News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 10 of 10
For those of you who have struggled to hook and land a really big bull trout (I am one of you), you might want to not read any further. Okay, I warned you. Here's my tale: One of the coolest things about the Metolius River is that huge, predatory fish - bull trout - lurk in many parts of the river. If you see a log or two sticking out of the water, there's a good chance that a bull trout is lurking under the wood and waiting for a smaller trout or whitefish to make a mistake.... Full story
A good day on the Metolius River is one trout hooked, landed, and released. A great day is two trout hooked, landed, and released. Anything more than that is a spectacular day. Why am I happy with such modest results from the most beautiful trout stream in the Northwest? Well, the Metolius is a very tough river to fly fish. First, the water in this big spring creek is very clear, so the trout can see everything, including the little details of every fly. Second, there are a lo... Full story
I woke up Sunday morning on fire to fish the March Brown mayfly hatch on the lower McKenzie River - just a few miles from Springfield. Yes, this spot is about 100 miles from Sisters. Yes, it was a holiday of sorts - St. Patrick's Day. Yes, I am nutso. Yet, being a nutso fly angler is often a good thing, I don't eat or drink stuff that is dyed green and I have a fly fishing truck that is set up for local, medium, and long fishing trips. A day trip to the McKenzie is a long day... Full story
For the past 20 years or so, I've tried to go fishing on New Year's Day - even when the Ducks were playing in a bowl game on that day. Stringing up a fly rod and walking along a river just seems like the best possible way to start another year. The goal is always to catch a fish or two, but it's not a gotta-do-this deal. Some might say that starting the New Year and not catching a fish is a bad beginning. Those are the same people who think that fly-fishing is all about... Full story
Life in Sisters Country brings us closer to the rhythms of our planet. For example, our seasons don't follow the calendar. I was reminded of this last weekend, when I drove the 50-odd miles from Sisters to the Crooked River just below Bowman Dam. Low clouds skidded across the sky as I entered the Crooked River Canyon, and little bursts of rain spattered on the truck windshield. It looked like a good day for a blue-wing olive mayfly hatch. These tiny mayflies hatch out all... Full story
I love college football season. I'm a University of Oregon grad, and I love my Ducks. I root for the Beavers when they're not playing the Ducks. I never, ever root for the Huskies. I love the packed, noisy stadiums, the tailgating, seeing old friends - and the thrills of the game. But my favorite thing about college football season is the lack of anglers on our Sisters Country rivers and lakes. So many people are home watching the games or traveling to games! I mostly love... Full story
Over time, a river flows into your mind. What you see, hear, feel, smell, and touch swirl into memories. Sometimes what you see, such as swarms of mating mayflies rising, falling, and rising again 20 feet over the river's surface, becomes knowledge that helps you lure trout to your fly. Other times, you discover simple beauty that will vanish in a matter of minutes, hours, or days. I always want to catch trout, but sometimes I catch other things as well. I fish the Metolius... Full story
The best - and the worst - part of fly-fishing is that there is always more to learn. Two fish showed me this during this past week. A lot of people don't like fishing in hot weather, but I love it. The warm air sparks a lot of aquatic insect hatches, and this gets the trout going. Most of the time, our Central Oregon trout, especially on the Metolius and the Deschutes, don't like to rise to hatching bugs in bright sunshine. That's why you see many anglers - including me - arr... Full story
If you want to catch a really big trout during the summer, you should be on the river when the sun sets - and not at home enjoying a romantic evening with your spouse. Now, I've seen lots of huge trout eagerly feeding in the middle of the day when flotillas of big bugs are on the water and every fish is feasting on the bounty. This happens on the Metolius River during the green drake hatch - and the golden stonefly hatch. On the Lower Deschutes, the big trout will smack big... Full story
I'm starting to think that the local trout were as eager for warm weather as the local humans. I fish almost every day - and no place is better for a crazed fly angler than Sisters - and I've found trout happily rising almost everywhere since warm weather rolled in. Sure, a lot of local rivers, especially the Crooked and the Lower Deschutes, turned into torrents of coffee-colored water - heavy on the milk - with snow runoff. The good part of this is that we're savoring a... Full story
