with a one person "double" - two fish on one cast |
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| "Landed double" - You can put a wager with someone saying you can catch 2 fish in 1 cast |
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| Green Drake Mayfly Resting on my Silver Sonic Waders |
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| Green Drake Drying off on the Clackacraft's rear standing station..... |
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| On tight to a nice McKenzie River Rainbow Trout |
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| Admiring a nice McKenzie River Rainbow Trout caught on a swung green caddis wet fly |
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| The #14 Yellow Softhackle accounts for many trout caught on the McKenzie River |
I'm guessing from the bugs and action you were well above Hayden bridge. I hoped to see green caddis all spring on the lower river and never saw one once, the fish at Armitage had no interest in them this year, although possiebuggers were hot all spring.
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