Current River Condition
The Deschutes River is in perfect shape, flowing at normal levels for this time of year.
Flows and Water Conditions
Great flows and clear for the entire lower 100 miles.
Hatch Report
Caddis Flies, Little Yellow Sallies, Craneflies, Aquatic Moths, PMDs, PEDs, Pink Alberts
River News
Trout fishing remains strong in the fall but the majority of anglers have begun to fish for steelhead.
River Fishing Report
Deschutes River Fishing Report -
September 1, 2010
Even though we have been steelhead fishing for 6 weeks already, for many people the steelhead season starts in September. Nobody would argue that September and October are prime months for steelhead on the Deschutes, and this year is panning out to be one of the stronger returns of fish, though we may not see the sheer numbers of fish that we saw last season. The fish we are hooking right now are all being hooled on floating lines swinging down and across. We use skaters and non weighted flies such as the steelhead coachman, lum plum, streetwalker, undertaker....keep them around size 6 and fish with confidence. Fish are larger than average since a lot of the one salt fish of last year have returned as two salt bruisers this year. The cool weather has been fantastic in recent days, so we hope it holds. As long as cool weather holds we expect that the river clarity will hold since the White River (major tributary) will stay in shape.
Trout anglers have the river pretty much to themselves these days. All the nice pocket water boulder patches and deep back eddies are there for the fishing. Caddis remain king, but recent overcast days have seen the caddis challenged by swarms of mayflies. If you see the swallows working the water hard, switch to a small parachute mayfly pattern for great success. Nymphing will be productive with cased caddis and small bead head droppers. Stop by the shop and we'll show you the very best trout patterns of the week.
Fall is upon us and we are loving life here in Maupin! Hope to see you on the river. TIght lines! Amy & John Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
August 10, 2010
I won't lie to any of you, the river is pretty dang busy in the month of August with a bunch of rafters. This can make fishing a less than serene experience when hoards of yayhoos are screaming "Catchin Anything?!?" as they paddle through your prime dry fly water. You can manage to avoid the rubber hatch by fishing really early in the morning in the paved "splash and giggle corridor" 10 miles downstream of Maupin to 5 miles upstream of Maupin. When you see the first floatilla of rafts headed your way, reel up and fish the water upstream of where they launch or downstream of where they take out. These are the non-paved stretches of river. The early morning fishing will be mainly a dead or spent caddis game - unless you modify your elk hair caddis with a serious pair of scissors, you will not even be in the game with a pattern that looks that lively. All the caddis that hatch in the evening are dead on the water in the wee hours of the morning and those make up the majority of the trout's breakfast. The best patterns are those that lay flat on the water - antennae are a nice realistic touch. Later on in the day you will want to seek out the shaded water where trees over hang the river and the current is strong. Trout are seeking as much oxygen as they can get right now, so you are fishing over a wasteland unless you are fishing the foamy boiling water. A good approach to the mid-day is to fish a caddis or aquatic moth imitation with a small size 16 or 18 bead head dropper hanging 18 inches below the dry. A diving caddis or caddis pupa is an excellent choice for a dropper.
Now, the topic that many people are most curious about.....steelhead. Yes, the dam counts are big, yes, there are steelhead in the Deschutes, but overall I would say that steelhead fishing isn't absolutely bonkers as the dam counts would lead you to believe. On average, anglers are hooking one to two steelhead per day when fishing a solid 12 hours per day. Once in a while you strike the jackpot and run into multiple steelhead holding in one run, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Most of the steelhead are holding from the mouth up to Shearer's Falls - with a few trickling in above the falls and in the Maupin area. I would say that traffic has been outragous for the early season and it is bound to get even more crowded as we head into the prime time months of September and October. A crowded river can lead to a lot of frustration if you only know one or two popular spots to fish. My suggestion, to alleviate your own stress level, is to explore new spots that look promising. Either that, or stay home....no, seriously, there is nothing more rewarding than looking at a spot, giving it a try for the first time, and hooking a nice steelhead in your first pass through. A busy river will force you to do just that and it might be the best thing that ever happened to you.
