"Crystal Creek Redband" |
Lake and Stream Report
(and other news)
September 17th, 2008:
Greetings!
Hopper fishing is still good on the
I will be fishing the Rogue a little more frequently beginning September 20th. I will keep the Rogue reports updated as I fish.
August 21, 2008:
I have added new images to a couple pages, so refresh your browser to get the newest.
I apologize for the infrequency of these reports. Most of the time I give a report when there is some transitional change in the fishing. Such is the case with this report. August going into September is a great time to fish the basin. September and October are two of my favorite months. Lots of fish in the rivers seeking the cooler waters and feeding more voraciously on insects.
Wood River: Grasshopper fishing started August 1 and has been good since. We have only just begun to get a string of hot days, which has made a noticeable difference with higher numbers of fish caught. Some minor mayflies and caddis in the morning and evening. Streamers always work especially well as more rainbows move into the river. Stick to the lower river for rainbows; upper river for browns.
Williamson River: there are a lot of fish in the river and more coming in all the time. Small cream caddis in the morning, followed by tricos late morning. PED’s and caddis in the evening. Small nymphs (18 – 20) seem to work all day; caddis pupa prior to the morning and evening hatches; soft hackles during and after the hatches.
Crystal Creek: always good given the right conditions. We are at the tail of the damsel spinner falls which means fishing is going to get tougher, but still productive for you long casters.
Rogue River: I hear good reports about the early season summer-run steelhead in the upper river.
By
the way, my second book, a basic fly fishing guide will be published by
July 24th, 2008:
On the
Williamson, the fish are starting to look up and feed on the occasional morning and
evening hatches. This has only started to occur in the last week or so. Why?
It was explained to me this way: "the fish move into the river from the
lake; they are used to feeding on leeches and lake food. It takes them a while to
begin to notice all the mayflies and caddis. Eventually they say, 'what the heck, I
guess I have to start eating this little stuff'." Steelhead often do the same
thing in rivers and it helps to think of these fish as steelhead.
So,
evening hatches have been good with tremendous caddis hatches from about 7:00 - 9:00 PM.
Pupa or caddis emerger patterns seem to work the best. Morning hatches
of small olive mayflies and callibaetis are starting about 9:30 till 11:30 AM. When
callibaetis are on the water, fish a spinner pattern for the best productivity. All
this is happening just in time for the Trico hatches, starting around August 1st.
Hexagenia are done for the most part, but occasional hatches can still be
found in isolated places.
August is
also the beginning of hopper fishing on the
September,
we can begin to look towards the Rogue for steelhead.
July 15th, 2008: Fishing is good! Of the three primary waters I fish, Williamson, Wood and Crystal Creek, all are fishing well. The migratory fish run is in full swing and the all the rivers are starting to get full of fish.
Williamson River has dropped to almost summer lows and water clarity is good. Hexagenia are coming off, albeit a bit late on both the Upper and Lower Williamson rivers. Tricos should be coming off soon. From here on out, bring your fluorocarbon and small nymphs (18-20's), wet flies (12-16's) and streamers (8-10's).
Wood River is fishing good right now with streamers. Starting August 1, we will begin to fish hoppers. Otherwise, very limited dry fly fishing. But if you are a die-hard streamer fan, now is the time. We are catching both rainbows and browns throughout the river. Rainbows come more readily to a streamer than a brown. Bring your heavy full sinking (type IV - VI) or long sink tip line and strip up against the banks. Smaller versions of Zonkers work well.
Crystal Creek, downriver from the springs, has been red hot. The creek is starting to gets its algae blooms which means we will have to start fishing in the springs, where the fish congregate for the remainder of the season. However, this time of year always coincides with about two weeks of a damsel and dragonfly spinner fall and caddis emergences in the springs. The fish get stupid on these bugs are remain relatively easy to catch it you can get a fly over a boil.
Good reports are coming from Agency Lake near the mouth of the Wood River, although I cannot confirm this. Rocky Point is also getting good reports.
June 21, 2008: It has been a slow start to what is shaping up to be a great year. Two weeks ago the rivers began to drop and clear. Fishing was tough during this transition. The rivers and fish and have since stabilized and fishing has been good in the last week. New fish are moving into the rivers daily as evidenced in our catches; bright feisty fish with lots of lake scars. The fish are fierce fighters this time of year.
