2016 Summer Fishing Report

Now that summer is in full swing, now is a great time to hit the water and catch some fish.   

Short on flies and supplies?  

Come on into the shop and we'll get you set up.

CRANE PRAIRIE:

• 79% full
• Is best fished on a slow sink line with a long leader.
• RB Squirrels
• Damsel buggers
• Jimmy Legs
• Roxy Rainbows
• Damsel nymphs
• RB stillwater
• Chironomid pupae

EAST LAKE OR PAULINA:

• Dries - Callibaetis (Larger Blackwater bows will eat them)
• On slow or fast sink line use:
• callibaetis nymphs
• RB squirrel natural
• UV Olive
• CJR Rufus
• Roxy Rainbows (beaded & unbeaded)
• Possie Buggers
• AP Nymphs
• Swimming Boobies
• Minnowbuggers
• Thin Mints

DESCHUTES (CRANE TO SUNRIVER):

• Dries:
• PMD's
• Caddis
• Lady Di's
• Ants
• Royal Wolff
• Renegades
• Nymphs:
• Mr. Peacocks
• Possie Buggers
• Psycho PMD's
• Copper John's
• Anato May
• Hare's Ear
• Steamers:
• Conehead Thin Mints
• Double Mints
• Conehead Minnowbugger
• Slump Busters
• Pine Squirrel Minnows
• Swimming Boobie

FALL RIVER:

• Dries:
• Caddis
• PMD
• BWO
• Lady Di's
• Nymphs:
• Mr. Peacocks
• Psycho PMD's
• Eggs
• Frenchies
• Copper John's
• Anato May
• Streamers:
• Cone head Minnowbugger
• Slump Busters
• White Rufus
• Pine Squirrel Minnows
• Thin Mint

2015 CENTRAL OREGON SUMMER FISHING REPORT!

Now that summer is in full swing, so is the fishing!

If you're heading to the central Oregon area for some fly fishing, here's what to look for from late June and into July.

Come down to the shop before you head out and pick up some flies and get the most current information on your choice of water.

LAKES

CRANE PRAIRIE 

The water is warming. From 70 degrees and up.  This makes it tough on fish if caught.

• Damsels, Callibaetis, and Dragons are all important at this time of the year.
• The two fly system with leech patterns and damsels or callibaetis are effective.

EAST AND PAULINA

  

Both have cooler water.

EAST:  

• Callibaetis, chironomids, and damsels are important.  
• Leech and streamer or bugger patterns are effective as well.  
• Rufus patterns are important also.

PAULINA:  

• Midge patterns - buggers - streamers - boobies - and rufus patterns are all good choices.

BIG LAVA  

Still fishing well.  

• Try damsels - callibaetis - buggers - rufus.

DAVIS

• Cooler water is coming in from the Odell channel.  Lava flow area and reed beds are good for bass.

WICKIUP

• Quickly losing water.  60% full and dropping.  Sheep Bridge area and Davis Arm area good for fly guys.

STREAMS

DESCHUTES:

• Between Little Lava and Crane Prairie: a good spot for brookies and rainbows. Beautiful stream.
• Below Wickiup to Sunriver: a pretty good fishery for nice browns and rainbows.
• Flies:  Caddis - PMDs - Streamers - Attractor dries like Lady Di's

FALL RIVER:

• Cool water in this spring creek.  It has trouble holding rainbows after they are stocked. Many fish are put in so you have a shot at some fish.

Flies:  Streamers - Nymphs - Lady Di's - PMDs - Caddis

SUMMER FISHING REPORT

The fishing has been great.  Get out and get a line wet.

CRANE PRAIRIE

After many years, the damsel's are making a comeback and the fish are loving it!

Bob with a very nice 32" "Crane-bow"!