For steelhead we are fishing floating lines and either skating dry flies or fishing non-weighted wet flies just below the surface of the water. No need to dredge or go deep as the steelhead have definately been looking up!! You haven't experienced true steelhead fishing until you have experienced an electrifying grab on a swinging fly on floating line. There is no mistaking the animal on the end of your line. You never ask yourself...was that a rock? Am I stuck on the bottom again? When you get that grab, the next thing you know you have backing ripping off your reel and a chromer cartwheeling at the end of your line!
I talk to a lot of guys making the transition from trout fishing to steelhead fishing. Many of these anglers are used to nymph fishing and they have gotten quite good at fishing in this manner over their years of trout fishing. When they come to the Deschutes, they naturally want to use the methods that they are most familiar with and most confident in using. They will hook a lot of steelhead using their nymphing methods, and on some days they may hook more than the guys swinging. I can see the logic in sticking to their familiar method of fishing and it makes sense....however, I think they are really missing the opportunity to dive into a new experience and to embrace the opportunity to hook fish in a way that may require a little more work but which offers fantastic rewards.
Here is the best way that I have found to put the nymphing versus swinging debate into an analogy that makes a lot of sense: I grew up downhill skiing and downhill ski racing in the midwest. We skiied icy groomed slopes all day every day and we got really good at that type of skiing. We could chew up a lot of vertical feet each day on our 300 foot tall Buck Hill. When I moved out of the midwest I went to Jackson, WY to be a ski bum. Stepping off the gondola on my first day on the mountain I was faced with a new challenge - thigh deep powder! It was tough. I had 195 cm stiff slalom racing stock boards and I struggled with the deep powder and the tree skiing. I would have gotten a lot more vertical feet each day had I stuck with skiing the courdory groomed trails that I could see through the trees as I skiied the chutes and the deep powder. But, in time, after learning to float on the powder rather than trying to cut through it, I experienced what Jackson really had to offer that I couldn't find in the midwest - truly epic powder days! I didn't ski all that many runs in the day, but it wasn't about racking up vertical feet - I could do that on groomed trails, but I chose not to. I wanted face shots, powder immersion, that amazing floating feeling.....which I never would have experienced by skiing groomed trails. So swing that fly on floating line and put a skater on - you will then have the chance to experience the very best of what the Deschutes has to offer. Fly fishing is a sport of passion and nowhere will you find the passion of the sport running stronger through the veins of the anglers than during steelhead season on the Deschutes. Ski the groomers if you feel safer and more comfortable, but you'll have to learn to ignore the screams of joy and howls of ecstasy coming from the guys floating through the powder in the trees right next to you.
Tight lines! Amy Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
Deschutes River Fishing Report - July 5, 2010
Another July 4th weekend has come and gone and it never ceases to amaze us how few people there are in and around town on what should be a busy holiday weekend. I guess the lack of pyrotechnic displays has something to do with it.... More room for the lucky few who were here to enjoy the beautiful weekend.
After a cold spring and late summer, we are finally going to get our hot summer weather starting tomorrow. What does this mean for the fishing? Bugs galore. Caddis so think in the evenings that you cannot breathe, aquatic moths all over the banks, hoards of craneflies, and a mayfly bonanza on any overcast day.
Fishing tactics will dicate that you fish early morning and evening and concentrate on the shaded patches of water when the mid-day sun is super intense. The trout will be moving into the highly oxygenated water like along the edges of large rapids, in riffles, and in bouldery pocket water. They are looking up, so don't wait until you see rising fish...just put on that dry fly and get it out in the foam lines.
Steelhead season is around the corner. Good numbers are in the Columbia River, some have turned into the Deschutes but we have heard about a lot more fishing than catching. Still, it only takes one steelhead to make your day....it's kind of like getting a hole in one in golf, you forget all about the seven double bogies you had before the hole in one. By August the numbers of steelhead (and people chasing them) should be pretty good if the returns continue the way they are.
We'll see you on the river! Stop by our fly shop (the big one) on the main street of Maupin across from the brand new awesome Maupin Market.
Tight lines!
