April 2026 Fish A Long Report

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

We couldn’t have had a nicer day for the Fish A Long! We had everything lined up from very successful pre-fishing trip to the lake the week before to excellent weather and water conditions. Unfortunately the bite on Saturday was on the slow side. It happens!

Rich and I started out by fishing at Howell Pond Thursday, then camping out at Schmedeke. We had good weather and OK fishing on both emerger patterns and nymphs.

On Friday a couple people came out for the day on Schmedeke. We had good weather but the bite dropped off around mid day.

We had a good turnout on Saturday. Chris B was the first to arrive and he did OK in the morning with leech patterns. Then, like the day before, the bite died around lunchtime.

The slow fishing was a real head scratcher! We finally deduced that the air pressure had dropped over the last couple days. With nothing better to do we looked this up on our phones. It turns out air pressure at 30 & above is best, and a drop in air pressure below 29.92 (the average air pressure baseline) causes the fishes air bladder to expand, which in turn makes them feel full and lethargic. While this isn’t a reason not to go fishing, it’s one more thing to be aware of!

Slow fishing or not, it was a great time to be out enjoying the spring weather. We also hit our favorite nearby restaurant, Smokehouse Chicken & Guns.

Thanks to everyone that came out to make this a fun Fish A Long!

February & March 2026 Fishing Reports

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

Here’s our February & March fishing reports. Pics are first with the reports below.

From Chris Brehm: Fishing at Chickahominy was fantastic when the wind cooperated. Fat and feisty trout in gorgeous colors were taking Chironomids in shallow water from shore. Brother Stevie demonstrating his two rod prowess. Also hit Lane’s secret spot on the Malheur. Great fishing with no one around. Chris Gardiner and I hit a very glassy Davis Lake and managed to harvest some nice Bass and one surprise Rainbow hiding in the reeds.

From Lane Hoffman: Fished Chickahominy Reservior in late March. Good but not great. The fish are in really good condition: fat, feisty, powerful ranging between 16 & 20 inches. Mornings have been nice with lots of big midges & a few mayflies. Whitecap generating winds started around 2pm and made fishing difficult.

Next we headed to the Malheur where we wacked & stacked the Redsides; probably caught over 50 fish in one day between 16 & 20+ inches. Nobody fishing the river but Chris and I. Great trip!

From Mike Shiiki: Had a great trip out to the Owyhee River with my son Nathaniel, nephew Elliot and Darryl Huff. Each of us had our moments with some good size browns. 

From Dave Kilhefner: fished Lake Coeur D Alene for landlocked King Salmon for the first time. We did OK trolling with gear. It looks like fly fishing with streamers would work too…something to try another day!

From Matt Baker: Had fun on the club trip to the Crooked River with good luck on small dry flies. After that I spent a number of days in the Owen’s River valley. Fishing was great, mostly on nymphs.

From Rich Harvey: Dave and I hit Turner Lake and had a good day for trout plus a few bass. The afternoon chironomid hatch had fish sipping emergers and I was able to get a few nice trout on a small cripple pattern.

From Mark Rasmussen: Can’t seem to catch any steelhead, but crabbing has been good!

From George Coutts: saw this cool fish sculpture on a trip to Florence.

From Dave Kilhefner: Stopped at the Sandy on the way home from the Crooked River. Water conditions were good and luck was with me!

February 2026

From Mark Rasmussen: Lots of casting practice…

From Patrick Leonard: had one good day at Turner Lake for bass and trout. 

From Dave Kilhefner: Rich Harvey and I had some OK days at the Oregon Fishing Club. We fished on days when the weather was good but the water temps were still cold which made for slow fishing.

Thanks to everyone that contributed reports!

April 2026 Presidents Message

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

We’ve had some very nice weather this spring which as created good water conditions on both streams and lakes. Mostly I’ve been hitting the OFC lakes, which have had some hot bites as the water warms. Stream fishing has been productive too for both trout and steelhead.

