12/5/25 – As with the Crooked, extremely little has changed on the Fall River in the past few weeks. I would only like to add that egg patterns also work on the Fall River, despite the fact very few fish (if any) are spawning above the falls. Regardless, they eat them.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
11/01/2025 – Fish on the Fall have been eating emergers in large numbers, as well as midge spinners and BWO dries. Some days in the past week it seems like they will only eat a fly in the film or just below. When this happens, what does one throw? A size 20 BWO Film Critic is the answer. Klinkhammers and Morrish May Emergers might also do, but there really is no emerger pattern as effective as the Film Critic.
For nymphs, black Flexi Midges, Rainbow Warriors, Pheasant Tails, and Serendipity’s in the small sizes like 20s and 22s will do the trick. As always, Zebra Midges, leeches, and small streamers should also find some fish mouths.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/24/2025 – Anglers are still reporting a great deal of success on Fall River! Dries are still popping off, with nymphs picking up the slack if need be. For dries, smaller is better; midges and BWOs in the #18-22 range will be what you’re looking for.. If one is seeing miniscule bugs that look like PMDs, a caenis fly is the most likely culprit. That being said, I’ve not seen very many commercially-tied caenis, so a small PMD pattern will serve the same purpose: small and yellowish
The other fly I’d like to highlight is the Griffith’s Gnat. An older pattern that can be nearly impossible to see on the water, but catches fish like crazy. Imitating a cluster of midges, a Griffith’s Gnat looks like an efficient bit for any hungry trout. It is a perfect for the Fall as you don’t really need to see your fly to hook fish. If you cast it out there and a fish rises in the vicinity of where you think your fly might be, set the hook! If it wasn’t you fly it was rising to, who cares! Luckily for all of us, hooksets are free.
Perhaps my greatest fly fishing accomplishment was catching a shad on a Griffith’s Gnat on the Clackamas River about 5 or so years ago.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/10/2025 – The Fall River is still going strong. Crowds are thinning a bit (except at the Hatchery), though there are plenty of fish everywhere. There are still some dry fly opportunities sporadically throughout the day, though nymphing will be the most effective. Leeches are also awesome right now. You can swing them, dead drift them below an indicator (although it’s fairly easy to see if a fish has eaten your fly when it is as large as a leech), or strip them past their faces.
One of the cool things about the Fall is that you can basically fish however you want at any given moment. One December day about 4-5 years ago, my brother and I were walking near the falls when we passed by a group of men, who proceeded to chide us for something they deemed stupid: us fishing size 8 Chubby Chernobyl’s by themselves in the dead of winter. We awkwardly laughed and moved on. Little did they know that we had hammered so many trout on the Chubby that morning that we had completely chopped off the dropper.
A few takeaways from this Friday morning anecdote: Chubby Chernobyl’s are a top 3 dry fly of time, kindness is pretty easy and is always better than being rude, and that being flexible with your pattern-selection is key on the Fall River. They will absolutely eat bugs that are either out of season or don’t even exist in Central Oregon. Sometimes you have to chuck your whole box at them, but there is almost always something that they will want. You just never know what they might key in on!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
10/3/2025 – For those of you who prefer to fish exclusively dry flies, the Fall River is going to be a solid option. Midges and caddis will be the main two bugs flying around. Tricos, #20-22 tiny Parachute Adams, Hi-Vis Griffith’s Gnats #16-18, Rusty Spinners, X- Caddis (#16), Body Double Caddis, Missing Links, Stealth Links, and Front End Loaders are a couple of great patterns. For colors, tan or brown will do well for the caddis, while gray, black, and brown will do fine for the midges.
For nymphing, this is a great time to gain confidence in midges. I know that they are very small and hard to tie onto the line but the fish love them and can see them quite well. Jujubee Midges, Demon Midges, Zebra Midges, Crossfit Jigs, and Manhattan Midges are a few options to look at. Olive, red, black, and purple will be the main colors, while the size range is anywhere from #18-22, though #20 really is the perfect size.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/26/2025 – I would say that not a ton has changed from last week’s report, though they do seem to be eating dries a little more consistently this week. Ants and beetles have still be putting in work, while PMDs, BWOs, and midges (especially up by the Guard Station) have been hatching in droves. The PMDs really seem to vary in size, so make sure you have sizes #14-18.
Dries to try: smaller Hippie Stompers, Klinkhammers, Rusty Spinners, Tilt Wing Duns, Hi-Vis Parachute BWOs (and PMDs), and Hackle Stackers.
