McKenzie Report with Pics From 5-1-14

Last week I was out on the McKenzie and the fishing ranged from "hot as it can it can get" to "fair". I saw large McKenzie green caddis flopping around, and lots of lingering March Brown mayflies still coming off as well. There could have been an all time Carpenter Ant hatch last Thursday 5/1, but the wind did not rip enough to knock those large morsels of trout candy into the drink. I did see a few explosive rises on nothing I could see on the surface; so they were likely ant rise-forms since it is hard to see a black bug drowning in the surface film. Pale morning duns and a mixed bag of other random caddis were also hatching off the waters as we fished; especially on Thursday (the warmest and calmest day so far).

Fishing was good on various setups, and fishing a "dry and dropper" with a buoyant green caddis dry fly pattern and a Possie Bugger nymph proved to be all you needed for that type of a rig. Swinging wet flies in the surface film with a classic "down and across" presentation using double wet fly rig was rather productive as well. We fished a setup with a smaller yellow softhackle or various toned down/sparser green caddis or march brown tied at the end, and a large green caddis wet or March brown wet tied off a dropper tag about 3 feet up from the end of the leader. Plain old down and dirty nymphing was also very productive, and we fished a golden stone nymph with a large possie bugger. It was another setup that never needed changing because it was so effective out there; getting many consistent take-downs on the Thingamabobber.

Bruce on tight to a line ripping rainbow on a down and across swung wet

This fish took a heavily dressed green caddis wet while there were naturals bouncing on the water

Big Fish Double!! Notice the tight fly line on the middle left edge of the pic.

Bruce smiling during the double. Life's good when you have nice wild rainbows making your reels sing!

One of the fish that came from that double....

Bruce is also smiling about that fine fly rod he just picked up the day before at Orvis Portland

One of many fine fish that Bruce and Blaine caught on their great day of fishing....

Blaine on tight with another line ripping rainbow that was hooked up while nymphing.

That fine rainbow took a golden stone nymph. Too bad it didn't want to stick around for a pic.

First cast in the next spot down river, and it results in a sweet "tight line" grab while swinging a wet fly.

On tight to the nicest rainbow of the day while using the Olive Chubby Chernobyl & Possie Bugger

This acrobatic line ripping rainbow may be slender, but it was 20"-21" long on the "enhancing" Measure Net.

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

McKenzie Trout Eat Flies Even When the Water is High for Humans

This spring can go down with the last few seasons as "high water" springs, and this one seems to win the prize for having the most consistent high water conditions. Right when John and Lauren showed up at Oregon, the rains hammered the river levels back up to bloated from the few days of low water we briefly had. Water clarity was really good though; since the McKenzie can really take a lot of abuse before its color gets affected. Luckily at this time of the year, the fish are looking up, and the famous McKenzie Green Caddis have been coming off in good enough numbers to become the target of many "hit and runs" for the river's trout. They really love eating those big green awkward bugs that bounce and skitter on the water. The wet fly swing really gets some serious tight line grabs this time of the year, and the fish are well fed and fight with serious attitude lately. 

This turbo charged powerful McKenzie River Rainbow really hit a green caddis wet hard!

With the water rising up on Thursday night, it seemed to really damper the "human hatch" where we luckily only saw a few boats out there all day. The fishing was fare to good at times yesterday, and we got into some nice powerful feisty fish. Most of the fish were taking swung wets, and a few took the nymph on a dry fly and dropper rig. The weather was wonderful, and it started out cloudy and calm and slowly dissipated off into "sunny with a cloud here and there" type of a day. The winds stayed calm to light, and that seemed to be a key factor in our success out there. Any time the sun shined bright and the wind would blow slightly; causing the fishing to slow down, and when the sun was hidden behind clouds we got hits from all of the spot that they should have came from.