Williamson
River: coming into shape nicely and fishing is good. Yellow sallies and caddis
are hatching. PMD's and baetis have tailed off with only sporadic hatches.
Nymphs and streamers are go to patters. Most catches are coming on
small caddis pupa and mayfly nymphs fished deep under a heavy stonefly. We are
catching a fair number of larger fish, but are still awaiting the large numbers to come
in. Lots of bigger fish in lower river downstream from the Waterwheel
Campground.
Wood River: Fair fishing right now. Still waiting for the browns to start looking up at the hatches. Hatches are very good but not a lot of fish taking them on the surface. Water is still a little tainted and high. Large black and purple streamers on heavy sink tip lines are producing most of our catches. Some rainbows moving into the lower river around Petric Park
Agency Lake: reports have been slow fishing. Lake temperatures are optimum right now but he water is high and the fish are spread out. Worth a try in the morning or evening.
Upper Williamson: black drakes are coming off on hot days.
Klamath
River (
Rogue:
salmon flies and golden coming off in good numbers especially above Shady Cove.
Fishing is good for small fish. Better action can be had on the
Klamath.
March 2nd, 2008: Wood River and Crystal Creek have opened as of April 26th. Fishing repots thus far are slow due to cold waters temperatures and higher water. More fish are being caught in Klamath Lake right now, especially around Rocky Point.
Williamson River opens May 24th. Other than being a little cold, water conditions right now are not bad. We are hoping for a gradual snow melt and not a lot of spring rains. So far so good. Even high water is not much of a deterrent on the Williamson.
Clearwater stretch of the Klamath River is showing promise. No stoneflies yet, but we are getting good reports from anglers who are fishing the nymph.
I think this is going to be a great year, at least I'm excited. Golden stones should be hatching when the Williamson opens. We have the PMD hatch to look forward to on the Wood River this spring and the Hex hatch in July. Until then, I will be out scouting and fishing open waters to locate the fish.
More to Come!
November 2nd, 2007: It’s been a great year and I want to thank everyone who has been visiting my website and reading my reports. Trout fishing has closed on the Williamson, Wood, and Crystal Creek for the year until May.
There is still some great fishing in the basin and the big redsides will not go unmolested, I assure you. We have the Keno stretch of the Klamath River, Clearwater of the Klamath, Link River between Upper Klamath and Lake Ewanna, Agency Lake and Upper Klamath, especially in the Pelican Marina area. The main problem as winter deepens is snow and / or ice. On a good year this may pose little problem and we can fish, a lot.
The Rogue is also fishing well starting now, if your so inclined to go after the big winter steelhead. There are a lot of summers still in the river but the winters should be moving up in fishable numbers as I write this.
This coming next year we will be fishing the uppermost part of the Wood River from the headwaters down beginning at the end of April. This is a beautiful stretch of river and by spring it should produce some great dry fly fishing for Browns.
I send out a little newsletter outlining each season and the various waters to fish with gear and fly recommendations. If you would like one of these just drop me a line with your address and I send one. Whatever you decide to do this winter, tie flies, ski, or just think about fishing, have a great holiday season and a safe winter.
October 15th, 2007: Don't write off the basin this year, yet. This has been the best October I have ever seen, and maybe the best month of the year, which is saying something. Both the Williamson and Wood rivers are producing day long hatches of BWO's and Mahogany Duns, and unlike with other hatches the big fish are interested and sipping these mayflies. Overcast and cloudy days are the best; sunny days seem to truncate the hatch significantly. For the mahoganies, (sizes 14 and 16) focus on the water along the banks and in slack water because these bugs like to emerge, in about two inches of water. On sunny days, nymphs are the ticket and all you need is a flashback pheasant tail in sizes 12-14.
The real benefit of fishing this time of year is there are no other anglers on the river; everyone has either hung it up for the year or they are fishing for steelhead or duck hunting. In the last week and a half I have encountered almost no other boats on the either river, including the weekends, and I don't expect to for the rest of October.