Flies working at Crane...Damsels, Hale Bopps, Callibaetis Nymphs, South Twin Special, Minnowbuggers, Wiggle Nymphs, RB Squirrel leech, chironomids 

East Lake

Damsels

Callibaetis

Sierra Rose Rufus

Minnowbuggers

Olive Electric Leech

South Twin Specials

Roxy Rainbows

Fall River

Lady Di

PMD's

Yellow Sally's

X Caddis

Midges

Streamers:  Conehead, minnowbuggers

Nymph:  Mr. Peacock, Micro Mays, Roxy rainbow, Frenchie, eggs, white Rufus, slump buster

Fishing on the Crooked River has been productive as well as a couple of clients recently discovered...

IT'S HERE...TIME TO FLASH YOUR "BOOBIES" AND GO FISHING!

The weather is finally starting to behave and it's time to get the rods out and the lines wet.  

Sunriver Fly Shop is proud to announce a new series of flies with an English persuasion..."Boobies".  Using a sinking line with these foam based flies creates a jigging effect that drive the fish nuts.

YELLOW BLACK BOOBIE

BLACK BOOBIE

Dust off that gear and get out to the water!

Here is the latest fishing report from some of central Oregon's favorite lakes.

CRANE PRARIE:
-RUFUS:  

Use a slow sink intermediate line with Blood Rufus, UV Olive Rufus, Brown Leech Rufus,  Black Blood Rufus

-BOOBIES:  Use a full fast sink line, size 8 black, yellow black, and orange black

In the top six feet of water, size 10 Buggers, South Twin, Cascade, Electric Leech Olive, Black Hale Bopp, Scott's Damsel, Sierra Rose, Olive Rufus are working well

LAVA AND LITTLE LAVA LAKES, HOSMER, SOUTH TWIN, EAST LAKE:
Use slow sink and intermediate lines with:
South Twins
Minnowbuggers
Olive Rufus
White Rufus
Electric Leech Olive
Bill's Lake Fly
Loeberg
Roxy Rainbows
AP Emergers (olive or natural)
Damselbuggers
Scott's Damsel
Brassies
Chan's Caddis Emerger
Buttonater
Blood Rufus
Red Tag Soft Hackle Peacock

OCTOBER - DECEMBER FISHING REPORT

FALL RIVER - Primary hatch's:
     Midges:  #18-#26
     BWOs:  #16-#22
     Terrestrials:  Lady Di's
     Caddis:  #14-#18

CROOKED RIVER - Primary hatch's:
     Midges:  #18-#22
     BWOs:   #16-#20
     Scuds:    #10-#18
     October Caddis:  #6-#12

DESCHUTES RIVER - Below Benham Falls, primary hatch's:
     BWOs:  #16-#22
     Fall Caddis:  #6-10
     Midges:  #18-#22


Except for October caddis patterns, most patterns are fairly small.  These small patterns call for small tippets (5x-6x).

Don't forget about streamer fishing in the fall.  Streamers can catch the biggest fish in the water.

   

REWARDING FALL FISHING AT CRANE PRAIRIE

Nice fish John!  Blood rufus does it again!

FISHING REPORT

FALL RIVER:

Closes below the falls October 1st.

BWO's, PMD's, caddis, mahogany, duns, midges, and attractors (like Lady Di)

The Lady Di is a great fall pattern anywhere.



CROOKED RIVER:

PMD'S, BWO's, caddis, midges


UPPER DESCHUTES:  Between Little Lava and Crane Prairie, closes October 1st



LAKES:

As hatches slow for fall:
     Fish:  Chironomids, bloodworms, leech's, scud's, baitfish patterns, damsel & dragons deep

South and North Twin, Lava and East are good fall lake fisheries.

Davis Lake is very low but good for bass.

FISHING REPORT

Go wet a line.  There is still a lot of fishing to be done. 

FALL RIVER:

• Fishing is starting to pick up.
• Lady Di's, streamers, midges, PMD's, BWO's and caddis are consistent.

CROOKED RIVER:

• Fishing great.  River flow at 220 cfs.

