Deschutes Steelhead
Everyone seems to be asking. Are there some fish in the lower river? Yes! On any given year, barring a major catastrophe, there are some fish in the Deschutes in the first half of July. Sometimes there's just a few and sometimes there's a bunch. The major hitch tends to be the water temperature. Interestingly enough, due to some combination of the dam operation and weather, the coldest water temps of the day have routinely been at about 8:30 a.m. at the mouth. Not exactly corresponding with first light like we'd all prefer, but that's been the situation. On the really hot days, it's only been getting down to ~66 degrees and going up from there. Fortunately, we've had some slightly cooler nights the last few days. Temps this morning were down to ~63....a much better number!
For those looking to try it for the first time, focus your efforts on the early part of the day. Fish through the coolest water temps of the morning and call it a day when it starts getting excessively hot. Put on 12 lb. and a bright hairwing with a stout hook. The early summers can be totally ballistic and stacking the odds in your favor with the appropriate terminal tackle can be the difference between landing a fish and the "one that got away".
Deschutes Trout
Not too much has changed in the trout world out there lately. Caddis and Aquatic Moths are still the stars of the show. The best dry fly fishing has been early in the morning and in the evening. That said, you can still drum up some fish in the riffles with a dry during the day. Nymph fishing remains strong and the Trout Spey bite is definitely there, too. The great news in the trout world is that the river is largely void of anglers. It gets eerily quite out there post-stonefly and it's really not warranted. The fishing is great!
Mount Hood Lakes
Some of the shallower or lower elevation lakes are starting to go through a transitionary period. After several weeks of summer weather, the surface temps are starting to warm on certain lakes. Not to a detrimental degree, but it's changed the fish activity a bit. Lots of fish, especially during the heat of the day, will be feeding down deeper toward the thermocline. This can require a bit of a tactical change. If the on or near-surface stuff isn't working, try a heavier sinking line that will get you down in the 10-20' range. Slowly retrieving chironomid pupae or an unweighted leech will get these fish to go. It's also worth trying early in the morning at this time of year. The first light bite is not much of a thing on lakes at elevation earlier in the season, but it's definitely a thing now! Expect to see insect and fish activity increasing earlier in the day with hotter weather.
"The Gorge"
Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977
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