October 9th 2007: Changes in weather come fast to this region and we seem to have missed fall altogether. Still, there is a lot of great fishing in-between the unpredictability of wind, rain, and cold. September and October are dry fly months on the Williamson and Wood rivers with good showings of baetis, mahogany duns, and October caddis. In fact, this is one of the few times of the year we can put away the streamers and count on day long hatches.
Nymphs, as you can imagine, are working great on the Williamson, either dead drifted or swung. Intermediate lines are still working, but because the water level has gone up, I'd suggest a type II or III to get down and stay down. The fish are active but they are not going to move very far for a fly this time of year. Small flashback pheasant tails, copper Johns, baetis nymphs, and larger black and golden stonefly nymphs are our go to patterns right now. I'd like to say the October caddis are coming off, but I haven't seen many, yet.
Reports from the lake suggest the fish are feeding again, so this may be a good time to fish Agency or Upper Klamath for the big rainbows. There are a lot of duck hunters out right now, so you will hear quite a bit of gunfire, and the lower Wood around Petric Park is a veritable freeway of duck boats.
Klamath River Keno stretch is now open and ready to be plundered. For those of you who don't know about this stretch of water, it is fabulous fishing for large Klamath Redbands. This river requires a permit to guide, so trips need to be booked through Roe Outfitters (541/884-3825) and you may request me as your guide.
This is the month to be on the Rogue River for summer steelhead. Already, we have had several good steelhead fishing trips. If you have always wanted to catch a steelhead this is the place to do it. Nymphs and streamers all work. Select streamers in black or purple.
Other good fishing occurs in October and later months: Klamath Lake around Pelican Marina; the Link River in Klamath Falls; and the Clearwater stretch of the Klamath River.
I should have a couple of articles coming out in Fly Tyer magazine this winter or spring: a profile on Denny Rickards and a piece on the Janssen Leech and the uses of barred marabou.
Best of luck wherever you decide to fish this October.
August 27th 2007: Not much to report since the last update on the 14th. The Williamson is fishing very good right now with a lot of fish in the river. The Wood remains a bit spotty, and some people are doing better than others. Trico hatches are heavier now then they have been on the Williamson, with the hatch starting 9:00 AM and lasting about 2-3 hours. Flats tend to have the best activity.
We are beginning to see some weather changes that may effect the fishing for the better. The days are getting shorter and mornings cooler; mid-day and early evening clouds are become more common giving fish and anglers some relief from the harsh sun. Hopefully Agency Lake will cool some, opening it to more fishing. The mahogany dun hatch on the Williamson and Wood rivers is on the horizon as we move into September. This is a fantastic hatch rivaled only by the PMD hatch in spring.
This is also a good time to begin fishing for steelhead on the upper Rogue.
Beginning in October, we will begin to run float trips in the Keno stretch of the Klamath River. If your interested in one of these phenomenal fishing trips they need to be booked through Roe Outfitters (http://roeoutfitters.com). Be sure to request me as your guide.
Wherever your fishing, have a great time out there!
August 14, 2007: could this cooler weather be a foretelling of any early fall? Not sure, and maybe this is just a short blip to be followed by hotter weather again. Either way the fish don’t seem to mind and they may welcome the relief; I know I do.
The Williamson is good right now. I’m seeing more fish in the river than I have all year. That said, they are spooky. The combinations of heat, sun and a continual stream of boats and anglers makes this a tricky time of year. Tricos are the news right now. Bring your 20 - 22’s and see how you fair against a pod of feeding fish. Streamers are also working. I like to fish a size 10 seal bugger in black or burnt orange trailed with a small green or claret soft hackle. Most often I get them to take the soft hackle. Don’t ignore the riffles and faster water, but the slack water is where it’s all happening. These are lake loving fish and they seem to prefer the slower waters, especially those with transitions points such as ledges or changes in the river bottom depth. A friend and I have been experimenting with Ice Dubbing thorax streamers thanks to a tip from a former client and the design of a new Denny Rickards fly; more research is required.
I wish I had good reports on the Wood River hopper hatch, but it has been very spotty with some days yielding little to no fish. Taking your chances with this hatch is still worthwhile and will continue to be for another month, but beware it could be slow. Lower river is still good on streamers. I am very much looking forward to the Mahogany dun hatch in September – October.
