Did you know that trout are cold blooded? What does that mean, exactly? Well, it means that their body temperature depends on the temperature of the water in which they swim.
Why is this important to consider? If the water is too warm, trout struggle to thrive. Warm water carries less dissolved oxygen, which means it is harder for them to breathe. Think of the last time you hiked at an altitude higher than you’re used to and how hard you were breathing. This is the same for trout when the water warms.
And when you catch a trout when the water is too warm, that is akin to running a marathon at 10,000 feet, or even higher. It is harder for them to recover, and at times, they don’t and succumb to the stress.
Check in with your state’s wildlife management agency for updated info and regulations. Remember to take the temperature of the streams you’re fishing this summer to find out if it is safe to fish. If not, go higher and check the temperature again. Or fish only when the weather is cool in the mornings. Or fish for a warmwater fish like bass.
Take a photo of this thermometer and do your local fishery a favor to keep our beloved trout safe and alive this summer.
Of course, not all trout, and certainly not all fish, are affected at the same temperatures. Generally what’s good for rainbow and brown trout is not cool enough for cutthroat and bull trout nor mountain whitefish. Keep in mind this nuance and use your best judgement. If you observe fish acting sluggish or if you find them in really deep holes and not eating, it is likely too hot to fish for them.
This coming Tuesday, July 21st is our monthly Fly Fishing Community Night. Every month, our local community looks forward to gathering at our favorite brewery which has hosted us for over a year: Falling Sky Brewing. Beginners and experts alike are found in the crowd that attends this monthly gathering. There are new faces each month as well as veterans that have been attending since the monthly event’s inception.
Where: Falling Sky Brewing [1334 Oak Alley Eugene, OR 9740]
When: Tuesday, July 21st at 6:30
What: Fly tying, new friends, prizes, great food, great beer, fly swap, fly tying lessons (must reserve your spot), and connecting with the community.
This past two months, our friend Alan Eubanks has given complimentary fly tying lessons to beginners. Again, this month Alan will be hosting an intro to fly tying class sponsored by Caddis Fly Shop. There are limited seats so message our Instagram to reserve your spot, stop by the shop and get your name on the list, or give the shop a ring (541) 342-7005. Alan has been tying flies for decades and is excited to share his wealth of knowledge with eager students. This month he will be pairing down the class size and scope of the class, and will be teaching beginners how to tie a Parachute Adams. Please reserve your spot if you are interested; we only have limited supplies and for those who want to learn
If you haven’t been to a Community Night, you’re missing out, and we’d love to see you there. It is a great excuse to get together and talk about fly fishing, tie flies, meet new people in the community, usher in newbies, etc. We have had a massive influx of new anglers as of lat, and this is a fantastic way to meet people to fish with. See the bottom of this post for the full schedule for 2026.
Tiers are encouraged to bring their vise and materials and tie flies if they choose. We will still continue with the monthly fly swap for tiers who participate. If you aren’t planning on tying, but want to bring a hand tied fly, you are welcome to bring one from home.
We have gotten in some gifts from our friends at Fulling Mill & Trout Unlimited that we will parcel out to those participating in the fly swap. We won’t give everything out this month, as we will stretch the prizes over the next few months but if you participate in the fly swap, you will have a chance to win something.
Falling Sky has great beer and some very talented chefs working hard in the back. Their burgers and sandwiches are fantastic, if you choose either of those you have to try the truffle fries. They also have a fantastic bacon loaded truffle Mac and Cheese. Stephen, the owner, has been generous enough to host us monthly for a year and a half. He is a fly angler himself and always makes his rounds. Be sure to extend your gratitude to the man who has made this happen every month for well over a year.
We can always expect our regulars to show up monthly. We also encourage new people to swing by. We have had a massive influx of new faces and new anglers, so it is a great time to stop by if you’ve been hesitant. Whether you’re a veteran to community night or brand new, we are looking forward to seeing you Tuesday!
Help spread the word, the more the merrier!
-Simon
2026 Schedule
Community Nights will typically land on the third Tuesday of each month for 2026. Some dates are subject to change, so keep a close eye for updates.
Tuesday January 20th at 6:00
Tuesday February 17th at 6:00
Tuesday March 24th at 6:00 (Initial date of the 17th changed Due to St. Patricks)
There are a few insects that are synonymous with summer dry fly fishing in the west. If we narrow it down to the insect order of Ephemeroptera, which envelops our beloved mayflies, there is one that stands out. Of the western mayflies, the longest and most prolific hatch, typically, is the Pale Morning or Evening Dun (PMD or PED).
These small mayflies come off in two distinct groups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon into the evening. Within both groups, there are also multiple species, so on the water you may multiple sizes of insects that look similar. For sake of simplicity, typically, a size 16-18 will cover everything you need for this summer mayfly hatch.
One of our favorite patterns to search with during this hatch is Fulling Mill’s Tactical Light Cahill Parachute. The shade of Fulling Mill’s Tactical Dry Fly Dub perfectly matches the shade of our local PMDs. The post is made of Fulling Mill’s Ultra Dry Yarn which is a fantastic synthetic yarn. We like it for wings on terrestrials and larger stones too, but it makes an ultra visible post that sheds water quickly. We love that the fly is tied sparsely which helps it shed water quickly, but more importantly, overdressed flies do not fool large fish as well.
