I think I really like Oregon trout fishing. This years trip to Pronghorn marks my third trip to this destination in southern Oregon and my 5th trip to Oregon this year. On this trip were Benson, Victor, Judy, Kenneth and Les. The fishing was not on par with the past trips mainly because the water level was down about 5 feet which caused a significant algae bloom which in turn has depleted much of the oxygen in the lake despite two aerators.

Fishing the lake was educational for me this year as I watched Benson land three fish to my one with the same strip and flies. I now know that its important to fine tune my intermediate lines so they stay in the zone longer with slow strips. I did manage to pump a few bugs out of the stomachs of a few trout and they were not as full of midges or chironomids as they were last year. I found a few blood midges and a water boatman but most fish were empty. The fish averaged smaller and the big ones above 20 inches had rashes and parasites that I had never seen in that lake before. Pray for rain. I think Pronghorn needs water to save it.

It was fun watching the Ducks play Washington on Saturday night. I noticed people honked and smiled more at us because of the U of O sticker on my pickup.