Gorge Fly Shop Blog: Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 9/30/18

ODFW and WDFW released some important closure information the other week regarding the Columbia River for steelhead and salmon. Fishing for either and retention is prohibited effective September 13th until further notice. This effects the main stem Columbia River from Buoy 10 to the OR/WA border upstream of McNary Dam. Night angling upstream to OR/WA border is also closed.

However, this shouldn't effect much of the fly anglers as we typically target the tributaries more for Salmon/Steelhead, it should hopefully make the fishing a little better.

Steelhead: While numbers are indeed low, the fishing hasn't been too bad. In fact, a couple friends have hooked and landed some fairly large summer fish recently and I've hooked/lost a couple nice ones lately as well. The Klickitat still has some fairly low flows over there and with the clear water it begs for much smaller/less obtrusive flies. The salmon push out the steelhead from their typical lies so they are generally found in the shallower water. Water temps have also dropped slightly over there too. I've been seeing a bit of October Caddis flying around and have stuck to the muddler program, either fished as a skater on a light wire hook for surface disruption or on a heavier iron swung in the surface film.

New sword: Burkheimer 6139-4 with an Airflo Delta Spey II 6/7 - A match made in heaven!

The Deschutes is fishing from sun up to sun down. A common misconception is that when the sun is up folks think you must fish down deep with tips. While there is some elemental aspects the sun plays, you certainly can fish floating lines all day on that river providing you're swinging your fly away from the sun rather than into it. Sometimes its more satisfactory to fish your methods of choice until they prevail, as apposed to waiting for prevailing conditions. But, I'm not here to judge as long as you're having fun and treating the fishery with respect. Steelhead are throughout the entire lower Deschutes this time of year, which offers the ability for anglers to spread out some and find a little more solitude.

Trout: I just got back from an annual trip to Montana that I take every year with my Dad. It's always a blast and for some reason we always seem to catch some funky weather. This year it was a bit of wind, mixed with some rain and even hail. Dry fly fishing was just so-so, but the streamer action was a blast. I missed a couple pigs but found plenty of fish in the 18-22" range.

This guy sure had a neat looking head. I love streamer eating browns!

Our longtime guide/friend, Michael Guerin is always a blast to fish with. He is a wealth of knowledge with a couple fisheries science degrees. After growing up steelhead/salmon fishing in Washington, he's been a premier Florida Key's guide for Permit, Tarpon, Bonefish for the last 30 years. He's guided SE Alaska's Spring Steelhead based off a "mothership" boat and utilizing jetboats to access rivers, and has tackled the Montana trout program for a decade and a half. Have fish a question? He most likely has an answer. On top of that he's also got one of the priestliest boats on the water that only took him a few hundred labor hours to build- a fiberglass/wood stitch low-sider that's perfect for Montana's Missouri River. It's always a pleasure to get on the water with him and hear his stories. Last Christmas he sent me a Russell Chatham book, Dark Waters, which is a great read for those who like essays, stories, and articles that are more based on exploits with friends regarding hunting, fishing, food, and life changes. It diverges a bit from traditional fishing lore, and Chatham is clearly a fan of Rodrick Haig-Brown as his literature reflects it. I highly recommend it to any readers out there.

Montana is a trout factory. Regardless of the fishing, the trips there never disappoint.

I don't have a good first hand report for the local trout(ings). But, the Caddis hatches are still going strong on the Deschutes and we're definitely seeing some October Caddis in the mix too. The higher creeks and lakes are slowing down some as the water cools off, but it doesn't mean the fishing has to stop just yet. Lost Lake Resort does close down this October 1st, but you should still be able to access the lake for a little while longer.

Warmwater: Fishing for smallies and carp has also slowed down on the big Columbia some as it too is experiencing some colder water. No longer are we seeing the consistent top water bite for the bass and it's primarily moved back to baitfish patterns that're fished deeper. Over on the John Day water has risen slightly, but the bass fishing should still be good.

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime. Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.