Golden Stoneflies were out in force along the Lower Deschutes River when I floated from Warm Springs to Trout Creek last week. Goldens are a very important part of a trout’s diet. A couple species are lumped under the heading “Golden Stonefly” – the Hesperoperla pacifica and Calineuria californica. Who cares what the scientific names are,…
Chubby Chernobyl flies are a newer iteration of the old Chernobyl Ant pattern used by many fishermen several years ago. This odd looking fly is a go to fly when the Salmonflies and Golden Stones begin their annual hatch, which is mid-May into June. This is one of the best hatches of the year. Check…
Yup – it’s time for Salmonflies to hatch. We all wait for this time of year when these BIG bugs become active and the fish go crazy. As in reckless with voracious appetites. Trout have already seen March Browns and Caddis this spring. But these bugs are BIG! Have you ever looked into the gullet of…
This is a size 16 Pale Morning Dun Sparkle Dun Mayfly or PMD for short. One of my favorite flies. It’s in the top 5 of many fishermen in the know. The Sparkle Dun is a Craig Matthews pattern from Blue Ribbon Flies. I tie this simple, yet effective fly in size 22 Blue Wing Olive…
OK, I know it might be a little early to think about fishing Rusty Spinners, but I taught a fly tying session that included a couple of great patterns for you to use later this year. Spinners are the final mayfly stage, after a nymph molts into a dun. It’s amazing to me that another…
I noticed green grass beginning to grow the last couple of days. That can only mean one thing…it’s SPRING. Longer and warmer days also brings out more bugs for us to imitate. Beside the obvious March Brown, there is an important hatch on many rivers of the first large stonefly of the season. Yes, the…
