Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 10/16/18

 

I've been away from local waters lately as I took an annual fall steelheading trip. This year my girlfriend Chelsey and I took off to fish some Columbia River tributaries out East. Our target was the Clearwater, Snake, and Grande Ronde. We'd never been, and despite low returns we decided to go anyways. Fishing was tough, though we found a few. The Clearwater was touting it's fall colors and it was easy to be distracted while swinging a run. I does parallel a busy highway and it felt like I was rolling the dice every time I pulled out of a spot or looked for a new one. Most all the prime water had an angler or two nearby at all times of the day. No big B-Run's, though there was a fish that I hooked and lost that could've been...

Over on the Snake I loved taking out the big stick and dropping long bombs while not even covering 1/5 of the water. Then transitioning over to the Ronde with a switch rod and ability to hit the far bank. Everywhere was beautiful, though pressure was high and fish counts very low. I talked to an old timer who's family had been fishing the area since the 40's and said this was one of the hardest years they've ever experienced. While steelheading sure ain't easy, this is a tougher year for us all. We linked up with some friends and made some new ones along the way too- Campfire whiskey, lunchtime fly tying, and miles and miles of walking each day in beautiful country made this year's Steel Headquarters a blast.

Steelhead: We are working hard out for any type of encounter with Mykiss. Those lucky enough to score prime water still aren't guaranteed anything. The Deschutes has been pumping out a fish here and there, and same with the Klickitat. If you're complaining about only hooking a fish here and there, its possible steelhead fishing isn't for you. I always tend to fish smaller drab flies, however this time of the year I certainly exercise that section of my fly box more. I preach the skater takes and steelhead will crush a hitched muddler with reckless abandon, so be sure to keep those nearby too. Sometimes when the fish have seen all the go-to patterns I like to show them something different, and that's when skittering a waking fly across the surface can be just the ticket to spark their interest. 

Just one of those years...

Trout: Fishing is certainly slowing down in the higher elevation streams and lakes. Soon many will be even be closed for the Winter. All along the Deschutes and Klickitat, October Caddis are out and about. Trout love these big juicy bugs and I like fishing them too, in part because they're much easier to see on the water in comparison to other caddis. There are also some smaller size 16 and 18 caddis hatches happenings on the Deschutes and you'll see lots of BWO's on cloudy days below a riffle. However, come the cold season I really enjoy fishing streamers on the Deschutes with a trout spey.

Warmwater: Bass fishing has been slowing down some with the cooler nights and water. I was just over on the John Day looking for early steelhead and found only bass, however they were all pretty sluggish and not' too abundant. Mornings have been pretty cold so I think that is definitely translating to their behavior. Columbia River action is also slow, however the fish still gotta eat so if you're going to focus your efforts there, I'd wait till the sun heats up the river a little.

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.

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Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977  

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 9/30/18

 

ODFW and WDFW released some important closure information the other week regarding the Columbia River for steelhead and salmon. Fishing for either and retention is prohibited effective September 13th until further notice. This effects the main stem Columbia River from Buoy 10 to the OR/WA border upstream of McNary Dam. Night angling upstream to OR/WA border is also closed.

However, this shouldn't effect much of the fly anglers as we typically target the tributaries more for Salmon/Steelhead, it should hopefully make the fishing a little better.

Steelhead: While numbers are indeed low, the fishing hasn't been too bad. In fact, a couple friends have hooked and landed some fairly large summer fish recently and I've hooked/lost a couple nice ones lately as well. The Klickitat still has some fairly low flows over there and with the clear water it begs for much smaller/less obtrusive flies. The salmon push out the steelhead from their typical lies so they are generally found in the shallower water. Water temps have also dropped slightly over there too. I've been seeing a bit of October Caddis flying around and have stuck to the muddler program, either fished as a skater on a light wire hook for surface disruption or on a heavier iron swung in the surface film.

New sword: Burkheimer 6139-4 with an Airflo Delta Spey II 6/7 - A match made in heaven!

The Deschutes is fishing from sun up to sun down. A common misconception is that when the sun is up folks think you must fish down deep with tips. While there is some elemental aspects the sun plays, you certainly can fish floating lines all day on that river providing you're swinging your fly away from the sun rather than into it. Sometimes its more satisfactory to fish your methods of choice until they prevail, as apposed to waiting for prevailing conditions. But, I'm not here to judge as long as you're having fun and treating the fishery with respect. Steelhead are throughout the entire lower Deschutes this time of year, which offers the ability for anglers to spread out some and find a little more solitude.