Two Species caught on one cast - Cutthroat and Rainbow trout on each wet fly

If you have not fished the McKenzie River when the green caddis are coming off; you need to get out there and experience it. Normally these large green bugs start to come off hard in early May, but this season they have literally just gotten going. They should come off for the next few weeks, and it is a time when you can really get into some of the nicest fish the McKenzie has to offer. The fish have just finished spawning, and now they are fattening back up on these big green bugs. Get yourself out there to experience it!

McKenzie Green Caddis started to hatch later this year (Late May 2012)

McKenzie River Trout Report 5-9-2012

Releasing a nice McKenzie River "Redside"

Windy was the report!!! The day was filled with some serious winds! It seemed that the winds were sustained at about 20-25 knots all day long, and the biggest breaks we were getting were bends in the river that were blocked from the brute force winds. Every time we got into a spot, and the wind was calm we had take downs on the strike indicator, or lines tightening up on wet fly swings. When we fished in the spots where the wind was howling, we lacked action. It was an interesting direct correlation with wind and fish action; where the spots that we had good action lacked wind, and the spots where we lacked action were windier than you could imagine.

Bruce on tight with a large rainbow trout - Lower McKenzie River

Fish were caught nymphing on golden stones, mega princes, and possie buggers, and it seemed that the nicest fish were eating nymphs. Swinging wets shined at times, and we did get into the nicest McKenzie Redside of the day on a swung McKenzie green caddis wet fly that I tie for my clients to use on my trips. While swinging wets, we also caught fish on Red Butted Peacock Softhackled wet flies . The Chernobyl Chubby Norm did get some surface attention while fishing a dry fly and dropper nymph, but not enough to warrant using it more than a trial run in a spot or two. The McKenzie green caddis was not out hatching, but we did catch a few fish on the wet fly imitations; so it seemed like the fish have been seeing some of them out by the way that they took the pattens with authority.

Below is a short video from a few of the fish we got into on 5/9/2012:




Fishing will only improve as long as weather and water levels cooperate. The best fishing for trout on the lower McKenzie is from here through the next several weeks; so book yourself a trout guided trip to experience the McKenzie's famous "redsides".

McKenzie Rainbow Trout Catching Air

Tight Lines!!!

Get Ready for the McKenzie Green Caddis

It is GREEN CADDIS time! The McKenzie river gets a big green caddis that really pulls the large rainbows from the depths. You can really have some amazing days of fly fishing during this hatch, and two places where it really shines are the McKenzie and Middle Fork Willamette Rivers. The fly is large and very active on the water; making for an excellent hatch for beginner and expert fly fishers. It is the kind of a fly that you can skitter across the water, and some explosive takes from aggressive rainbow trout result. The best thing is how the fly is large and easy to see on the water; so you can watch those trophy rainbows CRUSH your fly!

A Freshly Hatched Green Caddis Adult

The fly can be fished in both a wet and dry version, and when they are hatching; you will know. There will be explosive rises out in the fast whitecap soft chop water. It sometimes takes a moment to realize that they are rise forms; since the water can be fast and bouncy where these flies hatch and get taken by hungry trout. When you experience a good day of McKenzie Green Caddis fly fishing; you will be hooked, and every season you will make it a priority to experience.

A Fat Rainbow Trout That Ate a Green Caddis Dry Fly

 The hatch tends to come off about 2pm-ish, and it can last for hours intermittently. On the sunny hot days, there can be epic "evening rise" times; where the trout are eating them gluttonously, and you can rack in the numbers of trophy rainbows. The best days tend to be the muggy days with spotty rain showers and sunny breaks in between. The kind of days where you have your rain gear on, but you never really get wet. All you have to see out there is literally a few of these large caddis, and you will know it is time to put one on. The fish get super keyed into them, and they will seek out green caddis and that will be it.

Many Trout Like This on a Green Caddis Day

The Green Caddis is one of those hatches that can be considered one of the best times to fish the McKenzie River, if not the BEST. If you are interested in booking a guided trip for trout, call me at (541)-232-6360 or email me at fish@mckenzieangler.com .