Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 7/11/18

Steelhead: Fishing has been pretty slow still for steelhead, but that's okay with me as I tend to think expectations shouldn't be so heavily focused on the necessity of a fish in hand- It's good to appreciate any time out on the water swinging a fly! The Klickitat River has had a bit of turbidity lately and doesn't seem to be cycling much yet. Some of the die hard dry fly / dry line guys I know out there that river have even switched to light tips recently. The Dalles Dam has been seeing more fish passing over it as of lately, which means it is about time to be heading over to the Deschutes, which is arguably one of the better dry line steelhead fisheries out there. Be sure to bring your thermometer if heading over to the D this July as water temps are pretty high already due to top water being released from the Pelton Dam, and steelhead simply just do not revive well in those temps- It's best to be off the water early once temps reach the upper 60's.

Almost that time!

Trout: Over on the Deschutes action has slowed a little as we enter the heat of the summer. Focus on fishing early and late out with caddis fly variations in the riffles and mayflies into the back eddies. Aquatic moths are making a bit of an appearance as well. Jacob here at the shop even saw an adult damsel munching on an aquatic moth for lunch the other day on his boat. Mid-day I would plan on nymphing deep as many fish with seek the cooler water where food is more readily available. I've still been taking my 2wt out on the smaller streams up higher for eager trout, and the lakes have been fishing pretty good near dusk and dawn while a mid-day hammock siesta provides some nice R&R.

Cooling off on a hot afternoon after a morning of trout fishing.

Warmwater: Not a whole lot has changed for targeting warmwater species. The carp fishing has been excellent on calm days (is that a thing around here in summer?), and in the evenings a short lived Hex hatch has even been happening on the Columbia near last light, which Carp seem to enjoy. Clousers or crawfish patterns for the smallmouth and in the evening poppers are working great. Want some easy fishing? Check out the John Day to catch more smallies than you can count.

 Chelsey tied onto a John Day River smallie 

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime. Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office. 

Local Fishing Information

Bookmark our new link to Weather, Stream Conditions and Fishing Licenses

Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (3/13/17)

Spring is springing in the Gorge!  

Double Rainbow!!  All the way!

With daily high air temps predicted in the 50s all week, it sure feels like Old Man winter is closing down shop, which is a sigh of relief for most of us here in the northwest.

The blast of serious rain over the past week as definitely got the winter steelhead moving.  The counts haven't been great, but the fish that are around have been much happier lately.  Many of the rivers around here needed a good gully washer to scour things out a bit and get fish moving.  I imagine we will see some good steady fishing over the next couple of weeks.  The Sandy should be primetime, so if you are looking for a great day floating the river give Sam Sickles a call at Steelhead Outfitters 541-400-0855.  He will treat you to an excellent day on the water, no doubt.

The birthday boy putting the Echo Glass 7129 to work!

I got a chance to fish some new water in SW Washington last week with my bud Jeremy.  We found some good stuff, the water was high but fishable.  We got snowed on with those giant leaf sized flakes in between pouring rain; true winter steelheading!  We felt like a grab would happen at any time, which is a huge part of the battle with winter steelhead fishing on the swing.  So much of the game is having confidence in where and how you are fishing.

Late winter trout fishing can be absolutely killer in the Deschutes and Yakima.  I have seen March browns and the occasional Skwala flying, and the fish are ready and willing for a good meal.  Nymphing a stonefly/rubberlegs with a copper john or pheasant tail dropper along the banks and seams is a go-to technique.  It would also be a good idea to keep some March browns and Skwala dries ready to rock.  Even if you don't see adults, the fish are looking up and willing!

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
USGS
NOAA

Clackamas:

USGS

NOAA

Deschutes near Madras:

USGS

Deschutes at the mouth:

USGS

NOAA

Columbia River

Bonneville Dam Water Temps
Columbia @ Hood River (The mouth of the Hood backs up at 75 feet)

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  541.386.6977

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (November 9th)

 Hood River: 11/05/15
Salmon visibly spawning lower right.

Fishing Report

Last week’s rains really got our rivers up and moving, which certainly helped move salmon and steelhead around.  More rains predicted for this next week could help too.  We shall see as the week progresses, but it looks like cold weather should deposit mountain snow and the rivers should be in prime shape.

