Brand New John Day Boater's Guide 2024 is here!

John's Day Boater's Guide is hot off the press! Covers Kimberly to Tumwater Falls, this guide is updated with all of the new information but still printed on waterproof paper.  

Grab yours today!  John Day Boater's Guide

Shop all things Bass 

 Need a boat?

?idaffiliate=8

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Supporting Military and Veterans through Fly Fishing in Wild Places

John Messenger - Founder and President

In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, finding solace in nature can be a powerful antidote. For many active duty military and veterans, the healing power of the great outdoors is especially profound. That's where Veterans Backcountry Adventures comes in, we offer a unique opportunity for current and former special operators to reconnect with nature, themselves, each other and their families. 

 Founded with the mission of providing therapeutic outdoor experiences for active duty military and veterans, Veterans Backcountry Adventures is a 501(c)(3) non profit that partners with organizations like Gorge Fly Shop to offer unforgettable experiences in some of the most beautiful and remote locations in the country. From fly fishing in pristine rivers to backpacking through rugged wilderness, these trips are designed to not only challenge participants physically, but also to provide a sense of camaraderie and support. 

 VBA was established to address a specific need within the military and veterans nonprofit sector. Our approach sets us apart from other well-intentioned charities that support service members and veterans in two key ways. Firstly, our trips are entirely organized, conducted, and led by peers. Through our experience, we have recognized that many members desire and benefit from taking control of their own experiences. This empowerment is challenging to achieve in programs where participants feel like passive observers. We have also observed that the group dynamic can be significantly altered when individuals from outside the special operations community, even with good intentions, are involved. 

 Secondly, we prioritize fostering camaraderie above all else, believing that this approach yields significant benefits. While many programs emphasize mental health as a primary focus, this can sometimes come across as artificial to seasoned special operators. By emphasizing camaraderie and the concept of teamwork, we believe that positive mental health outcomes will naturally follow. 

 One of the key aspects of Veterans Backcountry Adventures is the focus on building a community of like-minded individuals who understand the unique challenges that veterans face. By bringing together individuals who have served in special operations units, the organization creates a space where participants can share their experiences, support each other, and form lasting bonds that extend beyond the duration of the trip. 

 Our organization, Veterans Backcountry Adventures, is dedicated to providing challenging and rewarding outdoor experiences for participants. We meticulously plan, fund, and coordinate these adventures. Using military terminology, we establish the Task, Conditions, and Standards for each trip and develop a CONOP (Concept of Operation) accordingly. 

 Gorge Fly Shop, a renowned outdoor retailer known for its commitment to conservation and community, plays a crucial role in supporting Veterans Backcountry Adventures. By providing gear, expertise, and logistical support, Travis, Lyndsey, John, Charlie and the whole team at Gorge Fly Shop helps ensure that veterans have everything they need to make the most of their outdoor adventures. 

 As we continue to recognize and honor the sacrifices made by our military and veterans, organizations like Veterans Backcountry Adventures and partners like Gorge Fly Shop play a vital role in providing support and opportunities for these brave men and women to find peace, purpose, and connection in the great outdoors. By coming together to support these initiatives, we can help ensure that our veterans have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive beyond their service. 

 Previously, we operated on self-funding, limiting the number of participants and frequency of trips. To expand our reach and impact, we now rely on grants, individual donations, and the generous support of our corporate partners. We are deeply grateful for their assistance, as it has been instrumental in our growth and success. 

 If you are interested in contributing to our cause, please visit our webpage for donation information. For inquiries regarding corporate sponsorship, please reach out to us directly at inquiry@vbaor.org. 

 In a world that can often feel divided and disconnected, the power of nature to bring people together, heal wounds, and inspire growth is a force to be reckoned with. Through programs like Veterans Backcountry Adventures, we can harness that power to create a brighter, more connected future for our military, veterans and our communities as a whole. 

John Messenger, Founder @ President 

Veterans Backcountry Adventures 

John@vbaor.org 

https://www.veteransbackcountryadventures.org/ 

IG @vba.or

"The Gorge"

Gorge Fly Shop Team - 541.386.6977

GorgeFlyShop.com  |  Join our Team |  Contact Us

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Lyndsey's John Day Trip with Little Creek Outfitters

If you have a passion for yoga and the outdoors, this is the trip for you! Relax, unplug and find your balance paddling, practicing yoga and fishing.

This trip will cover about 24 miles. Mia Sheppard will pace the group down river in a driftboat and carry lunch, extra water and gear.

While you are floating down the river, enjoy the wildlife, fly-fish or just relax.

A designated gear boat with two team members will pack, move camp and have it set up when we arrive in the evening.

Heather Hodson, Founder of United Women on the Fly joined in on the fun!