Nymphs/Streamers: Woolly Buggers (#8-10), Split Top PMDs, Crackback PMDs, and small, black perdigons.
Crowds on the Fall have been fairly toned down as many people are instead choosing to hit the Cascade Lakes, Lower Deschutes, and Crooked River, so the Fall River could be a good option right now.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/19/2025 – Grasshoppers have continued to crush on the Fall lately. As have little stonefly patterns, as well as leeches, BWOs, ants and beetles, and sowbug patterns like the Ray Charles. Subsurface midges are probably the most consistent fish-getter year-round on the Fall, so make sure you’ve got your fav midge in large quantities. 5.5x fluorocarbon will be very difficult for the fish to see, while increasing catch rates (even by a little bit) compared to 6x.
While Fall River is always worth a visit and is fishing well, I kind of feel like there are better places to enjoy this time of year. However, crowds have been much lighter than usual lately, so maybe it’s actually a perfect time to head out that direction!
I would also like to call out RIO’s baetis-flavored Tung Tied nymph as my personal fav right now on the Fall.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/12/2025 – The Fall has continued it’s streak of good fishing for the 4th straight week! This weather that has been pounding the eastside of the Cascades the past week or so has been creating som,e epic dry fly opportunities. Overcast weather–even if it’s raining a bit or a lot–brings out all sorts of hatches; the primary hatch being Blue Wing Olives, with midges, PMDs, and caddis trailing by a bit.
Grasshopper patterns in the #8-10 range have also sporadically hammering fish–especially around the Tubes and the Hatchery. It seems like the fish don’t give a single care about them some days, while other days find those fish keying in on big tan, pink, green, black, and purple Grasshoppers. As the bugs prefer long grass, the Tubes might be your best bet to find willing fiss, though they will eat grasshoppers even if they’ve (most likely) never eaten a reel grasshopper in their life, so take that with a grain of salt.
Nymphing is solid as always: we have a purple Beadheaded Pheasant Tail that has been working particularly well. As has Morrish’ Sparkle Donkey in most colors, Silver Bullet Baetis’, small Copper John patterns and so on…
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
9/5/2025 – The dry fly fishing on Fall River has been really good in recent days, with most of the action coming on small-parachute patterns: Purple Haze, Parachute Adams, Parachute PMDs, Parachute Tricos, and all that good stuff. I would also recommend Bucky’s ICU Baetis (#18-20), the Sedgehammer (tan in #16), Micro Chubby Chernobyls (preferably black in #14-16), and olive Para-Wulffs. For nymph recommendations, check last week’s report or pop by the shop!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/29/2025 – Fall River is continuing to fish well, though I don’t envy those trying to beat the Labor Day crowds out there. PMDs, BWOs, and midges make up the vast majority of the bugs popping off at the current moment, though a couple people have reported seeing some Yellow Sally’s, too. If anyone is headed that direction in the coming days, I would consider fishing the Tubes or the Headwaters, as the Campground and Hatchery should be fairly shoulder to shoulder.
As per usual, nymphing will be your most consistent producer on the Fall. Jig Fullback Napoleons (#16-20), Diamond Brite Perdigons (same size range), Caramel Jigs, and Micro BB Leeches (olive or black in #14-#16) are a few of my faves. I also quite like stripping a Hot Headed Woolly Bugger in front of their faces. It is almost always good for a fish or two.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/22/2025 – Wow, it feels so good to be writing such positive fishing reports this week! Everyone’s prayers to the Fish Gods have been paying off! The Fall River is another body of water that has been great this past week and will continue to fish well during this next little heat spell.
While nymphing is always my go-to technique on the Fall as they absolutely GARGLE nymphs, dries have also been working well this past little while. BWOs, Mahogany Duns, PMDs, a few caddis, and the omnipresent midge will all be important patterns to have loaded up in the box.
Nymphs to have: Micro Mops (fl. green if possible in #14-16), Hogan’s Lil Amigo (brown or olive in #16-18), egg patterns like the Eggstatic Egg, Dunnigan’s Panty Dropper, Twisted Mayflies, and 2 Bit Hookers (red or black. If you have a size #20, don’t lose it! They stopped commercially producing this size).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/15/2025 – The hatches on Fall River that have been prevalent: midges, BWOs, PMDs, and anglers. Dry fly fishing has been best between the bridge at the campground and the Guard Station, though you will still catch fish on dries at the Hatchery and the Tubes sporadically.
