The river is open as of this morning and we are starting to get back out there! We had a couple of close calls over the last week, but the Bench Fire has moved to the southwest of us and we are getting back to normal operations here at the fly shop and camp. The Warm Springs boat ramp is still closed due to fire crews pumping water and staging vehicles, but we can run float trips from Mecca to Trout Creek and walk/wade trips upstream of Mecca. The AQI is currently at 70 and improving each day. It has been a rough week, but we look forward to seeing everyone back in the shop and on the river!

On a lighter note, the river has seen basically no pressure over the last week and is fishing well! The caddis are coming off in huge numbers, and the fish are rising well to them in the mornings and evenings. The smoke has created a sort of false cloud cover that brings off some decent mayfly hatches also. Nymphing in the middle of the day has been excellent using caddis pupas, perdigons, small mayfly nymphs (size 16-18 Copper Johns, flashback PT’s, etc.), and zebra midges. Streamer fishing with small leach or baitfish patterns like sculpzillas has also been productive. The fish in the picture below was caught yesterday evening on a midge near the camp.

The Crooked River is also fishing well with some mayflies coming up when the sun is off the water, and good nymph action on scuds, midges, and small mayfly patterns. Give us a ring to book a trip or drop by the shop for more intel!