EAST LAKE:

• Callibaetis and midges

CRANE: 

• 52% full.  Fishing the channels are best.
• Rufus, Sierra Rose, Blood Rufus

AUGUST FISHING REPORT

The fishing has been great.  There's still fishing to be done and a lot of season left.

FALL RIVER:
     Good dry action on PMDs.
     Caddis and Lady Di's
     Streamers, nymphs, eggs have all been working well at lower levels.


CROOKED RIVER:
     Good dry action on PMDs and X Caddis
     Good nymphing on smaller patterns - midge, PDM, and Caddis.


EAST LAKE:
     The blackwater rainbows are hitting callibaetis, chironominds, and buggers.
     Rufus patterns are working well at deeper levels.


CRANE PRAIRIE:
     Water is low - 51% full fish channels
     Rufus patterns a must
     Chironomids OK on some days

NEW FISHING REPORT...

ALL OF THE LAKES ARE OPEN!

EAST LAKE:

• Top four feet:
• FLIES:
• Roxy Rainbows
• Bill's Lake Fly
• Scott's Lil Bugger 
• Damselbugger
• Deep water:
• FLIES:
• South Twin Specials
• Minnowbuggers: white or olive
• Pine Squirrel Minnows

PAULINA LAKE:

• South Twins for Browns
• Roxy Rainbows for Bill's Lake Fly for Kokanee

CRANE PRAIRIE:

• Water in the 60s.  Work the wooded areas or deeper channels
• FLIES:
• Blood Rufus
• Chjironomids
• South Twin Specials
• Brown Rufus Leech
• Scott's Damsel

LAVA LAKE:

• Top four feet:
• FLIES:
• Loeburgs
• Roxy Rainbows
• Chan's Emerging Caddis
• Bill's Lake Fly 
• AP Emerger
• Stillwater Nymphs
• Scotts Damselbugger
• Deep:
• FLIES:
• Buttonators
• Black Lake Rufus
• South Twins 
• Olive Matukas

FALL RIVER:

• Streamers:
• Minnowbuggers - South Twins
• Pine Squirrels - Rufus, white or Buttonator

• Nymphs:  2 fly systems
• First fly - Mr. Peacock #10 trail off a variety of smaller nymphs.

Dries:  PMD, BWO, X Caddis, Lady Di's

UPPER DESCHUTES:

• Below Crane Prairie
• Streamers
• Stone Nymphs
• San Juan Worms

HIGH LAKE SPRING FISHING REPORT

Things are starting to thaw out and the fishing is starting to pick up.


CRANE PRAIRIE:

The lake is full.  The water temperature is over 50 degrees already.  This means chironomids, some calibaetis, and damsel and dragons migrating.

Blood Rufus, Scott's Damsel, damselbugger, South Twins flies are working well here.


LAVA LAKE:

The lake is full.  Use flies like orange/peacock stillwaters, damselbuggers, South Twin Specials (Thin Mint), Buttonators (Rufus), Scott's Damsel, Loeberg's, Bill's grizzly hackle peacock, and Roxy Rainbows.


NORTH & SOUTH TWIN LAKES:

Full of fish and out of the wind.  Use similar patterns as Lava Lake.


FALL RIVER:

Starting to pick up.  Still BWO's and midges but X Caddis and PMD's a good bet.  The Lady Di should start working.  Streamers:  Pine Squirrel Minnows, Slump busters, Rufus', Coned South Twins, Coned Minnowbuggers.

FALL AND CROOKED RIVER EARLY SPRING FISHING REPORT

CROOKED RIVER:
Below the dam BWO and midge patterns.

Nymphs:  scuds, eggs, caddis

Good nymphs:
BLACK BEAUTY, size 18
FRENCHIE, size 16 or 18
COPPER JOHNS:  copper or red, size 18 or 20
TUNGSTEN TEASER, PRINCE NYMPH, MR. PEACOCK, size 16
ANATO MAY, size 16 or 18
IRON LOTUCS, size 16 or 18
RAINBOW WARRIOR, size 16 or 18

Swinging small streamers are working too.
THIN MINT, size 10
MINNOWBUGGER, size 10
YELLOW RUFUS, size 10


                     
FALL RIVER:
15 minutes from the shop.