This fly works great during an active emergence, or even mid day searching for opportunistic fish willing to rise for the stray PMD. When casting at further distances, we like to tag this 16-20 inches behind a larger stone. The Burkus Bearback Gold Stone is a great option from Fulling Mill that helps you keep track of the Tactical Light Cahill Parachute. This is an especially effective rig in faster water where trout are often holding in the summer, or in low light to help you track your small dry.
Stay tuned for an additional article doing a deeper dive into the nuanced specifics of the PMD/PED hatch. We also are in the works of doing another fly spotlight on one of our favorite Gold Stones from Fulling Mill: The Burkus Bearback Gold Stone.
Crickets are an often overlooked insect under the more broad “terrestrial” umbrella of insects. When people thing of terrestrial season, hoppers are typically the first insect that comes to mind. Grasshoppers are typically followed by beetles and ants in terms of popular flies thrown. Crickets are also a huge portion of a summer trout’s diet. This is especially true on smaller streams, spring creeks, and rivers with a lot of stream side brush. Because crickets are often overlooked, and very few commercial cricket patterns exist compared to other terrestrials, this makes them a fantastic option for pressured fish.
This fly utilizes a new resin from Solarez called “Top Coat Gloss”, which is specifically formulated to coat foam flies. This not only aids in durability, but helps with buoyancy. Believe it or not, foam can wet out. This resin really makes a huge difference on this improved version of an already productive fly. Tie some up so you’re ready in the next few weeks when hatches slow and we really shift into terrestrial and attractor season.
Golden Stoneflies are arguably the most important summer stonefly in the Western United States. This large insect hatches consistently across much of the West, and provides steady fishing with large attractors for most of the summer. In the Western United States, it is this insect that is responsible for trout finding large foam flies simply irresistible in early summer. Starting in June, we will start fishing large buoyant chubby style flies with tungsten droppers below. This technique is not only popular but could very well be the dominant summer searching rig in the Western US for the past 10+ years. On high pressured waters, and later in the summer large trout will begun to turn their nose up at your standard run of the mill Chubby Chernobyl.
This pattern provides equal buoyancy to a standard Chubby Chernobyl, but has a much more lifelike construction. A realistic segmented body protrudes past the hook bend, this section also has an additional wing pad glued to the extended body for increased buoyancy and durability. This is a pattern that I have had in active development for the past 4+ years, and it really does not get any better than this. It sheds water quickly when it gets wet, and can be retreated and float high again for countless drifts. A small hi vis spot of Fulling Mill Tactical Dry Yarn can be added for additional visibility. For increased durability and buoyancy, consider coating the body in the new Solarez Top Coat Gloss.
This pattern in its many iterations has been a staple in my box for years. It works great with a tungsten dropper tagged below it. I also love to fish this pattern with a small dry trailing. A Tactical Light Cahill Parachute, Pale Morning Dun Klinkhammer, Olsen’s Foam Front End Loader Caddis Fly, or Elk Hair Caddis: Tan makes a great trailing dry 16-18 inches behind this. For the evening PMD spinnerfall, this fly for years has served as my reference point when running virtually invisible waterlogged spent spinners as trailers. Here are some favorites: Rusty Spinner or a Hi-Vis Spinner.
Despite our subpar winter, we have made it through several popular weekends without any serious local fire flare ups. We have our fingers crossed that we can make it through this holiday weekend without any new fires. Fishing has been great despite the lack of water recharging our aquifers this winter and spring. The water is low all over the state so fish are feeling the late summer squeeze earlier than normal. This year above all others is a great year to seek out colder water in the form of high lakes and small streams
Given the hot weather we’ve had and lower water, our small streams are a fantastic option. Many of our valley tributaries are fed by cold water springs. These smaller tributaries are narrower than the larger mainstream rivers, so the thick riparian canopy casts a favorable shadow on many of these streams. This helps keep these streams cooler, large fish know this and are known to seek refuge in the cold water that these streams hold. These smaller systems offer fantastic dry fly fishing for medium to small trout with the occasional fish pushing 16-20. A shorter 3-4 wt makes fishing these a blast, especially if you can fool the large fish in the run. These smaller systems also contain some of the most beautiful fish the state has to offer, not to mention the gorgeous scenery of a cascading small stream.
I’ve been fishing a few different small stream rods. The other day I broke out my Scott F2 Series 7’2″ 3wt glass and had a blast fishing small dries to willing fish. My Winston Air 2 8″6″ 4 wt is my go to setup for dry dropper fishing on smaller systems. On even tighter streams I particularly like the Air 2 8″6′ 3wt for both dries and even lighter dry dropper rigs. All of these rods I run click and pawl reels from Hardy or Iwana. This makes playing fish more fun and levels the playing field a bit.
Hot weather and trout behavior do not mix well at all. The gradual warming of spring is something that trout love. It kicks off our favorite hatches, and gets trout’s metabolism moving so they are more wiling to eat. When things get too hot trout get lethargic. Warm water does not hold dissolved oxygen as well, so trout become lazy. They will push to the head of pools and into riffles where there is a higher dissolved oxygen content. Knowing this can help you locate trout when you are fishing perfect looking water without yielding much interest in your flies.