Chinook Salmon are all but done.  A large number of fish moved into the tributaries after last week’s high water event.  There are salmon spawning all over the place, especially at the mouth of the Hood.  Please let them spawn and die in peace.  This has been a long journey for them. 

Summer Steelhead:  The local rivers all blew mud for most of last week.  They started coming into shape Wednesday, and are improving dramatically as the weekend progresses here.  The Deschutes is improving and should be in great shape this week.  The Klickitat was in great shape Friday with 18” of visibility and improving. Jon and I did not manage to swing into a fish.  It wasn’t due to lack of effort or conditions; both of which were stellar.  We did spend a good chunk of the day exploring the upper part of the river as Jon had never seen it and I had never fished off the road up there, only floated through it. 

The Hood River was looking good on Thursday with 2.5’ of visibility, but the powerhouse access was closed for construction, leaving the mouth of the river as the only place to fish.  There are several dozen salmon spawning down there (see picture) and it is not holding many steelhead when there are that many Chinook on beds, so I left.  Again, please refrain from fishing for spawning Chinook; it is prohibited to fish for Chinook in the Hood River right now.  I have already fielded several calls inquiring about how to catch them since they moved in this week and are visible from the footbridge near the mouth of the river. 

Targeting Chinook in the Hood River is prohibited after June 15.

Trout fishing is closed on several local lakes and streams now.  Please consult the regulations before fishing. 

Areas closed for trout include: East Fork Hood, Hood River (for trout), Eagle Creek, and the Deschutes upstream of the northern boundary of the Warm Springs Reservation.  The White Salmon above the county road bridge below the powerhouse (old dam).  Laurence Lake is also closed, as well as the Metolius River above Allingham Bridge. 

Areas open for trout include:  Deschutes downstream of the Warm Springs Reservation (Maupin area and downstream are open), Lost Lake, Goose Lake (WA), The White Salmon from the mouth upstream 2 or so miles to the old county bridge and Yakima River.  November trout fishing can be really good, especially big fish eating big meaty streamers.  Get out your favorite streamer patterns and go!

Smallmouth Bass fishing has been tough now that the level of the Columbia is so low.  Ryan did not catch a single bass last week when he went out.  This was the first time since moving out here last year that de didn’t get at least one in a day of fishing.  The temps are dropping, which is good.   

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office. 

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (August 10th)

MP Quote

Fishing Report

Fishing has really picked up on the Deschutes and is primed for some good days on the Klickitat this week.  Get out and fish!  The 2:00 restrictions have been lifted for the Deschutes, but most others remain in place.  Please check with us, Washington or Oregon Fish and Game Departments before fishing if you are not sure about the current regulations. 

Summer Steelhead is generally the fish of choice for most of the hard-core anglers in the area and prospects for a fabulous day on the river are looking really good.  We heard fabulous reports from the Deschutes River last week and expect it to be good this week and next week too.  The White was spilling dirty water for a few days, but it did not stop the fish from snapping.  The dirty water usually just prevents anglers from getting out.  I love fishing when the clarity is 1’- 3’ because the fish tend to be in closer to shore and you can typically fish a light tip as they are sitting in the shallower water than typical. 

The Klickitat River has been fluctuating clarity from around 1’ to 3’ or so (and we love it).  It never quite got to that “steelhead green” color that everyone else likes, but it has been fishing pretty well nonetheless.  The clarity hasn’t seemed to match the temperature as much as typical.  I believe (and I am usually wrong) that the “in-river” work that has been going on is affecting clarity as some natural settling of the dirt is throwing some sediment into the river that wouldn’t be there otherwise.  The work that I am talking about is the removal of an old road above where the Little Klickitat comes in.  This work is a good thing.  Improvement of habitat and returning portions of the river that were altered back into a natural state is one thing that we should all be able to agree on, even if it causes a little extra sediment to flow down the river.  So that being said, the clarity should get better, but I love fishing with it hovering about 1.5’ because I can go wherever I want; there is no one to compete with and there are just as many fish around as when the river is clear. 

Smallmouth Bass fishing has been excellent on the John Day River and Columbia River along with many of the impoundments along the freeway on both the WA and OR side of the Gorge.  The Columbia came up quite a bit as the powers that be have been pushing water downstream in a successful attempt to cool down the big river.  It should finally drop below 70 this week for the first time in two months.  This should get the smallies moving and opens up a bit of water as the weeds have not been able to grow up to the surface yet in a lot of spots that have otherwise been really weedy this summer. 

