Gorgeous Scenery & Good Trout Fishing on the Upper McKenzie River
Fishing Reunion
This past Thursday & Friday I had the opportunity and privilege of coordinating a mini fishing reunion on the McKenzie River for a group of former freshmen dorm mates dating back forty some odd years since college. What a fun group! It was so interesting to marvel at the incredibly diverse paths taken by each person leading to their current career. Included was a surgeon, a commercial real estate executive, numerous engineers, and a corporate financial planner.
Lunch near Eagle Rock
The Arroyo Boys – 44 years later
On Day One, we tried for salmon on the lower river which proved a tough nut to crack. On Day Two, we moved to the very scenic upper river to go for trout on the fly. The group had an absolutely fantastic time learning to land scrappy Rainbow Trout on flies. Good fishing, excellent scenery, good-natured teasing, general catching up, and great camaraderie all contributed to a completely successful reunion on the River.
Trout Fishing on the Upper McKenzie River
A Shore Lunch at Eagle Rock Lodge
Whether the consumption of Manhattans at Eagle Rock Lodge on Thursday night in any way impacted fishing on Friday morning may well remain debatable. Suffice to say, by Friday afternoon all fishermen were well-versed in the art of hooking and landing trout on the fly.
Hetz Doubles up!
Happiness is a Twofer
One dorm-mate Peter, had the good fortune of landing 2 fish at once on a multi fly set-up. As to whether Peter’s achievement was due to skill or luck, the jury may still be out…..perhaps yet another matter for deliberation & Manhattans. Friday’s Shore Lunch of fresh fried Trout proved to be one of the high points of the trip. All in all, this river adventure was a wonderful introduction to McKenzie River trout fishing. Later, during the Mexican Dinner at Torreros, plans were spawned to repeat this gathering in the not too distant future. Unfortunately, Ed was a touch peeved with the disappointing size of the Margaritas!