As anglers we have a responsibility to look out for trout. Fly anglers heed this call to action in multiple ways, in the summer it is in the form of taking water temperatures with a thermometer. We have a variety of options here, but our favorite is the Fishpond River keeper Digital Thermometer. Fishing for trout in too warm of water can be deadly to fish. Fighting them in hot water is a seriously physical feat for them adjacent to asking you to run a mile while breathing through a straw. The lower dissolved oxygen content from the summer heat poses a serious physical risk to trout especially as the water gets very warm. Temperatures exceeding 67/8 °F are just too hot for trout, it also impacts their feeding, so the fishing won’t be good anyways if you stick around. Typically I begin moving before then, one for the fish’s wellbeing, and two because the fishing will be subpar with the heat. Finding shaded sections of river, quick plunge pools and riffles are where there will be more optimal conditions for trout, and likely hold the larger, more seasoned fish
Bugs & Fly Selections
Summer time boats a serious buffet for trout often with several species hatching alongside one another. The star player are Pale Morning and Evening Duns (PMDs and PEDs); these are small cream colored mayflies that offer consistent hatches through the summer. There is a consistent PMD spinner fall that happens every evening that offers great fishing post work. The second most important bug is the mighty Golden Stonefly. In the early afternoon you will see these bugs fluttering up or down stream, and as evening approaches you will find females ovipositing. There is a smaller more yellow colored stonefly called the Yellow Sally. These bugs make a fantastic searching pattern, especially mid day or on small streams. In the upper sections of our rivers and tributaries, we are seeing great afternoon hatches of Green Drakes. These along with the PMD hatches will be even better on an overcast day. Lastly for aquatic insects, the is plethora of summer caddis species active on the rivers. Searching with a tried and true elk hair always works, especially on small streams they shed water quickly and can withstand catching many fish before needing to be retreated with floatant. With the mild spring terrestrials are already out in full force, beetles, ants, hoppers, and crickets are all fair game now. These are all even more important on smaller streams with abundant stream side vegetation.
Running a dry dropper is a great way to search promising water. You can learn a lot by running this type of rig through good looking water. The beauty of this rig is that is gives you information both on the surface and below. For dries we like to run big buoyant chubby Chernobyl flies on our larger rivers. Any of the buoyant Gold Stone patterns listed above make great options. For smaller streams any of the buoyant foam terrestrials make a great top fly in your dry dropper rig. Some droppers we like follow: Weiss’ BP Dark Heavyweight Perdigon, Miller’s Victim Jig Fly, Jigged Sassi’s Solution, or a Tungsten Jig TNT Nymph.
It is not uncommon to have a serious mid-day lull as things get warmer. One way to get around this outside of stopping for lunch, or for a nap is to nymph your way through the warmer parts of the day. Setting up a double nymph indicator rig is common practice during the hot parts of summer. We are particularly fond of Oros Indicators for this. Running one large fly to aid in getting down with a smaller offering in tandem often works well. Pairing one flashy and one natural option is also another good way to help decide what is working. Some larger options follow: Bubba’s In The Zone Stonefly Nymph, Jigged Mega Prince, T.J Hooker Nymph, Double Bead Epoxyback Peacock, or a Montana Fly Company Jig Hot Spot Girdle Bug. Outside of Gold Stones, many of the insects hatching have smaller nymphs sized 24-18, so here are some smaller offerings:
Our high lakes offer a cold water safe haven when our lower rivers in the valley can get warm. Fishing stillwater can be a refreshing change of pace., and many of the smaller lakes fish well from the bank if you don’t have a boat. Float tubes are small inflatable watercrafts that are light enough to be packed into hike in lakes. Float tubes are a great way to open the door to exploring tons of different lakes, we have a variety of them in the shop and available online here. Many of our high Cascade lakes are seeing fantastic summer hatches of Callibaetis mayflies. Here are some of our favorite Callibaetis dries: Smith’s Emerger Callibaetis, Parachute Extended Body Callibaetis, Tilt Wing Dun, CDC Thorax Callibaetis, or a Epoxyback Emerger. Slowly stripping Callibaetis nymphs can be deadly too, here are some that we like: Epoxy Back Emerging Callibaetis Nymph, Foisset’s UV Callibaetis, Mercer’s Epoxyback Emerger Callibaetis, or a Callibaetis Pandemic May. We like to fish these on intermediate lines, especially Phil Rowley’s Midge Tip Long. With the help of our friend and stillwater guide, Adison Rook, we wrote an intensive review of the line here. Running a slip strike indicator rig with Chironimids is a foolproof way to prospect water on a lake. Here are some Chironomid options from the shop: Chironomid Bomber, Rio’s Hangin’ w/ My Chromies, Chironocones, Buzzer, Kelly’s Ice Cream Cone, or a Croston’s Bung Buzzer. Any of the above terrestrials listed above will work great on all of our lakes this summer as fish work the banks looking for clumsy insects that end up un the water.
If you have any questions, give the shop a ring, or even better swing by and ask our knowledgeable, friendly staff questions. We are happy to help get you dialed in to have a great day wherever you go. We hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend. Remember how dry it is and be careful out there. It’s dry fly season, don’t forget your floatant!