Amy Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
Deschutes River Fishing Report - June 3, 2010
I have been so busy with the craziness of the stonefly hatch that I have been neglecting this report! Sorry. We had an epic hatch this year of salmonflies and golden stones. It came slightly early due to some changes that are taking place on the regulating dam water releases. The water temps are a few degrees warmer than normal, which brought on the hatch about one week earlier than normal. Hot weather early on in the hatch accelerated it but then the cool weather of the past two weeks has stalled the hatch quite nicely. What this means for anglers is that the big trout in the Maupin area and upstream are certainly eager to attack golden stones and (the higher up you go above Trout Creek) salmonflies. The muggy warm weather has triggered a whole lot of mayfly action and we have been enjoying huge hatches of green drakes almost daily as well as Pale Morning Duns, Pale Evening Duns, Pink Alberts, and BWOs. If you have a general imitative mayfly pattern like a parachute adams, it will work okay....but you are better off to use something with a light yellow body or dark green if you see the green drakes.
For those of you floating from Warm Springs or Trout Creek to Maupin, be aware that Whitehorse has claimed a few driftboats this week and there may be salvage operations going on with a rescue jet boat in the middle of the rapid and ropes strung all over the place. Be sure to scout to make sure the coast is clear.
Dry flies are the name of the game right now - it has been weeks since we had to resort to nymph fishing. It works well to start the morning with a small dropper fly off the bend of the hook of the dry fly. Once the trout are taking the dry fly you can cut the beadhead dropper off the hook.
If you like to nyph fish above all other methods, then you should arm yourself with a handful of Hazel's cased caddis, green drake nymphs, Christmas Princes, King Princes, Crown jewels, and other big nymphs that imitate the insects of the week.
Tight lines!
Amy Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in downtown Maupin, Oregon
Deschutes River Fishing Report - May 10, 2010
I was out on the river all day yesterday doing a float from Nena to Maupin City Park and there are stoneflies everywhere on the bushes! Most of the bugs I saw were the big salmonflies, but there were some golden stones in the mix too. This is the very beginning of the big hatch, so the fish are just starting to key in on the big bugs. I was actually not fishing during this float because it was a maiden voyage of a raft that a couple bought through our store, and I was giving a rowing lesson. The few times I tossed the adult salmon flies into the foam lines, they were gobbled in short order by waiting trout. I saw quite a few bugs mating in the bushes and falling into the river, but very few were out on the wing. It was warm and the warming trend is forecast to continue, so this weekend should be an excellent one for avid dry fly anglers. Don't wait until June to think about the salmonfly hatch because you will miss it if you wait that long. The next three weeks will provide anglers an excellent opportunity to hook big trout on dry flies. The bugs are even thicker as you go down river and non-existant upriver in the Trout Creek area. Remember, this hatch is one that moves upriver as it develops. If you want to see the big bugs now, go downstream of Maupin. They have been out for a longer stretch of time downstream of Maupin and the fish are likely to be keyed in on them more strongly the further downstream of Maupin you travel. Be armed with lots of ammo - and don't hesitate to change patterns if you get rejection on your favorite pattern. The early part of the hatch is sometimes the best because the trout are so greedy and are just coming off the spawn. Hope to see you soon!
Deschutes River Fishing Report:
April 19, 2010 - Great weather this past weekend brought the March Browns out in droves. I was on the water on Saturday and had huge numbers of trout slurping dry flies all over the place....too bad we were doing a Spey clinic and just using yarn on the end of our leaders! Everyone we saw on the river was nymph fishing, which has been very effective lately and is always a good go to plan if you have not seen any fish working the surface. The trout are back in the regular summer holding water now - look for good action in foam lines and riffles. The river is running a little less water than normal for this time of year, though it is 1000-1500 CFS higher than normal summer flows.
Next Satuday, the entire lower Deschutes will be open to fishing, which means that Warm Springs, Trout Creek, South Junction, and other favorite spots will all be open to trout fishing. This will alleviate a lot of the pressure around the Maupin area as people will be able to spread out over fifty more miles of river.
The weather looks to be very nice this week - today we are experiencing high overcast and very calm conditions. This is great fishing weather!! Tight lines,
Amy & John Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in "downtown" Maupin, Oregon.