Mia,
Thank You so much for such an awesome trip! I had so much relaxing and fun and got to meet so many wonderful people. I hope we can do it again, soon!
Best, Lyndsey

Contact Mia Sheppard and get in on the fun!

Little Creek Outfitters

www.oregonsteelhead.com

littlecreekoutfitters@gmail.com

(503) 819-4035 or (541) 419-2105

Little Creek Outfitters - Fall Steelhead Availability

There's no argument the Deschutes, John Day, and Grande Ronde Rivers are great places to chase steelhead and we love sharing these Rivers with you!

We have open dates for camp trips and day trips this fall.

Camp trips:



August 18-19 Deschutes River Jet Boat

October 27-29 Deschutes River Jet Boat

October 25th- 28th Grande Ronde River Float

November 12-16th John Day River Float

November 17-19th John Day River Float

Email for more details or click here.

Call Mia for available day trips in October and November at 541-419-2105.

Enjoy a Wild and Scenic River

Fish for Wild Steelhead

Top Notch Camps and Food

Let Us DO the Work

Marty and Mia Sheppard

Little Creek Outfitters

www.oregonsteelhead.com

littlecreekoutfitters@gmail.com

(503) 819-4035 or (541) 419-2105

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - 07/31/2016

Our first heat wave since early June made fishing tough in our area, but relief from the heat is here and it will provide us with good fishing opportunities.

Please join us for a river cleanup on August 20 on the Hood River.  Info can be found here

The Hood and the Klickitat Rivers are both dirty as of Sunday morning.  The Hood has a little tint of green to it which is an improvement from the cement color that it has been most of the week.  If we continue to have cool evenings and highs under 90 degrees, clarity should improve and fishing may be a possibility on our two favorite glacial rivers.  The good news is that there are plenty of summer steelhead in the area.

The Deschutes River has its own problems caused by the heat wave.  Water temps topped 74 degrees in the lower river last week (see pictures), but conditions are looking better now as both the water and air temps are lower.  

Happy Birthday Hendrix

I fished the Cowlitz for two days last week for summer steelhead.  Water flows increased right when I arrived which made it hard to entice steelhead to eat my fly.  Flows of 2500 cfs are ideal for swinging flies on the Cowlitz, but the flows were at 5000 cfs.  It was still a great time.  I floated Barrier Dam to Blue Creek Hatchery on the first day.  That section of river was completely barren; not a single other boat until I got a half mile above Blue Creek... which I heard is due to the flows being higher than what anglers' prefer for that section, but I could care less.  I was hanging out with my dog; we swam, and I went off a rope swing, saw eagles, osprey, beavers and deer.  That is a great day on the river anywhere.

There was plenty of good swinging water in the upper section, even if it was a bit too high to fish effectively.  The next day I floated Blue Creek to Mission Bar.  There were a pile of gear boats within a mile of the hatchery, but once I floated through the "gauntlet" of bait huckers, the river was wide open.  I got to fish every run that looked good without anyone else around.  Occasionally a big power boat would buzz by, but they didn't ever get in my way.  I saw two other guys with fly rods that I never had to compete for spots with.  

The Cowlitz is an amazing river with a reputation for not being fly-friendly.  There are miles of good swing runs.

My idea was to get out of the heat and float a cold river full of steelhead.  It was my dog's tenth birthday, so I wanted to float with him and not have it be too difficult on his failing hips.  I accomplished that, and it was certainly a good spot to be during a couple of the hottest days of the year.  Another bonus is that I was pulling into my campsite at Barrier Dam Campground two hours and ten minutes after leaving Hood River.  Not bad at all.  

The John Day River is still kicking out tons of Smallmouth Bass.  It is still the best place to take new anglers or anglers that really need a confidence booster, plus it is a gorgeous spot to spend a day or two.

This little trout was hungry for the first dry fly it saw

Ryan fished a local small stream for trout with his family over the weekend.  It was loaded with hungry trout that were more than willing to eat a dry fly.  Small streams are fishing really well right now and small trout are eating a nice variety of general attractor dry flies.  X-Caddis, Stimulators, Royal Trudes, Grasshoppers and Parachute Adams are all must-have flies for this time of year in small streams.  

Carp fishing has been really good when the wind is not blowing.  Unfortunately, that has not been very often lately.  A nice warm afternoon with no wind is ideal for carpin' along the Columbia River.

Trout fishing in the lakes has remained phenomenal.  We thought that there was potential for the lakes to warm up too much, but they are in fantastic shape for the most part.  Lost Lake has been very good this summer and will continue to produce trout all summer.  Laurance Lake is another great choice.  

Trout fishing on the Deschutes has been great, especially up above Maupin.  I say above Maupin because the water temps around the mouth of the river have been too hot for good trout fishing, but the temps have been much more reasonable once you get 50 miles upstream or so.  Caddisflies are hatching and fish are on them.  The best fishing has been very early and very late in the day, but you can catch a nice trout any time of the day if you work a little for it.  

