X Marks the Spot, Sage's 7wt Smallmouth Slayer

Bass fishing... I know what you're thinking, "they're just stupid bass", but it is one of my favorite past times and a ton of fun.  Hooking and fighting a bass on a fly rod is a totally unique experience, and something I recommend for everyone to try.  Don't get me wrong, trout, steelhead, and bonefish are all fun to fish for, but to many, bass are readily available and generally pretty happy to bite a fly.

Now, you don't need anything really fancy to catch bass, but that's not my style.  I'm a go big or go home kind of guy when it comes to fishing gear.  I like to know that my equipment is not going to hamper my success and that the only one to blame for not catching is me!  When looking at rods to kick up my bass game for the Columbia River, I knew that I had to go big!

SAGE X BIG!

Spring Cow fishing fast and shallow with Sage X 790

I will say, that after fishing the Sage X 790-4 for over a year, you would be hard pressed to find a better smallmouth bass stick.  This rod is crazy light and mega powerful.  I have never cast a 7wt with so much oomph.  I am able to cast flies I would normally fish on a 9wt with this rod!  And did mention how light this rod is?  It weighs as little as my older 4 and 5 wt!  It is insane how Sage was able to pack so much power in such a light stick.  The power to weight ratio is off the charts with this boom stick.  Paired up with one of the lightest reels ever, the Lamson Force SL II #3 at a mere 4.41 oz, and I could cast all day with no fatigue.

Featherweight Combo for Hucking Bugs

I have fished a myriad of lines on this rod, from floating to fast sinking and it handled them all with ease.  The line speed this rod puts out makes casting in the wind or with heavy flies so much easier and less exhausting.  And, as you might know, it rarely stops blowing in the Gorge.

This is a performance rod, no doubt about that.  The swing weight and sharpness make this rod sing, especially with the right lines.  It does feel slightly more forgiving and deeper loading than the Sage One, which is likely due to the new graphite Konnetic HD tech.  You can cast pretty darn easy with this stick, but give it a good punch and double haul and the line speed smokes!

After a year of testing, here are my favorite lines on this Sage X 790 canon:

Floating- bass bugs, poppers, float n' fly or fishing the top foot of the water column: Scientific Anglers Wavelength Titan

Poppers as the sun drops

I also cast the Rio Directcore Flats Pro when it got hot late last summer.  This is THE line for this rod in tropical locales.  Bonefish, reds, sea trout, whatever!  Load it up and watch it fly!

Intermediate- streamer- Rio Coastal Quickshooter or SA Titan Full Intermediate.  Both lines rocked on this stick, but I might give a slight edge to the Titan as it shoots better with the textured coating.

Fast Sink- streamers, crayfish- SA Titan Int/S3/S5.  You probably see a theme by now, but the Titan lines are made for a rod like this.  I even threw the super fast sink Titan S3/S5/S7 WF8 and this rod got it done!  That line weighs as much as a WF10 standard FYI...

Skagit- OPST Commando with 10' T-8 sink tips.  I have had a blast chucking this stick on little creeks for steelhead and coho.  The power and speed of this rod is perfect for the quick Commando heads.  The 790 X loved the 275gr head.

Sage X + OPST Commando= HO Slayer

A couple quick notes on line selection for this rod:
1.  Do not get a light line for this rod
2.  If you throw big or heavy stuff, go mega heavy, like the Titan, Outbound Short or Quickshooter  3.  For highest linespeed and tightest loops try a Rio Bonefish/Bonefish Quickshooter or SA Bonefish line or as mentioned above, Rio Flats Pro

As you can probably tell by these notes, there are some caveats with this stick.  This is no finesse rod, and my thoughts on making this a trout streamer stick are out the window.  This is a no holds barred, bad to the bone 7wt, not some lily-livered trout rod.  Line choice does matter too, and unless you are a great caster, overweighted lines are the way to go.

Bronzeback Love

For those of you curious about aesthetics and specs, here are a couple photos...

Sub 10oz rod/reel/line 7wt!!!

A simple, elegant rod finish, a la the Sage One

Hard to capture, but the rod is a dark black spruce green, not jet black like the One

My biggest gripe is this reel seat.  I know it is light, but it just does not fit a $900 rod

My thoughts on aesthetics are just that, thoughts, and I know Sage is pursuing performance rather than looks, but given the price tag, I personally wish they would incorporate some beauty into a rod of this caliber.   They make Ferraris beautiful, why not Sage rods?