Trout: I just got back from an annual trip to Montana that I take every year with my Dad. It's always a blast and for some reason we always seem to catch some funky weather. This year it was a bit of wind, mixed with some rain and even hail. Dry fly fishing was just so-so, but the streamer action was a blast. I missed a couple pigs but found plenty of fish in the 18-22" range.

 This guy sure had a neat looking head. I love streamer eating browns!

Our longtime guide/friend, Michael Guerin is always a blast to fish with. He is a wealth of knowledge with a couple fisheries science degrees. After growing up steelhead/salmon fishing in Washington, he's been a premier Florida Key's guide for Permit, Tarpon, Bonefish for the last 30 years. He's guided SE Alaska's Spring Steelhead based off a "mothership" boat and utilizing jetboats to access rivers, and has tackled the Montana trout program for a decade and a half. Have fish a question? He most likely has an answer. On top of that he's also got one of the priestliest boats on the water that only took him a few hundred labor hours to build- a fiberglass/wood stitch low-sider that's perfect for Montana's Missouri River. It's always a pleasure to get on the water with him and hear his stories. Last Christmas he sent me a Russell Chatham book, Dark Waters, which is a great read for those who like essays, stories, and articles that are more based on exploits with friends regarding hunting, fishing, food, and life changes. It diverges a bit from traditional fishing lore, and Chatham is clearly a fan of Rodrick Haig-Brown as his literature reflects it. I highly recommend it to any readers out there.  

Montana is a trout factory. Regardless of the fishing, the trips there never disappoint. 

I don't have a good first hand report for the local trout(ings). But, the Caddis hatches are still going strong on the Deschutes and we're definitely seeing some October Caddis in the mix too. The higher creeks and lakes are slowing down some as the water cools off, but it doesn't mean the fishing has to stop just yet. Lost Lake Resort does close down this October 1st, but you should still be able to access the lake for a little while longer.

Warmwater: Fishing for smallies and carp has also slowed down on the big Columbia some as it too is experiencing some colder water. No longer are we seeing the consistent top water bite for the bass and it's primarily moved back to baitfish patterns that're fished deeper. Over on the John Day water has risen slightly, but the bass fishing should still be good.

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.

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Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977  

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 9/12/18

Conditions begged for a sink tip, but the heart begged to skate one up...

(Burkheimer 7117-4, Hardy Perfect 3 7/8", S/A Scandi Lite Integrated 420gr.)

Steelhead: Oh steelheading... Love it or hate it it has never been easy. Some of us have experienced some great days, and even great years. This summer season I've had some great days, and I don't always base whether or not I'll go fishing by looking at the counts. But the counts do is give us an overall picture, and hopefully a little insight to what's going on. We're looking a little worse than last year's low-return down lower on the Columbia, but upstream it looks as though some fish are migrating. Last year we had some great fishing on the Deschutes with the lower numbers while upstream I heard it was a little more challenging (for some). This season its slightly opposite- starting off good along the lower Deschutes, but as fish finally got some cooler water in the Columbia many seemed to boogie further on up the system. This is hopefully good news for Idaho where folks are worried about losing their famous large B-run native fish altogether largely due to dams, hatcheries, and gillnet fisheries.

We're pretty far off of the 10-year average where we had some great ocean conditions and returns. 

Below is the Year To Date counts for a handful of dams along the Columbia and Snake. 

Locally, fishing has been okay but hasn't been super stellar. Jet boat trips and camps are starting to pick up along the lower Deschutes, and honestly is probably the best way to really target that river and get put on prime water. While it's mostly one-salt A-run fish being caught, there have been some occasional B-run fish picked up in the mix. The Klickitat has also churned out a few fish, though its getting busier over there as salmon are nosing into the Klick and that river tends to be a little more on the conventional gear/bobber side of things anyways. However, that doesn't mean they still wont hit a swung fly. The Klickitat is pretty low right now and its made it a little more challenging for drift boats, but you can access more spots in these levels too. It looks like we've got a little bit of rain in the forecast so we'll have to see how much it affects out local waters.

Trout: Once again, Chelsey and I went back to a little trout stream over on the Washington side and chased some lil' guys (and gals) around. We keep exploring different sections and keep finding interesting pieces of water. Thanks to Google Earth I've found lots of places or access to water I've always been curious about. A double edge sword though as others utilize the same platforms, and my best suggestion would be to sometimes keep things to yourself. I'm happy to point you in the right direction, but I implore you to explore. I've had campgrounds/water that were seemingly unknown until one day we stumble upon piles of trash left behind, and then often the places are never the same. Pack in, pack out. Other than that you just might find a sweet new little spot that quickly becomes a favorite hangout.