I really recommend people go later in the day to the Fall River this time of year. The fishing shouldn’t be worse and the crowds will have significantly thinned. The caddis and PMD hatches in the evenings have also been consistent, which means you will most likely see a lot more rising fish.
Tricos, any kind of small caddis pattern in brown, tan, and/or olive, ants, spinners, and perhaps even a Spruce Moth pattern will do well! On the subsurface side of things, last weeks report is still applicable, and one can add baetis nymphs, Jujubee Midges, and RIO’s Tung Tied to their Fall River arsenal.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/7/2025 – The Fall River has been fishing splendidly! PMDs have been hatching consistently, as have some bigger midges, and a few Yellow Sallies, too. Flies to try: #14 Stimulators (yellow), Morrish’ Mayday (#14-16). Spinners (rusty or black in #16-20), and really anything that is smaller and yellowish.
Jigging micro-streamers may be the most exciting way to fish on the Fall. Watching a big fish split off from the pack and whack a jigged leech or jigged baitfish is exceedingly fun. Sir Sticks-A-Lot in white/silver, Spark Plugs (same color), and any other small baitfish pattern is worth a go. As are Wooly Buggers. Pine Squirrel Leeches, and RIOs Soccer Mom.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
8/1/2025 – Aside from perhaps the Crooked, the Fall River has been the most consistent option for our guides and clients as of late. Fish have been rising to bugs most days, though the menu seems to vary from one day to the next. Terrestrials have been quite good–especially at the Hatchery–while mayfly imitations have been better around the Campground/Guard Station. PMDs, midges and their sub-surface counterparts have certainly proven their worth. Personally, I really like small baetis nymphs on the Fall River. RIOs Tung Tied, Diabaetis Perdigons, olive Hare’s Ears, camo Juju Baetis, WD-40s and RS2s are all good options.
Crowds have been fairly standard, with most anglers finding the most peace and best fishing early in the morn and at last light. As it is a cold, clear, spring creek with an abundance of shade, Fall River is an especially good option during these hot Central Oregon summer days.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/18/2025 – The Fall River has been firing for several weeks in a row at this point! There’s not a ton to say about it, really. The mosquitoes are basically gone–except at the tubes–and the fish are happily rising to PMDs, caddis, and any sort of general attractor pattern. I really like a purple Para Wulff, a Purple Haze, or purple Hackle Stacker as good, all-around dry fly patterns. Matching the hatch is still a good idea: Missing Links, Stealth Links, Parachute PMDs, Elk Hair Caddis or X-Caddis are all great patterns for the Fall River this time of year.
I quite like nymphing, so I would still be fishing sub-surface when the fish aren’t actively rising. Nymphs to give a go: Radiation Baetis (#18-20), olive Crackback Bullets, Micro BB Leeches, Pine Squirrel leeches, and basically anything very small with a decent-sized bead or an unweighted fly with split shot will do the trick.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/11/2025 – Our guides and clients are having a great deal of success on the Fall River again this week! Small flies are doing the trick–both on the surface and below! While midges like Zebra Midges and Flexi Midges are great patterns to have and try, those fish see so many of the exact same fly that I often feel throwing something completely random is the most effective way at breaking up a slow day. I call back to the story of our of guides catching them on an Aphlexo Crab pattern as evidence.
If you happen to pop by the shop, I would go looking for the smallest bug you can find that you have never seen before and give that a go. While it can be intimidating to fish such tiny flies, the fish have absolutely no qualms about them and will have no trouble picking them out in the water. Small bugs don’t necessarily mean small fish!
Similar to most of our bodies of waters right now, caddis and PMDs (both adults and nymphs) are important to have. Ants and beetles will work, too, especially in the areas with the most downed timber. Try a Hi-Vis Micro-Chubby in the “beetle” colorway. If not the beetle-color, I also like the black and purple.
For nymphs, I would highly recommend small, attractor patterns. Preferably those with large beads to help them get down to the level of the fish. For more pattern suggestions, feel free to see us here in the Old Mill!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
7/4/2025 – The Fall River has definitely been the most consistent option over the past month or so. Crowds have been less-than-usual, mosquitoes have been few and far between, and the number of fish in the river has been stupendous! That being said, it is a holiday weekend, so expect more people than usual (except for today probably, as it’s currently nuking rain here in the Old Mill).