Carp fishing has been good this past week as the rising flow in the Columbia has moved fish into some new flats that are relatively weed-free right now and holding quite a few fish. 

Trout fishing has been great in most places this past week.  Unfortunately for you trout guys, the reports on trout fishing tend to get pretty sparse as soon as the steelhead start to show up.  As soon as one guy says “steelhead”, everyone seems to forget about the trout fishing.  I would bet that the Crooked, McKenzie, Metolius and Upper Deschutes are all fishing really well.  The upper part of the Lower Deschutes (near Warm Springs) has also been great lately with both Slate Wing Duns and a few early Mahogany Mayflies hatching that have been getting some attention as well as the evening caddis hatch just before dark. 

Lost Lake is still fishing very well, and trout have been coming up to the surface early and late to eat Callibaetis, Grasshoppers and Carpenter Ants, as well as just about anything else including beetles, damselflies and maybe some early caddis. 

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (August 3rd and 4th UPDATE)

Columbia River - Sunset

UPDATE: Fishing Report (August 4th)

As of today, August 4^th, fishing hours return to normal on the Deschutes River.  This means that anglers can fish after 2:00 p.m. on the entire length of the river.  All other restrictions in the Central Zone remain intact, so fishing on Eagle Creek near Bonneville Dam will end at 2:00, but feel free to swing one up on the Deschutes in the evenings. 

Several other restrictions were changed, but most remain in place.  You can check the status of your favorite piece of water here: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/reg_changes/index.asp

Thank you to the many anglers that have called us to let us know of the update and fish on!

Fishing Report (August 3rd)

We should see some relief from the heat by the end of week and fishing should be fabulous as soon as the water and air cool down.  The Deschutes has only been topping out around 70-71 the past few days.  Compared to repeated highs at 76 degrees last month, things are looking much better. 

Travis Wallace of Western Waters Guides and I did some exploration this week and swung into some smallmouth bass.  While we saw a few steelhead cruising by, the action all came from eager smallmouth bass crushing marabou steelhead flies.  Not a lot has changed in the past week. Expect a revision of the Hoot Owl restrictions in the next two weeks.  I don’t know if they will lift them, extend them or change them at all, but both Oregon and Washington fish and game departments will be meeting to discuss the restrictions and changes to them at some point this month.  We will post updates as we hear them.

Smallmouth Bass fishing has been excellent on the John Day River and Columbia River along with many of the impoundments along the freeway on both the WA and OR side of the Gorge.  The bass have been fairly deep in the Columbia, but they have been eating top-water poppers early in the morning.  If you are looking for a guilt-free day of fishing where you are nearly guaranteed to catch a couple dozen fish, head out to the John Day with a 4wt or 5wt rod and a grasshopper pattern or small bass popper/slider and go to town on those fish.  Cottonwood Canyon State Park is the best, easiest access (there are many miles of private property on the JD). 

Tiger Muskie fishing is a great option right now.  They are found in several lakes in Washington and were planted to keep nuisance species in check.  Mayfield Reservoir is always full, or close to it, and it is full of fish.  This sterile cross between a Northern Pike and a Muskellenge grows large and is a real challenge to catch.  Merwin Lake is an hour closer to us and also has them, along with Lake Tapps near Sumner, WA, Green Lake in Seattle, and Evergreen Reservoir near Ephrata, WA.  Mayfield is the lake with the best structure and generally best conditions to catch them, but any of these lakes will kick out a fish to a lucky angler.  A 10wt or 11wt rod with a Rio Outbound Short, a steel leader and small baitfish patterns will give you a shot at this crazy fish. 

Carp fishing has been a bit spotty, but any angler that puts in the time will find them.  Sometimes they are stacked in the shallow areas of the Columbia River and the impoundments next to the highways, but sometimes they are nowhere to be found.  Putting a few miles on the car to find them should be rewarded eventually with a pod of tailing fish. 

For Summer Steelhead, the Klickitat River should start to clear up by the end of the week.  The river muddied up as glacial melt carried fresh sediment down the mountain into the river.  Fishing had been pretty darn good before it muddied up.  Well, I should say, good for July.  The bulk of the fish are still weeks to months from entering the river, but there are enough fish around to keep a guy busy once it clears up a little. 

