Owyhee River in Eastern Oregon

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Not really a secret anymore but a hell of a long way from here.

This is one of the top tailwater fisheries in the west now.

Put it on you list..............Google it.

[BigBill]

Back when I lived in WA, I met a guy from central Oregon while fishing the Hex hatch at Merrill Lake. When you camp at Merrill for the Hex hatch, fishing the lake during the day is useless B/C the fish aren't eating much until the evening hatch.(Which is biblical by the way!) So, I took him on a side trip to a river that held a good number of big Bull Trout. He landed one of these monsters and as repayment took me out on the Owyhee several weeks later, a river that he knew well. I had actually never heard of the Owyhee at that time. As Bill says, it is an amazing tailwater fishery. I guess the average size of the browns are 18-22"!

Unfortunately, I haven't been back since that one time. If it fishes nearly as well as it did then, I'd say it's definitely a destination fishery.

[Rick J]

A couple of years ago I went back there with Don Rotsma and Bruce Slightom - it was really hot and fishing was fair, mostly on small midges. The next day a front came in and it rained and we had one of the most incredible pmd hatches I have ever witnessed - fishing that day was close to the best day I have ever had trout fishing - if you cast close to a fish and got a reasonable drift you got hammered. The fish are all big browns 18" to over 20" but they did not really fight all that well when compared to most rainbow fisheries such as Silver Creek - still it was a day that I will always remember - we almost stayed in the trailer and watched an old movie rather that going out to check the creek - that would have reaaly sucked!!!

[winndknot]

Hi all, I have been registered for a while now, just did some searching and found this topic. We are guides on the river and have been for 5 years. This year the fishing has been behind by about 1 month, so we are seeing lots of PMD action right now. September should be awesome. The average size fish is 18-20" with some well over 22". Take a look at the site (photo gallery specifically), it shows some great examples over the last month. Also here is a link on just one awesome day on the "O" on YouTube. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qQdUCioH4Bk

Don't let the name on the vid. deceive you too! :D

Tight lines and Happy Fishing!

Dave and Rhonda

http://www.dreamsonthefly.com

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks 'windknot'

I was wondering what it looked like over there.

...and welcome to the BB.