Our April 21st meeting at High Rocks will feature Marty and Mia Sheppard of Little Creek Outfitters. They offer exceptional fishing trips on the Sandy, Deschutes and John Day River’s plus are the hosts of the Sandy River Spey Clave on April 24th & 25th at Oxbow Park.

Our April 25th Fish A Long will be at Schmedeke Pond. We’ve been there several times in April and fishing has always been good. In the past there was a great hatch of bomber midges coming off. Everyone had a great time and some big fish were caught. Heres a link to that report to whet your appetite.

For several years now we have been posting monthly fishing reports. Looking back on them is a fun way to get ideas for local fly-fishing opportunities currently happening or coming up. Type “March” or “April” and you’ll get all the past reports for that month.

Please remember our local fly shops and sporting goods stores. Hope to see you at a meeting or on the water!

Dave Kilhefner

March 2026 Fish A Long Report

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

We had VERY good weather for our March Fish A Long. When several of us campers arrived on Thursday the temperature was in the low 80’s. Plus, the water conditions were perfect!

We brought lots of wood and were able to enjoy some good long campfires every day plus cooked most of our meals over the fire. The lone exception was our Friday night Mexican dinner in town.

Fishing was pretty good but the fish were a little on the picky side. Nymphs, soft hackles and dries all produced as long as they were small (size 18ish) and dark.

We saw plenty of wildlife too. Deer, eagles, geese, otters, muskrat plus plenty of birds. The warm weather had the mosquitoes out…they were not too bad but they were a little sneaky!

This Fish A Long was a great way to kick of spring fishing. Thanks to everyone who made the trip!

Presidents Message March 2026

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

This month marks six years as your club President. I’ve been having a great time running the club and going to all the Fish A Longs. This year, steelhead fishing has been pretty good when the weather cooperates. Now we are finally having good, stable weather and it’s time to get out there and fish hard!

We’ll have a regular meeting Tuesday, March 17th. George Krumm will be talking about the Pacific Salmon Flyfishing Grand Slam: all five species of Pacific salmon on a fly in a single day! It’s a very original subject that’s interesting and informative.

March signals the beginning of spring and many local fisheries are waking up and turning on. Trout in our local lakes get active as water temperatures rise from the low 40’s to the high 40’s. March is the best month for trophy steelhead so keep flinging flies with your spey rod.

Our March 21st Fish A Long will be on the Crooked River (pic above from the Crooked). This has always been a good destination but we haven’t been able to go since May 2022 and I’m excited to go back! Several of us will be camping. If you can come a little early we’ll have our traditional Mexican dinner in Prineville on Friday night.

Here is another reminder that Marty & Mia Sheppard of Little Creek Outfitters are resurrecting the Sandy River Spey Clave. Mark your calendars for April 24th & 25th at Oxbow Park.

Here’s some other timely info: If you like fishing the Justesen Ranch Lakes, they are ice free and fishing very well. Also, the Clark-Skamania Fly Fishers is having their Annual Fundraising Banquet, “A Flyfisher’s Folly”, on March 28 at the Black Pearl on the Columbia, 56 S 1st Street in Washougal.  

For several years now we have been posting monthly fishing reports. Looking back on them is a fun way to get ideas for local fly-fishing opportunities currently happening or coming up. Type “March” or “April” and you’ll get all the past reports for that month.

Please remember our local fly shops and sporting goods stores. Hope to see you at a meeting or on the water!

Dave Kilhefner

December 2025 January 2026 Reports

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

We’ve had some crazy weather the last couple months: a big flood in December followed by a drought. It’s made local fishing a little tough but there are fish to be had, especially for our traveling club members. Pictures are first with the reports below.

From Greg O’Brien: made a trip to Florida for a family birthday and squeezed in a little Scuba diving and a morning of flyfishing. Went with a guide on the Intra Coastal Waterway and got into bluefish and jacks. The Jack pictured was on a popper, all else were on baitfish patterns and an intermediate line.