Aesthetics aside, I have to say that after a year getting to know this rod, that there probably isn't another 7wt this light with this much power on the market.  The Loomis 790 Asquith is the only one in this ballpark.  So, if you are looking for the ultimate bass rod or bonefish rod look no further than the Sage X 790!

Tight Lines!




Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (7/9/2017)

Summer is in full swing in the Gorge!

Summer in the Gorge

The beautiful summer weather we all wish for is finally here!

There are a lot of excellent fishing opportunities happening right now:

Trout fishing in high elevation lakes is excellent right now and a great way to escape the heat and crowds.  The fish are eating just about everything.  Come on in and get well stocked on buggers/leaches, Callibaetis nymphs/dries, damselfly and dragonfly nymphs and adults as well as some juicy ant patterns.  All have been successful as of late.  Lost lake is a great place to take the family or if you do not have a watercraft, as they rent boats up there. Otherwise get your float tubes out and escape on lakes on both sides of the Gorge.  If you need some help getting into stillwater fishing be sure to check out my Stillwater Gear Roundup and Lake Line Shootout.

Though there haven't been a lot of folks trout fishing on the Deschutes, those that have gone are catching fish early and late in the day on caddis dries and yellow sallies.  The caddis hatches on the Deschutes can be tremendous, and the action can be excellent.  It's a great place to wet wade in the heat of the summer too!

4th of July crush fest with my brother in law!

Bass fishing on the Columbia has been steady.  The river has been dropped and the fish are starting to settle into their summer patterns.  The spawn is over from what I have seen.  The big females are very hard to find right now in their post spawn funk, but the next couple weeks should get them feeding up.  Fishing big shad/smolt streamers on the banks and outside of weed beds has been effective.  We have also had some hit and miss popper action, but if you are there on the right day it can be epic.

Summer steelhead fishing is still pretty quiet, but should be just around the bend.  Both the Deschutes and the Klickitat usually start fishing well towards the middle/end of July and through the rest of the summer.  The counts are improving, but still well under the 10 year average.  Water temps are already hitting 70 degrees in the Deschutes river in the afternoon, so we are asking that folks curtail their afternoon sessions as the already stressed out fish don't need to battle in hot water.

Though the counts are past their peak, there are still a bunch of American Shad coming up river.  I finally got my first on a fly rod, and it pulled like a baby tarpon!  Find a lane they are migrating in, load up a fast sinking line with a small brightly colored fly and swing it deep and you should catch some!

Major fun on a 6 wt!

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

*Add us on Instagram for more fishy content! @gorgeflyshop

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (6/25/2017)

It's hotter than a well digger's armpit out there!

But there are fish biting all over the Gorge!

Exploring the Gorge never gets old

Trout fishing on the Deschutes has been pretty good and stable.  I have heard of some folks doing really well on yellow sallies and caddis.  Nymphing caddis larvae/pupae or a pheasant tail/hare's ear/prince nymph has been good as usual.  I would also be well stocked with PMD and PED adults/parachutes as that hatch should still be going strong.

Trout fishing on the local lakes has been stellar!  I have some seen some real beauties coming out of Lost and Laurance lake.  Lost lake resort rents boats as well, so if you don't have a watercraft and want to escape the heat, head on up and enjoy the view!  Lakes throughout the Cascades are fishing very well, but make sure you brings some DEET as the biting insects have been bad this year.  Ants, Callibaetis, damsels, dragonflies and buggers are the names of the game!  Check out my Stillwater Gear Roundup for details on getting dialed in!

Steelhead fishing has been quiet.  I have heard of a few fish being hooked on the Klickitat, but it has otherwise been very slow.  There are a few more fish between Bonneville and The Dalles, so hopefully we will see some fish getting happy!  The bulk of the summer steelhead should be showing up in the next couple months so book a trip with Sam at Steelhead Outfitters for a Deschutes jetboat trip or Travis at Western Waters for a float down the Klick before it's too late!

Another solid brick bronzeback

Bass fishing in Columbia has been very good.  I have found fish in both pre and post spawn depending on the part of the river I was on and the water temps.  I have had a couple killer evenings catching nice fish shallow on poppers.  Often the bite will come after the initial cast.  Just leave the popper sit for up to 30 seconds, if you can handle it...

