First Time Deschutes Trip Next Week

**JSP** · 05-23-2007, 04:58 PM

Heading out for a long needed trip out of the south bay to the Deschutes for the first time next Thursday. I will be staying in maupin and plan on stopping at the local fly shops up there, but thought I would drop a line to see if anyone has some current info or general tips for that area. Can't wait to have the opportunity to hook into (hopefully) some of the redsides up there. Thanks.

**amoeba** · 05-23-2007, 05:41 PM

http://www.alaskaflyfish.net/phpBB2/...pic.php?t=2439

above is a report from last week (slow fishing). may get better. at least is not boiling hot like it can be later in summer

was there once about this time. caught some fish on orange stimulators and golden stone nymphs.

**Bill Kiene semi-retired** · 05-24-2007, 12:35 AM

I think the first of June is the timing, give or take, for the stone fly hatch up there.

**sculpin** · 05-24-2007, 09:41 PM

Keep an eye out for snakes, the're are a bunch of them in the canyon.

Mark

**slim** · 05-25-2007, 11:24 AM

Your timing should be perfect. Heven't been in a number of years, but we used to do well slapping stimmys up under the alders (or are the willows?) after wading out a ways. Should be stones, salmonfly, and lots or caddis. Watch it-when one of those BIG salmonflys crawls up your neck it will make you jump! Keep a few live ones on yor hat, and when approaching a run, float a live one down the run to locate fish. (Would that be considered chumming? or perhaps cruel and unusual bug torture? Who cares-it's fun.)
Great river-your going to love it.
slim

**justinbailie** · 05-26-2007, 07:39 AM

hola,

i grew up fishing the deshutes and have nothing but great things to say about it. by far the strongest trout i've ever fished for. little freight trains. so fun. it might be a little early, but the caddis hatches can be unreal up there and it is good to bring along some pupa. sparkle pupa to be exact. never fished them there, but i am sure a fox pupa would be deadly fished deep. in the evenings, find those little weedy slicks and the trout will be working the last couple hours until after dark. if you feel so inclined, fishing by sound because you need to get "just one more" is always fun too.

stonefly nymphs in the deeper slots will always bring up some big ol toads too. i always fished just standard hair's ears too(standard, dk brown, olive) but i am sure any similar nymph in 12,14,16 will do fine in the riffles. elk hair caddis is a good standard as well.

i have not fished there much in the past 10 years, but i keep hearing that it is pretty crowded these days especially right now with the salmonflies starting to hatch, try to get to spots where most people don't go. go to the end of the roads and hike or bring a little boat to cross the river and fish the other side. and of course the salmonflies can be epic, but don't forget the golden stones. they are just as thick at times.

oh yeah, fish the big eddies in mid day. always bigger fish rising. hard to fish though with all the trees but a fun challenge. check out the eddies from the road above to see where the best fish are and then just stalk them. they are the dark, almost black things that for some reason look like fish.

have fun and wear cleats if you got em. big water, slippery rocks. snakes yeah well... but watch out for the growing population of eastern oregon chibacabras. think the locals are transplanting them to keep down the gaper population.

adios!

justin

**Cary Jellison** · 05-27-2007, 09:37 AM

I'm going up there this Thursday for a 3 day float through the canyon. It'll be my third year in a row doing this trip. It's been fantastic the last two years and we have gone the first week of June both times so I would agree with Bill. Pretty much all we've used is a # 6 Norm Wood's Special. Sometimes in the AM we'll put a dropper on before the salmon flies get going good and we've had a few pmd and caddis hatches that we've hit but in 6 days of fishing it's been nothing but dries. The fish are good fighters but I don't think they can quite out do a Yuba fish. I'm sure if you are wading you'll find the fishing a little tougher because you can't get to a lot of the places you can with a boat. Last year a buddy of mine was up there wade fishing the same time that I was and didn't do well and we killed em down in the canyon. He was fishing up above. You can't fish from the boat on the Deschutes but it allows to get to spots that don't get fished as much. Good luck and just remember no matter how the fishing, it's all better than work.