The Deschutes River had been fishing really well in the lower part of the river before the heat wave struck.  Temps have been creeping up past seventy this weekend.  Keep an eye on the temps and get off the river if it is approaching 70.  The river does close at 2:00 pm every day downstream of Mack’s Canyon.  Everyone should pick up a thermometer if they plan on fishing the D; and we do sell them…

http://www.gorgeflyshop.com/store/pc/Fishpond-Swift-Current-Thermometer-103p2857.htm

Somewhat strange reports this past week that fishing has been good for steelhead farther upstream than we normally see this time of year.  Fish have been caught up to and past Maupin already.  I would guess that the fish are trying to push up quick and get out of the warm water that is in the lower river.  We normally don’t see much action around Maupin until October, but this has been a strange year so far so nothing surprises me at all any longer. 

Other anglers have been claiming that they are planning to “swing flies for bass” up the Deschutes after 2:00 p.m.  Please don’t.  We all know what is going on with that…

Trout fishing has actually been pretty darn good in the few places that are cold enough and flowing enough.  The Deschutes River near Warm Springs/Madras has been good right before dark as trout really get active on caddis.  While nice trout can be caught during the day on small nymphs like #20 pheasant tails, hare’s ears and copper johns, the best action is the last half hour before dark.  There have also been a few fish caught on Mayfly dries later in the day.  The Pale Evening Dun hatch has been decent.  It happens a little earlier than the caddis hatch, so have a few Tilt Wing Duns ready in a #14 or #16 and fish those before the caddis really start coming on. 

The Metolious River is always cold and a great place to spend a day stalking trout in a spooky spring creek.  The fishing is tough, but rewarding as the trout often spook and see you coming long before you can get a cast on them.  The Crooked River near Prineville can be very productive if the fish are in the right mood.  It takes stable outflow from the dam for the fish to get really active, but a good day there is unrivalled in the area.  I would work small nymphs under a hopper pattern on the Crooked River. Eagle Creek near Bonneville Dam has been kicking out some beautiful trout.  Although it is under “hoot-owl” regulations (closes at 2:00 daily), the water is cold and the trout are generally eager to eat a dry fly. 

One more addition to trout fishing:  The McKenzie River has been really good lately for trout.  It is cold and loaded with planter rainbow trout.  It would be worth the drive for anyone looking to do some quality fishing and to put their feet in some icy cold water during this heat wave. 

Lost Lake is still fishing very well, although the trout are deeper than most guys want to fish.  A type V sinking line with a weighted Thin Mint trolled very slowly will produce fish consistently all day long. 

As always, we are happy to talk fishing any time.  Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.  

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Kayaks, Pontoons and Bass - Why Not!

Can one really fish from a Kayak? Well I'm going to tell you the answer is Yes! And I will soon be doing more fishing from my new Jackson Coosa I won courtesy of the Kayak Shed and Jackson Kayaks.

More on that later... First I would like to recap events that led up to this moment...

If you are one of the three people who follow my blog posts then you know I am a proud owner of a new Outcast Stealth Pro Frame-less pontoon boat. On a recent excursion to Hood River, I had already decided to do something most considered crazy. Wear your life vest, file and float plan, and have a backup plan are the instructions from my wife and those are backed up by my friends. You see my plan was to fish for bass on the Columbia River from this inflatable pontoon boat. I had three areas picked out that I could launch from to put me in close proximity to a couple of my somewhat secret locations discovered over the many years of experience. I had to prove fishing from a small human powered craft could be done; not only to others but myself included. Lets put this into perspective! This is an area of the Columbia river where the width could be close to a half mile wide and the spring flows are ranging from 300,000 to 400,000 cfs. It would be imperative that I use all of my knowledge of the river and its currents to ensure my success and safety. I know; I must be crazy!

Choose your launch wisely

On this day I chose an ideal launch location that favored the days wind report and down river I headed. It was pretty easy going. My first thought was wow this will be easier than I expected. I needed to travel a good mile downriver to get to a very fishy area. Following the Oregon shoreline was like discovering new possibilities of good fishing that previously I ignored. I found water falls and a sandy carp flat that caught my interest but I'll save it for another day. Today I'm on a quest to do battle with the rivers other bronze giants.

