Bob Weinberger wrote:

Wish I could JR. I have professional obligations on the 6th & 7th, be
fishing the water east of here with some folks on the 11th (its been
fantastic BTW), have another commitment on the 15th and leaving early on the
17th for Minnesota to visit my daughter & granddaughter, and to clave w/ a
few ROFFians back there.

Have been watching the clave planning here; hope you all have a fine time.

Counts over the first 2 Columbia dams have been great, but unfortunately
they are just as good over the third dam. No fish are making the right turn
up the D. I was at the mouth last week and the water temp was already 69
deg. F in the evening and 64 deg.F in the morning, while the Columbia was at
62 deg.

I've been following the counts and wondering what the heck was going on.
The temps explain it.

Your best bets - for steelhead: North Santiam at Fishermens Bend Park to ~
1/2 mi. above (about 20 mi. E of Salem).

That's what I was thinking too, based on some reports on Westfly. Will
also call the Blue Heron to see if enough fish have reached the fly water
on the NU to justify a drive down there.

- for Redsides: D around S. Jct, Mecca, or Trout Cr.
( EHC in the evening, Golden Stone nymphs during the day).

Still planning a day or two at Maupin, staying at the Oasis, but I guess
I'll stop at Trout Creek or, more likely, at Mecca on the drive back to
Bend.

The Green Drake
hatch has been going on the Metolius, but will probably be over by the time
you get here.

I've been here in Bend a few days already. Did well on the upper upper D
Tuesday morning (lots of fish, nothing of great size--was chased off the
water around 1:30pm by a spectacular thunderstorm). Things were slower on
the Metolius Wednesday. The Green Drake hatch was over. Didn't see even
one. Very sporadic insect activity--PMDs, small olive-gray mayflies I
didn't ID, some small caddis, even an October caddis or two. The only
rises I saw were two to my #20 Adams, one of which I took. Only two
other fish landed, both on Pheasant Tails. Plan to fish the Crooked
today.

Sorry to miss you this time. Any chance you will be back here this fall?
I'm expecting some pretty good steelheading in a couple of months.

May be back in October, using frequent flyer miles. Will be watching the
counts to guide the decision-making process. If so, will ping you
with a bit more lead time. I'll want to try to make it the first half of
the month to avoid the chance of the snow that effed things up last year.

Take care. Congratulations on your grandchild.

JR