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.  You can also check water temps here too...

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
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 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.  541.386.6977

Andrew Perrault
Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - 07/24/2016

Sam knows how to handle 104 degrees on the Klickitat

It's finally starting to look like summer out here in the Gorge.  Warmer weather is upon us and we have finally been able to stay out at night without a jacket.  Weather predictions put us over 100 degrees later in the week, so get prepared for our first real dose of summer.

The Deschutes should start to pick up within the next couple of weeks.  It has been fairly tough fishing for summer steelhead, however anglers are picking up a fish here and there.  I did drive over the mouth of the Deschutes on Sunday morning (07/24).  It did not look as if the White River had caused any significant clarity issues from the rains on Thursday, but it was a quick pass over.

White River Below Tygh Valley

Water temps are likely to become an issue again on the Deschutes.  Releasing fish when water is over 70 degrees is potentially lethal.

You can see water temps on the Deschutes here.

A nice Snake River Cutthroat Trout from Idaho.
Rocky Mountain trout streams are fishing well right now.

It looked as if the Klickitat was in decent shape still despite heavy rains on Thursday.  Again, I was just driving by Saturday evening and Sunday morning, but from across the Columbia it looked great.

I did a quick float with a friend from out of town on Wednesday.  We didn't fish much, he was more interested in the scenery and the beer. I did swing a couple of runs really quick and did not have a grab.  It was really nice to wet wade all day though.

We have heard that fishing for steelhead was good a couple of weeks ago, but seems to have slowed down quite a bit with both fish passage over Lyle Falls and catch rates on the river.  The early push of fish was mostly hatchery origin summer steelhead from the reports we received.  With hotter weather predicted for later this week, clarity will most likely become an issue.  It will be a wait and see game as long as 90+ degree days are in the forecast.

It is time to get your backpacking gear out!!!

The Hood River did spike from the rains Thursday.  It colored in all day on Friday and looks like cement on Saturday.  The East Fork of the Hood is where most of the color tends to come from, so it is usually in worse shape than the main river.  I would bet that trout fishing on the East Fork is going to be tough this next couple of weeks.

The Deschutes has been fishing well for rainbow trout.  Caddis nymphs doubled with larger attractor nymphs like possie buggers or stonefly nymphs will be your best beet.  Caddis dry flies in the evening are producing fish as well.

Small stream trout fishing is good in other places though.  Eagle Creek is fishing well with general attractor dry flies; so is Trout Lake Creek.

Local lakes are fishing very, very well too.  They usually slow down by this time of year, but the cooler weather this summer has kept them in awesome shape.  Lost Lake has been phenomenal from what we hear.  Goose Lake and Laurance Lake are both fishing very well too.  Goose can be quick to slow down when it gets really hot as it is shallower than the other two, but it should hold out this week.  Pulling a bugger or damsel nymph on an intermediate line is a good way to catch a pile of fish.  Morning and evening dry fly hatches are likely, but not a sure thing.

The reward for a 4 mile hike.  Solitude, beauty and brookies.

Backpacking into the high mountain lakes is now a great option.  The mosquitoes are starting to recede and the lakes are fishing well.  There are countless lakes and ponds in the Gifford Pinchot Forest to explore.  A parachute adams is about all anyone would need out there, but having a couple of options is always a good idea.

Smallmouth bass fishing on the John Day is still very good.  A super place to take beginners, kids or anyone that needs to catch a bunch of fish; the John Day is the place to go.  Small popper patterns should get you into fish all day long.  Cottonwood Canyon is the best place to start.

No reports on the Columbia River smallmouth bass fishing lately.  Ryan has been out of town.

Carp fishing has been good too.  Weed growth in the small ponds near hwy 84 has been minimal this year and the carp are in the shallows as thick as peanut butter.

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.  You can also check water temps here too...

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
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 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.  541.386.6977

Andrew Perrault
Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report - (07/17/2016)

Gorgeous sunrise on the lower Deschutes

Fishing remains fantastic throughout the area.  The local rivers have stayed in decent shape considering it is mid July and the Hood, Klickitat and White Rivers will all typically be flowing dirty this time of year.  However, cooler weather has kept them all in good shape so far this month.

Apologies for the lack of reports weekly, the Sage closeout sale has been keeping us all very busy.  We also received our first shipment of Tom Larimer's new casting DVD: Skagit Revolution.  It is a very good video that breaks down spey casting and gives you everything from the basics to some advanced techniques.  It is very clear and easy to understand as Tom is a great instructor, plus the Gorge Fly Shop is a sponsor of the video.  Pick it up while its hot!

Trout Lake Creek is one of the hidden gems of our area.