Bass fishing on the John Day should be excellent.  We have had a lot of customers headed out that way, but no reports back yet.  I have to imagine the fish are hungry and plentiful! Bring a selection of small poppers, hoppers, and wiggle minnows and a light rod and have a blast on bronzebacks!

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

*Add us on Instagram for more fishy content! @gorgeflyshop

Ryan Van Duzor

Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist

541.386.6977

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Stillwater Gear Roundup

It is no secret that I love stillwater/lake fishing, both for trout and warmwater species like bass, musky and carp.  I think many fly anglers are intimidated by lakes, or have a bit of a chip on their shoulder about it, but I can tell you it is an absolute hoot, and a totally different challenge than flowing water.

The testing station, complete with wind tunnel

Locked & Loaded

This blog was intended to be the second installment of my lake line review, (please check out last year's Lake Line Shootout here) but as I saw the number of new items I wanted to test I decided to make it an overall stillwater gear overview and review.  I tested most of these items intensively during our annual spring lake extravaganza.  I took new setups and combos out each day to put them to the test.  I also have spent countless days casting in my yard and in the Columbia River to get a better feel for what is truly different about each rod and line and to dial in the best rod/line matches.

Before I get too in depth, here are what have become my go-to favorite stillwater setups for 2017:

Dry Fly Setup: 

This setup should be able to handle everything from midge adults/cripples to damselflies and Callibaetis dries.  The rod/line needs to be accurate and make long casts, but most importantly be delicate, as stillwater fish are pretty wary of their surroundings.

Rod: Winston BIIIx 590-4 or Winston Air 590-4

Reel: Tibor Tail Water

Line: Scientific Anglers Sharkwave Ultimate Trout or Rio InTouch Gold WF5

Chironomid Emerger Dry Fly Action!

Why I chose this setup:  Winston rods are known for their dry fly delicacy, and I make no bones about my love for Winston trout rods.  The SA Ultimate Trout is an excellent line.  It shoots like crazy, floats like a cork, and presents a dry fly as light as you could set it on the water with your hands.  The Ultimate Trout and Gold lines are slightly more aggressive than the other SA Trout lines which helps bite through the wind and load the slightly faster BIIIX.

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (6/11/2017)

Long days and mostly decent weather have made for some good fishing in the Gorge.

Classic Gorge Weather: Sunny with Pouring Rain

Deschutes trout fishing has been good/excellent and fairly steady.  There are an assortment of insects around and the fish have been happy to indulge in whatever is hatching.  They are still coming up to golden stone imitations and purple chubbies and I have heard of at least a couple anglers hitting the green drake hatch.  There should be some yellow sallies and pale evening duns showing themselves too.  As always, the standard nymphs (hare's ear, pheasant tail, possie bugger, copper John) are producing.

Local Legend Jim Greenleaf with a Deschutes Redside!

Stillwater trout fishing has also been very good locally.  The damsels and dragonflies have started hatching, especially on warm days, and the fish are eating the nymphs worked slowly around and over weed beds.  Chironomids, Callibaetis and buggers are also still in play.  As things warm up, look for the flying ants to start hatching around the higher elevation lakes as well.

Gabe found some hungry backwater smalljaws!

Bass fishing has been about the same as the last few weeks.  Fish are being caught, both in the Columbia and the John Day.  Many fish are thinking about spawning and are in shallow water.  I would suggest crawling a big bugger/leach or fishing a Clouser minnow quickly in the shallows.  There are should be a popper bite going in the next month as fish enter post spawn feeding.

A beauty of a mountain tiger musky!

We got out to one of the western WA reservoirs for some tiger musky fishing.  We saw a ton of fish and had most of them follow.  We had 5 good eats and landed one beauty.  5-10 inch flies on 10wts is the name of the game.  I really like the SA Sonar Titan WF10 full intermediate for 90% of the musky fishing.  You will want some type of wire bite tippet or leader, as these fish have serious chompers!  If you are looking for a new challenge on the fly, and have a boat or at least a buddy who does, you owe it to yourself to give it a try at least once.  There is a ton of info on the WDFW website.