Green Drakes are one of the most famed mayflies in the world. Here in the US, the insects can be broken into two broad categories: Eastern and Western Green Drakes. Although both are large green mayflies, they belong to entirely different families. Eastern Green Drakes belong to the Ephemeridae family which contains very large burrowing mayflies like the famous Hexagenia. The Western Green Drake is a part of the Ephemerellidae family which contains PMDs, Sulphurs, Hendricksons, and some BWO’s not in the Baetis family. These families have entirely different looking nymphal forms and this particular fly aims to capture the western variant of the famed Green Drake.
This hatch persists through late spring into the summer. It climbs in altitude clinging to cooler weather. Currently, our upper Mckenzie, Upper Middle Fork Wilamette, & other Wilamette tributaries at higher elevation are seeing great emergences of Western Green Drakes in the afternoon. These hatches are even more prolific on overcast or particularly rainy days. This fly makes a fantastic searching nymph pattern this time of year locally and over the hill on the Upper Deschutes and Metolious. If you can’t take this to the Metolious and catch the tail end of the early Green Drake hatch, there is a second wave that comes in September where this fly will get some love. This fly was tied with a large tungsten bead and extra lead to excel on the Upper Mckenzie and Metolious.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, posted a press release on Tuesday outlining its plan for operating Willamette Valley Dams. Immediate actions include a deep drawdown for Detroit Reservoir as well as seasonal drawdowns / water-spills, and fish-weir operations at “key facilities” to aid in downstream migration, volitional passage, and improve water quality.
Specific, tailored operations include…
Green Peter – Deep fall drawdown & spring spill
Lookout Point – Deep fall drawdown & spring spillway usage
Cougar – Deep fall drawdown & delayed spring reservoir refill
Foster – Delayed spring refill and use of summer attraction-flow fish weir
Hills Creek – Prioritized nighttime winter water releases
Big Cliff – Spill across multiple bays to reduce total dissolved gas levels
By drawing down the Willamette River Basin reservoirs, the Corps can return the river to a more natural flow and restore endangered salmon populations. Deep drawdowns allow juvenile fish to migrate more easily by reducing the length of the reservoirs while also allowing the fish to access lower outlets on the dams, avoiding dangerous turbines.
Yellow Sallies are a small, yet important summer bug in the Western US. They are often overlooked as other warm weather stoneflies are much larger like Salmonflies, Skwalas, Gold Stones, Shortwing Stones, Etc. These bugs come in a yellow, more known, variant, and a bright Lime Sally as well that is similar sized. Here in Oregon, the only place I’ve seen Lime Sallies in abundance is on the Wood river down south. Regardless of what color the adult is, small sized 14 stonefly nymphs are preparing for emergence and trout are getting keyed in on them this time of year. Here is a simple, but effective Sally pattern that will make a phenomenal dropper under a larger Golden Stonefly for most of the summer. Depending on the type of water you are searching in, you may want to size the bead down a size to a 1/8 or 3.2mm Gold Slotted Tungsten Bead. The adults make a fantastic searching pattern as well, especially on smaller water. If you’re a fan of this pattern’s construction, you certainly could size it up for a Gold Stone to an 8-10, or even bigger #6-8 for Salmonflies.
This coming Sunday, June 21st is Fathers Day. Whether you’re a son, daughter, or wife looking for gift ideas, or a dad looking for an article to send their loved one, we have an extensive list of great Father’s Day gift ideas.
Shirts
A nice shirt is simple gift for Father’s Day that your Dad can use both on the water and out at a nice dinner. We have a wide range of tech shirts, more dressy button ups, and sun shirts from Howler Bros, Patagonia, Skwala, and more.
Skwala makes phenomenal sun hoodies. The Skwala Sol Tropic Hoody is the lightest sun hoodie that we know of, and is perfect for the hot weather we’re having and even better for trips to the tropics. The Skwala Sol Defense Hoody is another fantastic hoodie from them.
Shorts & Pants
Summer is here and it has been HOT. We have a variety of lightweight shorts and pants available from our favorite brands like Howler Bros, Patagonia, and Skwala.
Skwala Sol Shorts
Skwala makesour favorite shorts and lightweight pants available right now. They are made of a durable, but lightweight ripstop material which at each juncture has a tiny hole for breathability and drying. The material is consistent across both the Skwala Sol Shorts, and the Skwala Sol Wading Pants. These are a summer wet wading must, they dry extremely quick and are durable if you are getting off the beaten path.
Patagonia Sandy Cay Shorts
Patagonia has been a long time player in the lightweight pants and shorts department. Their Sandy Cay Pants and Sandy Cay Shorts have traveled with anglers around the world. These are another easy recommendation from us at the shop, they come with Patagonias high standard of production and bomb proof warranty.
We have a variety of Caddis Fly Shop items if your father or husband is a loyal customer of our shop. We just got a restock of Caddis Fly Hats in the shop. We also got a recent restock of our famous Caddis Fly Bigfoot T-Shirt. We did recently restock the Caddis Fly Patagonia Cap Cool Sun Shirts as well. Swing by the shop for those, or give us a ring if you want one shipped.
Another company revolutionizing wet wading is Backcountry Skinz. They make a variety of neoprene insulating layers that function as the lower half of a wetsuit. This allows anglers to get out of their waders and wet wade much earlier in the season. Their base model is the Backcountry Skinz Z Series Neoprene Pants, and they provide the most insulation. These are great for spring and fall. Their more lightweight option, the Backcountry Skinz Airblitz Perforated Neoprene Pants, have micro perforations which make them better for the middle of summer. Their lightest, which is more geared towards the sun protection needed for tropical and flats fishing are the Backcountry Skinz SolarFlexz UVPro Pants. These are typically worn with shorts over them, any of the performance, quick drying shorts listed above would work great with these.