From Ed Rabinowe: Tom Phipps, Ken Baker and I plus 3 other friends traveled to Campeche Mexico to fish for baby tarpon. Tarpon of any size are great game fish. The lodge, the town, and the company were worth the trip!

From Mark Rasmussen: January fishing was cold and sparse, but had some fun!

From Wayne Hughes: Fished mainly Hagg lake throughout January. Had some good days and bad days as winter trout fishing can be. Landed some nice trout & one rare Kokanee on stripped leech & balanced leech patterns. 

From Dave Kilhefner: the big flood in December set back winter steelhead fishing for me. Rich and I hit the OFC Lakes when the weather was good. Fishing was generally on the slow side but we got a few!

Thanks to everyone for contributing your reports!

Presidents Message February 2026

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

After December’s flood the weather has been mostly chilly and dry. This has created tough low & cold water steelheading conditions and also slowed down the winter trout bite. But, you can’t catch fish sitting on the couch and for those that have ventured out, there has been some success!

Our speaker for the February 17th meeting is Kelcee Smith. She is the Chum Salmon Reintroduction Coordinator for ODFW, joining the project in fall 2021. It will be an interesting presentation you won’t want to miss!

Our February 21st Fish A Long will be at my place on the Sandy River for a steelhead school and the pic above is from last year. We’ll have some hands on instruction on Spey Casting, tips how to successfully swing a fly in the winter and also on nymph fishing presentations, which excels in smaller streams. Naturally we’ll have the option to warm up by woodstove and enjoy a good lunch if the fishing is slow, and lets face it Winter Steelhead fly fishing is always slow!

Good news: Marty & Mia Sheppard of Little Creek Outfitters are keeping the Sandy River Spey Clave going. Mark your calendars for April 24th & 25th at Oxbow Park.

For several years now we have been posting monthly fishing reports. Looking back on them is a good way to get ideas for local fly-fishing opportunities currently happening or coming up. I’ve tested it out; type the word February or March in the search box and you’ll get all the past reports for that month.

Please remember our local fly shops and sporting goods stores. Hope to see you at a meeting or on the water!

Dave Kilhefner

Presidents Message January 2026

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

Happy New Year! Hope everyone was able to enjoy good holiday festivities plus have some new fishing stuff to try out.

I’m looking forward to the New Year and have a couple “fishing resolutions” to share. First and most importantly is to fish more this winter, specifically at the OFC ponds and local steelhead rivers. Next is to continue to improve our Fish A Longs calendar. Fishing opportunities continue to change over the years and it’s important to change with them.

Our January 20th meeting will feature a run down of our planned Fish A Longs for the coming year. While we have a schedule, it’s not set in stone so if you have any ideas let me know (call/email/text) so we can discuss them at the next meeting.

We won’t have a Fish A Long this month as I will be out of town. However, steelhead reports are MUCH better than last year so if the water conditions are OK, get out there! We will have a steelhead school for our February 21st Fish A Long. The pic above is from a steelhead Fish A Long several years ago.

Big news: I’m going to be moving at the end of 2026 so we will need a new club president. I’ve been the club president since March of 2020, it’s been fun and rewarding! If you’re interested in talking about this let me know.

For several years now we have been posting monthly fishing reports. Looking back on them is a good way to get ideas for local fly fishing opportunities currently happening or coming up. Type the word January or February in the search box and you’ll get all the past reports for that month.

It’s time to think about paying your 2026 membership dues if you haven’t already. Here is the membership link. If you participate in the club I will guarantee you’ll get a solid value for the $35 you pay to be a member.

January is a great month to get good deals after Christmas so get out to your local fly shop buy all the stuff that Santa forgot. Good fishing!

Dave Kilhefner

November 2025 Fishing Reports

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

November produced some very good fishing! Some of us traveled to warmer climates and some waited for the northwest weather to cooperate, which for the most part it did. Pictures are first with the reports below.