Reaching my destination with relative ease I quickly hooked into a respectful size smallie. A great feature of the frameless pontoon is the ability to maneuver with the use of kick fins. I found this very useful while fighting this moderate size smallmouth that has enough power in its tail to relocate this small vessel.

Tom Larimer enjoys a day to himself chasing bronze

Is that Tom?

A couple fish later and a boat pulled up on an outside main river point. This very point was going to be my furthest destination this day and held promise of holding the largest fish in the area. As I row my way down the shoreline catching a couple fish along the way the boat appeared to be a river sled instead of a bass boat. Not many guys come out on the Columbia in river jet boats to fish bass. I got closer and notice the angler was controlling the boat from a bow mount trolling motor. I only know one guy with a removable bow mount motor on his river sled and that would be Professional Steelhead Guide Tom Larimer of Larimer Outfitters. Still too far away to identify I continued to row closer to the point. Even if this wasn't Tom he had pulled away from the area I wanted to fish so I continued to work my way toward the point to accomplish what I set out on this day. I wanted to land a big fish and I knew this area would provide the best opportunity. As I drew ever closer to the big jet boat I now have determined that this is in fact Tom. I wish I had a picture of the look on his face wondering who this nut job is bearing down on him in an 8 foot inflatable. Priceless is an understatement! I shouted out "Hey Tom" and a quick reply came out "Greg! WTH are you doing out here in a pontoon boat?" We laughed almost endlessly. Tom invited me aboard and of course I took him up on the offer. We tied up the pontoon to his boat and continued on fishing and laughing.

Winston Boron IIIx gettin it done

Time came for Tom to get back to dock and of course he offered to give me a ride back to my truck. As much as I wanted to take the offer I knew that my goal would not be accomplished. I reluctantly declined the offer and said I must complete my adventure. We parted ways and I continued to fish for a little while longer as I worked my way back up the shoreline. At this point in the river I was in a huge back area out of the current so moving along seemed quite easy.

Up a creek (river)

About halfway back up the shoreline things change drastically! I hit the current and all of the sudden this method of propulsion shows its weakness. Stroke after stroke I watched the shoreline as I gained little ground. Ducks were mocking me with their displays of circling me. I knew as long as I could advance beyond the current speed that I would eventually make it to my launch site but after a while even that determination was on a downward decline. My phone rang but I couldn't stop rowing to answer or I would lose so much ground. I ferried over to Wells Island were I took a break and stretched my legs. It was Gabe that called and I returned his call..."Hey Greg, The Kayak Shed is holding a Kayak Bass Tournament this Saturday. I think I'm going to enter. Do you want to enter? Yes I said..I think I can work that in. Can I rent a Kayak or can I use my Pontoon? I asked. We'll find out Gabe says. Cool...well I got to get back on the oars. People are going to start worrying if I don't contact them soon."

Outcast Stealth Pro

Thinking about what I just committed to as I continued rowing for at least another 30 minutes all the while I can see my truck but yet still holding unto a small measure of doubt if I will get there. I pondered what I would do in a kayak bass tournament being held on the very water I was rowing. Hmm...Is this really a good idea. How much better is a Kayak in this water? How one can control a craft such as a kayak and be able to fish effectively. Of course one can just troll around with a rod out but to be able to cast from a sitting or standing position and work a fly while try to control a kayak at the same time is still the question in the back of my head. I will soon find the answers to these questions.

Standing in a Kayak

Finally I made it back to my truck. I took a minute to check in before I loaded up. The nice feature of these inflatables is how light they are. After all the effort to row back to my rig the easy part was dragging the boat up the hill and picking it up to load in my truck. The lightness of these frameless boats is certainly a great asset.

Tournament benefited Heroes on the Water

Saturday, Tournament day  

I picked up Gabe at 5am and headed to the event site. Neither one of us have our own kayaks so we opted to rent them from the Kayak Shed. John fitted Gabe in a Jackson Cuda and fitted me in a Jackson Kilroy.

We get set up and down river we go. Just like the pontoon experience it was pretty easy going. The area we fished is a good mile downriver. I outfitted myself with three outfits. One being a float and fly setup on a Sage Bass Series fly rod. This would prove to be my saving grace for the day. With using an indicator I could make my cast, set the rod in my lap and pick the paddle to control my position. The indicator also allowed me enough time to set the paddle down and get a hook set.