Chelsey casting to some feeding trout. 

The Deschutes is seeing some of the first October Caddis hatches, along with some Mahogany Duns and caddis in the size 16-18 range. A long time shop customer came in just recently to re-stock on some sculpin patterns and quickly reminded me that I don't need to just fish streamers in winter when the steelhead bite is slow. If you wanna target some of the bigger resident trout that the Deschutes has to offer, I would highly suggest a 3 or 4wt trout spey and an assortment of sculpin snacks. Fish em a little differently than a swung fly for steelhead in that you want to add speed and strip rather than slow it down. This brings out the aggressive fish and they will smash those streamer patterns! Nevertheless, there is always nymphing to produce when the dry fly or streamer fishing gets slow.

Warmwater: I gotta admit I don't do a whole lot of warm water fishing. I thrive in cold weather, and enjoy romping around higher elevations. It's just in my blood. That said, I do enjoy fishing the John Day for bass during low summer flows so I can find the good holding water come steelhead season (I know, a one-track mind sometimes). The Columbia is at my doorstep (almost), and I should get out there more often. Especially after seeing pictures and hearing stories from friends who do fish it often. I've got some buddies who target fishing near the sand bars as they hang out with family and end up doing pretty good- even finding some big ones. While those who target rock structure generally find a larger percentage of bigger fish. This doesn't mean overlook the beaches and flats as you'll find plenty of carp and smallmouth there too. We just got a re-stock of some key bass and carp flies so come on in if you need any!

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.

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Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977  

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 8/7/18

This little hen missed my muddler 3 times before finally committing... All Hail The Muddler!

Steelhead: Pressure is starting to pick up on the rivers. Chelsey made it out to the Klickitat Sunday morning before work to find about a foot of visibility and anglers in almost every spot below town. Even though clarity is only marginally better, I guess people (myself included) are just jonesing to fish the Klick as its been out of shape for most of the season so far.

A little look at some of the damage caused by fires on the lower Deschutes.

The lower Deschutes is also seeing more and more pressure as people walk/bike up from the mouth, jet up/float down, or are using the access road above Macks Canyon. The lower sections of the river were burned pretty bad in a series of nasty fires. I hopped in Fish The Swing's jet boat with Captain Curtis Ciszek and Little Creek Outfitters, Marty Sheppard to go have a look at the water and see what the fires had done. Some of the riparian zones survived and animals (though they're looking very stressed) are seeking refuge by the water and what little shade is left. The water is still very warm over there from afternoon through evening and I am surprised ODFW hasn't implemented a Hoot Owl closure with these warmer temperatures. My suggestion is to keep a thermometer handy and self-regulate fishing once water temps reach the upper 60's to help protect our native fish.

Trout: During this mid-summer heat I prefer the cool water up in the high country and wet wading or floating around some lake. There have been some excellent callibaetis hatches lately, and though the Hex flies have been a little hit and miss at times we're still seeing them.

A nice vista on the way to a cold lake up near Mt. Hood

Trout over on the Deschutes are slowly being overlooked as more anglers are targeting the few early run steelhead that have made it up. Caddis and mayflies are still showing up daily, though with the warmer water nymphing has been producing the best results.

Warmwater: Not a whole lot has changed as far as targeting warmwater species. The bass are out and about, happy and aggressive to various baitfish patterns and topwater poppers- White, chartreuse, yellow, black, orange are all common bass colors work well on the Columbia. John Day bass take a variety of stuff that's usually on the smaller side, but one of my favorites is just a simple black leach with a little red bead head. Columbia Carp are still eating nymphs such as the Carey Special and Dragon Nealley's, along with Carp Crawlers and Bonefish Worms. If the carp are out sunbathing its usually a little tougher to get them to cooperate than if they're tailing and actively feeding.

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Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977 

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 7/31/18

Swinging the Lower D before the hills turned black...

As I write this report, there are currently 17 wild fires burning 117,000+ acres in Oregon and Washington. Our beloved Deschutes River has been hit hard this summer with fires- approx 235,000 acres have burned in the canyon and above in farmlands so far. It first began with lightening strikes causing the Boxcar fire near the town of Maupin. Then it was the Substation fire, which was labeled as arson. Now the latest, Long Hollow fire was also listed as man-made and thought to be started with a cigarette out a car window. What's frustrating is despite a widespread fire ban, people are still building campfires, ashing ciggs out the car window, using recreation trails for motorized use (dirt bikes/atv's), etc. With just a little forward thinking we could protect these resources we cherish- Though that could be said for a lot of current events, I'll bite my tongue from opening that particular can of worms...