April 5, 2010 - This past weekend (Easter weekend) the weather was cold and fairly nasty. Despite mother nature's best attempts to drive us from the river's edge and the campgrounds...some of us persevered. The rewards for our doggedness were great. The dry fly action on March Browns in size 12 and 14 was off the hook! Actually it was on the hook - lots of nice fat rainbows were, anyway. Fishing tight to the banks in the foamlines with a dry fly and in the riffles with a dry/dropper combo seemed to be the magic combo. Those we talked to who spent the entire day deep nymphing did not have the same wild success as those who targeted sipping trout on dries. This hatch will continue to be great for the next few weeks before we start to see our first big caddis hatches and the first of the Salmonflies in early May. See you on the river!
March 22, 2010 - The river has had a little color to it lately but not enough to negatively impact the fishing. The hatches of Blue winged olives have continued to be strong and the March Brown hatch is coming on stronger day by day. We expect that some of the best March Brown mayfly activity will be in the first week of April - which is why we wonder about the fly's name. Why didn't they name them April Browns? Any way, the big mayflies are getting thicker by the day and we love this hatch!
February 22, 2010 - Great fishing is upon us for big hungry trout sipping Blue Winged Olive mayflies in the backeddies. Dry fly action can last for ten minutes or four hours - depending on the day. If you get warm weather and cloud cover, get ready for some long sessions with the dry fly. When the hatch does not materialize, do not fear - nymph fishing will be a great way to scare up the large rainbows feeding subsurface. We will start to see March Browns in good numbers by the third week in March, and a smattering of stoneflies and caddis are always around in the winter to keep things interesting. Fish the foam and the slower water and look before you leap! Tight lines....Amy Hazel
December 28, 2009 - Had a few inches of snow last night, which probably won't stick around for long. As the snow starts melting the river will rise and the color might go off for a day or two. Some folks are still chasing steelhead - which are all summer fish that will be lazing around for a few more months when they spawn. Most steelhead being hooked right now are on deep sunk wet flies like intruder style patterns. Guys out there nymphing for trout will also encounter steelhead down deep. The majority of steelhead in the river now are wild native fish holding out for a chance to run up one of the tributaries to spawn. The hatchery fish are gone for the most part, though there are some stragglers left over. If your goal is to hook a hot Deschutes steelhead, you should have been here 2-3 months ago when they were fresh. There are still some fiesty fish out there, but most anglers hang up the steelhead gear by the end of January or head off to rivers with winter run fish.
Trout fishing can be awesome in the winter. We get a small but intense window of BWO hatches in the mid day nearly every day. The trout are hanging out in backeddies and slower pools - not in the riffles and runs they prefer in summer. There is definately a learning curve to figuring out the trout habitat in the winter, but once you do the rewards are great.
We are open all winter and are spending a lot of time and moolah beefing up our already awesome selection of fly tying materials. Stop in and brouse if you are in the Maupin area.
Tight lines! John and Amy Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
December 1, 2009 - The crowds are gone! The fish are still milling around the Deschutes in good numbers - though they have moved into the deeper slower pools since the weather turned cold. This week the weather has been great - but cold weather is due in less than a week which may slow fishing down significantly.
November 10, 2009 - Steelhead are in good numbers throughout the entire river. The big October Brights came in on schedule in late October and they can be found buising their way around the lower river below Shearer's Falls.
Trout fishing remains strong all winter until the very high water events that we usually experience in the Spring (February and March). All through the winter the trout are eating BWOs in the mid-day and caddis, craneflies, and nymphs of all different kinds of stoneflies, caddis, and mayflies. If the water gets dirty and high, try a san juan worm down deep.
We are open all winter long to serve you when you visit the Maupin area. Tight lines! Amy & John Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
October 26, 2009 - Steelhead fishign remains strong. We are getting all of our fish on floating lines and near surface flies - non weighted flies. The strikes at the surface are violent and amazing! Traffic on the river was intense...but now that the steelhead are spread out into so many other rivers, things have mellowed out a bit. Fishing should remain strong through the month of December - after that we turn our attention to other rivers with steelhead that are a bit more fresh.
Trout fishing is strong right now on BWOs and craneflies. The big fatty trout are feasting on as many bugs as they can find in the foamlines, getting ready for a long winter.