First fish of the day

My first fish that came to hand was a nice 18 inch. Good solid fish but I knew this would not bring a tournament win.

Gabe hooked a good fish and came up with a solid 19 inch. That might get a win. We both went on to catch a lot of fish that day, Almost all of our fish came on the float fly set up. Mostly just because it was a method that allowed for boat adjustments while a fly was in the water fishing. If a Kayak has a disadvantage it is the maneuverability while fishing. An advantage of the Outcast Stealth Pro was the ability to use kick fins to control boat position. A couple times I did find myself a little frustrated with the lack of control. Bass fishing is largely dependent on accurate casting. The Kayak brings some new challenges in this department.

Gabe with a solid 19" pig

20" should be tough to beat

While we caught many fish in the area I knew farther down-river was a main river point. If a bigger fish was going to come to hand, that was the place to go get one. I had already visited the point once this day with no luck but I decided to get back there and give it another go.
The wind was going pretty good by this time and control would mean set up at the upwind side and get a couple casts in while drifting with the wind. A couple casts later I would need to set the rod down and paddle back to the upwind side and drift it again.

A 20 inch might win it

This day I would not have to make a second drift. On my last cast before the wind would blow me away from the honey hole I felt the slightest of tick in my line. So slight that to most it would have gone undetected. Quickly my mind signaled that this tic was a fish and my experience told me that big fish often strike light. I set the hook hard not knowing if anything was on the other end. It was solid and sure and the fight was on. I knew pretty quickly that this was a good fish...possible tournament winning fish. The wind was taking me and the fish hundreds of feet from the hooking spot. I finally got a visual of the bronze bruiser. This bass has shoulders. My most feared moment was getting him to hand. I wasted no time belly scooping him when first chance came and quickly rested him in my lap. The measure board came out and the results were in. 20 inches! In my mind that was a pretty sure bet to win. I know these waters and not many fish come to hand over 20". I rapid fired off the photos making sure the measure would be validated at the check in. Cradling the fish from the belly while releasing I watch closely as she gracefully departed to the depths.

Check In

Check In was at 3pm and we had a good ways to get up river against current. I did not want to be late but I also wanted Gabe to keep fishing for a bigger fish. If I wasn't going to win this kayak then the only other person I want to see win it is Gabe. We worked our way back upriver while taking some time to hit the choice spots again along the way. It wasn't long and we hit the current. This is when the challenge begins. Just like the inflatable it was hard work against the current. You can't let up not even for a second or risk losing valuable ground. The kayak does prove to be faster than an inflatable and in this long stretch of water that would be important. All I could think of is not making it back in time to qualify. We did make it with just minutes to spare.

27 entries to check in

Gabe and I got our fish pictures checked in. Langston (Kayak Shed and Director of the Tournament) had his work cut out for him. It was his job to download everyone's photos and determine who had longest fish. At our time of check in I was in the the lead and Gabe was close behind. Twenty seven entries fished the tournament. I would call that a complete success. I have fished club bass tournaments on this river before and a good boat turnout would be ten or twelve.

The Winner is...BassProGreg

A winner was announced and my named was called! I had wanted a fishing kayak for a long time and I was thrilled to have won. It was very close. The next three places all had fish in the 19" range. Gabe grabbed 4th place with his right at a 19 inch bass. I told Gabe that morning that a 19 inch might win this but a 20 inch would be almost a sure bet. Gabe congratulated me on my win and said "you were right on, a 20 inch would win it."

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Fishing Report: May 10th, 2014 (+ Special Deschutes Report)

The weather last week was the biggest factor that affected the fishing last week. It was warm, then it rained, then it was warm, then it got really, really windy, then it rained again and then it got crappy…. If the weather can stay consistent for a few days, it will really help out the fishing. 

Chris Scott of Portland with a beautiful redside from the Deschutes May 7, 2014

Hood River: The Hood has been kicking out a few Steelhead and Chinook Salmon. Same problem as always… very little access available.