Rods
Every fly angler needs a rod, here are some of our favorite recommendations for general trout fishing currently. This is not an exhaustive list, it mainly covers the staples for those who trout fish here in the US. If you are looking for something more geared towards saltwater fishing, salmon, or steelhead, get in touch with us or stop by the shop and we can help you find the perfect gift.
Winston is a USA made heritage fly rod company that makes fantastic medium-fast action rods. These rods feature modern technology, but carry cast closer to the pace of the rods that your father or husband grew up fishing. The Winston 5 Weight Air 2 is a fantastic all around rod with a balance of great feel and power. The newer 5 Weight Winston Pure 2 is a dry fly fisherman’s dream: delicate, precise, and elegant.
Sage R8
Sage is another USA made heavy hitter fly rod company. Their flagship R8 Core 5 Weight is a capable, faster action rod that will have you covered employing a variety of techniques for trout. This year Sage came out with the Arrow, which is a more modest priced high performance fly rod. We wrote an extensive review recently of the rod here. The 9′ 5 weight Arrow is a fantastic all around rod, the 9′ 4 weight Arrow is fantastic if your father or husband likes to fish smaller streams.
Scott Centric
Scott is another one of our favorite USA made fly rod companies. The Scott Centric is a fantastic faster action rod that is capable of anything you throw at it. Their Session is a more modestly priced rod that is slightly slower action, but still a fantastic rod nonetheless.
Echo Trout X
Last, but not least, the Echo Trout X is a fantastic rod that punches very very high above its price point. The 9′ 5 Weight is a fantastic local trout rod and will take care of your needs is most of the trout fishing here in the US.
Reels
We have a plethora of reels in the shop and available on our online store here. Some of our favorites include the Bauer RX2, Abel VAYA, Iwana Minami, Galvan Torque,Lamson Guru S Reel, Sage Shift Fly Reel, and the Sage Trout Reel. These are all fantastic options that we know and love in the shop here. They all maintain a standard build quality that we know and trust and are made by companies that will help you out if you have any issues with them.
Trout Engraved Abel Vaya
Fly Tying
We have an impressive arsenal of fly tying supplies and equipment available in our shop and online HERE. If you dad or husband doesn’t tie flies yet, it may be a great time for him to dip into another side of the hobby. We have kits available here. As for vises, we love Renzetti in our shop. The Renzetti Traveler is the most popular rotary vise in the world. It makes a great first vise, or upgrade from a cheap starter one. Some more high end options from renzetti follow: Renzetti Master Vise, Renzetti Presentation 4000 Series, or the Renzetti Presentation Fly Tying Vise 2000 Series. Dynaking is also a fantastic vise company, they are heavier and not as packable as the Renzetti options, but if you have a dedicated space where the vise will not more from then these may be great options as gifts: Dyna King Ultimate Indexer Vise or Dyna-King Barracuda Deluxe Fly Tying Vise.
Buying materials for a tier is really difficult, so if they are a big tier and you want to give them a fantastic gift, a gift card will let them choose what materials and tools they need. We offer in store gift cards and ones redeemable for our online site.
Flies & Gift Card
We are also happy to send an assortment of flies to your father or husband in the mail, or if he’s local, we can help put together a puck or fly box full of the best flies for where he fishes. Give us a call if you want us to help put together an assortment of flies for someone that doesn’t live near the shop her in Oregon.
If you have any questions regarding choosing a gift, or questions about a product please contact us. We have been helping people pick the perfect gift for the last 50+ years, needless to say, we are experts in that department. If you want to ensure your package’s arrival before Fathers Day, please reach out to us. We will do our best, but can’t always guarantee an on time arrival if we don’t have the opportunity to chat with you and explore options. If you live local, swing by the shop and we are happy to help in any way we can!
McKenzie River floodplain projects use heavy machinery and thousands of logs to improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat and help buffer wildfires.
You may think of a river as a winding band of deep water, hemmed in on both sides by tall, rocky banks.
But Eli Tome, the Director of Conservation for McKenzie River Trust, would like to change that perception.
“Part of our work is hopefully showing the community that when somebody says ‘a river,’ that you think of a connected wetland complex,” said Tome. “Really, it’s the whole system, connected to its banks, and thriving little ecosystems that are off to the side, with beaver damming it up.”
McKenzie River Trust, along with the Eugene Water & Electric Board, the McKenzie Watershed Council, and the National Forest Service, has been incrementally converting hundreds of acres of land near the McKenzie River into a wider floodplain.
They’re restoring the area for several reasons: To improve water quality, create better habitat, and build a buffer in case of flooding. Over the past few wildfire seasons, these areas have also proven to serve as fire breaks and places of refuge.
Tome said all of these benefits may help serve a changing climate.
“If we have less snowpack in the mountains, what we can do is we can restore these valley bottoms, and then that creates a wetland that is helping store water later into the year,” Tome said. “These projects are a reservoir, it’s a reservoir that will be upkept by beaver instead of being upkept by engineers and bulldozers and dump trucks and cement.”
