Extreme eastern Oregon tailwater...

...almost to Idaho, where every spud chucker comes to fish. You know the spot.

So catching was rather slow on the usual assortment of tiny zebra midges and mayfly nymphs. We were getting some, but not the reliable results my friends usually experience. Never the less, it was a great trip and the evening rise was a fun challenge.

Interesting that the browns come in at least three different color pallettes. Some golden orange, some with spots and blue cheeks like below, and some very pale with fewer spots. All lovely in their own way.

Meyer's mini leech got some takes

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and an itty bitty nymph and a scud worked sometimes too. I also had some streamer success.

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First thing in the morning and evening fish weres smutting on midges and rather selective. I got a couple every day on a CDC pattern, and the last night, some more on a wee Griffith's Gnat.

Gorgeous place to struggle

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A little change in the weather is coming, so hopefully you'll get more true bwos and not just the micro mayflies. Enjoy
 
great report! I still haven't made it that far....
 
smutting?
It's not as fun as it might sound 🧐

To me, "Smutting rises" are those just barely sub-surface boils when a fish is eating emerging bugs. They just show a quiet boil or maybe you see a tail but no nose. Definitely not actually eating on the surface. That's my definition, may not be accurate term.

I was stubborn and stayed with a dry fly when I should have considered an RS2 just below the film. I would look for lips, then try for that particular fish. Tough but fascinating.

During the afternoon, I did watch a couple bigger fish sip off the surface and their rise ring was tiny. Got one of them on a Film Critic

PS. very few 'bows reported. none for me
 
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