The Columbia is very high and has backed up the lower runs on the Hood River, leaving a lake where the most productive water is. A shot of rain on Thursday and Friday brought the Hood up to over 2500 cfs and should bring some fish in if anglers are willing to do a little exploring and walking. It drops quick this time of year and should be low and clear again within a day or two. Typically, 1200-1800 cfs at the Tucker Park gauge is a good level. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/or/nwis/uv?site_no=14120000

Fishing should be fair for early summer and late winter steelhead through May. Fishing for Chinook should continue to improve as water temps rise in the Hood and more fish show up. As always, catching Spring Chinook on the fly is not an easy task. If you are ever down for breaking out the spawn sacks, casting rods and bobbers, now is the time.

Other Lower Columbia Tributaries: The Wind, Drano Lake and the Lower Klickitat: The hatchery on the Wind River saw its first couple of fish last week, the hatchery on Drano had 242 fish as of May 6, and is expecting over 13,000, so get out there. Catching has been inconsistent. I trolled some plugs around Drano Lake for three hours and didn’t even see a hook up between the 20-30 boats circling around that evening; however, several people said that fishing had been really good in the morning. (You should have been here earlier!!!)

The Klickitat has been slow, hearing about a few caught in the Pine Tree Hole, fishing should really pick up this week. Another friendly reminder that it is only open on selected days below Lyle Falls, so DO NOT fish the upper river. There have been several reports of people fishing upstream. Please read the regulations and follow the rules so that everyone has the chance to enjoy. The rest of the river (up to the Yakama Nation Boundary) opens June 1 and should have a few steelhead and springers around when it does. The bulk of the steelhead won’t show up until August or September, and the run is predicted to be good this year.

Deschutes: Reports have been good. Salmonflies all the way up to Trout Creek. Fish were on dries down low. From Buckhollow to Beavertail on Friday, a single M’s Fluttering Salmonfly was all that was needed to consistently catch fish. Golden Stones were out too, along with some PMDs, Drakes, and Caddis, depending on the weather that hour…

Fish were not quite on the big dries up high, but its about to happen any second…. A friend of mine caught a bright steelhead way up high on a Jimmy Legs last week which made for a nice surprise. Fishing should be great for the next two weeks or so, although the crowds can get bad up above Maupin.

Sam Sickles Reports from the Deschutes

CFS 4350, water temps 54F...weather, well let's just say if you dont' like the water in Central Oregon then wait five minutes.  Rain, Sleet, hail, gail force winds, and yes calm and sunny, that's what yesterday was like.  This was my first trip on the upper Deschutes this season.  Got to the boat ramp early, put my rods together, double checked everything, loaded my boat and was so bored I asked Johnny Law for a safety inspection so I could get my sticker.

My guys showed up about fifteen minutes early, wadered up and after a brief lisence check by John Law we were off.  Did I mention we were the only boat launching from Warm Springs, crazy, I know!  Being that I hadn't been on the day stretch this year I figure it'd be a bit before we got dialed in on what the fish were eating.  First stop, nodda, second spot nodda...see where I'm going with this?  Well not so fast!

Three sticks fishing six bugs in the water we finally got our first fish about 11:AM.  This fish was extraordinary in it's proportions and skipped my first anglers set up and then crushed angler number two's jimmy legs nymph.  This is how it went most of the day, wide open river, slow fishing and all fish coming on the big rubber legged jimmy legs.  All told I think we landed ten or twelve really nice redsides, all on the big bug.  Did not hook a single whitefish which is odd givven the small beadheads we trailed behind Jimmy all day.

Salmonfly 5-9-14 (photo credit: Andrew Perrault - Gorge Fly Shop)

Here's what I know.  The adult Salmonflies and Golden Stones are present all the way up river to Warm Springs.  The fish are not keyed in on the adults yet.  Every fish we caught ate a stone immitation and every fish was gorged beyond belief.

Golden Stone 5-9-14 (photo credit: Andrew Perrault - Gorge Fly Shop)

Here's what I think.  As soon as there are more adults around than nymphs this thing is gonna bust wide open, probably next week when it warms up again.

My guys were fishing 590 and 690 Winston B3X's, Airflow Exceed lines, Sage Click reels.  I took the leaders down to 7.5 3x for the chuck and duck we were doing, definately easier to pitch than the standard 9 footers.

On a side note the access road down to TC boat ramp is in great shape!  Next report...next week.