See you on the river! Tight lines,
Amy Hazel and the staff at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
October 5, 2009 Steelhead fishing has been so busy and so good that I haven't had a chance to write this report for a while. The returns are big but so are the crowds on the Deschutes - wow - in over 30 years of guiding this river we have never seen it this crowded. Perhaps the crowds will now thin out thanks to the Grande Ronde and Clearwater steelhead fishing getting better by the day.
Despite the crowds, if you can find a place to fish and you get your fly in the water, you should encounter a steelhead or two. Floating line and non-weighted flies are working the best, though the dredgers are hooking fish too. I have never before heard of so many anglers hooking steelhead on dry flies - skaters. If you really want to hook a steelhead on a skated fly, tie one on and start fishing. It's as simple as that.
Trout fishing is also really good this time of year because the trout are gorging themselves in preperation for winter. We have seen great mayfly and caddis hatches for the last two weeks, and fish are really looking up for the dries. The cold harsh days of winter are just around the corner, so get out here if you can before the snow starts falling.
Tight lines, Amy & John Hazel and Deschutes Angler Fly Shop Staff
September 9, 2009 Steelhead fishing continues to be good and the White River has finally cleared! The hot weather coming might change that, but we are keeping our fingers crossed that the water will stay relatively clear. The early season fishing has been great. With September come the crowds - we are now seeing the license plates from dozens of states up and down the river. Unfortunately, the out of towners don't always know and understand the steelhead etiquette on the Deschutes. If someone is fishing a run, it is that person's run to fish. Do not step in within 200 yards of that angler. That is a good rule of thumb. There are planty of places to fish ont he Deschutes and you need to find your own little spot - steelhead are spread out in many miles of river, so it is not as if they are in select areas. Keep moving down river at a good pace and if another angler wants to join you in a run, let them follow you down the run. Anglers out here are swinging flies for the most part on floating lines. There is no need to go deep - the steelhead are aggressive to the surface flies. That's the way of the Deschutes.
Trout fishing is your best mid-day bet. Caddis hatches are strong, but so are the mayfly hatches on cloudy days. 4 and 5 weight rods are all you need for trout fishing the Deschutes.
The weather is fantastic right now, so we can't complain! See you on the river!
August 24, 2009 The steelhead season is in full swing, though trout fishing remains strong. The fish passage counts at the dams on the Columbia River indicate that we are set for record steelhead returns in the entire Columbia basin. Though we would hope all of the steelhead would turn right and head up the Deschutes, the reality comes to light when we look at the dam counts for the John Day dam - which are nearly as high as the counts ont he dams downstream. This means that a lot of steelhead are moving through, which bodes well for many other rivers East of the Deschutes.
With poor water conditions in the last few days, a lot of steelhead anglers have tucked tail and returned home dejected by the muddy river. The die hards hang on to that glimmer of hope that the river will be quick to clear - and today's cold chill in the air may just prove them right. We expect the water condtions to improve steadily over the next few days. Until then, the bigger flies have to be fished on sink tips in order for the steelhead to see them. We look forward to getting back to our usual floating line and surface or near-surface non-weighted fly presentations.
Trout fishing is still strong with clouds of caddis filling the skies as well as plenty of craneflies on the trout menu. Small is key this time of year, so get out your magnifying glasses to tie on a size 18 or 20 spent caddis. Fish tight to the banks where the trees provide shade and be sure to fish the foamlines.
Tight lines! Amy & John Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in bustling downtown Maupin, OR
August 3, 2009 Caddis and aquatic moths continue to dominate the trout scene. We have had super super hot weather over the past two weeks and it has made for pretty darn warm water temps (into the high 60s and low 70s) Trout fishing is smokin good in mornings adn evenings, but many anglers are turning their focus to the big boys coming up river. Yes, the steelhead are starting to trickle into the lower Deschutes and the numbers of anglers chasing them climb each day as the dam counts climb. We have not seen steelhead as high up as Maupin, but there are good numbers down low and they will be in our neighborhood soon.