McKenzie River tributaries used to extend across wide valleys before people built roads and industries. Several of those waterways, which now flow swiftly in narrow channels, are being restored. The McKenzie itself will continue to be accessible for recreation, and the hope is that fishing and water quality will improve.
Quartz Creek is a 120-acre site that was restored last summer. It’s now a greening expanse of meandering water, with shallow pools and young willows amid a crisscross of intentionally buried logs.
Tome said the project attempts to mimic a natural disturbance, like a flood or a landslide, to help the water find new paths.
Susan Fricke, the Water Resources Supervisor at EWEB, said Quartz Creek was one of the most problematic feeders of Eugene’s drinking water, sending chocolate-colored, sediment-filled water into the McKenzie. This shallower, wider creek now catches sand and sediment, and serves as a filter.
“We do have roads here, we do have land uses upstream that are sending contaminants through,” said Fricke. “And so when you’re settling out that sediment, that also means you’re settling out those contaminants as well, and they’re not going downstream to our communities where people are recreating and using the water, to our utilities that are using it for drinking water, so it’s a win-win for all of our downriver communities.”
Before Quartz Creek became a “braided” stream, it went through some heavy construction. That’s what’s happening now, upriver at Cougar Reservoir, where the work is in its beginning stages.
The 340-acre site is on the South Fork McKenzie River, just off Highway 126 at the start of Aufderheide Drive.
Lara Colley, the Floodplain Restoration Projects Manager with the McKenzie Watershed Council, said in order to create a wider basin, excavators and bulldozers are lowering some riverside areas and filling in other places.
“All these machines have GPS-enabled buckets in their equipment,” she said. “So they know where grade is, and they’re making sure that everything is to grade. At the end, it’ll look more like a riverbed surface would look. Wood is just gonna be everywhere. It’s gonna be great.”
Colley said 7,000 logs will be placed in a lattice here, many buried deeply to help create jams that will become wetlands. Many of the logs were hazard trees, burned in the Holiday Farm Fire, which came through here in 2020. She expects this restoration to be completed by the end of summer, with one more phase in the future.
These projects are funded by a combination of local, state and federal dollars. The South Fork project is estimated at $6.4 million. Quartz Creek was about $10 million, including the cost of a new, longer bridge, which was needed to span the widened creek.
At Finn Rock Reach, where gravel mines used to define the landscape, Tome was excited to see that willows, planted as small stakes three years ago, now tower over him. Fragrant lupine bloomed all around, and there were many other signs of life.
“Right now there’s an osprey overhead, there’s a heron flying over there, there’s a ton of wildlife that’s out here using the project,” Tome said. “There’s western pond turtle here that are all throughout the project site.”
Tome said people sometimes question the use of heavy equipment in restoration. He said they strive to do a destructive job thoughtfully: Biodegradable lubricants are used on the trucks, and as many fish, lamprey, and invertebrates as possible are saved from each site. Any living trees or active beaver dams are left alone.
He said energy needs to go into the system to undo the damage that was done, but the logs they bury, and the subsequent wetlands become a great carbon sink.
“We actually did a rough calculation of carbon, and (at) our Finn Rock project, for example, we think about nine months after machinery left that project, we were carbon neutral,” he said. “We had sequestered enough carbon that we made up for all the diesel that we burned to do the project itself.”
Tome emphasized that although they’re being diligent and heavily monitoring the work to learn as much as possible, they approach each restoration with humility.
“There is no project like this that was done 20 years ago that we can look at,” he said. “The 20-year project is going to be here, and this is kind of a grand experiment.” He added, “I think that this is the kind of work that truly moves the needle.”
Tome said the team believes these wetland restorations are the best chance to give salmon a healthy place to spawn and protect the water supply. He said historic General Land Office surveys of the Pacific Northwest mentioned old-growth trees growing on top of giant log jams on Oregon’s Rivers.
He said he’d like to think they’re setting up similar conditions. “In 400 years, hopefully there’s an old-growth forest growing on top of some of our log jams in Quartz Creek.”
In this video, Simon ties an effective scud pattern or spring creeks, high lakes, and tailwaters. Scuds are aquatic crustaceans that, when present, make up a massive portion of a trout’s diet. Scuds can only thrive in nutrient rich waters, so they are often found alongside a wide variety of other insects in a productive body of water. They generally cannot live in the quick flowing freestone streams of the high gradient mountains of the West. They are likely present in those systems, but not where the large trout are. They are isolated in the slower headwater sections near cold seeps and springs with aquatic vegetation. This pattern utilizes a brand new material from our friends at Montana Fly Co: UV Spicy Squirrel Dubbing. The dubbing brushes out well and really is the only material you need to tie a fantastic scud. Simon likes to fish these on slow sinking lines, or in spring creeks under an indicator doing a tiny erratic “Scud” strip when the indicator approaches structure holding trout. This presents the scud broadside to the fish and swings it darting past their face. If you put in time on high lakes, or spring creeks, tie some up!
A few weeks ago friend of the shop, and stillwater guide, Adison Rook and I set off for East Lake to both fish and test a plethora of different products for review. One product that was essential to our success up at East Lake was the Midge Tip Long, specifically the Phil Rowley Ambassador Series of the line.