 Not a lot of these left along the banks of the Deschutes...

Steelhead: People must be getting excited as we've been fulfilling lots of orders for summer steelhead related gear for anglers across the West coast. One glorious aspect of where we live is that within a 60-mile radius, we can find chrome-bright fish 12 months out of the year. Although its never a guarantee- and steelheading never is- its a big reason why I can't live elsewhere where steelhead have short run-times and long off-seasons. That said, we're finding a few fish here and there. Early fish always seem aggressive and tend to empty reels quickly. The hard part is simply finding them and swinging your fly properly.

 While two are never alike, my favorite summer steelhead pattern to tie is the Muddler.

I've been exploring a few new reaches lately while the Klickitat remains blown out and the Deschutes is literally on fire and hosting lethal water temps that lend fishing irresponsibly for steelhead once water temps near 70 degrees. New water always excites me and same with skating dries. Typically if I'm with somebody else the first person goes through with a dry to find the player, and then the second person will come in with a wet fly right behind. It keeps the participation level up and an engaging way to fish with your partner.  

Trout: The small creek fishing has been stellar lately. Pick your favorite dry fly and go wet wade some cold water. Some favorites are Elk Hair Caddis, Purple Parachute Adams, Yellow Sallies, and so forth. While I've never really been much of a nymph-fisher, they'll also work well on the creeks. However these small fish are advantageous with their limited supply of food and will take down various morsels that look like they might be tasty. On a couple creeks that host larger than average trout, you'll have to work a little harder and match the hatch more accordingly.

Clean and cold water on a 100 degree day.

Up on the lakes, the Hexagenia hatch is providing some evening fun! We also just stocked up on some sweet new Hex patterns from RIO, and another generic one I like is a size 10 Yellow Stimulator. Mid-day lends itself more to sinking lines and stripped Woolly Bugger-like patterns. When stripping flies, I often change it up a little to see what the fish prefer. Sometimes its longer steady strips, other times its a couple short quick strips and slower pauses. Basically ya just gotta feel it out.

The Deschutes is fishing just okay right now for trout, and like the steelheading its best to fish in the morning and early afternoon. Late afternoon through the evening is just a little too warm for the fish and though ODFW hasn't implemented a Hoot Owl closure, we are able to self regulate our fishing and I always like bringing a thermometer with me to check throughout the day.

Warmwater: The closest and most available fishery near us is to head out and fish the warm water of the Columbia. The sloughs alongside the river also offer a ton of availability and its easy to find some private section for yourself. Carp fishing ain't exactly easy but occasionally some 20 pounders are caught, though your average range between 8-12lbs. If targeting carp, often times smallmouth bass are picked up as bi-catch. Carp tend to hang more on the flats, while the larger bass are usually by rocky outcroppings. However, to find those big boy smallies it requires a little more work to find the hot spots, and bring an arsenal of flies too from clousers and baitfish patterns to large poppers. The John Day River is another great option for bass. While the fish there tend to be much smaller on average, its a great place to take first timers and kids to get them into fishing.

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Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977 

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 7/19/18

Steelhead: We've been receiving quite a few phone calls lately regarding how the fishing is, or rather will be. My gut feeling is there's a lot worse things we could be spending time doing instead of chasing unicorns in pretty places.

Though I will say the Klickitat's conditions are not exactly optimal right now. Its been colored for a little bit now and looks like it will stay colored for a little longer. Although our forecast does seem to show some marginally cooler weather on the way that could help cycle through some of the glacial till- that's keeping it a grey/brown color. The good news is that Klick fish haven't seen much pressure if you're keen on swinging a fly there, I would fish some larger profile flies into the bank as they will be more comfortable to stay shallow in this water color.

Approximately 6" of visibility on the Klick from the other day...

Over on the Deschutes there might be a couple fish around, however water temps have been topping out near 72 degrees. Some might remember a few years back when ODFW issued afternoon and evening closures on many rivers including the Deschutes. A few reasons why; however a large one is that steelhead just simply do not revive well in warmer waters. Especially after they just ran a marathon, taking you into backing twice as you struggled to reach bankside during a harrowing wade...

Last year when water temps were high and I needed a quick fix after work, a buddy and I clipped the hook points off our flies just past the bend. Lee Spencer-style if you will. Basically, I just wanted that grab... And, sometimes self-regulating our fishing ain't a bad thing. Around the 1st week of August, the Pelton Dam should resume releasing cool water again to keep water fishable from sun up to sun down.