Good fishing starts in March.

POPULAR DRIES:
LADY DI
HATCHMASTER BWO
SPARKLE DUN BWO
SPROUT patterns: BWO, midge
X CADDIS

POPULAR NYMPH:
TUNGSTEN EGGS
TUNGSTEN MR. PEACOCK
TUNGSTEN FRENCHIE
TUNGSTEN COPPER JOHNS
TUNGSTEN BLACK BEAUTY

BWO adults:  emergers and nymphs
MIDGE: adults and pupa
CADDIS:  black and tan, adults and pupa, size 16

STREAMERS:
WHITE RUFUS
MINNOWBUGGER
NATURAL PINE SQUIRREL
BLACK PINE SQUIRREL

EGGS:  TUNGSTEN EGG in flame or pink


Use lighter gear:  3-5 wt. rods with light tippets, except when using streamers.

THE FISH ARE IN SCHOOL...SHOULDN'T YOU BE?

Fishing season will be here before you know it and it's time to start thinking about getting your gear in order.  Are you feeling a little rusty from hibernating during the winter season?  You might want to think about polishing your skills by signing up for a fly fishing school.

On June 4th/5th and June 8th/9th, Sunriver Fly Shop and Fly Fishers Place of Sisters, are going to be hosting a lake fly fishing school.  With two full days of instruction, this is a class you don't want to miss.

The first day will be held at the beautiful Black Butte Ranch.  

Instruction will cover casting, retrieves, basic strategies for fishing lakes, and equipment.

The second day will be held at Alder Creek Ranch near Sisters.  Instruction will cover presentation skills.

Class sizes are limited so don't put this off.  With great scenery and great instruction, you'll be glad you did.  Price is $275 for two full days of hands on instruction.  Cost does not include meals.

For more information or to sign up for the class, call or stop by Sunriver Fly or Fly Fishers Place.

Sunriver Fly Shop
541-593-8814
56805 Venture Lane
Sunriver, Oregon  97707

Fly Fishers Place
541-549-FISH
151 West Main
Sisters, Oregon  97759

  

FISHING REPORT...FALL IS COMING

Fall River:
Fishes great in the fall.  Mayfly, caddis, midge patterns all good.  Attractors such as the Lady Di, eggs, and San Juan worms are deadly.  Streamers are super this time of year.

Crooked River:
Like the Fall River, the Crooked fishes great in the fall.  Nymphs and streamers are the way to go.

Crane Prairie:
It is around 60% plus full.  The water is warm so look to the channels and springs.  Chironomids, South Twin Specials, Blood Rufus, and Brown Leech Rufus are all good.

East Lake and Lava Lake:
Both will pick up during September and October.  Since hatches will slow down - a variety of attractors such as the Rufus patterns, Roxy Rainbows, and MinnowBuggers will be good choices.

FISHING REPORT

FALL RIVER:

The Fall River will continue to pickup through the summer and fall.  

Top water patterns are PMDs, X caddis, green drakes, midges, BWDs, and Lady Di's.  

Subsurface includes a variety of soft hackle and CDC patterns.  

Nymphs include Mr. Peacocks, princes, hare ears, pheasant tails, Copper John's, and zebra midges.  

Streamers include Rufus' in white and pink, Slump Buster, Pine Squirrel minnows in natural and olive.  Conehead Thin Mints and Minnowbuggers can produce big fish.

THE HIGH LAKES:

     The callibaetis are now coming off East, Lava, and Hosmer Lakes.  Patterns that also work are Thin Mints, Minnowbuggers, Loebergs, Rufus' like the Blood Rufus, CJ Rufus, Diamond Lake Special Rufus, Roxy Rufus, and Buttonators are all good for deeper fishing.  In the weeds, work a variety of leech and damsel patterns.  The Roxy Rainbow is a great attractor fly in the top five feet.  