Agency Lake will not be fishable again until fall.
Crystal Creek is an enigma this time of year. Timed right you can hit an incredible damsel spinner fall when the fish get downright stupid on anything cast in their vicinity. Those times are to be cherished because the rest of the time is a guessing game of wind, weather, and whims of the trout. The fish are there, often in plain sight, and in generous numbers, but don’t expect much without a little work, patience, and timing. That is why I love this place so much.
tight lines!
August 3, 2007: It’s business as usual in the basin and what a business it is. Fishing is good all over and the choices on any particular day are bewildering at best. It would take at least four days of straight fishing to cover all the water here, and that’s if you exclude the lakes and limit yourself to the well known rivers. Needless to say I love this place and on my days off you will find me doing plenty of "research and development".
The Williamson is fishing great with a lot of the bigger fish being taken. And I’m glad to report the fish are starting to turn-on to streamers especially burgundy and burnt orange. It’s not full fledged yet and the best streamer fishing is in the lower river around the Water Wheel campground. Nymphs are still out-fishing streamers below the boat ramp in Chiloquin, but not for long.
Wood river is also fishing great. Hoppers on the upper river, streamers in the lower. We are moving into prime hopper season and we have had some great days even when conditions are not optimal. Lower river streamer fishing is exciting; long, downstream casts and slow retrieves followed by the tuuug we all know and love. For those of you that know, Petric channel is on and always good.
Crystal Creek has a damsel spinner fall this time of year. This one is hard to explain if you have never witnessed it: hundreds of damsels littering the slow waters. The trout are at their most uninhibited as they cruse and sip these bugs off the water. Spot a rise, cast to it and 8 out of 10 times he will turn on whatever you lay down, preferably something big like a seal bugger. The takes are often preceded by a heart stopping wake charging your fly. This is the best kept secret hatch in the basin.
BTW, the Rogue is also fishing well for steelhead and will be through October.
If this all sounds like too much fun, it is. Hope your time on the water is just as exciting!
July 21st, 2007: Changes have occurred since the last report but they have been minimal and fishing is about the same; still good. Hex hatches are still being reported. We have had several days of cooler weather and some rain which may or may not be bad depending on barometer reading. Changes in the barometric pressure have adverse effect on these fish, particularly a falling barometer. Hatches have been subdued the last few days, but a few tricos have shown themselves. Nymphs, such as Copper John's in red, black and copper (14-18), Amato Mays in olive and tan, and pheasant tails (16-18's), all work as droppers with a heaver stone fly on top. Streamers will work, but not consistently right now. Streamers such as seal buggers seem to work best after the hexes are done (and more chub minnows move into the river from the lake?). Soft hackles are good whenever there is a visible hatch of caddis or mayfly.
Wood river is producing fish on streamers in the lower river. Upper river is quiet right now until the hoppers get started. I have not been out to Agency Lake but we suspect it may be good with rains and cooler weather lowering the temperatures of the lake.
Crystal Creek is beginning to produce a good damsel hatch with fish feeding actively on the adults. The damsel hatch is one if the most exciting times of year to fish the creek because the fish become very opportunistic in their feeding and will take almost any fly alighted in their general vicinity.
The Clearwater stretch of the Klamath is fishing well on dries before the sun hits the water. Once the sun hits the water it is a nymphing game. Use golden stones dries and hoppers in the morning; switch to golden stone nymphs and a small dropper in the afternoon.
Happy fishing wherever you may be this week.
July 12th, 2007: As suspected both the Williamson and Wood rivers are hosting larger fish in catchable numbers again. Several trips this week have yielded good catches of larger fish, the largest being approximately 9 lbs. on the Williamson. Otherwise, most fish are in the 2 - 4 lbs. range. Hexes should continue through the third week of July on the lower river.
Recent overcast weather, steady barometer readings, and lack of wind has resulted in some consistent fishing across all waters. Good fishing in the basin is very weather dependant. On the sunny days fish early morning and evenings. Afternoons are still productive but plan on fishing a little deeper.
The Lower Wood and the channel has taken a while but both are fishing well. Hoppers on the upper Wood are your best bet.