From Joe Warren: Had a blast in Baja and it was the best fishing I’ve ever experienced down there! The marlin fly fishing was epic and fierce; hooked 8 and landed one! It was 115 lbs and took 1 hr and 10 min to land. We fished 4 days for marlin and 4 days inshore for roosters and other species. Inshore, roosters were the best! Learned a lot about the marlin too and can’t wait to go back; 80-85 deg days, gorgeous!

From Lane Hoffman: They still have “Big”Reds” in Louisiana! Landed fish to 25lbs and our last day was the best day with beautiful weather & around a dozen caught. Had some really good takes, gotta love a big Red chasing down a fly in 18 inches of water!

From Greg O’Brien: Hit the coast, the Chum were in and we got a few on flies. A highlight was a pretty hen that annihilated a little beadhead Comet. Had another trip to an OFC lake for bass and trout

From Craig Kershen: Had the best 2 night camping trip with my son Aaron 3 days before Thanksgiving. After a quick stop at the Maupin store then a beer and wings at the Rainbow, we headed downstream. Great weather, empty roads and campsites, stars, campfires, wood fire meals, cocktails and of course big horn sheep. Got a big bonus, my first steelhead on a fly rod! Took and egg pattern down at the Macks launch. 

From Wayne Hughes: spent the first part of the month fishing local lakes. Found some nice Trout & Bass stripping leeches plus under indicators with Vampire balance leeches and Blobs. 

From Patrick Leonard: fished Big Tree at the OFC. There’s an eagle that has been very active lately.

From Mike Shiiki: We had some pretty good days on the Deschutes at Warm Springs, mostly redsides with a few bullies mixed in too!

From Darryl Huff: hooked 11 and landed seven the day before Thanksgiving.

From Dave Kilhefner: Rich Harvey and I had some good trout fishing at Big Tree before the November weather cooled the water and slowed down the trout bite. We also saw a nice rutting buck while driving to the lake.

Thanks to everyone who contributed reports this month!

Presidents Message December 2025

/ davekilhefner / Leave a comment

Hope everyone enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving and was able to get out and do some fishing with friends. Fishing last month was pretty good as you’ll see when the November fishing reports come out next week.

It’s time to think about paying your 2026 membership fee. However, if you joined as a new member in the second half of 2025 it will be good for 2026 too; we are on the honor system so please let me know. Here is the membership link. If you participate in the club I will guarantee you’ll get a solid value for the $35 you pay to be a member.

The main activities our club focuses on are meetings and fish a longs.

I’m looking for input on the 2026 Fish A Longs schedule. With the warming trends fishing opportunities are changing. Check out the 2026 fish a longs schedule. The dates for 2026 have been updated so you can mark your calendars. You’ll notice some fish a longs have “TBD” in front of several choices; take a look and let me know your preferences or if you’d like to see any changes.

December is shaping up to be decent fishing month. My crystal ball says the most dependable local fishing will be at the Oregon Fishing Club ponds for trout, especially after a warming trend (the pic above is me with a recent trout from an OFC lake). The key to winter fishing is to be ready when a good weather window presents itself. Several coastal streams are already producing steelhead plus the Clackamas and Sandy get random shots of late summer and early winter steelhead this time of year, plus some late running native coho. Here’s a link to the PGE fish counts so you can see for yourself.

We don’t have a club Fish-A-Long in December or January but I’m open to helping folks with their spey casting and winter steelhead presentation basics. If you are interested in this email me and I’ll put you on the list.

For several years now we have been posting monthly fishing reports. Looking back on them is a good way to get ideas for local fly fishing opportunities currently happening or coming up. I’ve tested it out and it works! Type the word December or January in the search box and you’ll get all the past reports for that month.

Now is the perfect time for Christmas shopping plus don’t forget to get your wish list out so you get all the stocking stuffers you want. Please remember our local fly shops and sporting goods stores.

Dave Kilhefner