Sam Sickles
Steelhead Outfitters

Lakes:

Fishing has been good on Laurence, Rowland, Horsethief and Kingsley Lakes. Trolling/stripping a woolly bugger or hare’s ear nymphs, or throwing a parachute adams when a callibaetis hatch goes off in the evening has been productive. Chironomid fishing should be successful on lakes.

Lost Lake was stocked on Thursday the 8th and catching has been good according to a quick call to Lost Lake Resort.

Goose Lake should be accessible within the next week or so as snow has been melting rapidly with this warmer weather. Expect good fishing when it becomes accessible.

Big Black Carpenter Ants should be flying with the first good heat of the year. Make sure you get a handful of patterns if you plan on hitting the higher elevation lakes like Lost, Laurence or Goose. Fish can go nuts on them when they are around. It’s a good option for an angler that may want to avoid the crowds on the Deschutes.

Bass fishing: Smallmouth fishing has been fair in the area although the Columbia River has been really high. Late May into Mid-June is the best time for a guy with a fly rod to catch some nice smallies from the shore of the Columbia. Reports of big smallies (is that an oxymoron?) on topwater in the John Day…. Big fish are around now, and fishing will get better. Average size will decline, but numbers will increase.

Give us a shout if you have any questions, need some fly recommendations or want more specific details about any of our local waters. 

Gorge Fly Shop Team

541 386-6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

September River Report

A hatchery (fin clipped) Coho (Silver) in mint condition caught while swinging for Chinook.

Deschutes River: The “D” has been fishing pretty steady recently. Although there have been a few “Off” days due to one thing or another, all in all it has been steady. It’s my opinion that when you have so many Chinook in the system the steelhead will feel spooky and hide. This is when you want to focus your efforts in the faster water at the heads of runs or in the very tail outs.

Good Morning Columbia River Bass

Columbia River Morning

I got out on the Columbia River last week with resident Bass Guide, Greg Darling. When he offered the invite I started to drool because well, the Columbia is so vastly beautiful, and I wanted to try something different. The thought of standing barefoot on the bow of a boat and casting and stripping flies to Small Mouth Bass warmed up my insides. Yes please, broaden my horizons! I get caught up in the same old things sometimes – chasing those species that just never seem to release you. Barbed. And although you learn something every day out there, the diameter of the learning pipe is so much wider when trying something new. Info just comes gushing in and you do your best to try to hold onto it all amid this refreshing new experience. Or how about this: Would it be fair to say that it’s good to start with a dry sponge sometimes?

I have dabbled in this fishery before. But being too busy with the Trout and Steelhead scene has left me little time to branch out. As it turns out, this big old river that runs by town, the Columbia - one of the largest drainage ditches in the world – is home to a few Bass. Well maybe more than a few and maybe home to some really large Bass at that. Oh yeah Greg, I would love to. You bet.

SIMMS Pro Dry Gore-Tex Performs

This just in from the mighty Columbia River… For those of you who spend a lot of time fishing from boats or who simply wish to leave those waders at home, you might consider a set of these: 

SIMMS Pro-Dry Gore-Tex JACKET 

SIMMS Pro-Dry Gore-Tex Bibs

Simms rain gear is best I've ever owned!! There really is nothing that comes close. We spent eight hours Salmon fishing in non-stop rain, and I stayed bone dry. Very impressive gear!! As a fishing guide and being out in the weather a lot, I will never use anything else.

Thanks Josh for the sturdy words on this gear.

Buy Simms Outerwear

For info about Josh and his guide program, check out Big Fish Guide Service.

Columbia River Bass Are On The Bite

Although often buried in the shadow of the Steelhead and Salmon runs, Columbia River Smallmouth Bass are gaining well-deserved notoriety.  Five and six pound bass are landed regularly and finding a place to fish is not a problem on this giant, coveted waterway.

Here is what resident Bass Fishing Guide, Gregory Darling, recently had to say about conditions out there:

"Fishing has been good on fly. A lot of fish are up shallow and ready to spawn. The males are very territorial right now. They fan out a nest and concentrate on keeping it clean to attract the females. Fly patterns working well for me include sculpin leech in black, large wooly buggers and I have a good black/red articulated steelhead pattern with no name that has worked well. Due to water clarity, Blacks and dark colors are working best."


Here are a few shots taken from this past week...

For any questions regarding Smallmouth Bass fishing on the Columbia please contact Greg at Gorge Fly Shop