Caddis and PMDs are the most prevalent hatches, with a few Yellow Sallies thrown into the mix, too. Now is a really good time to be on the river for those fly fishing enthusiasts who prefer to fishing dry flies exclusively. While it might not be lights out at all times of the day, anglers fishing light tippet with decent presentations will more than likely find plenty of fish willing to cooperate.
We’ve had a lot of questions in the shop in the last couple days about the difference between the various tippets, so I thought it might be worth it to give a quick break down: nylon (which is what the vast majority of tapered leaders are made of) is stronger, translucent, and floats on the surface. Many may also have heard this referred to as “mono”, though this is (basically) a squares and rectangles situation here: (almost) all nylon is monofilament, but not all monofilament is nylon. Another type of monofilament is called “fluorocarbon”. Fluorocarbon is a tiny bit weaker, but sinks, and is even more difficult for the fish to see in the water. It also tends to be about twice of the price of nylon.
In summation, nylon floats and should be used when fishing flies on the surface. Fluorocarbon sinks and should be used when fishing below the surface. Nylon can also be used in sub-surface situations, but will not help the fly sink and is slightly easier for the fish to see. I hope this helps a bit! Choosing the right kind of tippet/leader can be really confusing at times and lack of continuity with the different names for the types of line does not make it any easier.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/27/2025 – Fall River is fishing really well right now, with anglers able to pick which style of fishing they would most like to try: dry flies, nymphs, dry-droppers, indicator rigs, and stripping buggers.
The dry fly fishing has been perhaps the most inconsistent, though on the days that the fish have been keying in on them, they are REALLY keying in on them. The meal of choice seems to be vary day-to-day. but caddis, PMDs and midges are good bets.
As always on the Fall, it can pay dividends to fish really small flies at times. The fish can see them perfectly well–even if the angler can’t. I would recommend fishing the smallest strike indicator or buoyant dry one can get away with. Strikes on Fall River are often quite subtle, and bigger indicators might be affected in any way, giving the fish ample time to realize their chosen snack is not a scrumptious bug, but a small piece of sharp metal covered in thread that they should probably spit out.
We’ve got a couple killer flies here in the shop that I really like at the Fall right now that we would be perfectly happy to point y’all towards if you drop by!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/20/2025 – The good news is that anglers have been finding a ton of fish on the Fall lately! The bad news is that the mosquitoes have been equally successful in finding the anglers. While the mosquitoes tend to thin out the higher up you go, you can find a few anywhere at anytime right now. That said, anglers ready with their bug spray will find that Fall River is a great option right now! Like many other streams in our area, PMDs and caddis will get the most interest from fish.
Due to the abundance of downed timber in the water, ants and beetles are also key. I like Hi-Vis Beetles, Fat Angies, Mamba Ant’s, and Cinnamon Ants myself.
As 80% of a trout diet comes from sub-surface bugs, bring plenty of nymphs! Slush Eggs, Micro Mayflies, tungsten midges, Crackback Yeagers, Split Case PMDs, Yuba Pupae (I think that’s how one would spell that? I was a Global Studies and German major, so spelling is not my forte), Newbury’s Alt Rocker, and the Spanish Bullet are some of fave patterns for Fall River.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/13/2025 – PMDs and caddis have certainly been the big producers on Fall River during the last week. Finfetcher Caddis, Front End Loaders, Elk Hair Caddis, and Puterbaugh Caddis in brown, black, and tan are great caddis patterns to try. For PMDs, I would point people towards Split Flags, Tilt Wing Duns, Sparkle Flags, and Comparaduns. I personally have had a good amount on ants and beetles this time of year, especially in place with downed logs. The mosquitos have been a bit of an issue as of late, so be prepared with Picaridin (a softer alternative to deet which can absolutely demolish fly fishing gear).
On a different note, those who might be interested in learning to euronymph, Fall River is the perfect place. You can see how fish react to your drifts, match visual takes with feelings of pressure on the end of your line; you can even see your flies a lot of the time! All of this plus the fish being in reliable numbers in reliable spots, makes Fall River the perfect place to try out the “dirty dangle”. For advice on flies, setups and more, pop by and see us in the shop!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
6/6/2025 – As per usual, fishing has remained very steady on Fall River. PMDs have been out in number with the occasional drake and BWO mixed in. While matching the hatch is always a good idea, it’s not always a as critical on Fall River.