Cody's Steelhead Report:

Enthralled by emerald green waters, and happy to be skating dries again.

Welp, it’s June and if you’re like me summer-run steel have been on your mind since… well, maybe they’re always on your mind! This could be attributed to a variety of reasons- A change of pace from tough winter fishing and rainy days, the finesse and presentation of scandi-style casting, fish willing to rise to the surface, t-shirts and sunnies, long days, etc. Though I’m sure once Thanksgiving hits I’ll be back on a winter-run mindset for thick bodied chrome and sea-lice covered fins. Ha! It really never really ever seem to end...

June 1st was the opener for the Klickitat River and it’s a quite a different start than last year. Numbers over Bonneville have been pretty slim so far, along with high and colored water to round it out as well. I’ve driven up the Klick a few times in the last two weeks to check on it, only to find flows ranging from 4100 cfs to its current level of 2700 cfs (for reference, average mean flow at this time of year is 2080 cfs.) What this means is that most of your favorite runs to swing flies are gonna be challenging to wade, and the few fish that are in the river won’t be too far out. If you do make it out and water clarity is decent, I’d focus on swinging shorter bits of line all the way into the bank. Wading staffs and boot studs will also ease getting into your favorite runs. As for predictions, it’s tough to say since we’ve got a fair amount of snow up high still and haven’t seen many super warm days yet.

Indeed predictions for this season’s Columbia run look to be on par with last year’s (unfortunately) and with some increased restrictions on seasons, this year will make it tougher for anglers. It’s important to remain mindful with our pressure on the fish we love with our handling and ethics. Monitor the water temps, revive and release fish quickly, keep them wet, etc. Opportunities are out there though with the Sandy and Clackamas still producing some good hatchery summer fish. However, I did get out and camp along a gem of a river in central Oregon for a couple nights. A few fish were seen as we chugged foamy dries, skated muddlers, and swung wets with floating lines but no fish to hand. Unfortunately, rains came a little earlier than expected. Transforming the river’s notoriously difficult wading in the already high water, to well, even more of a challenge. As is tradition, I filled my waders up once trying to get into a greasy tailout. It wasn’t the first time, and certainly won’t be the last...

 

High water but high hopes. Chelsey swings through the bucket.

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

*Add us on Instagram for more fishy content! @gorgeflyshop

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (5/29/2017)

Happy Memorial Day to all of you!  We hope you are enjoying this day in the great outdoors, it is certainly a beautiful one here in the Gorge.

A stunner Deschutes Redband!

To the steelhead angler this can be a difficult time of year in the Gorge.  There are a few early summer fish around, but they are far between.  The Klickitat River does open June 1, so those looking for a fix and can get in some swing time or nymph one up

For those of you not looking to beat yourself up not catching steelhead, there is a lot going on!

My Favorite Aquatic Insect Never Fails to Impress!

Deschutes trout fishing is in full swing.  There are still a lot of big stones on the river, especially up higher and on the right day you can certainly find some fish willing to take a chubby or clark stone.  The trout fishing can be excellent for June as well, and the crowds should be dwindling as the big flies dwindle.  There can be excellent hatches all through June, so make sure you have a good selection of flies to cover the options.  I would be stocked up on PMD and PED, caddis, green drakes and yellow sallies, with the nymphs to match.  If you want to have an awesome float and get to water that is hard to access on foot book a day with Sam at Steelhead Outfitters (541-400-0855)!  He can certainly get you on the fish!

Another stillwater mini steelhead in the net!

Lake fishing for trout is excellent this time of year.  Local lakes like Lost, Laurance and Kingsley are producing good numbers of fish and the occasional monster.  Buggers and leeches are a go-to, but chironomid larvae/pupae fished ultra slow or under a bobber can crush them this time of year.  Damsel and dragonfly patterns will also get hot as the water warms and summer sets in.  Be sure to have a few Callibaetis nymphs and dries too, when this hatch kicks off it can be epic!

I got the Gabe on a nice one, but we worked for it!

Bass fishing has been fair to middling.  I have spent a lot of time on the Columbia this month, and have had decent days, but it hasn't been red hot.  I think that the biggest factor is the lack of consistent water and weather conditions.  The high flows, muddy water, and large water temp gradient certainly haven't helped to dial in a pattern.  The same can be said for the John Day.  You will likely catch some fish, but the high flows have made fishing a bit more difficult and have spread the fish out a bit.  Smolt/shad patterns fish fast and crayfish flies are two hot methods.  Look for the popper action to heat up as the fish move into post spawn later in June.

