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

High Water Flows in Western Oregon - Fishing Retreat for Lots of Brown Trout

This past weekend, I was feeling "spur of the moment" after having to cancel several trout trips I had booked due to super high water conditions from the last storm. I asked Nikki if she would be into taking a drive east in search of dryness, sunshine, and low water. She was into the idea also, especially since we got back from Florida, the sun has been lacking and the rains have been overly plentiful. We both decided after we both got off of work, we would bolt out of town eastward to the Owyhee River. I had not fished it ever, nor had she, but I knew it has been fishing well from recent reports. Midges, blue winged olives, and skawala stones were all hatching, and the fishing was going to be better than sitting at home waiting for river levels to drop in the swollen west-side rivers.

We got to the river, and it was full of big brown trout. It was also full of anglers, but we were prepared for the traffic and "human hatch" we had been warned about. It is true too that Boise people are the the most plentiful angling force out there. It is about an hour from Boise, and really far from anywhere else that is a major metropolitan area; so it flocks the anglers from there more so than Oregonian. It seemed like there were angler/s in about every decent looking spot, but the weather was sunny and warm on the first day. The fishing was great, and we caught a lot of fish on a variety of fly fishing techniques.

The second day had cooler but sunny weather, and the "human hatch" was way mellower than on Saturday. The fish were more interested in subsurface offering as well, but we caught way more fish than we did on the first day. It was really fun out there fishing with my sweetheart, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her yard in large brown trout. We caught fish on everything from skawala stone dry flies, midge dry flies, and the best fly was a weightless nymph called a bubble top fished from the surface film to a few inches under water.  It was really neat to see how well we did fishing a pattern that was not on the surface, nor on the bottom, but right under the surface.

Below are a bunch of photos from our trip, and I hope you enjoy them.....

Checking out a nice long brown trout

The "Bubble Top
was the hot fly

Fish On ! Brown trout fishing in Oregon

Filbert is Admiring this fine Oregon Brown Trout

Nice Dots on this Brown Trout - Eastern Oregon

#22 Black Midge Dry Fly took this brown trout

This brown trout fell to a Skwala Stone surface fly pattern

One of the many large browns that reside in Oregon's Owyhee River

Filbert really likes brown trout fishing

Bubble Top fly pattern pinned in this brown trout

gorgeous spots on this brown trout

Nice jaws on this long lean brown trout

April Fool's Day was all about fooling brown trout

Brown trout acting feisty on Owyhee River

"Bubble Top" fly stuck in this brown trout's grill

Beautiful specimen of Oregon brown trout

Displaying a brown trout

Working the water for brown trout - Owyhee River

The Classic Photo - Orvis Superfine Touch Rod With CFO Reel & Brown Trout