     Crane Prairie calls for chironomids but also the Blood Rufus, Thin Mint, and Brown Leech Rufus.  These patterns are a must at Crane if you don't want to stare at a bobber all day.

UV OLIVE RUFUS

UV BLACK RUFUS

UV BLOOD RUFUS

BLACK-RED RUFUS

THE "ALL-STAR" LAKE SELECTION

Have you been wanting to improve your fishing on the lakes?  Are you new to fishing lakes and don't know where to start?  Here are some helpful tools to help you increase your skills and maybe even find the big ones.

FISHING THE TOP 7' OF WATER

CONDITIONS:

• Presenting flies down to 7 feet.
• Hatches ARE present.
• Late spring, summer, and early fall.

LINES:  Floating or intermediate 2" per second sinking line.

LEADERS:  9' flourocarbon 2x or 3x plus 3' of 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x flourocarbon tippet.  Floating leaders DO NOT have to be flourocarbon.  Flourocarbon already has a sink rate.

FLIES:  Emergers and bugger type patterns..

ROXY RAINBOW:  mayfly, caddis.  Retrieve is varied.

JANSSEN EMERGER:  callibaetis.  Retrieve is varied to slow.

BOB'S SPARKLING EMERGER:  callibaetis.  Retrieve is varied to slow.

BOB'S SQUIRREL TAIL EMERGER:  callibaetis.  Retrieve is varied to slow.

SCOTT'S DAMSEL:  damsel, leech.  Retrieve is varied.

SCOTT'S DAMSEL BUGGER:  damsel, leech, mayfly, caddis, scud, fish.  Retrieve is varied.

SCOTT'S LIL' BUGGER:  leech, damsel, fish, chironomid.  Retrieve is varied.

BILL'S RED TAG PEACOCK:  caddis, chironomid, mayfly, backswimmer.  Retrieve is varied to slow.

BILL'S SHEEP CREEK:  caddis, chironomid, mayfly, backswimmer.  Retrieve is varied to slow.

MINI LEECH BLACK:  leech.  Retrieve is varied.

FISHING 7' AND DEEPER

CONDITIONS:

• Presenting flies 7-20 feet deep.
• Hatches are NOT present.
• Spring, hot summer, and fall water temperatures.

LINES:  Intermediate sinking line.

LEADERS:

• 9' flourocarbon 2x leader plus 3' of 2x, 3x, or 4x flourocarbon tippet put on the intermediate line.

FLIES:  Undulating & jigging type patterns.  
 

BLOOD RUFUS:  bloodworm, leech.  Retrieve is slow & varied.

BUTTONATOR:  crawdad, leech, fish, dragon.  Retrieve is varied.

CJ RUFUS:  fish, dragon, leech.  Retrieve is varied to quick.

BLACK DIAMOND LAKE SPECIAL:  dragon, fish, leech.  Retrieve is varied.

LEECH BROWN RUFUS:  leech, fish.  Retrieve is varied to slow.

ROXY RUFUS:  leech, scud, mayfly, backswimmer.  Retrieve is varied.

THIN MINT (SOUTH TWIN SPECIAL):  dragon, leech, baitpatterns, damsel.  Retrieve is varied.

MINNOWBUGGER:  baitfish.  Retrieve is varied to fast.

PINE SQUIRREL MINNOWS (comes in 5 colors - olive, black, natural, white, and rust):  fish, leeches.  Retrieve is varied to fast.

CASCADE SPECIAL:  baitfish, damsel, dragon, leech.  Retrieve is varied.

DIAMOND LAKE SPECIAL:  baitfish, damsel, dragon, leech.  Retrieve is varied.

Come on by the shop and take a look at our huge selection of flies!  Can't make it to the shop?  Order online at www.sunriverflyshop.com  

Here are some flies that the fish now have on the menu. 