Swinging or dead drifting nymphs and soft hackles is still the most productive approach on the Williamson. I expect they will be turning onto streamers such as seal buggers soon, but not yet. Stay small and go with oranges, burnt oranges, claret, and cream colored patterns.
July 7, 2007: It's transition time in the basin. Lake water temperatures are approaching 78 degrees which means the fish are seeking the cooler waters of the Williamson, Wood and Crystal Creek. But we are still marking a lot of fish in the lakes. I think the best is yet to come.
The Williamson is really beginning to pick-up. We are seeing more dry fly activity and a lot of fish feeding on the surface. A lot of fish are rolling in the slack water. The Hex hatch has been spotty; one night it's great the next, nothing. Interested bank anglers should try fishing Collier State Park for the hexes. Walk down river from the park and look for rising fish at dusk or before. Don't be surprised if you see quite a few golden stones. Also, if you have a boat, fish the slack water below the Waterwheel Campground for the hexes. Otherwise, general fishing is good with standard seal buggers, small nymphs, and especially soft hackles swung on clear intermediate sinking line. Hatches include caddis, small mayflies, yellow sallies, and soon, Tricos.
The Wood River is still producing good hatches of PMD's, BWO's, Mahogany Duns, and the occasional black and green drakes. This will not last much longer. In the last week we have seen quite a few rainbows in the river. It's a little early for grasshoppers but we are starting to see a few and we took several fish on hopper / dropper set-ups yesterday.
Agency lake at the mouth of the Wood River has been great, but slowed considerably with the warmer lake waters. Fishing needs to occur in the first two hours or last two hours of daylight. Be on the lake at 5:00 AM. Cast olive or burgundy seal buggers on clear line. Work the tullies but don't be afraid to move out into the lake a few hundred yards or more. Move west until you reach the old river mouth, turn around and drift back to the new mouth. Focus on the wind and algae lines. When your done with the lake you can fish the Wood River and Wood River Channel for the rest of the day.
Crystal Creek continues to amaze me. Fishing has been good both in the creek and in the springs. Long casts (70+ feet) to the bank are imperative. Best in the evening and early morning. Afternoons can be good if the wind is right.
Most important of all, have a great fishing summer wherever you are.
June 22,
2007:
However, the Williamson is
beginning a new phase. We are starting to see the bigger fish rolling in the slow
waters and there are more fish feeding on the surface. Another week and the river
should be in top form just in time for the Hexagenia hatch which traditionally begins the
last week in June and goes for two or three weeks. Now is the time to book a hex
trip for some fast action evening fishing.
The
Speaking of which,
Last but not least, check out
the clear water stretch of the
Wherever you decide to fish this summer, have fun. Check back for updated fishing reports.
Update: April 12, 2006: Not a fishing report. This is more of an update on my writing and publication projects. Winter has couched me in an office job with very little time to do anything but work, write, and hang-out with my two year old daughter, Camille.
The Wood River and Crystal Creek opens end of April and the Williamson opens end of May. You can be sure to find me on the water after these dates but not before I make a short trip to Australia (May 6th - 24th) and hopefully a sojourn to New Zealand.
The following is a nice review of my book from Dave Archer in Southern Oregon. Be sure to visit Dave's two excellent sites for some good fishing writing (his links are on the links page).
Also, some other writing news below.
Book Review by Dave Archer from his website: www.bassandtroutfishingdigest.com.
After spending almost twenty-five years exploring and fishing Montana, my retirement in Oregon poses a singular challenge. I don’t have the time or energy to fish all the waters of my new adopted state. I initially purchased a couple of Oregon fishing guide books and found them helpful. Craig Schuhman’s book, Moon Outdoors – Oregon Fishing, however, is my go-to-bible on Oregon fishing.
Having written a Montana fly fishing and camping guide a number of years ago, I am in awe of the expansive coverage Craig has included in his 470 page book. The content is rich in details, and he does not generalize or gloss over hard to reach watersheds. Having already explored a number of creeks and streams in southeast Oregon, I immediately went to the pages covering the upper Sprague River, the Sycan River, Thompson Reservoir, Dogg Lake and a number of other smaller fishing waters I had already covered. Two of the books I had previously purchased gave fishing information that were inflated and generalized. I tested Schuhman’s information with my experience, and his credibility soared. Oregon Fishing is indeed a Complete Guide to Fishing Lakes, Rivers, Streams, and the Ocean.
