Crane Prairie fishing has continued to heat up as the weather cools down. We heard a report of people stealing fishing gear out of the campsites so make sure to keep your vehicles locked up. This week is expected to be rainy and cooler than average. It’s likely that the fish will feel a bit more comfortable moving out of the channels and they may come up to the surface more often during cloud cover. For surface flies, your best bet is callibaetis in size 16 - 18. Be prepared with a few size 14s, they tend to come out during cooler cloudy weather. Terrestrials likely won’t be very productive unless you’re using them as an indicator. Nymphing around the channels is a great bet, remember that due to low water levels the channels are shallower than normal. As the weather cools, leeches are going to catch more and more fish, either under an indicator or on the strip. Midges under an indicator will also start to be more important. Callibaetis nymphs and chironomids that are size 14 - 18 have been doing well. Dark assassins have also been productive. Cool ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific point to high chances of a La Nina winter. La Ninas typically bring lots of moisture and cool temperatures to the PNW, which bodes well for lessening the current drought conditions.
Recommended Dries: Parachute Callibaetis #16-18, Hackle Stacker Callibaetis #16-18, Chubby Chernobyl Patriot and Purple #12-14, Para- Cricket #16-12
Recommended Nymphs: Bruised Ballanced Leech #14, Two Bit Hooker #16-18, Zebra Midge #18-20, Super Sinker #16-18, bead wing midge #18-20, Red Pheasant Tail #14-18, Rainbow Warrior #18-20, Red Ice Cream Cone #14-18, Callabaetis Nymph #16-18