Gorge Fly Shop Blog: Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 9/5/18

Chelsey snake-rolling to the far bank with a full floating line.

Steelhead: Days are getting shorter and nights are cooler. Steelhead activity should be up and September is possibly my favorite month of the year for pursuing my favorite fish. Nevertheless, I've been keeping my fingers crossed that there are many thousands of fish kegged up below Bonneville just waiting to cross. Initially fisheries scientists predicted a larger return than last year, and initially we were seeing better numbers. However, during the high temps of our summer fish passage slowed down as a result of the warm water, and though temps have dropped some we figured the counts would soon jump back up... Counts did jump back up but not nearly at the rate we've been hoping for, yet (optimistically).

I keep in semi-regular contact with John McMillan, Science Director of Trout Unlimited's United Steelhead Initiative, and I love shooting him convoluted and complex questions. His unique responses are always informative. If you have a social media Instagram account I would highly suggest following @rainforest_steel for all sorts of fun facts. A favorite quote of his- "We can all create our own opinions, but we can't create our own facts." Having always been a little more science oriented at heart I appreciate his unbiased theories interlaced with humor.

We're digging the new Sage Spey Reel! Classic aesthetics with modern tech.

Despite these lower returns, I'm still out there swinging away. I don't really fish sink tips for summer-run fish and was excited to go fish the Klick again as clarity permitted. Though Sunday after work, Chelsey and I went out for a short float and were treated with less than a foot of visibility. I haven't been over to the Deschutes lately, but have heard catch rates slowed over there too and there's a lot of nets out at the mouth... Nevertheless, I'll keep riffle-hitching a dry and staying optimistic.

A favorite for this time of year- Fl. orange & olive mixed dub, turkey wing, and natural spun deer.

Trout: Targeting trout at a time of low steelhead returns can certainly be a moral booster. Chelsey and I explored a new watershed and found countless trout eager to eat (almost) anything we tied on. I fished a Trude pattern, ant pattern, caddis, parachute adams, BWO's, and even a mini muddler. I started to see some BWO hatches and once I tied one on, I started raising fish on every cast. I highly encourage you to go explore up around Mt. Hood's forest or even over in the Gifford Pinchot. Fishing the new RIO Creek line on my 2wt is amazing and has made my favorite trout setup even more fun!

If tiny creeks aren't your thing, we don't have a lot of mid-sized rivers available so we generally jump on over to the Deschutes for more hearty fish. Do not bring your little 2wt here! Deschutes fish are some of the hardest fighting trout I've come across. They all have big broad shoulders, and a 16" fish here consistently fights harder than a 20" trout from my home state of Colorado- especially when they utilize the mighty current of the Deschutes. Even though there are plenty of fish per mile, the trout here don't always give it up easy. Some days more so than others, but its a fishery well worth spending your time on to dial it in.

Our various caddis hatches have been excellent this year but that's not the only game in town on the Deschutes. Fall Caddis, or October Caddis will be taking flight this month. BWO and Mahogany Dun adults come out around mid-day. These caddis and mayflies also have their pupa, nymph, and emerger counterparts if you enjoy fishing sub-surface.

Warmwater: The John Day is a whopping 8.25 CFS at the time of this report. Plenty of bass to go around, but if you go it'd be best to look for any type of current or some deeper pools. My favorite way to fish for them there is with a black leach-like fly with a red head, cast out and let it swing then lift the rod... they almost always take when the fly starts to lift. Plenty of other flies work here too and it is a fun place to experiment. The Columbia has been fishing good as well for smallmouth and carp. We've had a bit of wind lately which makes casting tougher, but we're usually out there with larger rods anyways to match up with the heavier bass bugs. They also make a big difference when the wind does pick up so we're able to punch through it. An Outbound Short line works amazing in those conditions, and even OPST Commando heads are seeing their place on the Columbia.

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.