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| The Groundhog says there's more winter but that doesn't stop the dreams of young angler Austin! |
Trout
Deschutes River:
Not much has changed since the last report on the Deschutes. Nymphing sub surface will be your most productive method this time of year with small windows of opportunities to fish a blue wing olive dry in the afternoon.
Trout spey fishing can be superb in the winter and spring months with fish still willing to take larger meals in a nicely tied sculpin pattern. Natural colors work best on the Deschutes and fishing a slower swing presentation is a good idea in the colder winter water. 10 feet of T8 sink tip on an 11’ trout spey rod works great for me on the Deschutes and most any river that I’d fish my trout spey rod. 1-2x RIO fluoroflex tippet tied with a perfection loop to my sink tip, and a non slip mono loop knot to my fly is how I run my setup.
Pretty snowy and cold up at the lakes. Until the spring...
Summer Steelhead
Deschutes River:
Deschutes steelhead will be going into spawning mode here pretty soon. You should not be targeting them now even though it is not technically illegal to. Leave them alone now so they can spawn and make future generations of steelhead. Besides, chrome winter fish are swimming to their home tribs on the coast and valley area as I write this report.
Winter Steelhead
North Oregon Coast + Portland Metro area
Another rain event last week brought the rivers up slightly again which should really get some fish moving. Look for ideal river levels this weekend and next week on the coast as well as the valley rivers. Fishing has still been fairly slow this year even though we are into February now. Steelhead are definitely being caught but not the numbers that we had last year at this time. I am still confident that the big push is still on its way. Persistence is the key in the winter, you gotta want it! Remember, only fin clipped hatchery fish are retainable, and wild fish with an intact adipose fin, must be released unharmed.
Good luck out there!
Hood River:
Slow start, but I have heard of a handful of winter fish caught. The Hood River generally see’s the bulk of its winter steelhead arriving a bit later than other rivers with the peak arriving in late Feb through the whole month of March and into April.
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. People gear fishing have a better advantage of getting their presentation down in their face quicker.
-Zach Parker
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
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