Trout
Deschutes River:
Fall is definitely in full force out on the lower Deschutes. Lots of very cool mornings, but there are certainly still some sunny and warm days to be had out there. Looks like it’s going to be a nice weekend in terms of weather, and the fish of course!
The White River is still off and on causing clarity issues down below the confluence of the Deschutes. With more consistent colder weather on the forecast, it should finally steady out the White and improve water on the Deschutes. Down below the White all the way to the Columbia can be hit or miss with clarity. When the clarity is good, it is somewhere around 18-24 inches of visibility. Bad days, just a few inches.
If you can find clean water above the White, the trout fishing remains strong throughout the fall. The trout are moving into their winter feeding lanes of slower pools and big back eddies where they do not have to exert as much energy.
Look for blue winged olives to be the primary food source for these trout heading into the winter months. These small mayflies generally hatch on the Deschutes in a size 16 on the large side, to a 20 on the smaller size. Deschutes trout can be found slurping these bugs in the winter months in the back eddies, so that is a good place to focus on.
Deep nymph rigs still produce consistent fish as well with either an October caddis pupa or rubber legs stone as your lead fly, and a smaller caddis pupa, zebra midge, or soft hackle pheasant tail as your dropper.
Lakes are good and will continue to be good for another month or two. Fish will be feeding pretty heavily trying to fatten up before winter.
Fishing a full sink line with brown, black, olive or purple wooly buggers and crystal buggers are great options.
Fishing indicators with balanced leeches, chironomids, scuds or pheasant tail nymphs is another productive method to try if stripping flies isn’t producing. Giving your indicator some twitches and movements every now and then will help trigger bites if it’s super calm out.
Crowds from the summer have thinned out some and will continue to go forward into fall. The lakes can be a great option to escape for a few hours and have some productive fishing opportunities.
Summer Steelhead
Deschutes River:
Steelhead fishing has been fair to good for the folks fishing it consistently and keeping their fly swinging in the zone the most throughout the day. Sink tip season for sure now. 8-12 feet of t-11 is a good tip to have on the lower. Sometimes T-8 or T-14 for certain types of water, but T-11 is a good starting point sink tip.Large black and blue intruders, orange and black intruders, bright marabou tube flies, black egg sucking leeches, and more sparse hobo spey type flies all get it done. Be prepared to work for it though. No fish are coming easy down there this time of year.
Hood River:
There are probably quite a few old springers in the lower few miles but not super high on people’s list to be targeting at this time as they have been in the river for quite some time now.
There are definitely summer steelhead spread throughout much of the Hood which can still be caught on the swing and nymphing. Recent rains can get the fish freshened up and more willing to bite.
If you’re swinging, using an egg sucking black leech is a tough fly to beat. Other good patterns are dark colored intruders or hobo spey type flies.
Smallmouth Bass/Carp
Smallmouth fishing has remained pretty tough recently. Fish are still fairly spread out making them tough to find. Sinking lines with streamers and crayfish patterns are getting it done down there.
Stay safe out there and best of luck!
-Zach
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
.jpg)
No comments :
Post a Comment