If you do come out steelhead fishing, please remember that the Deschutes is one of the few rivers that still has an etiquette when it comes to steelhead water. The short version: If someone is fishing the spot you wanted to fish, it is time for you to go find another spot. If someone is sitting next to the spot that you wanted to fish, they still own that spot for the time being. They may be resting the water or waiting for the light to be optimal. The Deschutes is a big river and there is always another available spot around the next corner. Anglers swinging flies through the water will work downstream and eat up a ton of water very quickly. It is not okay to enter the water 50 or 100 yards downstream of an angler who is working down. If you talk to the angler they very well might have you follow them down the run. Communication is key.
Tactics for hooking steelhead on the Deschutes are simple. Use floating line, swing your fly down and across, don't mend much, use a fly sized 6 or 8 and don't worry too much about the fly pattern except to keep it sparse. Move five feet between casts and cover as much water as you can.
Trout anglers, read on for the trout info from July. The information still holds true.
July 13, 2009 Caddis hatches are in full swing - bring on the hot weather because the Caddis get thicker and thicker with each hot day. In addition to Caddis the Aquatic Moth hatch - often confused with caddis - is huge right now. These guys have a creamy white belly and wings that fold flat rather than tent-like. Try a very pale tan caddis or tie some up with creamy white bodies. Tiny craneflies are also significant in the trout diet diring these warm summer months. We like a tiny tan parachute as an imitation for the cranefly.
Fish the shady pockets of deep water under the trees in the mid day. If you get a very early start, you really need some good dead caddis imitations to fool the big bruisers - they eat dead caddis in the early morning hours and will refuse most other caddis patterns. Rocky Road Caddis and Slow Water Caddis are go to bugs for AM fishing.
Nymphing for trout will also produce, so if you tie on a cased caddis and a small dropper like the anato may, you will do very well throughout the day.
We are starting to see a few steelhead poking into the Deschutes river right now - although most of the activity is taking place in the lower 20 miles of river (Macks to the Mouth). It is still early to hook them in the Maupin area, but there are a few around and it only takes one to blow your mind! Look for the numbers to pick up though the month of August. Prime time for steelhead is still September through October.
We still have a few spots for guided Spey fishing for steelhead trips on the Deschutes. Give us a call if you want to hire one of the best guides on the river. 541-395-0995. We'll be on the water first and off the water last - steelhead trips are pre-dawn to dark.
TIght lines! Amy & John Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
June 29, 2009 The caddis hatches are off the charts right now as are the little yellow sally stoneflies. The trout are healthy and happy and eating dry flies. Start the morning with a dead caddis or with a yellow sally and a little bead head dropper about 18-20 " below it. Fish the dropper until the fish are only taking the dry. Some days you won't need the dropper - go right for the dry.
As the weather warms, anglers will find good fish holding in the shade of the trees along the river. If you don't have good shade or a good foamline with food delivery, you probably won't have good fish. The really hot weather (we haven't had any yet) will get a lot of trout moving up into the oxygenated riffles.
Cover a ton of water and keep moving. If you aren't hooking fish change your fly, make sure you have 5 X tippet on, and change your strategy. If the Deschutes trout put you in a funk during the day, just keep your energy reserves ready for great evening fishing. When the sun comes off the water the canyon starts boiling with rising fish!
Steelhead season is just around the corner - we should start seeing the dam counts on the rise in the coming weeks. I, for one, can't wait to swing flies for steelhead!
Tight lines, Amy & John Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
June 22, 2009 The Salmonfly hatch is over for the Deschutes for another year, but the great dry fly fishing continues for the next three months without the obscene crowds that flock to the river for the Salmonfly hatch.
The hatches are the most consistant through June and July as is the weather. The cool weather of late is coming to an end and this means nice warm days and bonanza hatches throughout the river. Caddis are the main entree, but little yellow sallies are also a favorite treat through about mid-July. On cloudy days the mayfly hatches will be the dominant food source, so keep some light cahills and pmds in your fly box at the ready for overcast days. Craneflies are the sleeper on the Deschutes - these are tiny little skinny tan flies that dance on the water and mate in clusters while tumbling along the grass lines.
Caddis in tan and olive bodies are typically the weapon of choice, though dark brown has been a high producer this week. When in doubt, change flies and you will see results more quickly.