On to the fishing:  Ryan and I went up to Trout Lake Creek last week with a couple of Tenkara rods.  We caught a couple dozen little trout on a good variety of attractor dry flies like stimulators, hoppers and royal trudes.  It is a fun creek to spend a day chasing small rainbow trout.  While you won't run into any monsters in our small creeks, the scenery, abundance of trout and remoteness make it a little gem in our backyard.

Chris and I also spent a day fishing the lower part of the Deschutes for summer steelhead.  Conditions were great on the river, although it was bright and sunny.  We swung flies all day and all that we caught were a handful of smallmouth bass!  This was very surprising considering the first bass we caught was 8 miles upstream.  That is a considerable amount of whitewater for a bass to navigate in order to end up that far from the Columbia.  We also caught another one over 6 miles from the mouth of the river...  No steelhead landed, but there was one brief hookup on a small purple leechy pattern.  The Klickitat and the Hood are still in decent shape and there are a few steelhead showing up.  As long as we stay under 90 degrees, our local rivers should stay in shape.  The Hood doesn't get a ton of summer fish, but it is an option when there is decent visibility.

Lake fishing for trout has been absolutely phenomenal.  Damselfly and dragonfly nymphs are a huge food source for trout in most lakes this time of year.  Trolling a Carey Special, ultra damsel nymph or even a woolly bugger should get you some nice fish in our local lakes.  Lost Lake has been fishing very well from what we have heard, as well as Laurance, Goose (WA), Timothy and Clear Lake.

Smallmouth Bass are snapping on the John Day (as well as the Deschutes apparently, LOL!).  They are eating everything you can throw at them.  Most anglers prefer to use a small bass popper, but grasshopper patterns, streamers and nymphs work just as well.  Cottonwood Canyon is a great place to get started on the JD.

The Columbia River has been a bit windy this past week, which hampers bass and carp fishing out there, but the fishing has been good when we get a break from the wind. The wind can dirty up the river, so having a full day where it is not "nuclear" out there would be preferable...

The Deschutes has not been fabulous for trout fishing, but it hasn't been awful.  The caddis hatches have not been prolific recently.  Cooler, inconsistent weather has led to smaller hatches, but the trout are still eating...

Flows:  The USGS sites give us real-time flows, while the NOAA site shows us predictions based on weather patterns.  Both are invaluable tools.  You can also check water temps here too...

Hood River:

USGS

NOAA

Klickitat
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 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.  541.386.6977

Andrew Perrault
Columbia Gorge Fishing Reports
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

John Day Offers World-Class Bass Fishing Trips

Nice JD Smallie

Running over 500 miles, the John Day is the second longest free-flowing stream in the United States. It is protected as a “Wild and Scenic” river under Oregon Scenic Waterways Act. The country is characterized by steep basalt canyon walls, juniper, and sagebrush dotted hills, abandoned homesteads, and petro glyphs. This is one of the most culturally rich river corridors in the state.

This river offers some of the best Smallmouth Bass fishing in the country. In 1971, approximately 75 Smallmouth Bass were introduced to the river and since then they have flourished to an estimated 2000 – 3000 fish per mile! Join Marty Sheppard and Little Creek Outfitters for an unforgettable trip through this breathtaking landscape.

Bass season is at its peak from early June to the end of July. It is not uncommon to hook in excess of 75 fish per rod per day. These fish average from 8”-12”, with larger fish in the 18”-20” range. This is the perfect river to introduce new fly casters to the sport, as the fish are typically aggressive and plentiful. The majority of the fishing is done from the boat and from the banks looking for feeding fish. When the shade is on the water they fish with poppers and surface bugs. When the sun is on the water, flies are typically muddlers and woolly buggers.

Cuban?

The John Day bass trips are multi-day rafting, camping, and fishing trips. For the day float trips they fish from Twinkingham to Priest Hole, or the Service Creek to Twinkingham sections of the river. For multi day camping trips they do 4 or 5 days. Little Creek Outfitters has a private ranch access ($40.00 P.P. fee) put-in at 30 Mile Creek, that has the most wild and scenic segment of the river to Cottonwood Bridge.

Camps are set-up each day by the baggage crew, so when you arrive in camp, you can sit back and relax, have a cocktail, or fish the camp water. Your tent for the night will be set-up and your bags awaiting your arrival. All meals are skillfully prepared streamside by their staff. They do take a lot of pride in the meals; a sample dinner menu might range from Pasta Putenescca to Moroccan-spiced chicken with rosemary oil. They provide all of camping gear with the exception of your sleeping bag and pillow.

Home sweet home

One guide per two clients is our standard ratio on fly fishing excursions. Camp size averages 6 to 8 guests. They can accommodate larger private groups by request.

2012 rates: 4 day camping trip $1500.00
Day float or walk and wade trip 2 anglers $450.00
Shuttles fees, ranch access fees, and gratuity not included.

More Info