Gabe and I spent some time sight casting at carp in the backwater ponds on the Columbia.  Most of the fish were cruising, but we saw a few eating.  None were interested in our flies, but hopefully, the Columbia will clear a bit and give us some more shots at ole' rubber lips this summer.

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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G.Loomis Asquith (part 2)

Deschutes meets Asquith Spey

G.Loomis Asquith Rod Review (Part II of II)
You can read part one here.

Asquith Spey Part II:
Summer, 2016 I was lucky enough to demo some brand spanking new G.Loomis Asquith rods for a day. I was impressed so I wrote a positive review and then promptly figured out how to get a couple in my boat for 2017.  My new rods showed up in early January just in time some one-swing fishing for winter steelhead.  I chose a 7130 and 6129, 7 weight 13” and 6 weight 12’9”, respectively.   My initial review of these rods was positive but my exposure was pretty limited.  These rods really needed some time dragging tips in the middle of winter.

G.Loomis Asquith

I decided to fish the 7 weight which is a natural choice for winter or summer fish in Oregon, then wait until spring or summer to fish the 6 weight.  I paired the 7130 with a Hatch 7-plus that balanced the rod perfectly.  I’ve also paired it with a Galvan R-10 which is also a good fit.  As far as fly lines go, I tested a fair amount of lines on this rod and never found anything it didn’t like.   The line that is still on the 7130 is the Airflo Skagit FIST in 510 grains.  The Skagit FIST replaced the intermediate Skagit in the Airflow line up but the general idea is to slow the fly down, fish it deeper, longer.  We had a lot of high fast current this year and I found this the appropriate line for at least one rod in the boat at all times.  I cast as much as 13’ feet of T14 and a weighted bunny leech on this rig and had zero complaints.  If you could only have one line to pair this rod with, a 525 Rio Skagit Max or Airflow Compact Skagit 510, the Rio is a foot shorter which I find more user friendly but both are excellent lines.  I spent some time with the 20’ Skagit Switch from Airflow but really didn’t think it was necessary; this rod casts easy.   I had no problem delivering long heavy sink tips and weighted flies with this rod.  I have never fished a rod so light in hand that could pick up such heavy loads without a roll cast.  As far as distance and line speed go, the only limiting factor is how much running line you can manage.  How does it fish?  It has awesome pick up and delivery. Gloomis got it right when they built this rod, all the weight is in the right places so you almost don’t notice you’re holding it.  We got several nice two salt fish on this rod…it’s not overpowering but it’s not a noodle either.  This is an AAA+ do it all 30-06 rod.

I couldn’t wait on this stick, so the first time the river got to a lower flow level, I broke it out. When I set up the 6129 I also paired it with a Hatch 7-plus.  Initially I was surprised the reel wasn’t too heavy since it was perfect on the 7130, nope, not a bit of difference in balance.   Can I say again these guys at Loomis put these things together perfectly balanced.  I only put one line on this rod and it was the Airflo Skagit Switch 450 grains.  This was a guess and a good one.  With 10’ of T10 sink tips, weighted or un-weighted fly this rod quickly became my new favorite rod to fish.  In good conditions this thing bombs just as far as the big stick.

The Bearded Pescador

The 6129 made its debut on the Sandy River with my pal Ryan going back-to-back on a couple hot ones.  I was a little worried about this rod and its stopping power based the 390 grain scandi we had on it last summer but it was fine.  Like I said this is the one I fish with now unless I have to go GIANT, which is very rare for me.

Coming soon: A side-by-side comparison on the Deschutes in July and out of the jet boat.  G.loomis 6129 vs Winston BIIITH 6126.  We’ll see who gets the best in class pound-for-pound!

Fish P*rn:

G.Loomis Asquith Review (Part 1)

Sam Sickles
Steelhead Outfitters
Deschutes River Guide
www.steelheadoutfitters.com
541.400.0855

 

 

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (5/14/2017)

Spring fishing season is in full swing in the Gorge!

Some springers finally decided to show up, the stoneflies have started hatching, and the smallmouth and carp are getting frisky!