Nymphing will be a good way to search deep pockety water for big fish, but don't have blinders on to the great morning, mid-day and evening dry fly activity. The Deschutes trout are not obvious when they rise to the surface to eat dries - so your decision to fish dries should not be based on how many fish you saw rising on a particular day.
Our private lakes are closed for the season due to warm weather and warm water. They will open again in September.
Steelhead season is just around the corner. If you want a guide trip with the most experienced guides on the river, give us a call. There is nothing better than swinging a steelhead fly on a floating line and getting the big grab. Steelhead will electrify you down to your wading boots. Our guides will make certain that you are in the most productive water at the best times of the day.
Hope to see you in Maupin or on the water soon!
Tight lines, John and Amy Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
June 9, 2009 We are now on the tail end of the salmonfly/stonefly hatch. A few big trout are still feeding on the spent egg layers, but there are a lot of other juicy morsels out there to tempt the trout. We have seen strong mayfly hatches all week - especially on the rare cloudy days that we have. THe Green Drakes have made a very limited cameo appearance, but the Pale Morning Duns, Pink Alberts, and Pale Evening Duns are out in good numbers. Caddis are on the upswing, so it is imperitive that anglers come prepared with green caddis pupa and adults with green bodies to take full advantage of these evening feasts. Craneflies are as thick as thieves - very tiny craneflies in sizes 16 and 18 are found all along the river's edge and the trout love to chomp them down. Little Yellow Sally stoneflies are coming into their full glory now that their big cousins are falling by the wayside. That's a lot of bugs! Come to the Deschutes expecting to fish a lot of different dries and dry dropper combos. It is best to have a wide selection of flies in your fly box. Fish 5X and be prepared to change flies multiple times throughout the day to match the changing hatch.
Our fly shop has over 100,000 flies in stock - so we are here to help you match the hatch. Stop on in when you get to Maupin. We are on the main street across for the market and the new pizza place!
Tight Lines! Amy & John Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop
May 25, 2009 UNREAL! OFF THE HOOK! This is how the fishing has been described over the past week since the warm weather rolled in and the Salmonflies have made their presence known. If you don't like the idea of 3 inch long prehistoric looking bugs crawling on your neck, you may want to avoid the river right now - the stoneflies are out in full force. The quote of the weekend had to be the mid-20 year old guy who came in and said "Never bring your girlfriend camping when the fishing is this good! She just doesn't understand that fly fishing the salmonfly hatch is not a group activity!"
Now you Montana guys may be thinking.."..what's the big deal, she can enjoy the boat ride while I fish....or, better yet, I'll teach her to row and I'll be in the front of the boat all day!" Well, you cannot legally fish from a boat on the Deschutes, or from any floating device, it has been the law since the 1920s. Therefore, you must drag yourself through the jungle on the river's edge - through blackberry thorns, poison oak, past rattlesnakes, and under spider-filled overhanging trees to find the very biggest trout in the very best salmonfly habitat. Some girls like that (like the one writing this fishing report) but non-angling girlfriends do not typically share the same habitat as our large redsides.
The best anglers this time of year are the jungles anglers. Brush busting, rock hopping, deep wading, mean-arse moe foes are going to be the ones that get the job done. Forget the cocktail hour - that's when the fishing gets the most insane....you can drink when it gets dark and legal fishing hours are over.
If you aren't fishing salmonflies and golden stones, this must mean that you have seen the huge Pale evening dun mayflies and smaller more yellow pale morning dun mayflies cruising past. The best clue on when to cut off the stonefly and switch to a mayfly is when you see thousands of swallows (kite like little birds - some are white bellied with a viotet green back and others have dark blue wings and a buffy colored belly) swooping down to the river to pick bugs off the water. The swallows eat mayflies and won't be out swooping until the numbers of mayflies are strong. Gulls, on the other hand, are huge fans of the stoneflies and will be seen taking them out of the air and off the water this time of the year. The only mayfly the gulls bother to eat are Green Drakes.
Green Drakes will be making a showing sometime soon, so don't hit the river without a supply of these dries at the ready. You will think you have died and gone to the great river in the sky when the green drakes make a showing - it will happen between now and mid-June whenever the sky is high overcast and we have warm humid weather. I, personally, will leave the shop the minute I see that weather....sorry co-workers!