Trout: Fishing up in the lakes has been a nice reprieve lately with this hot weather. It beats hugging the AC unit at home and the dogs like the adventures too. Trout also don't seem to mind interacting either. I haven't been out late into the evening, but the Hex hatch typically starts around mid-July on the Mt. Hood or Adams lakes. Tilt Wing and Cripple Callibaetis, Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Adams, etc. are still working great up there for dries in the morning and evening. Mid-day subsurface leech patterns on sinking lines will get the job done during the heat of the day. Travis' hot tip is to trim the tails up some and the trout will respond a little better.

Maddie Duddles having a blast on a recent trip.

Over on the Deschutes, Mayflies and Caddis are still producing and we'll see some trout sipping on them during the low light hours. In the afternoon it's turned into largely a subsurface game. Nymphing and especially Euro Nymphing are working, though we also like to throw streamers in search of a some chunky Redsides. Streamer fishing the Deschutes seems to stay off the radar and probably due to the fact that you can't fish from a boat, however at times we'll happily pick up a trout spey and start covering water!

Warmwater: I don't know, it all feels a little warm lately... But, targeting Columbia smallies and carp on the flats has been good. Jacob and the boys have been out almost every evening and finding some great fish around. The carp haven't been easy, but on calmer wind days you should be able to at least spot them easier. Speaking of wind, if its a few miles per hour from the East or just a light West wind, this is a great time to target the Smallmouth Bass out there. Surface action isn't just for the evening now and mid-day can bring some big boys up too. 

 Columbia Gold

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. 

Substation Fire: Deschutes River Report

 

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Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

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. 

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Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

Columbia Gorge Fishing Report (7/4/18)

Happy 4th of July!

Maupin Area Fire update: Central Oregon Fire Information lists the Boxcar and Jack Knife fires to be mostly all contained after burning roughly 115,000 acres. As of July 2nd, another fire around the Mecca Flats on the Deschutes started up, consuming over 500 acres- The cause is currently under investigation. July 4th is here and while fireworks can provide a great spectacle, they're best left to the professionals. We expect a fairly dry season here and I think we call all agree that human-caused wildfires are completely unnecessary, so please be mindful out there!

Steelhead: More and more are trickling in each day and the dam numbers are looking relatively good. For a little while there, we saw a bit of fish moving over the Bonneville Dam but not The Dalles or the John Day. As of lately, The Dalles dam is picking up count numbers and generally by July 4th you might be able to find a fish in the lower 15 miles of the Deschutes. Sam Sickles with Steelhead Outfitters has really figured out the early fishing out there and hoping on a jet boat is an excellent way to cover water. The Moody Gauge on the D is showing temperatures reaching near 69 degrees during the heat of the day. While I personally don't fish for steelhead in those temperatures, I  hope some other anglers will self-regulate there hours too as water warms up. The fish just don't revive well after all the lactic acid buildup from essentially running a marathon after you hook 'em.

The Klickitat has been churning out a bit of color lately though I did float it last week and action was slow. In fact, I've heard its been slow from the gear anglers as well. The good news though is pressure has been fairly light so the fish are more aggressive when you find out where they're hanging.

Trout: If approaching the Deschutes, I would still be fishing below Sherars Falls to avoid some angler riff raff and fire crews working up near the Maupin/Warms Springs area. Caddis flies are still productive and trout are sipping them wherever you find oxygen-rich water. These warm summer days do tend to push the trout a little deeper and it we've got a few awesome nymphs for getting down there such as Silvey's Super Sinker, Rainbow Warrior, etc. The tungsten on these flies allows you to get down quick without the need for split shot.

Tom Larimer with a Deschutes Redside, putting a nice bend in the G. Loomis Asquith 590-4

Stillwater fishing has been good lately and if you are wanting to fish some of the popular lakes, do yourself a favor and head out early. Most folks recreating to these lakes who aren't there for the fishing don't typically show up until later in the day, which can leave the morning open for some great fishing opportunities. Again, later in the evening when most folks are heading out can provide some more great action- Just be sure to bring a headlamp and maybe some mosquito juice to keep the bugs off.

Warmwater: The smallmouth bass fishing has been fantastic lately and the top water action nearer to the evenings is a fun way to see how aggressive these fish can be. Site fishing for carp is always a fun game of cat and mouse when the big guys cruising the shallows- they can be fairly difficult at times but they sure put up a good fight!

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

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Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977