Gorge Fly Shop Blog: Columbia Gorge Fishing Report

Winter Steelhead

Well, it finally rained! Not enough to blow out many systems, but plenty to motivate some fish movement. We're back in a little dry spell, but there is more precipitation coming in the near future. The forecast looks a little more normal for the next couple weeks which will certainly help the fishing.

Lots of rivers will be trending toward low/clear here for a few days, but that's not the end of the world. You can always go fishing when the water is low, and it can certainly make the fish a lot easier to find. They don't mind holding in shallow water when the river is steelhead green, but they definitely don't love to do that when the water is clear. Deeper buckets show up like a beacon and that's where you can expect to find the biters. In theoretically ideal conditions, they could be just about anywhere. Sometimes to the point that it gets in your head! That is a great thing about low/clear. The holding water is greatly reduced and it allows the angler to focus primarily on what deeper water with color is out there. It also reveals the details of spots you've caught fish before in higher water.

One other thing to keep in mind about winter fishing is that the window isn't that long compared to that of summer fish. Winters are on a rapid mission to get upriver and spawn. There isn't a long holding period. Hard to believe, but we only have a couple months left, give or take, of prime time. Go when you can and put the advantage of time with fly in the water in your favor. As things drop and clear, try some brighter flies. Pinks, reds and oranges can draw some pretty violent grabs in these conditions!

Deschutes Trout

There's some wintery weather coming soon. In the trout world, that means B.W.O.'s! Not sure why those bugs like crummy weather so much, but they really do. Some of the best B.W.O. fishing happens in the nastiest weather. Look for them to be rather active this coming week. Be prepared to imitate all stages of their life cycle. Nymph fishing will be the best option in the morning. Try a larger point fly with a small trailing fly to imitate the olive nymph. Tiny Pheasant Tails are a great choice. As you slide into the middle of the day, keep your eyes peeled for fish targeting bugs as they emerge. A few favorite patterns to match this stage are the Film Critic, Sparkle Flag and Sprout B.W.O. Look for the duns to be on the water sometime between noon and 2:00. Try a Double Vision or Parachute Extended Body B.W.O for this stage.