With the warm weather come the caddis hatches and the little yellow sally stoneflies are also out in full force as the weeks go on. There are so many great dry fly options available right now...it is just silly!
If you like to nymph, go for it. You will do well down deep, and if that is your gig, I say go for it. You will, however, be missing out on one of the very best windows for dry fly fishing that you can find anywhere.
Have a great week - our weather is incredible right now! Hope to see you in the shop.
TIght lines! Amy & John Hazel and the gang at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin, OR. 541-395-0995.
May 14, 2009 The river had a little high water spurt since I last wrote the report, in fact, it actually spiked on the night of May 4 with a heavy rainstorm. None the less, the fishing has ben good since the spike because the Deschutes has been dropping ever since and the fish are happy.
The big deal right now is that the salmonfly/stonefly hatch is just days away! This weekend is forecast to be in the mid 80s and beautiful! If you have been on the river during this hatch when we get the really hot weather you know how all Hell breaks loose....it should be a great weekend and week after that for dry fly anglers. The other major hatch at this time of year is the Heptagenia mayfly hatch. No, not the HEX but just as appealling to the trout is the Heptagenia which is commonly called the Pale Eve Dun. Do not overlook this bug during the stonefly hatch - it can be your secret weapon. A light cahill parachute is what you should have to imitate the PED. For the stonefly imitation you cannot hit the river without Norm Woods Specials and Clark's Stones. This is the beginning of dry fly ShangriLa on the Deschutes.
That being said, there are always a ton of hard core nymphers out there who are expert bug drowners and who hook a lot of fish. The best nymphs right now are stones (since the big guys are actively migrating to the edges of the river) and big mayfly nymphs - the common pheasant tails and such will work, but the anato-may and other more trick imitations are also money!
The area around Maupin is where the hatch kicks off. You will not see stones up river in the South Junction or wWarm Springs/Trout Creek areas for a few weeks. We have 40 miles of road access along the river in Maupin, so there is plenty of great water for everyone.
May 4, 2009 The river is in the perfect condition for this time of year. It is clear for the entire one hundred miles and a little on the high side, but that is normal for this time of year and bodes well for the fishing for the rest of the calendar year.
The Deschutes River in the Maupin area has been open all year long, but the rest of the river just opened about a week ago. This means that the pressure has spread out and most of it, as usual, has moved up river.
The hatches have been really strong lately. The March Browns made a stellar showing and are tailing off a little now, buit the Blue Winged Olives are going strong. We are starting to see more and more caddis activity at this time of year - they are large and dark this time of year so try a grey or black bodied caddis pattern in a size 12 to 14.
Since the stoneflies are coming off in the next few weeks, this is the time of year to explore the depths with a stonefly nymph. I prefer the golden stone nymph over the big black stones - they seem to catch a lot more fish. The very best stonefly nymph is the little yellow sally stone - much smaller than its cousins and bright yellow, this little lady slays the rainbows! The prince nymph on steroids, the pshyco prince, batman, christmas prince, king prince, crown jewel, and red fox squirrel tail are also super hot right now in the world of nymphs.
If you are planning a trip to the Deschutes to catch the epic slamonfly hatch, give us a call. We will set you up with the right bugs. Remeber, that hatch is typically in full swing in the Maupin area by May 17. If we have a week of cold weather the hatch can be delayed slightly, but the hatch is usually finished in the Maupin area by the 12th of June at the latest. If that is when you were planning to be here, fear not, the hatches just keep getting better all the way through the month of June and into July and the weather is much more dependable.
Even if you aren't headed out here for our hatch but you are planning on fishing the stoneflies in your back yard, check out our colossal collection of stonefly dries and other flies on www.deschutesangler.com.
We are running day trips for trout anglers, evening hatch floats, and (everyone's favorite) multi-day deluxe camp floats. Call now for a spot on the calendar 541-395-0995.
If you have seen the movie DRIFT, then you know how beautiful the Deschutes is and what a passion we have for this river. We hope to share the river with you in the future. John and Amy Hazel and the crew at Deschutes Angler Fly Shop in Maupin, Oregon.
