Deschutes River Fly Fishing Report & Photos

Fly fishing for steelhead has been good... I have been hearing lots of reports of slow fishing.  I hate to sound like I am giving good reports to promote our business, but the simple fact is we have been catching steelhead every day.  Some days only one, other days four... no big numbers but that's the name of the game this season.  If you look at the graph showing this year's steelhead passage over The Dalles Dam compared to 2011 and the ten year average you will feel fortunate to get your fish a day.

We have been fishing Mack's Canyon to the mouth (4 day trips), Maupin area day trips, and we just made our first four day steelhead float of the season on the upper river from Trout Creek to Maupin.  We have found good fishing in all sections of the Deschutes.  The upper part of the Trout Creek run started off with two fish on within the first ten minutes, and then slowed way down until we got closer to the Dixon / Two Springs area.  From there we did pretty well down to Maupin.  The Nena to Wapanitia float (or beyond if you are feeling adventurous) has been pretty consistent.  So has fishing from Pine Tree to Mack's Canyon.  There are a lot of Chinook Salmon down river from Maupin, so fishing the right water is important.  I prefer not to swing flies for steelhead amidst a bunch of rowdy salmon.

The river temps are ideal, flowing from 52 to 55 degrees.  It is actually a touch warmer near the dam than near the mouth.  Any time the river temperature is moving towards 50 degrees the steelhead are very happy.  That goes for both winter and summer steelhead.

there aren't a ton of fish moving over Sherars Falls at the moment, but every day is a new day, and my reports are nowhere near real time.  Even if I gave a report every night, it will change by the next morning!  So take all the conditions, weather, water temps, fish counts, and fishing reports with a tiny grain of salt and GO FISH!

Trout bums - there has been a lot of great caddis dry fly fishing all day and especially in the evenings.  Size 14 EC Caddis was the ticket on our last trip on the upper river.

Here are some photos from recent trips.  Thanks for reading.  -Chris

Deschutes Steelhead Report

So this is the part where I'm supposed to say that steelhead fishing remains good on the Lower Deschutes, and that good casters and anglers are finding steelhead.  This past week we had a good number of mid day opportunities, river temperatures are perfect, the flow is beautiful... honestly I am tired of writing the same old fishing report.  So I am going to tell a fish story.

So there we were.  Charels Gehr of Fly Water Travel and I were guiding day three of four on the Lower Deschutes, during a 30 mile float trip from Beavertail to the mouth.  Fishing had been pretty good during the trip so far, with multiple fish each day.  We woke up that morning at a camp that we had not anticipated camping in, but still offered amazing water during first light.  Even with great water at our disposal, I felt just a little off my axis that morning.  Maybe because we fished through several great peices of water without so much as a sniff.  Very unusual for first light on a camp trip.

We fished our way down river until lunch.  We took a break for about an hour to grill cheeseburgers and rest in the shade.  During lunch I was plotting my next move.  We really needed to find a fish, so I picked a reliable afternoon spot where the sun is at a great angle and most people don't fish.  I left the lunch spot so that we would be anchoring at our "fishing hole" at 3:00 pm.  It is a quick one guy spot so I had Stephen jump out and make a few casts with a skagit head and a sparse black pick 'yer pocket.  Stephen started with short casts and gradually lengthened them until he was casting the entire 24 foot head.  About a third of the way through the swing the line snapped tight and a huge belly formed in the line as the steelhead rushed up river.

I love big long runs.  Especially upstream runs.  This fish peeled line off the reel at a scary rate, hauling ass straight up river.  Stephen was facing upstream and holding on  for dear life.  They say what goes up must come down.  Somewhere deep into the backing the steelhead turned and headed back towards us just as fast as it ran up river.  The line went slack and Stephen had a look of disappointment on his face.  STRIP!!! I shouted, hardly containing my excitement.  He let go of the reel and began stripping in line as if he was fishing for barracuda.  By the time he caught up to the fish it had just passed us on its way down river.  Stephen intuitively let go of the line and the reel went back to screaming.  More backing flying off the reel, this time down river.  After the second run Stephen patiently worked the fish back towards us.

At the end of the battle I scooped the ten pound chrome hen with my new rubber basket net... I am amazed how much easier it is on the steelhead to land with a net rather than make several attempts at grabbing the line and tailing the fish.  Stephen lifted the specimen of a steelhead for a quick photo and sent her on her way.  After releasing the fish Stephen had the expression of "did that just happen?".

This is why I guide the Deschutes for steelhead.

Here are a few recent photos of me and Nick with steelhead landed by John Cambria from New Jersey.

When I get the photo I took of Stephen's fish from this story I'll post it up.

Thanks for reading,

Chris

Deschutes River September Trout Report

Fly fishing for native rainbow trout is great right now on the Lower Deschutes River in the 35 miles stretch from Trout Creek to Maupin, Oregon.  In between back to back steelhead floats on the lowermost river we floated the upper river for a four day trout trip.  Fishing was good with both nymphs and dry flies.  Trout are holding in their typical riffles and back eddies, and fishing pressure has been relatively light.

Hot dry flies were the size 16 olive x-caddis, although some trout seemed to be wise to this popular pattern.  They couldn't say no to a size 17 pmd sparkle dun though!  A size 16 cream sparkle pupae fished in the surface film was also a preferred offering.  Nymphs that worked well included the usual size 16 and 18 beadhead flashback pheasant tail, size 16 king prince, and any type of caddis emerger with  name that starts with "Silvey's".

5X tippets outfished 4X on this trip, as the trout have become educated throughout the season.

Steelhead have been filtering into the upper river over the past two weeks or so, and there seem to be fishable numbers down river from the reservation boundary.

Thanks for checking in trout bums!

Chris

Steelhead Fly Fishing Report - Deschutes River

Don't have much time for a report, but here are a few shots from the past few days.  The slowest day we hooked three fish, the best day eight fish.  Gotta be at the right place at the right time.  the first fish of the trip took John Cambria's Freight Train the instant his 70 foot cast landed.  When he lifted the rod to mend, the fish was on.  I thought he casted acrossed a submerged branch or something.  Incredible!!  The majority of the fish were hooked in the shade on dry flies, although the mid day sink tip bite has picked up.

Cast. Mend. Fish on!

The line was peeling down river, the steelhead jumped way upstream. Carston Andre didn't believe it was his fish!

Dave Hess comes to the Deschutes from Pennsylvania to skate dry flies for steelhead.

Thanks for checking in,

Chris

Deschutes River Steelhead Report

Just finished a week of steelhead trips on the Deschutes River.  The river has cooled significantly to  59 degrees in the morning, and 64 in the evenings on the lower river.  The fishing has picked up big time from the past month.  Each day of the past week we have caught one steelhead on the slowest day and six on the best day.  floating lines and wet or damp flies in the mornings have produced the best fishing.  The angling pressure on the river from Pine Tree to the mouth has been insanely busy one day, then deserted the next.  Kind of strange.  I have also been hearing mixed reports from other anglers, with lots of people claiming slow fishing.  I noticed a lot pf people fishing over the top of each other on my last trip to the mouth.  Having a good fishing program and making sure you have really good clean water is essential.

Wild to the fly

Couldn't say no to the purple muddler

Green butt skunk tied Merril Hummer style

Lots of big runs, big jumps, and big smiles last week.  looking forward to my next trip!

Chris