If there are rising fish in front of you and you can’t seem to catch time, try the following steps: 1. Size down your fly. 2. If that doesn’t work, size down your tippet. 3. If you’re still getting no reaction, change to a fly of the same variety that might have a bit of a different profile.. 4. Chop off whatever you have on and put a Chubby Chernobyl on. While Fall River fish can be extremely selective at times, they will (at least sporadically) eat any type of fly at any time of year, regardless of whether that bug is hatching or even exists in the stream. I had my best ever dry-fly day at Fall River in December on a #10-12 yellow Chubby. To further illustrate my point, one of our guides recently caught a fish on a white Aphlexo Crab. Are there crabs in Fall River? Absolutely not. But these fish see so many flies every week, it can really behoove one to throw some stuff they probably haven’t seen.
While I don’t recommend starting out your day using the above-illustrated tactic, it never hurts to try! Especially if nothing else seems to be working.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/30/2025 – As forecast in my last report, crowds on the Fall River has been significantly less than they have been the last month or so. Obviously, Memorial Day Weekend was a very busy time, but the fish have had a bit of a chance to just hangout since then.
PMD, caddis, and Drake patterns have been getting a lot of attention on the surface as of late. Green Drakes seem to be a trout’s absolute favorite bug, so if you start seeing some big ol’ olive mayflies flying about, you best have a Green Drake Parachute, Wulff, Film Critic or something similar in your box!
While there might be an errant BWO flying around here and there, the fish seem to be uninterested for now.
In descending order according to importance (in my opinion), types of flies to have include: PMD adults, PMD cripples and emergers, caddis pupa, caddis adults, midge nymphs, egg patterns, streamers, Green Drake adults, and whatever else you might have confidence in!
Flies to try can be found in last week’s report as not a ton has changed. Though a fly I’m especially stoked on for the Fall River right now is an olive #14 Big Boned Caddis.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/23/2025 – For those who enjoy the Fall River, but have been avoiding it lately due to crowds, right now might be your chance! The general trout opener was yesterday (5/22), which means that angling pressure will be spread across several more bodies of water. With the salmonfly hatch really turning on around the Warm Springs/Mecca/Trout Creek area, another large percentage of anglers will be zoning in on that area, putting Fall River in the rearview for the time being.
Dry flies: Elk Hair Caddis (tan, brown, olive, in sizes #14-18; Sparkle Flag PMDs, Parachute PMDs, Comparaduns, and Sparkle Duns are some lovely PMD imitations that seem to do especially well at Fall River. While there shouldn’t be any salmon/stoneflies fluttering about, those Fall River fish rarely pass up the chance at a nice, juicy meal, so consider running a dry-dropper rig with a smaller (#8-12) Chubby Chernobyl up top.
Nymphs: Tereyla’s Lightsaber in #14-16, RIO’s May It Be (#14-18), smaller leech patterns (#12-14), and Perdigon-style nymphs (preferably #16-20 with oversized beads; think Diabaetis Perdigons) are good choices. As usual, a small streamer can be a very fun way to tempt an overeager Fall River fish. They seem to eat these especially well in the week or two after stocking, so keep that in mind.
As the Fall River is a hatchery-supported fishery, the stocking schedule plays a big factor in the quality of the fishing at any given moment. For those who might be unaware, this schedule is publically available.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/16/2025 – Fall River has continued to be a very reliable option this year. Dry fly action has been getting significantly better as of late with PMDs, BWOs, March Browns, and the occasional Caddis showing their faces. Flies to try:
– PMDs: Split Flags, Hackle Stackers, Film Critics, Parachute PMDs, Spider Variants, and Sparkle Duns (all in size #14-18
– March Brown: March Brown Wulffs, Parachute March Browns, and March Brown Cripples in size #14-16
– Caddis patterns in #16-18 and BWO’s in #18-22
Nymphing eggs (#12-16), baetis imitations (#16-20), Split Case PMDs (#14-20), and midges (#18-22) will be a more consistent source of strikes for those who just want to catch fish and don’t so much care whether or not they do it on the surface.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
5/9/2025 – Fall River is fishing splendidly, with crowds starting to thin as more water (such as the Crooked) becomes fishable. With March Browns (size #14), PMDs (#14-18), and Caddis (#14-18) sporadically fluttering about, make sure to cover the gambit in your dry fly box! The occasional BWO may also tempt a fish or two throughout the day.
