Recent hot weather has reminded us that summer is just around the corner. With temperatures into the 80's over the last weekend, fishing action really picked up on the Mckenzie. "Mother's Day" caddis have been providing good late afternoon and evening dry fly action, keeping the redsides' and cutthroats' interest up after the daily March Brown mayfly emergence. 
 
On Monday, the 20th, I was joined by webmaster/fly caster extraordinaire, Mark Fisher, and his son, Tyler, for our annual spring float. Fishing was steady throughout the day on nymphs and wets, punctuated by two good windows of dry action in the early afternoon and at the end of the day. One of the highlights of the day was Mark landing a rock on a Copper John nymph. Think about it: we all hook plenty of rocks out there, but how many actually get landed? Here's the proof: 
 
 
 
 
On Wednesday, the 22nd, I was joined by Don Parker and Neal Goldsmith who made the drive over from Bend to try their luck in some early season trouting. Despite cooler temperatures and a slightly higher river, fishing was still good, providing a repeat of the action from earlier in the week. Both Don and Neal landed several beautiful oversized redsides along with a mix of smaller bows, some nice cutts, and a few summer steelhead smolts. Here's one of Don's beauties: 
 
 
Mike and Nancy Phillips from Bend also happened to be in town visiting Scott and the family. It was a treat when, just after lunch, they all floated into view in Scott's boat. The afternoon became a nice Two Dudes-Two Boat Special. It's spring in the southern Willamette Valley. Hard to imagine a nicer place to be. 
 

Posted by: Matt Ramsey

Don Truax joined me on Monday the 30th for our annual early season outing on the McKenzie. Don is an excellent harbinger of Spring for those of you paying attention out there. As reliably as the flowering of the plum trees each year, Don's trip means that trout season has begun. 
 
This time we had a typical early season outing. Fishing was slow in the morning and in the evening with a good hatch of March Brown mayflies around mid-afternoon which brought the redsides' and cutthroats' attention to the surface for some good fishing action. Even battling a spring cold, Don was in his element and managed to land some nice trout.  
 
Check the action: 
 
 
 
Time to dust off the trout gear. Bugs are hatching. Let's go fishing! 

Posted by: Matt Ramsey