Trout - Deschutes River:
The Deschutes is a good place to be right now, and with this nice cooler front, should help the fishing conditions. Portland General Electric has lowered where the water spills from the dam which has cooled the rest of the river. As I write this report, the Deschutes is coming out of Pelton dam at 54 degrees which is great for the steelhead and trout alike. Both of these fish require cold clean water in order to survive and thrive and we have experienced some less than ideal conditions in the river over the last month. The temps at Moody are around 61 in the mornings and rise to around 64-65 in the afternoons which is a big improvement from the 71 degree water down by the mouth early in the month.ODFW has uplifted the hoot owl regulation on the Deschutes below Sherars Falls however, making the river open to fish all day long. Why they did this is beyond me. At least now we are getting colder water from PGE which should help the fish and their survival rates but uplifting the Hoot Owl made zero sense to me especially when we are in the hottest month of the year. The few steelhead that are making their way back to the D this year need all the help and protection they can get.
The trout fishing has been really good though on a better note! The higher up in the river you fish, the colder the water, and the happier the trout. Caddis is the name of the game this time of year as well as some potential pale morning and pale evening dun hatches mixed in too. Concentrate your dry fly efforts in back eddies right along the shorelines in shallow water. Fish will stack up facing downstream of the main current and eat emerging, adult and dead caddis throughout the day. Nymph fishing is always productive and my go to nymph this summer has been a #16 jig style frenchie. Sinks fast and works great as a dropper under a dry or on an indicator rig. Rubber leg stones are always a good bet and pretty soon, October caddis pupae will start to be important as September nears.
The lakes are a great place to beat the heat and cool off and catch a mess of fish. Stripping nymphs and small leeches/buggers on an intermediate line is a great method up there. You can use a floating line as well, but I would make a really long leader and some weighted flies to get down in the column. Nymphing with chironomids and balanced leeches under an indicator is another productive lake technique. Have fun up there!
Steelhead -
Steelhead fishing has been fair. The numbers this year compared to the 10 year average and even just last year are quite depressing. The fish that are entering the river are swimming upstream fast in search of cooler water. Dry lines and small flies will get it done now through much of September before it turns to skagit and sink tip season. Middle of the day with high sun, sink tips and larger presentations generally work better but you can occasionally coax a curious steelhead towards the surface in the middle of the day.
Oregon Coast Rockfish
Oregon Coast Rockfishing bite has been stellar and is loads of fun. Folks who are lucky enough to be in a dory style boat hovering over shallow reefs with heavy sinking lines are having no problem getting limits of black rockfish and the occasional keeper lingcod. I’ve also seen some people getting coho trolling pink flies which looks like a riot! Something I need to try.
If you don’t have a boat, no problem. The jetties fish well year around when the conditions allow. Go on a calm day when the swell is reported below 5 feet and no rain. Stay safe out there and avoid going alone.
Smallmouth Bass / Carp:
Warm water species is where it’s at this time of year. The carp fishing on the Columbia has been fantastic recently! Patterns that work well are John Montana’s carp hybrid (my go to), bead head san juan worms, and Mr P’s Black Betty. The most important factor for carp fishing is the ability to see them. Good polarized sunglasses and a clear sunny day are integral for your success. There are tons of flats all up and down the gorge where carp cruise and feed, you just have to be willing to pull up google earth and do a little exploring!
Smallmouth fishing remains fair to good. Full sinking lines are important if you’re fishing streamers/baitfish patterns. The indicator method is highly productive and requires just a normal floating line.
-Zach Parker
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
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