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.
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.
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| Bruce on tight to a line ripping rainbow on a down and across swung wet |
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| This fish took a heavily dressed green caddis wet while there were naturals bouncing on the water |
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| Big Fish Double!! Notice the tight fly line on the middle left edge of the pic. |
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| Bruce smiling during the double. Life's good when you have nice wild rainbows making your reels sing! |
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| One of the fish that came from that double.... |
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| Bruce is also smiling about that fine fly rod he just picked up the day before at Orvis Portland |
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| One of many fine fish that Bruce and Blaine caught on their great day of fishing.... |
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| Blaine on tight with another line ripping rainbow that was hooked up while nymphing. |
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| That fine rainbow took a golden stone nymph. Too bad it didn't want to stick around for a pic. |
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| First cast in the next spot down river, and it results in a sweet "tight line" grab while swinging a wet fly. |
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| On tight to the nicest rainbow of the day while using the Olive Chubby Chernobyl & Possie Bugger |
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| This acrobatic line ripping rainbow may be slender, but it was 20"-21" long on the "enhancing" Measure Net. |
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