Although I missed not seeing photographs in the guide book, once I began using the book, I was appreciative of the well thought out organization and keyed maps. Each featured body of water covers the species of fish, facilities, directions and contact information for tackle shops and other related businesses in the area. As a new resident in Oregon, I especially liked that I never got lost while I perused through the book. Organized by geographical sections, each body of water is given a site name and number, along with a general location of the site in relation to the nearest town or landmark. Under this information is a reference to the map with the page number. If you are serious about fishing Oregon, this book is a must have guide book! - Dave Archer
Other Writing News:
My article on fly tier Dick Winters, "Kings of the Klamath", appeared in the winter 2006 issue of Fly Tyer Magazine. You will also find a few photo's of Dick and his flies scattered throughout this website. Two more articles will appear in forthcoming issues of Fly Tyer. One article concerns the use of grizzly marabou for tying leeches, with a special focus on Hal Janssen's Leech and instruction on how to tie it. The second will profile "Denny Rickards" and his amazing skills as both a fly tier and stillwater angler. Please look for these coming articles.
Two of my trout flies, Trout Fly #1 & Trout Fly #2, were profiled in the "Guide Flies" Column of the March / April 2007 issues of Northwest Fly Fishing and Southwest Flyfishing. Special thanks to Steve Probosco for publishing these flies and for all the grateful responses I've received from readers. Thanks!
I am currently at work on a new book to be published by spring of 2008, by Frank Amato Publications. This book will be an introduction to fly fishing.
Update: December 6, 2006: I am excited to announce that I have just received a few boxes of my newly published book Moon Oregon Fishing published by Avalon Press under their Blue Moon Outdoors series. Contact me if you would like an autographed copy. I can offer these books at a 20% discount off of the retail price. Shipping cost is on me.
Also, be sure to check out my article in the newest issue (Winter 2006) of Fly Tyer Magazine, "Great Drakes of the Northwest". This is a profile article on the most distinguished tyer in the Klamath Basin, Dick Winter (see Williamson River Link).
Update: November 11, 2006: The Williamson, Wood and Sprague Rivers have closed until April and May of 2007. This is always a bittersweet time of year for those of us who love the Klamath Basin. But by now most angler's attentions have turned from trout to steelhead. The Williamson made no bones about its feelings on the last day of the season. We were knocking ice out of our guides until 11:00 in the morning, the trees are all but leafless, and we brought few fish to hand. I think even the Williamson needs a rest from an eventful summer. For me, this is the time of year to pause, take inventory, and reflect on the past year. I will be doing some writing; replacing lost, broken, and worn-out gear; browsing for new gear; and setting-up the fly tying bench to restock my boxes. I may even get out and chase a winter steelhead or two. I will occasionally update this page throughout the winter with fishing reports.
Other News: Be sure to look for my new book which will be published on December 1st, 2006 called Moon Oregon Fishing published by Avalon Press under their Blue Moon Outdoors series.
I will also have two articles coming out in Fly Tyer Magazine in the December (winter) issue and again in spring or summer. I will have a few flies being profiled in the "Guide Column" in a future issue of Northwest Fly Fishing.
I'd like to refer you to a article on the Williamson River written by David Archer and posted on his blog site. Dave has given a honest and informative summary that deserves to be read. His other articles on Oregon fishing are very good also. http://www.bassandtroutfishingdigest.com/2006/07/williamson_river_southcentral_oregon.htm
Best of luck for a great winter of fishing. See you in the Spring.
Updated: October 14, 2006: Most waters mentioned below are fishing well, though fishing can be spotty at times requiring a little extra effort to find the bigger fish. The Williamson and the Wood are both pumping-out good dry fly hatches of Mahogany Duns, BWO's, PMD's and October caddis. Lots of bigger fish rising in the evenings around Collier Park. Good reports coming from the Klamath River Keno Stretch with a lot of anglers finding success on Muddlers and crayfish patterns. Williamson and Wood Rivers will close at the end of the month. Klamath will remain open for fall and winter months as will the Upper Klamath Lake. Rogue is reporting good results for adult steelhead.