BROWN STONE

BLOODY RUFUS

CDC POSSE BUGGER

CLARK STONE

HEAVY GOLDEN STONE

EXTENDED CADDIS

EXTENDED BODY PMD

DOUBLE BEAD BLACK STONEFLY

LADY DI

PERIN'S COMPARADUN

MR PEACOCK

May 31, 2012

All of the area lakes and rivers are now open and fish are being caught.  Call the shop for details at 1-866-593-8814.

Check out the 2012 Bend district stocking schedule from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife:
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/trout_stocking_schedules/2012/2012_Bend_District.pdf

November 16, 2011

Winter Fishing Tips


Winter fishing is generally from November to March and usually involves: snow, numb fingers, frozen guides, finicky fish, quiet rivers and shitty grins.  Bring hot coffee or tea!! With less hours of sunlight on the water, the window of time to hook up is minimized. Adhering to bankers' hours isn't a bad idea as 10:00-3:00 will be the most productive time period to rip lips in the winter season. Use wading belt!! With less insects hatching, nymphing and streaming are your most productive presentations.
Dress warmly!!  A great idea is packing an extra bag of clothing; it can make the world of difference if you are wet and cold. Wading staffs are a smart idea. Get out there and catch some winter fish...


Fishing Reports


Fall River
Fly fishing only!   Closed to fishing downstream of the falls! Target the big ones between the hatchery and the headwaters. Use 9ft leaders, and 6x or 7x flourocarbon tippets. 3-5wt rods are a good choice.
Wise flies are BWO's, midges, eggs, soft hackle pheasant tails, cased caddis, minnow buggers, slump busters.


Deschutes River
The Deschutes is closed to fishing upstream of Benham Falls!
The section between Benham Falls and Bend holds a lot of feisty rainbows and big browns.
Productive patterns are christmas princes, anato mays, san juan worms, sculpzillas, slump busters, BWO's.

The lower Deschutes is the place to be if you are chasing chrome. The steelhead are well spread out in the river and with the winter weather here, the crowds will be thinning. Try girdle bugs, rock worms, muddler minnows, fleshy eggs, egg sucking leeches, street walkers, freight trains.


Crooked River
The road construction is finished at Bowman Dam.
The Crooked is running at 155 cfs below the reservoir.  The farther downstream the water moves from the dam, the more fluctuations in temp. so target the runs and pocket water closer to the reservoir.
Try scuds, sow bugs, eggs, zebras, surveyors, BWO's.

Tight lines!

August 16th, 2011

Fall River
This seductive spring creek is fishing awesome. Use PMD's, BWO's, yellow sallies & x-caddis for dry imitations. Mr. Peacocks, flame eggs, and micro mays for nymphs. Rust pine squirrels and slump busters for streamers.


Crooked River
Flowing at a consistent 310 cfs has the Crooked continuing to be a productive tailwater. Look for caddis and mayfly hatches throughout the day and in the evening, especially if there's some cloud cover. For nymphs use: anato may, tungsten surveyor, frenchies and amber princes. Trailing an emerger behind a nymph is a great way to go on this river.


Upper Deschutes River
Despite the summer "pressure" on the upper D., it's still fishing well. Streamers are still landing the big ones although nymphing the banks and log structure is productive as well.


East Lake
East is fishing excellent!  It's hard to beat casting callibaetis dry patterns to rising fish all day, so get up there and enjoy the bite. Wind drifting roxy rainbows &  AP emergers are hooking up all day as well. Stripping streamers in the shallows during low light can pay off big.


Crane Prarie Reservoir
With the reservoir being 66% full, more fish are cruising the channels & many lunkers are being hooked up. Use our blood rufus & leech rufus patterns. Use callibaetis sparkle emergers and hatch matcher dries, olive pine squirrel minnows & Thin Mints.


Diamond Lake
Fishing okay, but should pick up in the next couple of weeks...