Lake fishing for trout has been stellar as of late.  Expect chironomid action early in the day, with a multi larvae/buzzer rig under an indicator or slow retrieved being a great technique, especially in the mornings.  As the midges emerge, often in the afternoon, having a selection of cripple/emerger midges can produce some crazy fun dry fly action.  Streamer and leech fishing is also excellent this time of year. With relatively low weed growth in the spring, fish are cruising the shallows looking for a meaty meal.  Don't hesitate to try a bigger minnow style streamer fished aggressively on a sinking line!

Winston Air 590 and Lamson Micra doing work with a crippled Chironomid emerger dry

Smallmouth bass fishing on the Columbia has been all over the spectrum, from excellent to very difficult.  The river temps, flows and visibility have varied widely over the past couple weeks.  I have seen water temps vary as much as 8 degrees just moving across the river.  My advice is to find slightly clearer shallow water and fish a crayfish fly or Clouser minnow, this time of year I prefer an intermediate or sinking line. The fish are in a prespawn mode and if the conditions are right, they have been very aggressive.

Carp fishing has been on a similar path as the bass fishing as of late, with fish coming into the shallows and feeding heavily when the sun is out and warming the skinny water.  I have even heard a few reports of carp spawning in the backwaters.  If we get a couple sunny warm days again, expect carp to be cruising the flats.  We have a nice selection of carp flies in the shop to help you get hooked up with ole' rubber lips!

The reports from the Deschutes trout fishing have been improving over the last week or so.  The stones are hatching and fish are starting to look up!  Clarity has improved, and the fish are happy.  If the dry fly action is slow, don't hesitate to break out nymph rig with a big bug and dropper.  Rainbows can certainly be moody, and sometimes they just want to be force fed.  Come on into the shop and stock up on the local favorites for this killer hatch!

Ryan Van Duzor
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977


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Cody's Report:

Steelhead fishing- While winter steel are pretty much done on all our rivers, there is a welcomed shift towards summer steelhead. However, most of these early fish are of hatchery origin and are being caught on the rivers below Bonneville Dam- the Sandy, Clackamas, Kalama, etc. are great options for those looking for hot hatchery fish. Wild summer steelhead seem to still be on their way, nevertheless this Wednesday I got out to the Kalama River in Washington looking to see what we could find. Expectations were low but it was fun to get out the old single hand and swing the smallest flies I’ve tossed all year.

Trout fishing- It’s no secret that people are out looking for hungry trout. Most all of our area lakes are open and fishing has been great, with the exception of a few lakes still closed due to snow access restriction. Lost Lake Resort is operational for the season and their boat rentals make it easy for those looking to find fishy water. We’ve also got a great selection of Outcast boats to fit your water needs. Keep in mind that some watersheds have different regulations and some trout streams still aren’t open until May 22nd.

Golden Stoneflies doing their “thang".

Yesterday (Thursday), I got out to the Deschutes for a few hours with my girlfriend because she’d been jonesing for some trout after a long winter of steelhead casting (rather than catching). It’d been a little while since I’ve been out to the mighty Deschutes and it was cool to see the hillsides covered in a blanket of green, wild flowers, and the smell of desert sage in the air. This was the first Oregon river to steal my heart when I was still a Colorado resident and spent summers guiding the river and coaching snowboard camps up on Mt. Hood. More specifically, it was the legendary salmonfly/stonefly hatch on the Deschutes that really grabbed my attention. I feel I’m probably not the only one who loves rising fish and dry flies either… Indeed, this river is not always forgiving. Upon arrival we noticed that the winds would probably be the victor for the day. However, we were able to punch some flies out and find some trout willing to rise.

Curiosity led us to the White River to see its condition and it turned out to be less of a factor, but I did notice less bugs at the time down lower. We’d found more stoneflies than salmon flies down low, while after up river some nearer to Maupin it seemed about 50/50 among the big bugs in the grass. March Browns are done and the Drakes are still a little ways out. I did see a few Caddisflies and Blue Winged Olives flying around too. This river is quite the trout factory with its prolific hatches and strong shouldered redside trout.  

Giant Salmonflies were digging the Winston Microspey as much as I was. It’s super fun to skate flies and spey cast for trout! These new S/A integrated Skagit and Scandi Lite lines are awesome too!

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

 

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