Updated: October 04, 2006
Lower Williamson: Dry fly hatches have been good with large Mahogany Duns coming off in the late morning followed by BWO's, October Caddis. October caddis nymphs have been especially good. Leeches in smaller sizes, 12's and 14's are working as well as swinging small nymphs.
Wood: Dry fly hatches of Rusty Duns are the real news and the water is very fishable from Weed Road down to the mouth. BWO's are also coming off in the morning. Leeches are fishing well especially olive in the Petric channel. Still waiting for more rainbows to move into the river.
Upper Klamath Lake: No report. Spending too much time on the rivers.
Private Water: This is October caddis month and they come off in good numbers in the creek. Fishing here will only get better until closing day, end of October. Lots of big fish in the spring right now. Not for intermediate casters.
Klamath River: Keno Stretch -- opening day, October 1, was a zoo with wall to wall bank / gear anglers. But it is open and that means big fish. If you have never fished this stretch you owe it to yourself. Fish up to 10 pounds are not uncommon. Muddlers and bait fish patters are the ticket.
Klamath River Canyon -- this place is lot's of fun! Lots of fish, good caddis hatches, right now! Great bank fishing for fish up to 20 inches. To guide you on this water you need to book your trip through Roe Outfitters (541/884-3825) and request me as your guide.
Book News: Official release for my new book: "Moon Outdoors: Oregon Fishing" is set to be released on December 1. You can see a copy of the book at Amazon.com by following this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1566919630/ref=sr_11_1/104-2763912-1345531?ie=UTF8. Or simply do a search on Amazon for author Craig Schuhmann.
Also, look for my forthcoming 2007 article in the winter issue Fly Tyer Magazine on the tying talents of Dick Winter. Dick is a commercial tyer in Klamath Falls who used to be a student of E.H. Polly Rosborough. He ties some great flies for the Klamath Basin. Contact me if you would like to order some flies from Dick.
Spring issue, 2007, of Fly Tyer will feature another article of mine. This time it's leech patterns tied with the McLean's Bar Dyed Marabou. Great material if you can get it.
UPDATED: August 21, 2006
UPDATED: July 30, 2006
Lower Williamson: Hexagenia hatch is mostly over. Anglers may run into the occasional hatch for the next week or so, but I wouldn't count on it. Still, the hex water is producing some good fish, big fish, and a hex nymph as well as other patterns striped through the water off the bank will still produce. There is still a few months to go and we can look forward to some continued dry fly action with hatches of Tricos, caddis, and assorted mayflies. Streamers such as small seal buggers (#12) and soft hackles (#10 - 12) in yellow, green and cream remain standard most of the day. Swinging small nymphs is quite popular right now.
Upper Williamson: Hexagenias may still be coming off, but I haven't been to the upper river in a while. Still, there will be dry flies in the evenings.
Wood River: It's about time this river came into shape. Though not yet perfect, the lower river around Petric Slough and the mouth has been producing quite a few fish. Upper river is in prime condition for some great dry fly fishing.
Hopper fishing is just around the corner and the Wood can have some of the best Hopper fishing in Oregon. If you like to fish dry flies for big brown trout, or love to throw hoppers all day then this is the river to fish from here on out till October.
Because of the proximity of the Wood to the Williamson, it's possible to fish both rivers in one day, a long day.
Rocky Point and adjoining creeks: This area only gets better as summer progresses. Fish are on the springs and fishing has been good.
Agency Lake and adjoining creeks: Reports are good. Lots of fish being caught.
Sprague: No time to fish this right now. If anyone has a good report, by all means let me know and I'll post it.
Private Water (see private water page): What can I say, some of the best but most challenging fishing in the basin. Large numbers of fish are sitting on the springs; so many in fact, watching them can be mesmerizing. Evenings are the best. I'm still working on tactics for consistent morning fishing. Damsel hatches are amazing.
Klamath River: Good shape. Repots are good and lots of smaller fish can be caught all day on attractor dry fly patterns and small nymphs.