Other than that, the usual suspects are still working under the surface: midges, baetis, attractors, little buggers, and micro-stones should do the trick.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
4/25/2025 – BWOs and PMDs have been showing their faces pretty consistently over the last week or so on Fall River. While one should definitely have a bunch of #14-18 PMD and #18-22 BWO dry flies in their box, nymphing is still the main way to catch fish. Midges (#18-22), Baetis (#16-20), Squirmies (tan, red, pink, in size #12-14) are great options. Flies to try: Hogan’s Lil Amigo (olive or brown), Trina’s Angel Case (#16-18), Firestarter Jigs (#14-16), Sparkle Donkey’s (black/purple/blue in #16-18).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
4/11/2025 – Fall River has really hit it’s stride in the past week or so! The fish has turned on both on the surface and below. BWOs are still thich during the middle hours of the day, with March Browns joining the fray sporadically. Baetis nymphs and dries and a variety of midges should also be readily available in your box.
Dries: March Brown Parachute (#14-16), Film Critic BWO (#18-20), Hackle Stacker BWO (#18-22)
Nymphs: Jig Napoleons (#16-18), Juju Baetis (purple or natural in #20-22), Hot Head Spanish Bulletw (#16-18).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
3/28/2025 – Topwater fishing on Fall River has been picking up! Anglers have still been having success on BWO patterns (sizes #18-22 as usual).
Nymphs to try: #16-18 Tasmanian Devils, #16-20 Frenchies, #12-14 Black Stoneflies, #16-18 Panty Droppers, and any sort of heavy midge #18-22.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
3/14/2025 – Fall River is again the spot to be this week! Anglers have reported continued success on dry flies (BWO patterns between size #18-22) with some anglers reporting a decent midge hatch in the morning. Nymphing is still going to be the most productive. See our last fishing report for recommendations on patterns.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
2/28/2025 – Fall River is fishing well lately! Dry flies during the day have been popping off consistently, with anglers having success on a variety of #18-22 BWO patterns (Hackle Stackers, Sparkle Duns, Parachute BWOs, Comparaduns, etc..)
As per usual, nymphing has been productive. Small black stoneflies (#12-16), leeches (#12-14), and various midge patterns (#18-22) fished at the bottom below a small indicator will work well.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
2/14/2025 – Despite the recent precipitation, the beautiful spring creek that is Fall River is flowing just the same as always! As the Crooked River is not an option right now due to high flows, Fall River is a very solid option for those hoping to fish in the next week or so.
Action on dries has been really consistent during midday, with BWO and midges both popping off in numbers. If you find rising fish, but are unable to get them on standard #18-22 BWO/midge patterns, consider downsizing your tippet. Due to the sheer number of flies they see, they are fairly wary fish. While not ideal, 6x is normally fairly necessary on Fall River.
In terms of nymphs, any small (#16-20) “Hot Spot” Perdigons or similar will get consistently eaten. Small stoneflies (#12-14) and midges (#18-22) are also of use.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
1/31/2025 – The dry fly fishing on Fall River has been exceptional as of late. Fish are consistently rising to BWOs and midges between about 11am and 2-3pm. February is the biggest month of the year for midges, so make sure to have plenty of midge dries subsurface flies. While not the most fun thing to do, sizing down to 6x is often the difference between catching fish and not catching fish.
Nymphs to try: #16-18 Caramel Jigs, #14-18 Jig Napoleons (red), and #16-18 Holo-Point Jigs (purple or red).
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
1/17/2025 – I have heard several reports from customers the last couple days that have fished the Fall, and they all seem to have had good luck! The fish seem to be rising to emergers just below the surface film. Solid emerger patterns include: Klinkhammers (#14-18), Primetime Pupas (#16-18 in olive or tan), Caddis Emergers (olive in #16-20), and olive or gray RS2s in #18-22.
Nymphs to try include: #16-20 Two Bit Hookers, #16-20 Micro Mayflies, #16-20 Rainbow Warriors, and #18-20 Diabaetis Perdigons.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
1/3/2025 – Fall River is probably your best bet if you’re wanting to fish this week. As it’s a spring creek, all this rain we have got in the Bend-area over the past couple of weeks has hardly affected the fishing/water levels.
If you’re lucky enough to run into a midge or BWO hatch, make sure you bring #18-22 Rusty Spinners and Black Spinners. Good BWO patterns to include #18-20 Extended Body BWO’s, #18-20 Sparkle Duns (in olive), #16-18 Klinkhammers (also olive), and a size #16-18 Missing Link.
