The emergence of the Western March Brown marks the end of winter for many trout fishermen. It may still be cold outside, but this mayfly can heat up the fishing when it makes its first appearance in March. These mayflies live among the rocks in swift-flowing currents. Look for insect activity in slower water adjacent to riffles. Present emergers like the March Brown Spider to rising trout, dead-drift a gold-ribbed Hare’s Ear or Pheasant Tail nymph beneath a strike indicator. If the fish are feeding on top, cast dry flies like the March Brown Upright to surface-feeding fish.
Use the March Brown Parachute when casting to finicky feeders in shallow water. The parachute presents a lifelike silhouette when viewed from a trout’s living room. Be ready with a Pheasant Tail spinner if the flies are falling, spent, to the water. In March, a Blue Winged Olive hatch might happen at any time. And in some waters, you might see both BWOs and March browns on the water at the same time. In Oregon, surrounded the way we are by hundreds of great places to fish, it is hard to remember that there are some great waters off on the eastern horizon. At this time of year, places like Chickahominy, Beulah Reservoir, and the Owyhee River spring to mind. If you crave solitude under an azure sky, the last weeks of winter often bring early green-up to the desert, awaken the aquatic insect life, and fire the appetite of rainbows and browns. And not a lot of people are back on the water yet.
Chickahominy fished well the last couple of years with a restock of hatchery rainbows. Chickahominy grows fish fast. A hundred miles east of Bend, it is a narrow reservoir with many coves and fingers and lots of shallows. Early in the season, dragonfly nymphs, scuds, and leech patterns will be productive. The reservoir reaches a maximum depth of 25 feet, but early in the year, the shallows hold the most fish. One of the best trout fishing destinations in early spring is the Owyhee River below Lake Owyhee. Rainbows are in the riffles, and browns are everywhere else. Owyhee rainbows average 14 to 18 inches, and browns run to 24 inches. Right now, with water temperatures still low, small red and black midges produce fish. But go armed with March browns, blue-winged olives in both emerger and dry patterns.
Another early spring fishery is Beulah Reservoir. Fed by the North Fork Malheur River, this big reservoir, from now until Memorial Day, is a good bet for holdover hatchery rainbows. Bring a float tube or a small boat because the low water may limit the usefulness of the boat ramp. Prowl the shorelines, fishing just outside of the shallows, or explore around the inlet. Fish can grow big in this food-rich reservoir as well. Use leech patterns to spark a strike from the bigger fish. If you land a bull trout, it must be released unharmed.
Other good early spring bets include Krumbo Reservoir and the Blitzen River. Krumbo is one of the lakes that gets early stocks of hatchery trout.
Flowing out of the Steens, the Blitzen River can grow trout big. Spend some time watching the water for clues and for feeding fish.
Put gas in the tank and string the rod. There is nothing like a road trip to greet the early spring green-up. And what better reason to take to the highway than hungry trout?
