Oregon Fly Fishing Report – Small Stream Outfitters & Guides

A mighty Spring run off from a Winter of heavy snow kept Cascade streams on the high side most of June. However, rivers are now running at close to normal levels and the McKenzie is no exception. The river is in beautiful shape with 6-7′ of visibility and a cfs of 2,870 (near vida as of July 21).

Stocked rainbow trout are prevalent and provide great action all day long. Native Rainbow and Cutthroat are also present with the best opportunities for these fish coming during hatches and low light periods.

Predominate hatches are Yellow Sallies (size 10-14) and Tan/Brown Caddis (size 12-16). A few PMDs are also flying around.

Try hopper/dropper setups during hatches and rely on nymphing tactics when the sun is bright and on the water.

To book a McKenzie river guided fly fishing trip, please call Small Stream Outfitters at 503.515.3533 or email us at info@smallstreamoutfitters.com

Tight Lines,
Small Stream Outfitters Guide Staff

After a long cool Spring, Summer is finally here and it feels good. At Small Stream Outfitters that means lots of early mornings chasing Summer Steelhead and warm afternoons dabbling dry flies for Coastal Cutthroat. Coastal conditions are exactly where they should be for this time of year. The water is still cool, but flows will decrease slightly each day and the water will increase slightly through August and into September.

Summer steelhead are present throughout the entire Siletz system and in decent numbers. We are finding a fair number of fish in the mid to upper river. Fish will continue to enter the river throughout the next month and stack up in deep low-light pools waiting for that first rain. Early mornings and late evenings are the best time to target these fish. Traditional swing tactics work well in times of low light. Switch to long leaders and delicate presentations once the sun hits the water.

If the sun is a little too bright for steelhead we like to switch to the 3 and 4 wts and try our luck for the coastal cutthroats. Try fluffy dries (size 8-12) with touches of red or yellow. Patterns like humpys, royal coachmen, stimulators, adams and elk hair caddis work great. Concentrate on shaded areas with good cover and high oxygen content. Most of these fish are between 6-10″, but be ready for a whopper, because there are always a few hold over sea run cutthroats this time of year that can get as big as 20″.

We are certainly enjoying our Summer at Small Stream Outfitters and hope you are too. We are now booking; Summer steelhead, Coastal Cutthroats, Sea-Run Cutthroats and Rainbow trout. To inquire about a guided fly fishing trip please contact us through the website or by phone at 503.515.3533

Tight lines and good fishing!