UPDATED: 6/26/06
Williamson: The river is beginning to drop which is great news both for anglers and fish. A few hexagenia are starting to make an appearance and the hatch should be getting underway soon. The last week of June is often the starting date especially in the lower river. Otherwise you'll find holding fish in deeper holes for now. Break out the type II - IV sinking line and don't be afraid to let the fly hang down for a while in the holes and runs before stripping it back. It's not too early to start fishing your favorite hex nymph. The key right now is to get close to the bottom. Small hatches of mayfly and yellow sallies are prevalent starting in mid-afternoon and evening. The river near Collier State Park, an easy walk-in spot, is producing some good dry fly fishing for both browns and rainbows.
Upper Williamson: Black Drakes are still coming off and it's absolutely great fishing. Its going to get even better with the arrival of the hexagenias, soon. Check back for updates.
Wood: This is one fickle river and I have not seen it come into its own this year, yet. Access is somewhat limited because of the low bridges during high water. Most of my fishing has been from the mouth upriver to Crooked Creek. The best fishing is early morning dry flies at the mouth. Beginning of July should see the river come into shape and I'm looking forward to some great days on PMD's, Green Drakes, and possibly some Black Drakes.
Agency Lake: Haven't been there myself, but the reports are good. Lake fish are definitely on the move right now and most spring areas and tributaries, such as Seven Mile, Recreation Creek, and Crystal Creek should all be producing good fishing.
Rocky Point Area: Maybe the best fishing in the basin right now because of it's consistency. If your not a still water angler this will hold no interest to you, but we are taking some very large fish in the evenings on seal buggers and larger streamer patterns. callibaetis., damsels and caddis are occurring everyday.
Sprague: good reports on large fish. The fishing is not going to last that much longer with this hot weather. Most reports I'm getting are coming near the town of Sprague River where there is a public boat launch.
Klamath River: still to high to fish right now. Check back for frequent updates.
If there is an area I did not cover or you would like to know more, please don't hesitate to get a hold of me and I will share with you what I know.
UPDATED: 6/21/06
Williamson River
Still high and off color. Fishing has slowed down a bit since a little flurry of
activity a week ago. River may be dropping but the Sprague is still muddy and warm
and contributing over 50% of the water into the Williamson. Most fish are being hit
on streamers and sinking lines. Some anglers, I have heard, are doing good swinging
nymphs and scuds. Fish a little closer to the bank and search out water which you
previously know to be shallow but may be deeper due to high water. Excellent evening
"Yellow Sally" hatches and other assorted small mayflies. Dry flies will
take the smaller fish. For the bigger fish go deep with larger rabbit style
streamers and Zonkers.
Fishing at Collier Park is still good for evening or late afternoon hatches. A size #16 olive comparadun is still working. Hatches are better with warmer evenings.
A hexagenia or two have been spotted, so they are on their way.
Wood River
Spotty, but the river is dropping slooowly. I expect by July 1 we should be in
good shape and ready to drift the upper river for PMD Hatches. We had high water
this time last year and as soon as the river dropped we had excellent hatches of PMD's,
Black Drakes, and Green Drakes.
The mouth continues to be spotty. Still a lot of fish feeding by the bridge especially early in the morning. The river itself is slow right now with the water being so high and off color. Crooked Creek is running fairly clean and we hit one nice fish on our float down. Streamer fishing is slow.
Wood River Fly Suggestion:
Hook: Size 9, AJ North-Country
Trout Fly Hook
Thread: Olive
Body: Pale Olive Gossamer Silk
Rib: Silver Tinsel
Thorax: Olive Seal or Substitute
Soft Hackle: three turns of white CDC followed by two turns of olive dyed pheasant neck
Klamath River
Coming!
Agency Lake
Coming!
Klamath Lake
Rocky point is starting to
produce some good fishing as well as Recreation Creek and Crystal Creek. Fish are
not numerous, but there is enough to get lucky. Maroon seal buggers and other
assorted black and olive leech patterns work. There is a fairly decent hatch of
light brown caddis as well as damsel fly's and a few callibaetis.
Other Area Streams, Rivers and
Lakes
Reports have been good for
the Sprague around the town of Sprague River and higher. Muddlers and Zonkers fished
through the deeper holes seems to be producing. I will be on this river this week
and let you know how it goes.
Lake and Stream Report
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