Adison is really the master here, I just tagged along with camera equipment and a good attitude. With his guidance I’ve seen how, especially when the wind picks up, this line can be a day saver. More on that below, and Adison will share his thoughts on the line below as well.
Phil’s Midge Tip Long is a floating line with a clear 6 ft intermediate head sinking at 1.5 ips (inches per second). The standard Midge Tip is the same configuration, but has a 3 ft intermediate section. Phil’s Midge Tip comes in a hover version as well, which features a 1 ips sink rate for fishing higher in the water column. As our high lakes callibaetis hatch really ramps up, the hover version will be an equally important line to have in your boat. All Phil Rowley Ambassador Series Midge Tip Lines have a sighter portion to let you know as you approach your intermediate tip.
Both lines feature a tippet ring instead of a standard welded loop. In fact, this is consistent across all of the Phil’s Ambassador Series Lines, which also come in an Aqualux configuration, a Standard Floater, and both the standard Midge Tip and the Hover version which comes in standard and long. Both lines feature a sighter that lets you know when you are approaching the clear sinking section.
The ring is a key component of these lines for the stillwater aficionado. Typically, you run extremely long leaders when stillwater fishing. This is all great until you are fighting a fish at the boat and your welded loop and leader is catching on the tip of your rod and guides. Phil’s Ambassador Series of Lines, with their built in rings instead of welded loops, effortlessly slide through your guides meaning no panicking with a massive fish boat side.
Phil’s integrated tippet ring also allows you to swap lines quickly. For example, if fish start feeding more in the upper water column, you may want to switch to a Midge Tip Hover. Before swapping spools, you can reel your line all the way in until the leader is just outside of your reel. You can snip your leader off, swap lines, retie your rig on, and then cast the swapped line through your guides. This is much faster as you don’t have to remove flies or indicators to run a loop to loop connection. For float tube guys with limited space this is huge.
The Midge Tip Long also has a fantastic coating from Rio called SlickCast which allows these lines to fly through guides. At one point mid day, Adison and I saw just how far we were able to shoot the line. After a few casts, we both were able to shoot our backing through the first few guides casting the entire line. This allows you to cover more water easier, being such an easy line to cast. The taper loads rods quickly and turns over rigs with ease.
These lines are meant to be fished by stripping flies at a variety of retrieve rates. Given the lighter sink rate, typically, you are fishing these lines with a very slow retrieve, emulating the slow darting movement of aquatic insects and crustaceans like scuds. Typically you are employing a slow figure 8 strip adding pauses and experimenting until you find a retrieve rate that fish like. You may use a slower consistent retrieve when fishing chironomids and Callibaetis nymphs. Fishing scuds and damsels may require more erratic short darting strips. These lines can certainly accommodate fishing small streamers as well, in fact fishing a beachhead streamer in tandem is a fantastic way to help get your smaller fly down.
Here in Oregon, we are blessed with so many high lakes that we even have a dedicated highway that runs along some of the best: The Cascade Lakes Highway. There are plenty of other lakes on the Cascade Crest and East, but they all experience an uptick of afternoon wind. Adison’s solution to the wind that can make indicator nymphing and dry fishing difficult is fishing Loch Style with Rio’s Midge Tip from Phil.
This involved deploying drogue or wind anchor which slows the winds affect blowing broadside on the boat. Using the midge tip with the help of the wind at our backs, we presented Chironomids and Callibaetis nymphs 70-90 feet ahead of where the boat was drifting. This method also allows us to drift over the lake and present our flies to fish that we haven’t drifted over yet. Using a slow strip and figure 8 retrieve, we hammered browns and rainbows using this method. The Midge Tip Long is Adison’s ace up his sleeve when the wind becomes unbearable.
We also fished the line when anchored up and caught plenty of fish. East lake is a venue that is easily fished from shore, and this line would be fantastic for bank anglers as well.
Thoughts from Stillwater Guide Adison Rook
“I’ve been fishing the Phil Rowley Ambassador Series Midge Tip Long personally and with clients and it is an amazing line. The line has a short head that makes multiple fly rigs easy to cast. The line has very low memory so it doesn’t coil like a full intermediate will, and the low stretch core that rio lines are known for really shines when hooking fish at distance, or detecting light takes.
Adjusting the point fly of your rig and leader length helps determine the depth of water your flies will target. For instance, if you run a fly with a tungsten bead your rig will achieve greater depth. If you wanted to fish higher in the water column you can run a weightless or even boyant fly such as a booby or fab to bring things up in the water column. This makes the line effective at a wide variety of depths.
One thing that really stands out to me about this line is your ability to fish small nymphs and chironomids at precise depths SLOWLY, giving me a natural presentation. Traditional faster sinking lines, in the type 3 and faster range can get to depth but when using slow retrieves for small flies the sink rate over powers retrieve speed and your flies continue to plummet. With the midge tip the floating running line doesn’t allow the rig to sink after your flies achieve the desired depth and you can CRAWL them back to the boat, even with pauses and they stay at a desired depth once you’ve figured out your leader and fly set up.
The only con I can think of at the moment is the built in hang marker. The hang marker doesn’t have a good contrast against the running line making it difficult to see it approach the rod tip. I cannot speak to the longevity of the line, as this is the first season I’ve implemented them in my arsenal, but so far I am amazed at how effective and versatile this line is.”
-Adison Rook
High lakes this year above all others will be a refuge of cold water. With our subpar winter, our rivers are already experiencing unseasonably warm water. Our high elevation premier stillwater venues will be getting a lot of love this summer, and this was fantastic year to learn if you’re new to it. We have a variety of float tubes in the shop that unlock heaps of new venues and done take up too much space at home.
If you are a summer stillwater angler, and haven’t tried any of Phil’s Ambassador Series Lines, you are missing out on lines that revolutionize stillwater angling. The Midge Tip Long, especially is a line that should have a home somewhere on your boat.
Spey Casting guru, fishing guide, Sage, and Rio ambassador Jon Hazlett will be instructing two sessions of two handed casting lessons on June 20th. Jon Hazlett is a big name in the spey scene in general, and especially in Southern Oregon where he calls home.
He will be doing a spey casting clinic on June 20th Locally in the Southern Willamette Valley with two distinct skill classes with two time slots. If you’ve wanted to get in Jon’s books, but the distance has deterred you, this is a fantastic opportunity.
The morning from 9-12 is an introductory spey class. Great if you’re a beginner or have never even picked up a two handed rod before. The afternoon is an intermediate/advanced class where Jon will help tune up your cast and teach more advanced techniques/theory.
A max of 6 casters, or 6 spots in each class will be available. All equipment will be provided. Anglers are welcome to bring their own rods if they would like. Casting instruction will be on the water at a location to be announced. Space is LIMITED so that Jon can give time and attention to each participant, small classes are Jon’s best way to share his expertise with you.
Class #1: June 20th, 9am-12 Spey Fundamentals ($95) – Spey class for beginners, with the focus being on basic fundamentals, and the introduction of the Double Spey and Snap-T
Class #2: June 20th, 1pm-4pm Intermediate/Advanced Spey ($95) – Spey casters who want to refine their technique, such as the finer points of the D-Loop Stroke, the Single Spey and Snake Roll.
Each class will include hands on instruction, discussion of moderns spey lines, tactics and techniques. John Hazlett has been in and around the two handed rod game since the late 1990s and is an excellent instructor and fly fishing guide. Classes aim to introduce and improve your spey casting skills.
Swing by the shop, or call The Caddis Fly Shop to sign up: 541 342 7005 – Space is limited to 6 casters per session.
This coming Tuesday, June 16th is our monthly Fly Fishing Community Night. Every month, our local community looks forward to gathering at our favorite brewery which has hosted us for over a year: Falling Sky Brewing. Beginners and experts alike are found in the crowd that attends this monthly gathering. There are new faces each month as well as veterans that have been attending since the monthly event’s inception.
Where: Falling Sky Brewing [1334 Oak Alley Eugene, OR 9740]
When: Tuesday, June 16th at 6:00
What: Fly tying, new friends, prizes, great food, great beer, fly swap, fly tying lessons (must reserve your spot), and connecting with the community.
This past two months, our friend Alan Eubanks has given complimentary fly tying lessons to beginners. Again, this month Alan will be hosting an intro to fly tying class sponsored by Caddis Fly Shop. There are limited seats so message our Instagram to reserve your spot, stop by the shop and get your name on the list, or give the shop a ring (541) 342-7005. Alan has been tying flies for decades and is excited to share his wealth of knowledge with eager students. This month he will be pairing down the class size and scope of the class, and will be teaching beginners how to tie an Elk Hair Caddis. Please reserve your spot if you are interested; we only have limited supplies and for those who want to learn
If you haven’t been to a Community Night, you’re missing out, and we’d love to see you there. It is a great excuse to get together and talk about fly fishing, tie flies, meet new people in the community, usher in newbies, etc. We have had a massive influx of new anglers as of lat, and this is a fantastic way to meet people to fish with. See the bottom of this post for the full schedule for 2026.
Tiers are encouraged to bring their vise and materials and tie flies if they choose. We will still continue with the monthly fly swap for tiers who participate. If you aren’t planning on tying, but want to bring a hand tied fly, you are welcome to bring one from home.
We have gotten in some gifts from our friends at Fulling Mill & Trout Unlimited that we will parcel out to those participating in the fly swap. We won’t give everything out this month, as we will stretch the prizes over the next few months but if you participate in the fly swap, you will have a chance to win something.
Falling Sky has great beer and some very talented chefs working hard in the back. Their burgers and sandwiches are fantastic, if you choose either of those you have to try the truffle fries. They also have a fantastic bacon loaded truffle Mac and Cheese. Stephen, the owner, has been generous enough to host us monthly for a year and a half. He is a fly angler himself and always makes his rounds. Be sure to extend your gratitude to the man who has made this happen every month for well over a year.
We can always expect our regulars to show up monthly. We also encourage new people to swing by. We have had a massive influx of new faces and new anglers, so it is a great time to stop by if you’ve been hesitant. Whether you’re a veteran to community night or brand new, we are looking forward to seeing you Tuesday!
Help spread the word, the more the merrier!
-Simon
2026 Schedule
Community Nights will typically land on the third Tuesday of each month for 2026. Some dates are subject to change, so keep a close eye for updates.
Tuesday January 20th at 6:00
Tuesday February 17th at 6:00
Tuesday March 24th at 6:00 (Initial date of the 17th changed Due to St. Patricks)
